Day 1: Friday
We started our voyage by fueling our systems with mochas and lattes, and enjoyed a gorgeous drive to the Oregon Coast. We later checked in at the fabulous Cannery Pier Hotel, which was graciously provided to us by Donna Quinn, their director of sales and marketing.

Our room was exceptional: My favorite part was the bathroom, which included a claw foot tub, located next to a window with shutters that opened to a view of the Columbia River. Not only that, but each room also included a balcony, which directly overlooked the river and passing boats (literally).

We spent our first afternoon perusing the art galleries and adorable, authentically-Oregon shops (Oregon Coast gear, quaint coffee shops, and much more).

Day 2: Saturday
Our day began bright and early (with another set of mochas and lattes of course). We met up with Michelle Godfrey and her mother, to explore Astoria’s many museums. Our first stop was the Columbia River Maritime Museum, which featured a replica of a U.S. Coast Guard rescue mission (below), and exhibits and fascinating information on the coast guard, shipwrecks from the early 1800s and the fishing industry. I was particularly fascinated by an eagle-shaped masthead, found on a beach from the early 1800s.

We also had the opportunity to step inside an actual coast guard boat, and see first-hand what life was like at sea. The boat contained a number of compartments, including bunks, a kitchen, dining tables, bathroom etc. And it even smelled like the ocean!

After our adventure at the Maritime Museum, we ventured over to the Flavel House. Flavel House was owned by Captain George Flavel, one of Astoria’s Columbia River bar pilots and first millionaire. You can tour the entire mansion, which is furnished with authentic items from the period. You will even have the chance to see where George himself, his wife and two daughters slept. Truly fascinating!

After stopping for delicious chocolate chip cookies and hot tea from T. Paul’s Urban Cafe, we headed back for some r&r at the hotel. Then our Travel Oregon crew geared up for a special Live Wire! performace in Astoria’s Liberty Theatre. This was both my mom and sister’s first Live Wire! experience, and they summed up their experience in one word: hilarious! Each of us even tried writing haikus for the show (I was so proud). This show was a great accent to our girl’s weekend, as we were able to relax, listen (and watch!) live comedy.

Day 3: Sunday
On Sunday afternoon, after sleeping in and grabbing a bite to eat, the three of us strolled through Astoria one last time, soaking up the sunlight. We decided to make one last stop before the trek home, and shopped and ate in Cannon Beach. We left with full shopping bags, feeling fully relaxed. And on the way home, we began making plans for yet another mother/daughter getaway…

Looking for ideas to treat mom this mother’s day? Take a similar roadtrip to the Oregon Coast, full of shopping, sightseeing and great food. For a list of events taking place on the coast over mother’s day weekend, visit our Upcoming Events section.

We picked a double dose of fun and went to Mariner Square. There we entered the world of the strange and the wacky at what is billed as the world’s last great sideshow – Ripley’s Believe It or Not . Then we went and toured Newport’s Wax Works elaborate figurines and decorative sets. Next time we visit Newport we have a pre-paid pass to go to the amazing Oregon Undersea Gardens for “GO DEEP” on the live dive in their Undersea Theatre.

We went back to the hotel to plan the rest of our day. Since the sun was out we decided to tackle the crowds and spend the afternoon at the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival. We sampled corn & seafood chowder, had Shrimp Yakasoba, deep fried fresh vegetables (onions, zucchini, and asparagus) and even found a wonderful wine. That was amazing to me since I don’t like wine much. It was a silver medal winning Early Muscat semi-sparkling wine, very sweet and aromatic.

After the festival we actually went and played on the beach in the rain. I collected a couple of sea shells and a great agate for my rock collection. The girls took off their shoes and played in the frigid water. Ah, to have the resilience of youth! After, we warmed ourselves up with cocoa and movies from the great movie collection at the hotel. For dinner we ate at the original Mo’s. It was glorious. I’m still full!

We left for home early Sunday and drove through Lincoln City and Grand Ronde. We stopped at Spirit Mountain and walked away a few dollars richer. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend the weekend. Thanks Travel Oregon for making it possible!

Editor’s Note: For more information on traveling to Newport, visit our Oregon Coast page.

All the possibilities of the wide-open, Central Oregon landscape and Native American culture await at Kah-Nee-Ta. Explore the high desert trails by horseback or tackle the 18-hole championship golf course. There’s also volleyball, tennis and swimming in the resort’s signature hot springs pool. Enrich the family in the traditional arts of basket making and jewelry in the nearby Museum at Warm Springs. Adults can step away to throw a few quarters into the slots at the resort casino or sashay to Spa Wanapine for massages, facials and manicures.

If the family is feeling the pull of the coast, Newport’s your spot. Voyage out to sea with Marine Discovery Tours as part of Spring Whale Watching Week, March 19-26. Oceanic wonders are within reach at the tidepools and other hands-on displays at the award-winning Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Marine Science Center. The exploration continues in Mariner Square, in the Undersea Garden, Ripley’s Believe-It-or-Not, and The Wax Works. Newport’s two iconic 19th century lighthouses, Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay, beckon from their spectacular bluffs.

Eugene offers up a mix of worldly gee-wiz and local Willamette Valley flavor. At the Science Factory Children’s Museum and Exploration Dome, local scientists go small — no, smaller — in explaining the cutting edge of molecular research during Nano Day, March 26. Kids see the secrets behind their favorite toys in the exhibit Toys, The Inside Story. Oregon Duck fans can hop a Eugene Pedicab for the Duck Sports Hall of Fame Tour. Discover how the first Nike shoe was created at the Nike Store, visit historic Hayward Field, check out the new Matthew Knight arena and explore several local halls-of-fame. Also, don’t miss foot stomping in the Barn Dance at Spencer Creek Grange, and a local rendition of The Wizard of Oz .

If Portland is your destination for Spring Break you can hit three great family-friendly attractions in Washington Park and never lose your parking spot.  Or, take the TriMet Light Rail Service (Max) right there if you are traveling green.  First, you can monkey around at the Portland Children’s Museum as Curious George kicks off Spring Break. Next, venture around the world at the World Forestry Center where each day explores the unique and interesting cultures of five locations including: Russia, Mexico, Japan, South Africa, and Hawaii. Last, but certainly not least, pop over to the Oregon Zoo for a tropical celebration.  Get crazy with crocodiles and party with the polar bears during the Zoo’s Gone Wild.

If you are looking for a special St. Patrick’s Day celebration, take part in the 30th annual “A Wee Bit O’ Ireland” in Heppner, Oregon. Located southwest of Hermiston, Heppner doesn’t look like the Old Country, but the Irish spirit will be alive and well at the March 15-18 event. Enjoy food, drink, music, arts and crafts, sheep dog trials and amateur boxing. “The Gothard Sisters,” a popular Pacific Northwest fiddle and dance trio, will perform Saturday night. Visitors will enjoy the welly toss, the Great Green parade and road bowling.

March 16-17, the town of Lakeview in southern Oregon remembers the history and heritage of its 19th Irish immigrants with the annual Irish Days Festival. Friday evening features a corn beef and cabbage dinner along with traditional Irish step dancing. Saturday will see unique competitions like potato hockey, a bartenders race and outhouse races, along with various food competitions and a parade, music and a barbeque.

Portland Highland Games celebrates its 60th anniversary on July 21, 2012, at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. The event showcases world-class pipe bands, Celtic entertainment, and top competition in heavy athletics, Highland dancing, solo fiddling, piping and drumming. The kilted mile run, sheepdog demonstrations, caber toss, and parade of massed bands are among traditional favorites. Bring the kids for games, a fun run and a tug-o-war.

Head to the village of Yachats on the central Oregon Coast for the Yachats Celtic Music Festival Nov. 9-11. In its 11th year, the festival features Celtic music from world-class musicians from Ireland, Scotland, Asturias and Galicia as well as dancing, food and spirits. The weekend usually includes whiskey and beer tasting, Irish step dance classes, and fiddle, flute and whistle workshops.

Ashland Springs Hotel, the historic downtown boutique-inn, is hosting the chocolate festival all weekend. Start your Friday night off right with a gallery walk; nibble on local wines and artisan chocolates while perusing Ashland’s illustrious arts scene.

Oregon chocolatiers show off their best and most unique combinations at the tastings, going on Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the hotel. Try unexpected combinations like chocolate-and-tequila truffles or bite into a square inch of pure decadence from Coastal Mist or award-winning candies from Lillie Belle Farms.

And don’t fret about that 10-pound New Years resolution, chocolate can actually be the dieters friend. Learn about the additional benefits from this magical plant at the “Secret Health Benefits of Chocolate” demonstration on Saturday or check out the “Use of Cacao in Spa Treatments” session to learn about the healing powers of coco (Chocolate and massage? Yes, please!).

This truly indulgent weekend isn’t complete without a visit to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Opening on February 26, this almost 9-month-long festival attracts thespians and enthusiasts from around the world. Be one of the first to see this year’s performances. Kicking off the season are classics including Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice, alongside modern pieces such as Well.

They’ve been going through this ritual for 66 years now, so they’ve got it down to a science. One team goes into the nearby woods, and brings back truckloads of cedar boughs. Another installs the wooden racks and tables, which are designed to make the most of every square inch of this small community center. On Tuesday, bough assembly begins; on Saturday, donated and purchased flowers are attached to each one. By Sunday evening, walking into the Depoe Bay Community Center is like entering a rainforest. When you get close, you can see that many of the garlands bear tags, because they were made in honor of special people, by request.

On Monday, Memorial Day, the forest is removed as the bouquets are loaded onto vessels in the harbor. After a moving dockside ceremony, the fleet procession sails through “the Gap,” under the Depoe Bay Bridge. One half-mile out, passengers toss the flowers into the water, in honor of those lost at sea or have served in our Armed Forces.

It’s a lot of work for a small town (pop. 1,500), but the volunteers who do it are proud to offer this tribute. To see it for yourself, be in Depoe Bay at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 30.

To learn about the origins, here’s my 2010 historical story: http://www.oregoncoasttoday.com/fleetofflowers.html

Niki Price is the editor and co-owner of Oregon Coast Today, a weekly newspaper covering arts, entertainment and the environment on the central Oregon coast. She roams the shores from Yachats north to Rockaway, covering everything from pelican proliferation to proffered profiteroles, with two underage editorial assistants often in tow. To follow them, and the TODAY, check out their Twitter feed and Facebook fan site.

The whale watchers were also out in force but the weather was a little rainy and windy – not good spotting weather.

At Beverly Beach State Park we found millions of little pieces of colorful plastic, including caps and lids that probably once went onto the plastic containers that had been smashed to smithereens. Some of the stranger items we picked up included kitchen utensil handles, toy car wheels, marine rope and a large piece of nicely trimmed sheetrock.

As we turned in our bags of trash, we started seeing and hearing goats! A large group of them had acted as pack animals. They probably thought their owners were collecting snacks for them. We saw one of them trying to eat another’s harness.

If you’d like to join in on the fun next time, the Great Oregon Fall Beach Cleanup will be Saturday, September 15, 2007.

In Newport, as we ate Abby’s Pizza we asked, “north or south?” Our newest co-worker, who had most recently lived in San Francisco, hadn’t been past Yachats so we decided “southward ho!” And why not try to make it to Bandon before dark? It’s good to have a goal.

Our first stop was in Florence, where we toured my old haunts on the back roads around Sutton Lake where I grew up. We checked out the carnivorous pitcher plants at Darlingtonia Wayside; a short little boardwalk takes you around some of Mother Nature’s more fascinating creations.

We needed more sustenance so we stopped at BJ’s Ice Cream which has dozens of amazing homemade flavors. I highly recommend the Bittersweet Nugget.

At Reedsport we made a detour up Highway 38 to wildlife watch at Dean Creek Elk Viewing. The bulls were on one side of the pasture and the females (cows) and the younger males were on the other. Kinda like most people’s backyard BBQ dynamics!

We made another side trip to Winchester Bay in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, also known as ATV heaven. There are four staging areas, some with camping. We can still hear the ATV-buzzing in our ears. In August you can try your skills at DuneFest.

In Charleston we stopped for more snacks and postcards, this time at Davey Jones Locker store. Nothing keep road trippers in peak form like circus peanuts and soda pop!

We made it Bandon at dusk and drove along the rocky coast line. The old town had many more shops compared to the last time I was there in 2000.

We headed back over Highway 42 through Coquille, Winston and then went up the interstate at Roseburg. We had a great day of beautifying an already-beautiful state and enjoying wherever the road (and my Mini Cooper) took us.

Editor’s Note: For more information on beach activities, check out our Oregon Coast page.

This week, I head to three holiday lighting extravaganzas that are perfect for all the right reasons for youngsters and those young at heart.

Dilley: In Dilley, Oregon the winter weather may be cold and frightful, but the folks who keep tradition alive are warm and delightful. Since early November, Sue Marshall’s family has touched up the scenery, strung the lights and kept alive a holiday tradition called “Storybook Lane.”

The event has been a Christmas gift to friends and neighbors since 1935. Beginning December 15 and continuing through Christmas this year the lights shimmer, children scamper and music plays while families stroll thru a show that really shines. And it may warm you to know that “Storybook Lane” is free to all visitors of any age – and it begins each evening at 5pm sharp.

Directions: Drive south from Forest Grove on State Highway 47 for approximately three miles to Dilley. Watch for signs to “Storybook Lane” on the left side of the highway. It opens each day at 5 p.m. beginning Saturday, December 15 and continuing through Christmas.

Keizer: In Keizer, Oregon holiday lighting is a community effort that means pitching in to help neighbors in need through donations to the Marion-Polk Food Share.

The event is called the “Miracle of Christmas” and it’s a driving or walking route of decorated homes that stretches more than three miles thru the Gubser neighborhood. The event started in 1985 and hundreds of homes glimmer with impressive displays in an event that neighbors call a “bit of friendly and neighborly competition.

Last year, the 26-day event collected more than 25-thousand pounds of food and more than $18,000 to help the community.There is no admission fee and the Keizer Miracle of Christmas Lights continues through December 26.

Oregon Coast: The Oregon coast is a many splendored place boasting unique sights and sounds that will amaze you anytime of the year. It’s safe to say that most holiday lights don’t hold a candle to the ones the Friends of Shore Acres State Park put up each year.

The folks who show up each weekend beginning before Halloween and go the extra mile to light Oregon’s only botanical garden state park.

A small, dedicated group of twenty-five or so will spend all of their free time on weekends, putting up the park lights and displays in time for opening night on thanksgiving day. They will stretch 3400 strings of lights and it is hard, painstaking work to get them to look and to work just right. Many say it is also the sort of work that makes them feel good and puts a smile on their face.

The holiday lights continue through New Year’s Eve and the park is open daily and closes each night at 10pm. There is no entry fee, but there is a required three-dollar state park parking permit.

But for those of you needing a little encouragement, we suggest you plan your trip around one of the many summer festivals on the coast. Whether you are traveling with your children, your sweety or your friends, Oregon’s coast festivals have a flavor for everyone. Here’s a sampling:

Culture and arts

Kilts will fly with the first Newport Celtic Festival and Highland Games, which honor the heritage of the seven Celtic Nations of Brittany, Cornwall, 
Galicia, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. Organizers expect at least 30 professionals to compete in traditional Celtic events — like the kilted run (what it sounds like) the caber toss (basically throwing a tree trunk), Scottish hammer throw and other ancient Celtic sporting events. “These are the original strongman events,” said Liam Hughes, festival organizer. Spectators will also enjoy Celtic food, whiskey tasting, music, folk dancing and lots of kid-specific activities. (June 10-12)

The 44th annual Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Astoria celebrates the culture brought to Oregon’s shores by immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the like. Events include music — featuring Harald Haugaard and Helene Blum of Denmark — dance and theater performances, arts and crafts, and Scandinavian fare. (June 17-19)

Cannon Beach will hold its 3rd annual Plein Air and More with more than two dozen artists creating art on location — painting, photography and sculpture. (June 24-26)

For the art of words, consider the Summer in Words Writers Conference, also in Cannon Beach, with workshops and discussion with Oregon authors. (also June 24-26)

Festivals for families

The Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival, in its 27th year, features gigantic, colorful exhibition kites flown by 25 professional fliers on June 25-26. More than 5,000 spectators will line up to watch the many kite flying demonstrations at the beachside festival. Maggie Conrad, special events coordinator for Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau, recommends the quad-line kite demonstration, which features kites that fly to music. “It’s like a kite ballet,” she said.

For more kiting, check out the Southern Oregon Kite Festival in Brookings. (July 16-17)

The 47th Annual Cannon Beach Sand Castle Contest lets families the chance to create or spectate. A limited 150 participants build in their 21 x 21 foot sandboxes, with many more spectators looking on. (June 18)

Ocean Fest in Reedsport will appeal to the family that paddles together. Featuring races on the Umpqua River for wind kayaks, single pedal and paddle kayaks and tandem pedal and paddle kayaks. The weekend also includes the Bayside Bazaar along Beach Boulevard as well as U.S. Coast Guard demonstrations and gem and quilt shows. (July 18-20)

Off the beaten track

You don’t have to be a windsurfer to be wowed by the Pistol River Wave Bash — the second stop on the American Windsurfing Tour. Chosen for great early season swell and growing summer winds, the Pistol River site just outside of Gold Beach will bring 80 competitors, including several past world champions, to compete in jumping and wave riding. “People are going to be catching massive air,” said Tour Director Sam Bittner. Stand Up Paddling competitions will be held each day, too. (June 16-19)

The Oregon Divisional Chainsaw Sculpting Championships in Reedsport is your first chance to watch professional and semi-pro chainsaw carvers sculpt wood before your eyes. This year’s theme is “Oregon Heritage.” (June 16-19)

SandFest 2011, in North Bend, offers another gasoline-powered kind of fun with ATV racing (for adults and kids), relay races, a treasure hunt and a sand dune slip-n-slide. (June 29-July 3) For more ATV racing, check out DuneFest in Reedsport, also with various races and kid-specific events. (August 3-7)