We went on Jerry's Jet Boat Tour in June 2009. At the time, our boys were 4 months and 3 years old. We had a blast! I made the mistake of sitting in the back of the boat with the baby, in the last row of seats next to the wheelhouse, thinking it would be the dryest and safest, but it was WAY windy and the baby didn't like it at all. My husband had our 3-year-old in the very front row, and they were much more comfortable because they were protected by the windows. After lunch, on the way back, we all sat in front together, very comfortably, and both of my boys fell asleep!

What you're in for when you get on the boat is a rollicking fun boat ride up river for about an hour. Our captain drove us over to the marshes on the sides of the river where we saw Bald Eagles, Osprey, ducks, cranes, and river otters. The mountains and scenery are simply breathtaking from the water, and our captain knew a lot of Indian history and lore, which was fascinating. He was also hilarious, and kept us laughing the whole time. At times, the boat went slowly, especially while passing the fishing boats on the water, but when the river widened, the captain opened it up and it was FUN! He also liked to spin brodies, which cracked up my older boy to no end.

Up river, there are 2 options for lunch, and the boat drops off and picks up to each place. We ate at the second place, a diner-type establishment with burgers, fries, grilled cheese, chicken strips, soda, etc. Good food, moderately priced. I think you can bring your own lunch too, but call to double-check since it was a year ago that we were there.

The lunch break is an hour and a half or so, which gives ample time to eat and digest, walk around and enjoy the scenery, get your feet wet in the river, etc. My boy had the time of his life chucking rocks into the river. The trip home is a little faster, since you've already seen most of the sights. Our captain took this chance to show off the boat a little, with more speed and more spins.

Since it can be chilly, dress the family in layers. It's warmer upriver, especially in the summer months. For the windy boat ride, there are heavy wool blankets on board for your comfort.

We recently visited the Prehistoric Garden in Port Orford with our 2 boys, age 4 years and 18 months. To say they were excited would be an understatement. They are too young to appreciate the educational value of the Garden, but they absolutely loved looking at the 23 life-like dinosaurs, marveling at their size, shouting to me about their teeth and claws, and running to the next dinosaur with glee. Everywhere you look, you can see a dinosaur peeking through the rainforest!

I fell in love with the rainforest setting that houses these giants. The walking path to visit the dinos is packed gravel (no problem for our Chicco umbrella stroller), lined with short moss-covered wooden fences. There are enormous ferns and trees with hanging vines, wooden bridges, huge clover, and amazing views from the path as you make a slight ascension about halfway through the walk.

Older kids and adults will enjoy reading the signs all about the different eras, plant life, and history of the area. It can be very wet, so the Garden supplies umbrellas, but if it's busy you might need to use your own.

The walk took us about 20-30 minutes, and my boys wanted to go around again to see all the dinos one more time. The dinos were hand-made by the creator of the Garden, who has since passed away, but are very well maintained and obviously cared about by those running the place.

Very nice lady in the gift shop, and the fun dinosaur goodies were moderately priced. A t-shirt for my 4-year-old was under $10. The tour is a bit on the pricy side, but my kids had so much fun that it felt worth it to me. Adults are $8 and kids 3-10 are $7. There are picnic tables on the large lawn out front, which is a great place to sit and eat, as long as you keep the kids close because there's no fence or barrier separating the Garden from the highway.