Looking for menu ideas for your cabin vacation? Or how about a few days worth of foods for large groups? Or maybe just a quick weekend getaway idea from Seattle? I got you on all three counts! Keep reading for a little peek into our weekend cabin trip to Cle Elum.
Weekend Trip from Seattle with Kids – Cle Elum
I grew up in southern California, where a weekend trip with kids could mean San Diego or Santa Barbara or even Vegas/Palm Springs. So raising two kids here in Seattle, I’m always looking for some fun getaways that don’t take too much driving.
Not gonna lie, once I exhausted my limit for Portland and Vancouver trips, I had to change my mindset from big city getaways to more mountain and nature getaways, but I seem to be the only one in my family who had a culture shock. The kids could spend hours just throwing rocks into a lake. Why did I bother taking them to Legoland last year, anyway?
Cle Elum is less than a two hour drive from Seattle without traffic, just over the mountain pass. There’s so many lake parks and nature trails to explore with kids, and plenty of cabin rentals. You can go as low-key as camping or as luxurious as staying at the Suncadia resort. It’s really a great option for a quick trip with small kids at all price points.
Things to Do with Kids in Cle Elum
Lakes, lakes, and more lakes. Thankfully the kids never got tired of going to lake beach parks or trying to “fish” in the Yakima river. We stayed at a lovely VRBO right on Lake Cle Elum with private access to the lake, but if you don’t have that option, here are some other fun spots for kids:
- Speelyi Beach
- Lake Easton State Park (has a play toy right by the sandy area and lots of picnic benches overlooking the lake)
- Hanson Ponds (for fishing)
- Roslyn (historic town with ice cream, pizza, and shops)
Food We Packed for Kids’ Weekend Vacation
I like to think my kids are pretty average when it comes to picky eating. They’re not super picky, but they’re not super adventurous either. That said, with ANY kid, it’s usually safer to just have plenty of options to choose from for meals. Nobody wants a power struggle, especially on vacation. Some kids foods we brought that were easy to pack:
- lunchables
- string cheese
- fruit
- King’s Hawaiian bread
- fruit and veggie pouches
- various crackers (goldfish, cheez its, etc.)
- microwave rice
- seaweed
- instant noodles
Let me tell you, lunchables are so clutch. Easy to pack, has most food groups, and kids love them. The fruit and veggie pouches are ALSO lifesavers for when I’m afraid their little digestive systems are being compacted with bread and cheese. Just knowing that at least some fruits and vegetables have been consumed gives me peace of mind. Also, they can be kept at room temperature.
If your kids are Asian or have Asian tastebuds, MICROWAVE RICE is also a game changer! You can pick these up at the Asian market, Daiso, or Amazon. Just stick it in the microwave for one minute, and you’re good to go. You don’t need to pack the whole rice cooker or worry about cooking over a stove. Add in some furikake and roasted seaweed, and it’s basically a whole meal for the kids.
Foods We Cooked for Large Groups at the Cabin
Sorry, I totally forgot to take pictures of all our meals at the cabin, but I trust you know what burgers and tacos look like. We had a group of 9 adults and two children for a long weekend, and here’s what we ate:
Day 1: Arrival in the Evening
After checking in, we ordered pizza from a nearby restaurant and picked up ice cream from a local store. No cooking tonight!
Day 2:
Breakfast: Costco croissants and fruit
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Grilled burgers, corn, tater tots from frozen, and packaged salad.
Day 3:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, leftover bacon, and fruit
Lunch: Ham sandwiches using leftover tomatoes and lettuce
Dinner: Burritos using Costco premade carnitas that you heat up on stovetop, plus freshly made guac and chips
Day 4: Checkout
Time to leave! Breakfast was using up all the leftover eggs, bacon, fruit, toast, etc. We also finished up a Costco sized cold brew coffee that we had been using all weekend. Costco cookies and pints of ice cream were also abundant throughout the weekend as well.
Overall, a super successful weekend! Buying groceries from Costco for the group was the right move, as the local Safeway’s prices were super jacked up.
More Seattle Activities for Families
Looking for more family activities around Seattle? We actually took the same large group of friends to Leavenworth a few years ago, but unfortunately, I forgot to write a post about it! I do, however, have posts on the following activities: