Family Fun in Salem
In Oregon’s state capital, you and the kids can swirl down a 350-foot spiraling waterslide, see live performances by American Idol’s Daughtry and Radio Disney Kids at the Oregon State Fair—and scale a three-story Erector Set tower. It’s all in the name of fun…
1.
Enchanted Forest
Hop on I-5 to exit 248, where you’ll find the family owned and operated Enchanted Forest, an amusement and adventure park that sits in a true forest setting (hence the name). Here, you can shoot down 40 feet of water on the Big Timber Log Ride, crawl through Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole, pan for gold in an Old Western Town, and try to keep your balance in the crooked man’s house on Storybook Lane.
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Extra: If you’ve got more time and energy, check out Thrill-Ville USA amusement park next door to the Enchanted Forest. Take a ride on the roller coaster, Oct-O-Pus, Tilt-a-Whirl, go-carts, or shoot down one of the park’s two 350-foot spiraling waterslides.
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2.
AC Gilbert Discovery Village
Start Day two at the AC Gilbert Discovery Village, a children’s museum that features hands-on exhibits and a 20,000-square-foot outdoor discovery center where kids can scale a three-story Erector Set tower or take the helm of a play wooden paddle-wheeler boat docked just upstream from the museum. Back inside are a number of fun exhibits, including the new “A Child’s Trip to China,” where kids get to dress up in traditional costumes, play popular Chinese games, learn to write Chinese characters and more.
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3.
Mission Mill Museum
Then head over to the Mission Mill Museum to learn the history of the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, which produced wool products from 1889 to 1962. Here, you can also learn games—graces, hoops, pickup sticks, horseshoes—that pioneer children once played way back in the 1800s. And kids can learn what it was like to live in a ship for nine months like some pioneers did, or how to make Indian fry bread, a traditional (and delicious) Native American dish.
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4.
Oregon State Fair
Make sure to plan your trip within August 24 to September 3, 2007, so you can experience the exciting Oregon State Fair. In addition to carnival rides, artisan crafts, and farm animals and their babies, the Fair has some amazing live music scheduled. How about All American Rejects, Craig Morgan, Radio Disney Kids, Heart—even American Idol’s own Daughtry.
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