Northwest US – Vacation with Dinosaurs in Alaska, Oregon and Washington.  If talking about dinosaur makes your family smile then adding a dinosaur encounter to your family vacation makes perfect sense. 

From fossil trails and dig sites to museums with immense skeletons and interactive experiences which feature the most recent theories on dinosaurs, no two spots are the same but each tells a compelling story meant to be shared with your kids. Your family cans sleepover with dinosaurs in Anchorage or walk among dinosaurs in Oregon’s coastal rain forest. I have included some of the best options Alaska, Oregon and Washington for review and planning. 

Anchorage – Dream with Dinosaurs. The Museum of Natural History enables visitors to travel back in time to an Alaska where Tyrannosaurus rex and packs hunting Troodon ruled. Skeletons and fossil from the Polar Region provide more information about the adaptively of dinosaurs. A touch table with casts of assorted dinosaur claws, teeth, spikes, horns and real dinosaur bones is an excellent way to share the dinosaur experience. Bonus Points: The museum offers the chance for families to sleepover with dinosaurs. Participants will explore the museum; participate in a scavenger hunt, and make discoveries. (201 N. Bragaw Anchorage, AK 99508.(907) 274-2400 or  www.alaskamuseum.org)

 
Port Orford – Discover dinosaurs along the Oregon coast. At the Prehistoric Gardens in Oregon’s coastal rain forest region, sculptor E.V. Nelson has created another world with his replicas of dinosaurs each scientifically correct based on the measurements of fossil skeletons. It’s a place to wander and imagine in an enchanting setting. See more than 20 sculptures including the popular Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, and T. rex along with baby Triceratops, Diatryma, Psittacosarus, Bradysaurus and Ichthyhosaur. If you are traveling with children who are between the ages of six to 12 this is a terrific place to get great photos for “Show-and-Tell” when school resumes. (36848 U.S. 101, Port Orford, OR 97465. (541)332-4463 or Prehistoric Gardens)

 
Seattle – See the Mesozoic Era live. Perhaps the highlight to any dinosaur themed visit to the Pacific Science Center is encountering the seven moving, roaring, robotic dinosaurs in a lifelike environment. There’s even a chance for visitors to control the action of one of the dinosaurs - a Pneumoferrosaurus also known as an "Air and Iron Lizard" and to stand in the footprint of a of a giant duckbill dinosaur.  Onsite you will find a variety of dinosaur fossils, including a full-scale skeletal cast of Mamenchisaurus, and a cutaway model of a Tyrannosaurus rex leg. The educator’s pre visit worksheet displayed at the website offers tips for enjoying the museum experience and games for kids. Bonus Points: The children’s center at the museum provides hands-on dinosaur games and learning materials. (200 Second Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98109.  (206) 443-2001, (206) 443-2925 (for family-specific activities) or www.pacsci.org)