When we purchased our travel trailer many years ago, I told my husband that our new camper was going to become our informal summer classroom on wheels. I wasn’t home schooling my children, but I was intent on camping and exploring many places with them. I adhere to the “Use Boots Not Books” philosophy, so I knew our camper would open many opportunities for learning. Over the years, we’ve explored countless regional museums throughout the Pacific Northwest.
One of our favorite museums is the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Located on the massive Columbia River, this beautiful museum celebrates the region’s rich nautical history. There are interactive exhibits suitable for adults and children alike, and the Lightship Columbia is a popular attraction. The museum’s current exhibit, “Crossing the Bar: Perilous Passage,” covers the treacherous Columbia River Bar in depth and detail, using an interactive shipwreck map and Coast Guard videos. This summer the museum is proud to be featuring, “Marking Time: Voyage to Vietnam.” If you find yourself traveling along the Oregon Coast this summer, be sure to add this museum to your list! It’s a family-friendly winner.
Have you found any fabulous regional museums that you’d like to tell us about? I’ve found so many…
–Melissa A. Trainer
