Berkeley Parents Network: Going to Portland

Berkeley Parents Network

Going to Portland

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Places to Go > Going to Portland

Driving to Portland - where to stay along the way

Nov 2005

My family (2 adults, one 3 year old) will be driving to and from the East Bay to Portland, Oregon over the Christmas Holidays. We will be gone about 10 days total. We plan drive only a few hours a day and stay overnight at places along the way.

Any ideas for great family-friendly scenic places to stay along the way. We are budget oriented and have enjoyed staying in youth hostels in the past, but I am concerned that the rain could be a problem since most hostels kick you out from 10-4. We don't want to spend more than $100 per night and even that is steep for us.

Thanks! Excited about our road trip! Replies received (click to see full review)

Ashland is a great family/kid friendly town ...

I loved staying in the town of Mount Shasta ...

girls get away with baby

July 2002

I am taking a ''girls get away'' in early May as a get together with my best friend and my 8-month-old daughter. We are flying into Portland (Oregon) and are looking for a place that would be nice, baby friendly and reasonably priced. It doesn't have to be in Portland, it can be in a small town just outside, but not more than a 1-1.5 hour drive from the airport. I would like some place that we would be comfortable hanging out in while the baby naps and if the weather is bad, but also in an area that would be fun to walk around in and to explore. I would love your suggestions. Thanks! Karyn

The downtown Marriott is conveniently located, and is right across the street from the River. The neighborhood is pleasant, the hotel is moderately priced and has a few restaurants. In the past they've offered $79/nite special rates for the weekends.

We stayed at the Governor Hotel, which is right in the middle of town and walking distance to all kinds of interesting things. Not sure how baby-friendly it is but thought I'd recommend it anyway - it's got a restaurant called Jake's Grill in the bottom of it and it's really cool and historic but not fussy.

While we're on Portland, don't miss Powell's books (a couple blocks from The Governor) which is the biggest bookstore anywhere (used to be two car dealerships) - we shipped two boxes of books home from there, you can spend a day just browsing and sitting in the coffee shop area.

Also the baby might enjoy the Oregon Museum of Science (not sure I've got the exact name) which is abundantly cool, though you'll need to drive there. Well worth it. I should warn you that there is an exhibit there on the development of the human fetus that has real specimens in it so if you're not prepared for that avoid it (incredibly interesting, incredibly disturbing - I saw it 7 months pregnant). But the museum is amazing and you and the baby would have a great time.

Didn't manage to get to the 24-hour Church of Elvis so I don't know if that's cool. As far as I can tell it's the 0-hour Church of Elvis since it's never open. Betsy

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