From quaint beach towns to impressive shopping districts, there are a lot of things about the Southern Oregon coast that might make it appealing when planning your next vacation. However, if you're taking a family vacation, you also have to consider whether or not your preferred vacation spot offers fun activities for kids as well as adults. When it comes to Southern Oregon, you're in luck – there are plenty of can't-miss attractions and activities that will delight your kids during your stay. Take a look at some of the best ways to entertain kids of all ages during a Southern Oregon vacation.
Whale Watching and Sea Lion Spotting
There's nothing quite like catching a glimpse of a giant, majestic whale out in its natural habitat. Kids will enjoy the chance to spot these massive sea creatures on a whale watching tour. The most common whales found in Southern Oregon are gray whales, but you may also be able to catch a glimpse of a blue whale, minke whale, humpback whale, sperm whale, or even an orca. Bottlenose dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall porpoises and harbor porpoises also swim in the area, and may be seen during a whale watching tour.
If whale and dolphin sightings delight your kids, they can enjoy visiting some more water animals with a trip to the Sea Lion Caves, a private wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary. As the name suggests, this is a great place to see sea lions in their natural habitat. However, you will also see sea birds, like gulls and cormorants, and even whales that pass by the caves. You can also check out the skeleton of a sea lion on display at the attraction.
Carnivorous Plants and Prehistoric Parks
Many kids are fascinated by the Venus Fly Trap, but that's not the only bug-eating plant out there. Southern Oregon happens to be home to the Cobra Lily, a rare insect-eating plant that blooms in the late spring and early summer. These plants are found in the Darlingtonia State Natural Site, which is dedicated specifically to protecting only this plant species.
Cobra Lilies might be the most unusual plants in Oregon, but there are other gardens worth seeing as well, including one that contains a feature even more unusual than carnivorous plants – dinosaurs. Prehistoric Gardens is home to an Oregon rainforest, where ancient trees abound and ferns grow to huge sizes. Along the way, you'll see replicas of the pterodactyl, the brachiosaurus, and other Jurassic creatures. This attraction will give you a fascinating view of what a Southern Oregon forest might have looked like in prehistoric times.
Skateboarding and Sandboarding
For teenagers who enjoy skateboarding, Oregon offers a huge draw in the form of one of the best skate parks in the country. The park's nine foot bowl and more than 100 lines would be impressive enough on their own, but the park also boasts one of the very few skateboard cradles in the world. This dome-shaped, 86,000 square foot structure allows fast skaters to actually skate upside down. Make sure that your kids bring their boards, helmets, and elbow and knee pads along so they can try this out.
Active kids may also enjoy the chance to try sandboarding on Oregon's beaches. Sandboarding is a sand dune sport that uses a mix of the skills needed in snowboarding and surfing. Oregon is home to the first sandboarding park in the world, where you can rent sandboards for a reasonable fee. The park also offers dune buggy rides and sand sculpture competitions in the summer, so there's really something for everyone.
You should have no trouble planning a Southern Oregon vacation that is as entertaining for your kids as it is for you. Don't hesitate to reserve your lodging at one of the best places to stay on the Southern Oregon coast, and start planning your itinerary today.
Share29 April 2016
Finding a comfortable place to stay while you're on the road may seem like an easy task, but you can't always judge a book by its cover – just because a hotel looks great on the outside doesn't mean that it offers the amenities and conveniences that you want. Luckily, there is some easy legwork you can do to ensure that the hotel you choose to lodge in is exactly the right place. I have traveled the country multiple times, and my personal experience has taught me many ways to find awesome lodging at an affordable rate, right in the vicinity that I would like to stay no matter where I happened to be. So I decided to pass the information I've learned along to people like you, right here on this blog. Enjoy!