I'm definitely prejudiced, but I think our lovely Oregon Coast is heaven for family vacations! Paddling around on beaches is such good kid fun. Water is a bit cold, I do have to admit tho.

Working south on the coast:

Fort Clatsop, near Astoria, is the park which recreates Lewis &Clark's winter in the Northwest. Park rangers wear period costumes &demo the cooking, shooting &housekeeping skills the party developed. My kids always loved it.

Seaside is an old-timey beach town with bumper cars, cotton candy &a gorgeous beach.

Cape Perpetua has a fab visitors' center &overlook on a rugged stretch of coast, with some good walking/hiking trails.

Oregon Dunes National Monument is a long stretch of sand dunes, pretty wild &long empty beaches. On the southern end of the Monument area is a dune-buggy access area, where you can take big buggy rides or rent smaller ones.

That's about a 5 or 6 day itinerary. You could fly into Portland, rent a car, drive down the coast on 101, then come 50 miles inland to .ta da. Eugene, drop the car &fly home.

Gail In Eugene but never for long