As I was doing research into what activities me and my kids could do, it was quick to see that Portland is more of a central hub than Vancouver. I easily found way more than 10 things to do, but these are the ones I’m most excited for or I think my kids will be most excited for. So without further ado, here are my top 10 things I will be doing with my kids after we move!

1. Oregon Zoo

   I know, I know. Boring, unoriginal, yawn. BUT there’s a reason why zoos are on every list of what to do with kids-they’re fun! At least, I think they are. And they’re great for all ages, so if you’re like me and have an eight year gap between your oldest and youngest, both of them will still be happy. I have to say, I think I’m most excited to see the sea lions-they took the sea lion exhibit out of our zoo here a couple years ago and I have missed watching them swim and twirl in the deep blue water.

2. Oaks Amusement Park

This amusement park seems to be the perfect size-big enough to spend a day there enjoying the rides without feeling like you missed half the park. They also have plenty to do there with 24 rides, mini golf, and roller skating. They even have a kiddie area with rides geared towards little ones, so I know my oldest and youngest will both find things to do there. This is definitely going to be a fun escape this summer!

3. Oregon Museum of Science & Industry

This is the closest thing to a children’s museum in Portland, so you bet we’re going to be there! (While doing research I read on another blog that there used to be a children’s museum, but it closed down a couple years ago.) This is another hands-on haven that is both educational and fun. There are also planetarium shows there, as well as the opportunity to explore a submarine! This miiiiight just be somewhere I buy a season pass to, we’ll have to wait and see!

4. Powell’s City of Books

When I heard that Portland has a book store that takes up an ENTIRE CITY BLOCK, I knew I had found my people. Ha, jk. But seriously, I cannot wait to go and explore this store. The best part? I read they sell new AND used books (hey, I love books but sometimes I want a cheaper option so I can get even MORE books). They have ten different color-coded rooms that I have no idea what they mean but I am so excited to find out. I will definitely be visiting this store ASAP!

5. Columbia River Gorge

The gorge covers 100 miles, so there is a TON of things to do and explore in this area. I would love to see Government Cove Peninsula (think romantic jagged rocks overlooking the water), and visit Starvation Creek State Park (all it took to convince me to go was reading that there are four waterfalls here). Thegorgeguide.com is a great resource, and I will definitely be poking around on that site more before we go.

6. Oregon Coast

I feel like all my dreams are coming true with the coast being a short couple hours away from where we’ll be living because I have been wanting to explore this area for YEARS. In fact, we could explore a different area just about every weekend if we wanted to. The two places I’m most excited for is Cannon Beach because holy gorgeous, and Otter Rock Beach because there are apparently lots of tide pools and sea glass to find. This one makes me as giddy as a five year old on their birthday-can’t wait!

7. Oregon Rail Heritage Center

My oldest has loved trains since he was little. He isn’t as interested in them now, but whenever we see a life-sized train he still gets excited so I know he and my other kids would LOVE this. The Heritage Center is both a working museum and a train station-you can ride an open-air train for 45 minutes as well as watch workers repair and do upkeep on all the parts that make their vintage trains work. Can’t wait to see how my oldest reacts to this one!

8. Portland Aerial Tram

You guys, this is public transit. Like, people commute to work and school. On a TRAM. How freaking cool is that?! Of course, it’s open to the public-but it’s good to know to avoid rush hour times if you’re riding it just for fun. There also seems to be great areas to explore on both sides of the tram, so it’s a great way to see the city-both from above and at street level. It’s also suuuper budget-friendly with kids 6&under riding free, and $8 round trip tickets for everyone else.

9. Multnomah Falls

More waterfalls? It remains to be seen if I will tire of seeing waterfalls or not, ha ha. Regardless, when I saw photos of this I was drooling-that bridge with the falls behind it? Gah, so pretty. This is technically in the Columbia River Gorge, but I thought this deserved it’s own place in the lineup. The only downside? I’m not the only one who wants to visit-this is one of the most visited sites in the Pacific Northwest so it’s bound to be busy. There’s a 2.6 mile hike to the top, but it’s apparently pretty steep-we’ll have to see if my kids can handle it!

10. The food!

Ok, this isn’t a specific experience, but I’m super excited to experience the food scene in Portland. When I was doing research into which food trucks to eat at I quickly became overwhelmed-there are so many food trucks there that they’re organized into pods which are different areas with food trucks galore. I think it would be super fun for the whole family to pick somewhere different and then have a sampling of each plate. I’m also pretty excited to live in a city where there’s a Voodoo Donut-I’ve only had their donuts once but I loved them!

*BONUS: If you’re looking for even more things to do in Portland, check out this article I contributed to from Rent Cafe. It has some things on there I definitely want to go see!

There you have it! Have you visited Portland before? What would you add?

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