Before we’d even arrived at Central Oregon’s Pronghorn Club, we were impressed:
located 15 minutes from Bend, the club’s property sits on miles of acreage of sparse
high desert landscape where nothing but scrub pine and the alert ears of coyote
poke up out of the thick sage. After almost four miles on a private road beneath a
larger-than-life blue sky, we were greeted with a smile by the Pronghorn gate guard
and waved into the tastefully luxurious complex of common buildings and homes
that comprise the club.
We checked in at the Clubhouse front desk, which also houses the resort’s spa, fine
and bistro dining, and wrap-around decks with stunning views. Overnight guests
of the club (which is made up primarily of home owners) stay in the beautifully
appointed townhouse-style lodging across from the Clubhouse and adjacent to
the family-centric Trailhead building. We were given a three-bedroom unit with
full kitchen, dining room, great room, theater system, outdoor patio and upstairs
balcony, wifi, three bathrooms, and probably a partridge in a pear tree (it wouldn’t
have surprised me). The kids had their pick of rooms, and spent the first hour (and
several hours throughout our stay thereafter) playing rousing games of hide-and-
seek in the large space.
Pronghorn’s lodging units (for which studio and 1-4 bedroom units are available)
sit on the 18th green of one of the resort’s two signature golf courses. Designed by
Jack Nicklaus, these courses are arguably the jewels in the Pronghorn Club crown,
but if you or your family are not golfers, there’s plenty more to do. Family fun
centers around the Trailhead, located adjacent to the Clubhouse and housing two
large outdoor pools (one with zero-depth entry and waterslide), two hot tubs, the
Trailhead Grill (family-friendly with service pool-side), Pronghorn Adventures
concierge desk (where families can book regional excursions), and Camp Pronghorn,
an entire wing dedicated to kids age 5-18.
Camp Pronghorn’s two large game rooms feature a media and gaming center, ping-
pong, foosball, pool, and space for arts and crafts and are open all the time (with
parent supervision for those under age 8). Their daily programs offer child drop-
off five days a week (Saturday through Wednesday from 9:30-4) We love that Camp
Pronghorn is much more than simply a babysitting service for kids: three days per
week (during summer months and winter holidays), Pronghorn camps offer off-
site excursions for the kids, which can include zip-lining, hiking, bike riding down
Bend’s Paulina Plunge, exploring Newberry Crater, rafting the Deschutes, and more.
Families can check the camp schedule to see what’s offered upon arrival, or check
the Summer Camp schedule online (reservations are encouraged). During our visit,
our three kids (12, 10, and 6) went cave spelunking and zip-ling at a private course
with Pronghorn Club leader Beau Kelly. Kelly is not only a professional educator and outdoor enthusiast, but a Central Oregon native: he knew all the great places to see
in the area, making him an excellent tour guide and a valuable resource for regional
outing ideas. I loved that my kids saw so much of Central Oregon in one day, and
they had a blast doing so (lunch included). The Pronghorn staff was very organized
and friendly, even snapping photos of the boys upon their arrival at the club in
order to create personalized name badges (to be secured on their complementary
Pronghorn backpacks).
Somehow between swimming, spending time with Beau at Camp Pronghorn, and
enjoying our home away from home, we carved out time to raft the Big Eddy of
the Deschutes River with Sun Country Tours (a Pronghorn partner). Organized by
Pronghorn Adventures, the off-site afternoon rafting tour was only 1.5 hours long
(3 hours door-to-door) and allowed the kids to experience the biggest whitewater
they’d ever faced (Class 3). Once again, our guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and
an expert with both the kids and the river, and since we were Pronghorn guests, the
Pronghorn Adventures concierge was able to arrange our tour (and we could pay for
it with a room charge).
During our stay, we dined at both the Trailhead Grill (poolside) and Casada, the
Clubhouse’s bistro restaurant. Despite its upscale location, Casada’s dining room is
cozy with its warm tones, leather furniture, and crackling fire in the fireplace, and
the Trailhead has a relaxed, fun atmosphere. Both restaurants feature signature
dishes as well as staples like burgers and fries.
Pronghorn’s golf courses can’t be beat for quality (and, in my husband’s opinion,
difficulty!). Since the kids and I are beginners, we were booked a lesson in
Pronghorn’s PGA TOUR Academy, to be taught by head instructor Mike Palen, who
I am told is one of the best golf instructors in the country. While in the academy,
Mike helped us improve our swing by utilizing high tech video analysis, which was
immediately emailed to us for further reference back home. He was wonderful with
the kids, and I learned more in one hour than I’d learned in a semester of (long ago)
college golf lessons!
Overall, I was impressed by how much Pronghorn Club offers. So much more than
a golf resort, Pronghorn goes the extra mile (literally!) to show guests all Central
Oregon has to offer. With a plethora of outdoor adventures on tap, families visiting
in any season will have more to do than they have time for!
The Details:
Pronghorn guests have the option of booking overnight stays of varied lengths. We
stayed two nights, and could have used at least a few more to do everything we
wanted! Pronghorn guests have access to the Jack Nicklaus public golf course (at an
additional cost unless booking a golf package) and full use of the resort pools, Camp
Pronghorn (free for on-site parent-supervised use, $75 per day per child for full
camp days), tennis courts, playground, and bike rentals (free for first two hours on-
site). Because Pronghorn is primarily a members’ club instead of ‘one size fits all’,
family resort stays are completely customizable. The reservation staff is trained to
meet the needs of individual families, and can build resort packages around what
you like to do. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on the website, call and ask!
Directions to Pronghorn:
Pronghorn Club is located at 65600 Pronghorn Drive, Bend Oregon. An easy flight
from anywhere in the U.S., Pronghorn is an ideal summer or winter family getaway!
Amy Whitley is the founding editor of Pit Stops for Kids, a family travel resource
covering kid-friendly resorts, attractions, outdoor adventures, and all the pit stops
you’ll need along the way. She also writes for a number of print and online travel
publications, and is a family travel expert at Best Family Travel Advice. She
lives in Oregon with her husband and three sons, where they enjoy backyard
adventures when they’re not traveling.
Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay at the resort in order to write this story and a review. The resort did not ask that any specific opinion be expressed and all opinions are the honest thoughts of the author.
The holiday season is officially here and for many of us, the season’s celebrations are not complete without a colorfully trimmed tree in our living room. Artificial trees have become more and more popular in recent years, but Christmas tree purists like myself scoff at the idea of putting our presents under anything but the real thing.
Some of my greatest Christmas memories involved my family walking around the Christmas tree farm for hours, in search of the perfect tree to saw down, only to return to the very first tree that caught our eye. Yes, we could have just as easily gone to Home Depot and picked up a tree from the masses that were stacked inside the garden department, but there was just something about cutting down our own tree that added to the tradition. No, it isn’t quite as authentic as tromping out into the woods, chopping down a tree, and carrying it back to our home through the snow, but for those us living in urban areas, a Christmas tree farm is as close to authenticity as we can get.
If your family is looking to cut down a tree for the first time this year, then I highly suggest you read our top ten tips for a successful trip to a Christmas tree farm. The list contains tips on everything from tree selection tips, to cutting advice, to tips on what to do once you get the tree home. Its a must read for first timers or folks who have been out of the tree cutting game for a while.
For families living in the Bay Area, be sure to check out our list of cut your own (U-cut) Christmas tree farms near San Francisco and Liling’s writeup of her family’s experiences at Christmas tree farms in the Bay Area.
If you live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, we have a list of Choose and Cut Christmas tree farms in Southern California. Even though we may not exactly live in a winter wonderland, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a good old fashioned tree cutting experience!
For families living in the Pacific Northwest (aka Christmas tree central), be sure to view out list of U-cut Christmas tree farms in Oregon and Washington.
I was surprised to discover that even Florida has some Christmas tree farms! If you live in the Everglades State, be sure to check out our list Christmas tree farms in Florida.
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the Northeast. We have lists of Christmas tree farms in New York, U-cut spots in New Jersey, and choose and cut locations in Connecticut as well!
Still don’t see your neck of the woods on our lists? Help out fellow locals and create a list of your favorite choose and cut spots!
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Welcome to 
Oregon is known for being, at times, a bit eccentric. From the days of the early settling of the Oregon Territory, unique characters came out West in search of opportunity in logging, mining, and fishing jobs along the coast. Some of these folks settled in the remote parts of the Rogue River Canyon, and it wasn’t the easiest area to access. Well, the US Postal Service has always prided itself on its ability to deliver the mail, and they didn’t want to make the Rogue River Canyon it’s exception. The solution? Jet boats. Since 1895, there has been uninterrupted mail service up the Rogue River delivered via jet boats. Right about now you might be thinking to yourself, sure, this is interesting, but why is it being discussed on a family travel website? I will tell you why- because families can hop on board these mail boats and experience a wild river in a way like no other!
Photo courtesy railtravelcenter.com
The Oregon coast has always been renowned for the dramatic beauty of its coast, and Gold Beach is a great place families to set as home base while they explore the southern reaches of the shoreline. The mouth of the Rogue River happens to be located in Gold Beach, as well as Jerry’s Rogue Jets, the people who deliver the mail upriver. They have 64, 80, and 104 mile round trip excursions available that include lunch or dinner, depending on what time of day you take the excursion. Normally, powered watercraft are not allowed on a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, but these special mail boats are the exception, and a great way for families see a truly wild river up close and personal. Wildlife is abundant in this area, and bear and bald eagle sightings are even possible! This is truly one of those unique and memorable opportunities that shouldn’t be passed up.
Note: I received no incentive to endorse the mail boat tours. I just remember them from when I was a kid traveling up the Oregon Coast and always thought it was such a cool experience that I thought I would share it with all of you!
Do you have an outing that you would like to spotlight this week?
Perhaps its a post about a vacation you just took or a day trip that you think our readers should know about. Or maybe its a post about the vacation you are currently planning and going to book through Trekaroo! Link up something fresh from your blog using the Mr Linky below.
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Step 1: Pick a recent post (past couple of days)
Step 2: Under “Name” write: “Title of your blog post (blog name)” – blog name in parenthesis
Under “url” paste: the link to your blog post (not your home page)
Step 3: Grab the Spotlight Thursday image and link to this post so your readers can see who else is playing along this week.
We want to be sure that everyone who participates in Spotlight Thursdays gets their moment in the spotlight so blogs that don’t link back will unfortunately have to be removed.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Portland, Oregon is a beautiful river city known for its aesthetics and culture. Its a great place to find outdoor adventure, a thriving arts & music scene, and access to all sorts of eco-friendly experiences. There is plenty of family fun to be had in the downtown area and the rest of the Willamette Valley. Trekaroo is proud to be launching Portland this week and looks forward to exploring the rest of the state of Oregon with all of you wonderful members of the Trekaroo community.
So, what have Trekaroo families shared thus far?
- 236 Activities listed in the Portland/Willamette Valley Region alone! Have you been to any of these kid-friendly places? If so, add your insight! Did you see something we missed? Be sure to share your experiences.
- Activities and hotel reviews across the 4 main regions of Oregon: Willamette Valley (Portland), Southern Oregon, Central Oregon, and Mt. Hood / The Gorge
- A list of Kid-friendly hotels in Portland waiting to be rated by parents like you
- Lots of fun lists like:
- Top Kid Activities in Portland as voted by Trekaroo families
- 5 Family Activities for $5 or less in Portland
- Cheap and Fun Eats in Portland!
- Things to see and do around Portland with Children
- Favorite kid-friendly restaurants in the Portland Metro Area
- Favorite Rainy Day Activities in Portland
- Family-Friendly Ski Resorts in Oregon with Kid Programs
- Favorite places to walk or hike in Oregon
Have you experienced Portland or any other part of the beautiful state of Oregon with your kids? Tell us all about your experiences – good and bad. Join now and start writing reviews. New members get to take advantage of Welcome Rewards. A gift card to Amazon, Starbucks, or REI was enough to convince me to join way back when!
What location is next? Georgia! Be part of the founding team to help launch Georgia on Trekaroo by sharing about activities you like and the best places to stay.
Special thanks to the 47 families who have collaborated to build a list of fantastic kid-friendly recommendations with their reviews! In particular, special thanks are due to PDXBloss, pitstopsforkids, bayareababyblog, Beaverton Mama, Living Beaverton, Camillegrimshaw, thriftyportlandmom, Leigh Anne, fani*fam, McPippi, and naturalist who have gone above and beyond to inside scoop and create such helpful lists for Portland and Oregon.
And of course, thanks to team Trekaroo who sacrifice so much to pull it all together.
Put on those rain boots and get out there!
Esther Lee (thelees3) – CEO
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Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
This week, Trekaroo is excited to be launching Portland, Oregon. We are dedicating the entire week to the beautiful state of Oregon and decided to kick it off with a guest post from a Pacific Northwestern mom in the know, Lora Shinn of Cascadia Kids. She has put together a great list of places to stay, play, eat, and shop while enjoying a weekend in the Rose City. You’ll find these great kid-friendly Portland destinations, plus more fantastic insider Northwest info in her book, Northwest Kid Trips.
Where to Stay: Hotel Monaco
This lovely hotel provides lots of great extras, including goldfish babysitting, a wine (and juice) hour and children’s bathrobes. The kid backpacks keep children busy – but the primo downtown location ensures easy access to the MAX line, which delivers families to Washington Park.
If you’d like to go with a neighborhood stay, this Northwest Portland hotel offers suite-style rooms right in the middle of a genteel neighborhood packed with restaurants, coffee shops, parks and boutiques. Book a room with a kitchenette, so you can take advantage of farm-fresh picks from the Portland Farmers’ Market.
Where to Play: Washington Park
Photo courtesy Washingtonparkpdx.org
For a full day of fun, ride the MAX line from downtown Portland to the 78-acre Washington Park, a springboard to three great attractions: Portland Children’s Museum, the Oregon Zoo, and World Forestry Center Discovery Museum. Mix and match according to your child’s age — Portland Children’s Museum is fantastic for the under-8 set, Oregon Zoo for all ages, and World Forestry Discovery Museum for older children. Eat well at the Portland Children’s Museum’s café, which serves sturdy sandwiches. From the Oregon Zoo, hop aboard the 30-gauge tracks of the Washington Park Zoo and Railway for a sojourn to the Rose Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden.
No visit to Portland is complete without a stop at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, a carnival of science excitement. Turn a bottle into a rocket that shoots over 8 feet high, make your hair stand on end with electricity, and let your preschoolers run wild in the Science Playground’s woodland area.
Where to Chow Down: McMenamins Kennedy School
Want a uniquely Portland experience? Head to this indoor playground, a school converted into an entertainment space. Catch a big-screen kid flick while seated in vintage-style velvet sofas, and dining on pizza or a burger. This spot is a fantastic option for anyone with a child over age 6.
Anyone who dines on the road with kids knows how we can all crave quick, healthy food (and a break from the fried greasy-grease that often shows up on “family restaurant” menus). This wholly Northwest restaurant chain puts whole-foods options on the table, including wraps with fresh fruit, beans and natural chicken, rice bowls with cilantro pesto and simple quesadillas with fresh-cut salsa.
Where to Shop: Finnegan’s Toys and Gifts
One of the biggest and best toy stores this side of the Mississippi. Expect to drop a few dollars here, because you’re bound to find a puzzle, puppet or poppet that you’ve never seen elsewhere. Nestled into downtown Portland’s streets, and just a few blocks away from the rose-bricked Pioneer Courthouse Square.
A trip to Portland would be incomplete without a visit to Powell’s, a real city-block’s worth of bookstore. Prepare to get lost in a world of words. Shelves hold vintage 50s books extolling manners, contemporary chapter-book classics, brand-new board books and everything in between. Low, round tables offer a spot to sort through your selections.
Related:
- All 236 Activities listed in the Portland/Willamette Valley Region
- Kid-friendly hotels in Portland
- 5 Family Activities for $5 or less in Portland
- Cheap and Fun Eats in Portland!
- Things to see and do around Portland with Children
- Favorite kid-friendly restaurants in the Portland Metro Area
- Favorite Rainy Day Activities in Portland
- Family-Friendly Ski Resorts in Oregon with Kid Programs
- Favorite places to walk or hike in Oregon
- Activities and hotel reviews across the 4 main regions of Oregon: Willamette Valley (Portland), Southern Oregon, Central Oregon, and Mt. Hood / The Gorge
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Trekaroo – a reviews site dedicated to exploring and traveling with kids.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
