Activities
Jet Boats at Gold Beach
Zoom up the river on a super- fast jet boat! There are two in Gold Beach (try to find “Gold Beach” on the map). The first is called Rogue River Mail Boats. They got their name because they’ve been delivering mail for over 100 years (since 1895!) to remote areas along the river. The second is called Jerry’s Rogue Jets. Both companies will take you on rides through the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. You might see black bear or bald eagles or river otters along the way. You also might get splashed!
Jerry’s Rogue Jets, 800.451.3645, www.RogueJets.com
Rogue River Mail Boats, 800.458.3511, www.mailboat.com
Gold Beach, 800.525.2334, www.GoldBeach.org
Bumper Cars and Saltwater Taffy
Bumper cars, Tilt-a-Twirl, video arcades, paddle boats and saltwater taffy—it’s all at the beach in the super fun town of Seaside! Grab an ice cream cone and head to the boardwalk. Take your shoes off and run on the sandy beach. Build the best sandcastle ever, then dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean.
Seaside is just 90 minutes from downtown Portland.
Seaside, 888.306.2326, www.SeasideOr.com
Salty Adventures at the Oregon Coast Aquarium
Watch the sea otters zip and play, get a shrimp’s-eye view of the world, or imitate crabs with your own crazy crab dance. The Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport has a ton of fun exhibits and more than 500 species of sea life, including birds, jellyfish, seals—even sharks! Don’t miss the underwater tunnel. It’s made of clear material so you can see fish and sharks swim all around you.
Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, 541.867.3474
www.aquarium.org
Take a Sea Life Cruise!
Climb aboard the big Discovery boat or the fast Oregon Rocket for a fun ocean cruise. Pay close attention as the captain and crew point out sea wildlife, including whales!
Marine Discovery Tours, Newport, 800.903.BOAT (2628)
www.MarineDiscovery.com
Be a Bird Brain
Tufted puffins are one of Oregon’s favorite seabirds, and you can find them right at home in Oregon. These fish-eating birds live on offshore rock formations.
In Cannon Beach, they nest near town on Haystack Rock every April. On the southern Coast, you’ll find a puffin hotspot on an island, which is a National Wildlife Sanctuary, at Harris Beach State Park.
You can also spot western snowy plovers nesting along nearby beaches. The plover nests contain three small eggs, disguised to look like brown sand. Other local seabirds include brown pelicans, easily spotted flying low over the shoreline, searching for tasty fish.
City of Cannon Beach, 503.436.2623, www.CannonBeach.org
Harris Beach State Park, www.OregonStateParks.org/park_79.php
