10 Links for Family Friendly Seaside, Oregon Activities

Note:  Be sure to click on the images for a full screen view.  See also 10 images of the Oregon Coast on my Hubpage link.

Seaside, Oregon: Camera Buffs find perfect light for every shot!

We just returned from a quick two day get away to Seaside, Oregon.  We own a timeshare with Wyndham Worldmark and were able to score a bonus time get away.  People in the Portland Metro area are accustomed to doing this type of thing.  The coast is only 40 minutes door to door.  We are retired so we can go any day of the week.  Portlanders just wait for a perfect day and scurry to family friendly Seaside year around to enjoy a day in the sun.  The waters of the Pacific Ocean keep temperatures very moderate both winter and summer.  It is warm when it is cold on the east side of the mountains in the winter.  The reverse is true in the hotter times of the year.

The essence of Seaside, Oregon...
kid friendly restaurants!

Why Seaside you ask?  Well, this small community is a family friendly place...the most family friendly location I have ever been to.  We have been coming here since our children were small.  Let me give you an example.  We walked down the street to a restaurant called Dundee Bar and Grill yesterday morning and were greeted at the front door with a sign issued by the state of Oregon.  Minors Allowed...talk about your basic kid friendly eating establishment.  I don't believe I had ever seen this sign before.  When we walked in we were greeted by a bank of booths with TV screens hanging over each table.  Why?  The goal here, we were told by the manager, is to allow parents to eat even with small children by keeping the little wigglers entertained for an extra 20 or so minutes.  Sponge Bob will do that for you, he said.

But if you are a retired person and don't want wigglers next to you, a no minors allowed section greets you and a bartender with serve you a cold beer from a very large selection of beers on tap. It seems almost impossible but this restaurant has figured out how to keep every age group and life style happy.

So Seaside has the total package for children of all ages.  I loved shopping at boutiques for clothes.  The streets are filled with senior citizens enjoying the Seaside atmosphere. Parents can ride bumper cars with children, play at the arcade, rent wheels for the beach, visit the aquarium or simply sit on the beach and enjoy the wonders of that beautiful Pacific Ocean. Kite flying is possible everyday of the year and kite shops sell every type of kite imaginable. The list goes on and on.  There is even a carousel inside a small shopping mall.  The souvenir shops do not over shadow all the other business yet they are available for those that want to take home a trinket or two.

Links for Best of Seaside area:

1. Restaurant:  Dundee Bar and Grill  Prices are right and families are welcome.
2. Timeshare:  Worldmark by Wyndham
3. New Inn:  Inn at the Prom by Seaside Lodging
4. Drive:  North to Gearheart and Fort Clatsop National Memorial
5. Shopping:  Seaside and Cannon Beach
6. Iconic image:  Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach 
7. Small Boutique in Seaside:  B Boutiques (beautiful clothes you won't see at Macy's)
8. Golf Course:  Gearhart Golf Links (this authentic links style golf course has been located just off the beach in Gearhart since 1892)
9. Kites:  Above All Kites
10. Wheels:  Wheel Fun Rentals
11. (an added thought!)  Romancing the Home located at the Gearhart exit.  This small business features an eclectic mixture of decorating objects both very old and very new.  I scored a West Elm decorative pot for $19.00.  It was the only thing I purchased on this get away.

More information is available through sites put up for the Chamber of Commence and tourism websites for the State of Oregon.  I think this location just might be a dream come true for grandparents and families traveling to the state.  Keep it in mind!

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