Tag Archives: family weekend getaways

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Family Weekend Getaways: Westport Washington

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This is the second post in a series on easy family weekend getaways. With school in full swing and budgets tight, the dreaded stay-cation may be around for a while. This is my way of showing that you don’t need to turn your back on family vacations altogether, that mini-vacations in your own region can be fun and affordable. This guest post is by my friend Margaret who recently spent the weekend with her family in Westport, Washington.

If you live in the Seattle area, you have children (and maybe a dog), and you want to take a three-day weekend vacation during the school year, sometimes the thought of planning a getaway seems more trouble than it’s worth. But what if it could be easy? What if you could pack your car and drive two hours away, stay in a nice, roomy place with a view of the Pacific Ocean from your living room, a state park next door, and more sand dollars on the beach than your kids can fit in their pockets? And your dog can come, too. Would you do it then?

Everyone deserves a break from routine, and it doesn’t have to be a lot of work. When I discovered our kids had a four-day break from school this October, I decided to plan a little trip to the coast. The catch was that I wanted a place that could accommodate our family dog, and I knew we wouldn’t be relaxed in a cheap motel. After looking at a map of Washington, I decided to start my search in Westport, which looked like the shortest drive from the south Sound area. An internet search with keywords “Westport dog-friendly accommodations” turned up a number of links, but one caught my attention. A resort called Westport by the Sea, a condominium complex, offered a number of dog-friendly units for rent.
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Choosing A Vacation Rental

On the Westport By The Sea web site I was able to view detailed interior photos of each unit and a map showing the location of all the buildings. This set-up made it easy to select the best choice for our family, an oceanfront, second story, two-bedroom condo with a clear, beautiful view of the sea. The off-season price tag didn’t seem overwhelming, either. For $239 a night plus a standard cleaning fee, we stayed in “Baileys’ Surf Shack,” a nicely decorated and clearly treasured family getaway.

Vacation Rentals Help Keep Costs Down

If that sounds expensive, consider that we didn’t eat a single meal out – we packed up our coolers and had a fully equipped kitchen waiting for us. We found every kitchen item we could have wanted, so cooking all our kids’ favorite foods was easy. And while $75 initially seemed a little steep for a cleaning fee, I understood why when we arrived. This place was nice, with granite counter-tops and down comforters and fluffy white towels and robes. We felt at home right away, which meant we could focus on the fun parts: walking the beach, digging in the sand, swimming in the heated pool, watching the waves as we played board games and enjoyed meals together. (For a less pricey option, a one-bedroom condo at $179/night still sleeps four, with a sleeper sofa in the living area.) There are usually a few more rules at this sort of accommodation (as opposed to a hotel), but this is the main benefit of condo vacations: you can take your family to a new place without rocking your world too much. That’s ideal when your kids have to make the transition back to school right away.
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Westport Attractions

Some other attractions include the Westport Light State Park adjacent to the property. Grays Harbor Light Station is located here. One night we took a late evening walk into the park, on a path that led us into the middle of the dunes. Away from all the man-made lights, our kids got to see more stars than they ever see living in the city. We picked out all the constellations we knew and talked about how small we really are, living on this planet — a conversation we’d never have hanging out at home!

Another activity I brought along was a surprise, a ferris wheel Erector set (a Schylling product). Our two boys, ages 5 and 8, spent hours helping put it together. They liked receiving a “gift” on their trip away, and we enjoyed the peaceful view while working on a project together. Other hits were Yahtzee and Scrabble, which both came with the condo.

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Family Weekend Getaways: Walla Walla

Westport Travel Tips

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Family Weekend Getaways: Walla Walla Washington

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When the school schedules for my children’s schools synchronize so that they’re both out of school on a Friday, it’s an invitation for us to squeeze in a short break. I love these mini-vacations during the school year. Yes, it’s a pain to close the door on a pile of chores and have them waiting for me (and then some) when I get home, but it’s a great feeling to hit the open road and leave our normal routine behind even for just a few days.

Walla Walla Washington

This time we’re going to Walla Walla. A non-trivial four-hour drive from Seattle, it’s absolutely worth the effort. With our bikes strapped to the back of the car, a fun-filled but fairly low-cost weekend is pretty easy to organize.

Walla Walla Accommodation

As home to Whitman College and a host of excellent wineries and vineyards, Walla Walla has plenty of accommodation choices. From Bed-and-Breakfasts to luxury vineyard lodges to chain hotels, there’s something to suit every budget. On our cheap-and-cheerful weekend, we usually opt for a bare bones motel. If you’re planning a romantic weekend away, the Inn at the Abeja Winery is a perfect choice.

Family Activities in Walla Walla

There’s no question but that we’re drawn to Walla Walla because of the wine. This will be our fourth time to go wine tasting with children on bikes. For me, it’s a perfect family day out. We stop at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning to pick up picnic supplies, fill our backpacks and hit the long, fairly flat, fairly quiet road. We’ve cycled around wineries with a toddler in a trailer, one child using a ‘big kid bike’ which didn’t have gears and with a preschooler on a trail-a-bike. This will be our first trip where everyone will be on regular bikes. We might just all get to each stopping point at the same time. But if we don’t, that’ll be OK too because wineries are about so much more than tasting the wine. There’s rows of vines to walk along, machinery to examine and cool storerooms with oak barrels stacked high to explore (if the vintner allows, of course). And if the idea of bikes and wine-tasting with kids doesn’t work for you, downtown Walla Walla and Whitman College are both fun to walk around with younger children.

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Walla Walla Wineries

There are way too many wineries in Walla Walla to list here and far too many to visit in one day. We’ll plan on a 15-mile (or so) cycle and try to plan our route to hit 3-5 wineries along the way. Planning to finish at the Walla Walla Regional Airport is always a good idea since there are a cluster of tasting rooms in refurbished WWII buildings in that area. If you think that sounds a little crazy remember that this is where you’ll find Dunham Cellars, Tamarack Cellars and Buty.

Other wineries in the area include K Vintners, Seven Hills, L’Ecole No. 41 and Woodward Canyon – to name just a few.

Walla Walla Fine Dining

Now that our boys are a little older, WanderDad and I will be able to feed them early in the evening (kid-friendly food in a kid-friendly environment) and leave them watching a movie in our hotel room while we treat ourselves to a sumptuous dinner at Whitehouse Crawford.

After an active day’s cycling, great wine and great food, there’s usually a satisfied bunch in our car on the drive home to Seattle.

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Walla Walla Things To Do

Photo credit: vitruvius.

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Sunset Over Lake Washington

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This is why the Pacific Northwest is stunning during the summer months. When the sun shines, we get spectacular sunsets with flaming colors reflected over lakes and mountains.

This photo was taken at the marina at Carillon Point in Kirkland, WA looking west towards Seattle and the Olympic Mountains.

Enjoy more fun photos at DeliciousBaby.

Related Posts:
Summer Family Fun In Seattle
Family Hikes In Seattle

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