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Oregon Coast Family Vacation with Kids

by Katie Wallace | Updated: May 14, 2016

Warmer weather and changing school schedules means we are looking forward to lots of summer fun and family vacations! It’s always tricky taking small children on adventures, but it is possible. Despite naps, diapers, and nursing schedules, families with young children can still get out and enjoy some summer sunshine! Last year our family explored the beautiful Oregon Coast. My 3-year-old loved the pacific northwest beaches and our baby didn’t mind coming along for the ride.

It looks a bit chilly, but the sunshine made up for the colder Oregon Coast beach temperatures. Our Oregon Coast family vacation wasn’t a typical California beach experience, but that didn’t stop up from building a sandcastle, chilling on the ocean-smoothed sand, and strolling along the edges of the waves.

Oregon coast trip with kids

Oregon coast beach family vacation with babies

Our babies have always loved the beach and it’s a treat because we visit the coast rather infrequently.

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Oregon coast baby on the beach

Oregon family vacation sand castle at the beach

Oregon coast family vacation and tide pools with sea urchins

Wild sea urchins decorate the edges of the Oregon Coast tide pools. They are beautiful and not something our kids see everyday! My daughter loved discovering these cool new creatures.

Oregon family vacation - exploring tide pools with kids

Exploring Oregon coast tide pools with kids

We stopped at a hole in the wall coffee and tea place on our Oregon Coast family vacation and enjoyed a delicious cinnamon mocha! Sometimes hidden and less mainstream places are the best!

Stop at a Oregon coast coffee shop on our Oregon family vacation

Oregon coast family vacation delicious coffee

Oregon family vacation beautiful flowers in Newport

Of course, a stop at a local chocolate store was a must. My daughter had no problem choosing her favorites.

Oregon coast family vacation local chocolates

The Oregon Coast is so beautiful.

Oregon family vacation hike with toddlers

Pacific Northwest beaches are known for their ocean waves that break upon rocky cliffs. We saw such awesome scenery on our Oregon Coast family vacation!

Oregon coast family hike with young children

Oregon family vacation hike with beautiful flowers

There were views to be found everywhere on our kid-friendly Oregon Coast hike.

Oregon coast family hike with beautiful views

Oregon Family Vacation coastal hikes

This cliff side hike view from our Oregon Coast family vacation reminds me of the Shire from Lord of the Rings.

Oregon coast family hike

Our Oregon Coast hike was kid-friendly family adventuring at it’s best! The views, natural beauty, and light summer breezes were lovely.

Oregon coast family vacation hike babies on the beach

Oregon coast family vacation beach baby

Throughout our Oregon family vacation we found some great photo spots on these ocean buffeted rocks for darling coastal toddler photos.

Oregon coast family vacation awesome ocean driftwood

I’d love to know where this chunk of Oregon Coast driftwood has been! My daughter wasted no time scrambling up for a closer look.

Fun Oregon coast family vacation with toddlers

Some of our Oregon Coast family vacation days were windy and misty. The Oregon Coast tide pools offered plenty of places to explore.

Oregon coast family vacation tide pools

One of our stops included Bandon Oregon, a small coastal town where we got coffee and had lunch. Henry the Fish is a unique creation made entirely from plastic ocean debris. It was designed using bluish fishing net and plastic pieces of different shapes and colors that were collected from the ocean. A whale bone structure crafted from white plastic containers provides the structure for this unique “recycled” piece of art.

We also went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, a great family-friendly tour that included cheese samples. My 3-year-old had the chance to see how cheese is made and enjoy samples and ice cream at the end of the tour!

Oregon Family Vacation with Toddlers Tillamook Cheese Factory

The Oregon Coast aquarium in Newport also offered lots of kids activities, including a sensory area where kids can touch sea creatures and explore ocean eco-systems within lots of viewing windows.

Oregon Family Vacation Newport Aquarium

To top off our Oregon Coast family adventure, we enjoyed crab at a local seafood restaurant in Newport. Surprisingly, crab has quickly become one of my daughter’s favorite occasional treats!

Oregon Family Vacation with Toddlers crab dinner

We loved adventuring on the Oregon Coast and exploring places like Newport, Tillamook, and Bandon. The Oregon Coast turned out to be a wonderful vacation with lots of activities to do with young kids and babies! We went to many little towns that each offered their own unique culture, sights, and experiences. We kept our family vacation simple and casual so we could have fun amidst nap schedules and the limited abilities of our small children. The Pacific Northwest coast was the perfect place to get away from home and enjoy a week of fun with our babies, a great Oregon family vacation! Where will you go with your family this summer?

Katie Wallace
Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!

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Aly
Aly
7 years ago

Stumbled upon this post and was wondering if you could share specifically where you were when you took that beautiful “shire” hike? I am planning a family trip and would love to go there. Thanks!

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Katie Wallace
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Katie Wallace
7 years ago
Reply to  Aly

Hi! I believe it was near Thor’s Well in Yachats, Oregon. It’s definitely worth checking out and going on a family hike!

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Hi, I'm Katie and we are the Wallace family! We homeschool, go on adventures, and travel internationally with our four kids. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas on Create. Play. Travel.

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TRAVEL | KIDS | ADVENTURES 🌟 Creative family ideas! #createplaytravel

Coming to terms with the past, and pressing forwar Coming to terms with the past, and pressing forward with grace, that’s all any of us can do.Lately, I’ve been asking myself some hard questions… especially when it comes to homeschooling.Here’s the truth:I can’t keep homeschooling the way I’ve been doing it.I’m not a teacher in the traditional sense, and I don’t love teaching. That’s not why we chose this path.The real reason we homeschool is because we want our kids to have freedom.🌟 Freedom to learn how to learn🩵 Freedom to discover what they love😀 Freedom to grow in diligence and live out their faith boldlyBut as I wrestle with our present, I’ve also had to face my past.I was homeschooled, too.There were a lot of blessings in that, but also some challenges. I grew up in a conservative environment where the focus was often on sheltering kids. And while I know that came from a place of love, it was hard. Especially as a teenager trying to figure out what I believed for myself.In our family’s younger years, our homeschool rhythm has been pretty relaxed, mostly workbooks and flexible days. But moving forward, things are going to look different.Here’s what I do know about the road ahead (and I’ll share more in upcoming reels):— We’re still homeschooling… just reimagining it.— We’re asking the Holy Spirit to lead our family.— Our kids know the Gospel, and that’s our foundation.— We want to live with intention and boldness.— We’re giving our kids space to try new things while they’re still at home.— I’m praying for a gracious heart when the questions come (because they will come).Maybe this resonates with you. Maybe you’ve felt that tension too, between what you grew up with and what you want to build now.If so, you’re not alone. 🫶🌟(continued in the comments)Follow our journey!
Seriously, SO many cute impulse buys. But I didn’t get any of them. 😅😌 🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures 🌎🩵➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel#travelwithkids #travelhighlights #explorefrance #createplaytravel
Beautiful architecture like this is so fun to stum Beautiful architecture like this is so fun to stumble upon while going about every day life in Europe. 😀🌻 I love the cultural & historic discoveries we find almost everywhere we look. 😌🌍Tag a friend who loves going on adventures! 🫶Follow along for more creative family travel!@createplaytravel
Throwback to a year ago. ❤️ We did it! 🥹😎 I had our baby in Merida MX and with some effort, we got her documents lined up to bring her home. She’s a dual citizen, with double US & MX birth certificates and passports. 🌎🌟It was a great experience! 😌🌄😍 We felt like God was with us, led us through the whole process, and provided for us so tangibly even in the small things. 💗🎬 Watch my YouTube video highlighting what we learned by having a baby in Mexico!🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures! 🌎🩵➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel#digitalnomads #birthingabroad #worldschoolingfamily #adventurefamily #travelwithbaby
Tuscany villa stay straight out of a fairytale! ✨🌿🇮🇹This overnight at an “agriturismo” was perfect for our family of 6. 🌹🍷 We loved staying in our cozy villa, exploring the gorgeous tree lined lane, smelling roses, and sipping local wine while our kids played in the yard. Our host even made us an amazing Italian dinner! 🙌Would you stay in a villa like this with your kids?? We loved this amazing cultural experience in Italy!💬 Agriturismos are working farms that welcome guests (like us!) to stay on the property, creating memorable & local experiencesTag a friend who would love this! 🇮🇹🌟 Hi! We’re the Wallace family. 👋😀 We love traveling with our 4 kids, homeschooling, and exploring — follow along as we Create. Play. Travel. 🌟#travelwithkids #exploreitaly
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Pompeii with kids?? 🌋 Absolutely! We had such a Pompeii with kids?? 🌋 Absolutely! We had such an amazing time exploring — we had to come back a second day. Highlights included:Visiting the gladiator arena in Pompeii. 🏛️Walking along ancient streets, so well preserved!Exploring what’s left of the shops & eateries.Viewing 2,000 year old artifacts like bottles and bread! Learning about Roman culture in 79AD.Viewing Mount Vesuvius, which is huge and very close to modern day Pompei, Italy 🌋😮It was so wild to learn in detail how this ancient city was wiped out by the volcanic eruption. Definitely an amazing educational experience!!➡️ Homeschoolers, would your family enjoy visiting such a rich historic site, such as Pompeii? 😀 🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures 🌎🩵➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel#createplaytravel #homeschoolfamily #travelwithkids #adventurefamily #worldschooling #kidswhotravel #pompeii
Safety is a top priority when traveling with kids! Safety is a top priority when traveling with kids! 🌎🌟 We’ve learned a lot through our experiences. For example, when arranging a ride to the airport in Cancun, we followed these guidelines ⬇️1. We hired a driver through a company that had good reviews. This gave us peace of mind when traveling 4 hours across Mexico ☀️2. We told friends/family about our travel plans including when we left Merida and when we arrived in Cancun. This gave us some accountability 😃3. Finally, we trusted our instincts. We are continually growing in our travel knowledge and intuition. We often know when an arrangement needs to be changed. Often, we meet very friendly and interesting people!➡️ Would you take your kids on an adventure in Mexico? We had a very positive and memorable experience!! 🌴🌟 Inspiring families to live creatively and make memories, through adventures 🌎🩵➡️ follow along! @createplaytravel#createplaytravel #homeschoolfamily #travelwithkids #adventurefamily #worldschooling #kidswhotravel
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