If you asked my hubby and I what our ideal vacation is we would both quickly answer – Anywhere Tropical ………….But since being parents we would both agree that we LOVE making memories with our girls so much more. There is just something so magical about watching our girls eye’s light up with excitement as we walk into a theme park, hearing the music and watching them start dancing and laughing. We just got back from our very 1st trip to Silverwood Theme Park. It was nothing short of FANTASTIC!  All of the girls had a blast Chloe and Livi rode ride’s from open to close and Evie enjoyed the water park and food most of all !

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I should start off by saying that when it comes to family vaca’s its most important to throw any expectations out the window. I’m guilty of trying to rush through to make sure we squeeze everything in. Trust me on this one though, slow down and go with the flow. I’m certain you and your kiddos will have so much more fun. I should also mention that having girls from age 1-16 we learned quickly that for each of them to have a good time it meant splitting up- ( thankfully extended family came along so the girls had ride buddies to run around with). I have to say it was SO fun to hear there exciting experiences  when we would meet up.

Accommodations & Travel

-We live just outside of Portland,Oregon area and did a road trip over to Silverwood Theme Park. It took us roughly 6hrs.
– We stayed in a house that we booked thorugh Airbnb. We had about 15 people in our group, so this was the most cost effective option for all of us.It was 30 min from the park, which was the only downfall. This made it inconvent to run back if we needed anything.
– If camping is your thing there is a camp ground on site that is reasonably priced. I do hear it fills up fast so make a reservation as soon as you can here 
SIlverwood Theme Park Fun For The Whole Family

Things to consider during your trip

– We feel like 2 days at Silverwood Theme Park/Boulder Beach is the perfect number of days. This will give everyone plenty of time to go on lots of rides, catch a magic show and eat ALL the food. Check there website for the best deal on tickets
– I would reccomend getting there 10 min before the park opens so you get decent parking. At the end of the day when you are wet and tired you will thank me for this tip.
– I gaurentee you’ll drain your phone taking photos/videos.  Bring a charger of some sort or even a back up travel one travel charger, I love this one!
– There are plenty of places to sit and relax. Be it on benches, chairs or  on in the grass.
– We went on a thursday & friday and the longest ride line we stood in was 15 min.
-We used a small fold-able stroller similar to this one  It came in handy for not only naps but carrying everyone everything around.
-I brought two bags into the park.  I put our valuable belongings (wallets, phones, camera, etc), snacks, into my diaper bag. The second bag was filled with mostly water stuff (towels, sunscreen, swimsuits, extra clothes ect)
– I would highly recommend a diaper bag that can be worn as a backpack. I love this one this one.
-Make it a point to clean your diaper bag out each night. This will make getting out the doork the next morning much easier.
We had a plan to do the Silverwood theme park side one day and Boulder Beach the other. However remeber what I said earlier, go with the flow. The kids wanted to go back and forth and we ended up doing a little of both the side’s on both days. This isn’t always easy for everyone but actually worked out great for us.

Splash in the Water

Swim up bar at silverwood theme park

It was so nice that Silverwood Theme Park offered life jackets free of charge. Lockers and tubes are available to rent.

-There are two kid areas. The first is Polliwog Park right at the enterence of Boulder Beach- this one has it all, slides, fountains and waiding pool. Also check out Toddler springs near the back of boulder beach, its usually less busy with more seatting around it.
-You wont want to miss the lazy river- It has a hidden swim up bar !!! (your welcome)
-The wave pool is always a crow favorite
-If you are a thrill seeker you will love Ricochet Rapids, Volicity Peak and Riptide Racer!!

Ride the Theme Park Rides

There are lockers available to rent in the theme park area also.

-Save the more popular rides for after Boulder beach closes (Timber Terro & Tremors) – A lot of people leave the park at this time. This means the lines for the rides get shorter and you can pack a ton of rides into the last hour or two before the whole park closes.
-Chloe our 16yr old LOVED Aftershock, Spincycle and both wooden coasters
-Livi our 11yr old LOVED Thunder Canyon, Butterflyer and Krazy Kars.
-Evie our 1 1/2yr old is new to rides but seemed to like the Barnstormer and Tiny Tot Coaster.
-Family favorite- Steam Engine Train, this was a nice ride to do all together. It was about 30 minutes long and included a cute lil skit that kept your attention through the whole ride.
-You will want to save Thunder Canyon, Roaring Creek and bumper boats till the end of the day so you dont have to walk around soaking wet.

 

Eat ALL the Food

-You can bring in your own empty water bottle to refill throughout the day.
-We found all the food inside Silverwood Theme Park very reasonably priced, great portions and something for everyone.
-During our trip we ate snacks, lunch and dinner inside the park.
– Buy the souvanier soda- You can refill it for free on the day of purchase and .99 cents on the second day. It’s well worth the inital cost.
-A Few of Our Favorite treats: Funnel Cake/Elephant Ears from the Sugar Shake, soft serve ice cream ( this thing is over a half a foot tall) from Seismic Sno Cones, Kettle Corn from the train ride. Frozen Slush from Cabana Cooler( swim up bar in the lazy river)
– Where we ate: Chuckwagon Johns- This is a delicious all you can eat BBQ.  Casellis Pizzarie- Grab dinner while you watch the magic show. Chicken Shake- We loved the chicken strips and fries

I should also mention how impressed I was with how beautifuly landscaped and well kept Silverwood Theme Park was. It nice to have so many places thoughout the park to sit and relax. At no point did we feel like it was crowded or hectic. We had plenty to do that fill two full days. We also found this vaction to be an afforable compared to some others. Overall our entire family had such a blast at Silverwood, from teens to toddlers and even mom and dad. If you have any other questions please post in a comment below and I will get back to you!  Have fun planning your own trip

 

Smile, 

Kayla

 

Boulder beach fun for the whole family

Top notch magic show at Silverwood Theme park

Carnival games at Silverwood Theme Park

So much fun at the swim up bar in Boulder beach

Ready for some fun at silverwood theme park

 

Fun for the whole famiily

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