Summer Sun!

Beautiful day today - great weather to be out and about. Now that school is out families are spending more time together and everyone is thinking about vacations. Disneyland and Disneyworld are always popular vacation destinations, but not everybody is leaving the state. Many of us are looking for things to do closer to home this year, exploring the cities and countryside around us.

What to do without spending a small fortune on airfare or fuel? Camping vacations are a good choice, both economical and easy to plan. And we here in Oregon are lucky. Oregon is full of great places to camp, fish, swim, bike and explore. Most of them are within an afternoons drive of wherever you live, and there's something to be said for not spending half your vacation on the road. Here are a couple of websites to help you decide. Follow links at each site for even more local opportunities:

http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/vacations-oregon (parks, museums, zoos, waterparks)
http://www.allgetaways.com/region.asp?areaid=100578 (Oregon family vacations & getaways)
Oh, and don't forget about Columbia County - Portland's nearest escape. http://www.travelcolumbiacounty.com

Whether you choose the mountains or the seashore, hotels, B&B's or tents, don't forget to stop in at Word for Word to pick up some summer reading material. After a run or a hike, with cold drink in hand, you can always find a comfortable spot wherever you are and dive into a good book.