Portland packs plenty to entertain the kids

I felt like a drill sergeant as two pre-teens and I devised our battle plan for a quick visit to Portland.

The zoo? Yes, chorused my 12-year-old daughter and her friend who came with us. Science museum — yes, yes. Art museum — sighs from them, emphatic yes from me.

We went to all of them — well, almost — and more (the girls stuck to the gift shop and cafe at the Portland Art Museum). In between we explored Portland's tidy, compact downtown on foot and on its enviably efficient public transit.

At moments, our two-day trip felt like a forced march, but we'd all go back in a flash to family-friendly Portland. Here's a rundown on what we saw.

OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)

It's educational. It's interactive. It's fun.

I trailed the girls as they poked into OMSI's chemistry and physics labs; hunched over tables to work on mind-bending geometric puzzles; and fiddled with computers in the High Tech Hall.

I was too worn out to join them for the Motion Simulator virtual voyage into fantasy worlds. But I did follow them through the USS Blueback, a decommissioned Navy submarine that's moored out front on the Willamette River.

OMSI is great for kids of any age, including preschoolers who ran happily rampant at Busytown, a miniature world of conveyor belts and cranes inspired by the books of Richard Scary. A planetarium, Omnimax theatre and cafe mean you could easily stay all day.

For kids who like fierce things, the exhibit "When Crocodiles Ruled" opened last month and runs until Jan. 5. It showcases life on earth 60 million years ago after the demise of the dinosaurs.

Our verdict: Put OMSI on top of a family sightseeing list. 800-955-6674, www.omsi.edu.

Tip: If you're a member of Seattle's Pacific Science Center, your membership card will get you in free to general exhibits.

Washington Park

Coax the kids away from OMSI to the 130-acre Washington Park. It's easy to get to — 10 minutes by car or Portland's MAX light rail from downtown. Explore the park's paths, ornamental gardens, playground (see www.parks.ci.portland.or.us) or go straight to these big-three attractions.

Oregon Zoo

This is smaller than Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, but equally inventive.

At a mock African ranger station, kids can climb on an old Land Rover and wander into huts. Underwater viewing windows show cavorting sea lions. Asian elephants are the zoo's pride, including the venerable Packy who turned 40 this year.

When kids or adults get tired or hungry, the Cascade Cafe serves good food.

The verdict: High marks, even if you're zoo regulars at home. 503-226-1561, www.oregonzoo.org

Tip: If you're a member of Woodland Park Zoo — and have your membership card with you to prove it — you get in free.

Children's Museum 2nd Generation

Right next to the zoo, this new children's museum replaces a much smaller, downtown one. Kids can play in a mock grocery store, paint their faces, play with clay and send water gushing in Rube Goldberg-like contraptions.

The verdict: Not as big as Seattle's Children's Museum, but lots of fun for kids under 10. And, like OMSI, a godsend on a rainy day. 503-223-6500, www.portlandcm2.org/

Tip: Members of Seattle Children's Museum get a pass for free admission.

World Forestry Center

Across a parking lot from the children's museum and zoo, this ecologically oriented museum has exhibits on Northwest and tropical forests, from their natural wonders to use and misuse by people. A new Forest Discovery Lab lets young kids count tree rings, play with puppets and more.

The verdict: Trying hard, but not a natural kid-pleaser. Cruise through quickly or give it a miss, unless you have environmentally minded teens — they'll enjoy it. 503-228-1367, www.worldforestry.org

Downtown

Short blocks — they're only 200 feet long, about half the length of other American cities — and lovingly restored 19th-century buildings make downtown Portland good for walking.

Some downtown sights:

Portland Classical Chinese Garden

This block-square formal garden doesn't seem like a place for kids with its meticulous plantings, reflecting ponds and tile-roofed pavilions. But it works. Give older kids a map to explore the walled garden on their own. They can wander across mini-bridges and through quiet courtyards.

The verdict: Something completely different and an oasis in Portland's small, rundown Chinatown. Good for kids 10 and up. 503-228-8131, www.portlandchinesegarden.org

Tip: Take adventurous eaters to the garden's traditional teahouse for exotic teas and snacks.

Saturday Market

Despite the name, this outdoor market by the Burnside Bridge runs all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Kids can blow their allowance at dozens of craft booths, including the wacky Spoonman booth, which sells whimsical masks, hair clips, key chains and more made out of old cutlery.

The verdict: Good shopping, good food booths, sometimes good street performers. 503-222-6072, www.saturdaymarket.org.

Powell's Books

Portland's beloved literary emporium has what seems like miles of aisles of books, including a vast children's section where kids can sprawl on the carpet or on pint-sized chairs and read.

The verdict: The girls voted with their feet and stayed two hours. 1005 W. Burnside, 503-228-4651, www.powells.com

Salmon Street Springs Fountain

Sometimes what's unplanned — and free — can be the best part of a trip.

Walking along the downtown riverfront on an unseasonably warm day, we came across the Salmon Street Springs Fountain with its dozens of jets of water spouting out of the pavement. The girls dabbled with their feet, their legs, then dashed gleefully, and fully clothed, to stand in the spray.

The verdict: Best thing of the whole trip, said the girls. At the foot of Southwest Salmon Street in the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

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