pitstopsforkids's Passport
 | Been to 198 Attractions |
 | 195 Reviews |
 | 136 First to Review |
 | 175 Photos |
 | 91 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
I'm a travel and eco blogger, freelance writer, and editor living in beautiful Oregon. I love to travel with kids (most of the time) and run a review site for parents called www.pitstopsforkids.com.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, energetic, scheduled
We Just Got Back From
A whirlwind tour of the national parks of the Southwest!
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Oregon state parks or Laguna Beach, CA. It's a toss up!
A Place We'd Love To Visit
St. John's in the US Virgin Islands
Favorite Vacation Memory
Watching my children explore Disney World for the first time!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
Stranded in the San Francisco airport at 2 am with a toddler and an infant. Not. Fun.
Websites I Like:
5 outdoorsy kid dates in Southern Oregon
Make a date with your kid! And while you're at it, get outside! These five outdoorsy kid dates in Southern Oregon are fun, budget-friendly, and guarantee plenty of exercise!
Lake of the Woods Hwy (OR 140)
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Comment:
Within easy driving distance of Medford OR or Klamath Falls, OR, Lake of the Woods offers daily boat rentals, swimming, and hiking. Bring a picnic, or eat at the marina. If you're ambitious, make a weekend out of it and rent a cabin. When I go with one of my sons, we love to canoe in the lilypads, looking for frogs.
reviewed on: March 02 2010
"Lake of the Woods"
Lake of the Woods is a gorgeous mountain lake about 1.5 hours from Medford OR, or 1 hour from Klamath Falls, OR. Check the website for cabin rentals (reserve early!) or just go for the day! There's a great swimming beach with many semi-private coves (and neaby parking), a marina, and even several dining options including a pizza parlor. There is an entry fee of $4 per vehicle for day use.
620 N Mountain Avenue
Ashland, Oregon
Comment:
Everyone loves Ashland OR's Lithia Park, but fewer visitors know about North Mountain Nature Center. Open to the public, this center is staffed by naturalists and offers seasonal programs for kids (mostly on weekends) including bird watching in their sanctuary, plant and gardening classes, and nature walks. Even when the center is closed, North Mountain is a great place to splash in a creek and spot deer. Bring a box lunch from Munchies in Ashland to eat together. And if you have a young child, make a date with the park's scheduled puppet shows!
Cantrall Road
Jacksonville, Oregon
Comment:
A summer hot spot for inner-tube floating and swimming, Cantrall Buckley offers grassy picnic grounds, camping, and river-wading and swimming. In the summer, you'll want something to float down the current on, and in August, bring a bucket to pick blackberries. We love this park in fall as well: kids love wading into the shallows to catch minnows and BBQ pits make for a nice place to have a sunset dinner.
reviewed on: March 04 2010
"Cantrall Buckley County Park"
If you're exploring the pioneer town of Jacksonville and have more time to spend, drive out into the Applegate Valley and visit Cantrall Buckley County Park. Set on the shores of the Applegate River, Cantrall Buckley has long, sloping lawn and picnic areas. The river is slow-moving in this area and great for wading, minnow-fishing (bring nets!) and inner tubing or rafting. Wear water shoes (the pebbles on the river bottom are slippery!) and bring cash for the $4 parking fee.There's a little playground right across the road from the river as well. Dogs welcome on a leash.
6941 Upper Applegate Road
Jacksonville, Oregon
Comment:
30 minutes outside of Medford OR, Applegate Lake has warm-water swimming set against a beautiful backdrop of the Siskiyou range. Take your child for an afternoon swim, then stop at one of Applegate Valley's many family-friendly wineries to sit on the deck and enjoy a glass of wine (you) and grape juice (your child). Watch for hang-gliders swooping down to the valley floor. Our favorite winery is Troon's, 15 minutes from Jacksonville OR and just five minutes from Ruch, OR.
reviewed on: March 03 2010
"Applegate Lake"
Applegate is one of our family's favorites! Located about 20 minutes outside of Jacksonville OR (and 35 minutes from I-5 in Medford), it's a world apart. The Siskiyou mountains make for a stunning backdrop to this fishing and swimming lake (no moterized boats over 10 mph). Turn off Applegate road to Hart-Tish Park, drive down to the marina to get a parking pass ($10), and then follow the signs to the parking area. From there, it's a steep but short walk down to the swimming area, which is quite nice with grassy lawns. Bring rafts, beach blankets, and coolers! There are picnic tables with BBQs up the hill a little way, and bathrooms up by the parking area.
Late in the season, the water level is pretty low; we try to go before August.
966 Southeast 6th Street
Grants Pass, Oregon
Comment:
If you have a kid who loves all things speedy, take him or her on a Hellgate Jetboat ride, offered in Grants Pass, OR. You can book a half-day or few hour-long excursion, or an evening ride that includes a BBQ dinner. We find a few hours to be enough time on the water. Prepare to get wet, and to see lots of great wildlife, including eagles and deer.
