Discover the Best Place on Earth! There's no shortage of beautiful family travel opportunities in Vancouver, British Columbia, and in the Pacific Northwest, USA.
BC's Family Day Long Weekend | Where are you going?
Do you have plans for British Columbia's very first Family Day holiday long weekend? Have you chosen sun or snow for your mini-vacay?
We have some great snowy recommendations for you, if you're still undecided about what BC ski resort you might want to visit this weekend. There are so many great options to choose from.
Whistler Blackcomb - the number one ski resort in North America offers family fun and vertical terrain options like nowhere else.…
Favorite Holiday Events in Seattle
Special thanks to Keryn at WalkingOnTravels.ca for sharing her 5 favorite things to do in Seattle, WA, this holiday season!
Grab your favorite hot beverage and the kids; it’s time to head south to Seattle and explore all the Christmas mayhem they have to offer this holiday season.
Our family loves to dive right into the holiday cheer popping up around the city. …
Libraries Rock | The Vancouver Inspiration Pass
Who doesn't love the library?
One free card unlocks thousands of literary possibilities to the past, present and future. With the right book, you can dream of travel to faraway or fantasy places, right in the comfort of your living room.
The Vancouver Public Library has taken things a step further, with its new Vancouver Inspiration Pass {VIP} Card.…
Family Friendly Parksville + Qualicum Beach | Vancouver Island
I always find that my body relaxes when it realizes it's on Vancouver Island. There's an 'Island time' feeling for me, as soon as we drive off of the ferry. The pace of life is not as rushed as other places, such as in Metro Vancouver, that's a welcome thing.
Travelling here as a family at least once a year, we appreciate and value this special atmosphere of relaxation and friendliness that we find every time we travel to Vancouver Island.
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Vancouver Aquarium | Penguin Point
The Vancouver Aquarium's latest inhabitants are none other than six endangered African penguins, found in the new outdoor Penguin Point area. These small and highly likable creatures are one of 18 penguin species found in the wild, and the only ones who call Africa home.
The Aquarium has a live Penguin Cam, where you can watch the as yet unnamed Vancouver penguins 24/7. …
Toddler-Friendly Spots Around Seattle
We're very pleased to have this guest article from Keryn Means of Walkingon Travels. Keryn is based in Seattle and believes that just because you have kids doesn't mean you have to put your travel dreams aside - if anything they just get bigger and more exciting!
Rain or shine, cold weather or mild, Seattle is a great place to bring the family for a day trip or weekend adventure. …
Gold Medal Family Fun @ Silver Star Mountain Resort
The promise of dry, Okanagen powder is a powerful lure to anyone who enjoys skiing or snowboarding. And we certainly do.
And so for this February mini-break we chose to drive 6 hours into the BC Interior, north of Vernon, to experience the famous amazing, light, dry snow that has made Silver Star Mountain Resort a well-known winter holiday destination for locals and savvy foreign tourists alike.
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A Howlin' good time at Great Wolf Lodge
Family friendly hotel + 50,000 sq ft water park = License to print money.
Well, judging from the amount of kids and families we met during our recent visit to the Great Wolf Lodge Resort in Grand Mound, Washington, it certainly must be. The concept is simple; build an awesome water park packed with slides, rides, wave and kiddie pools and hot tubs, …
Whistler Wonderland
A quick family escape to Whistler for the weekend. Living in Vancouver, the temptation to get away for a few days of skiing and snowboarding is ever present during the winter months.
Whistler can be an expensive place for families. After all, skiing and snowboarding are among the most pricey sporting activities out there.
But, given that fact, Whistler remains a super family-friendly place with much to do and see. …
A Summer Week of Awesome
Sometimes, you don't have to travel far from home to get away from it all and have a terrific holiday. You can be a tourist in your own town, and take advantage of the great amenities and activities around you.
That's what we chose to do during our Family Week of Awesome, which took place the second-last week of summer holidays in August.
Our galavanting was generously sponsored by …
A Day in Kitsilano | Vancouver
We were honoured to provide a "Mother Insider" guest post for the Seattle-based Cascadia Kids website, specializing in family travel advice for the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
The article provides families with a guided tour on how best to spend the day in one of Vancouver's most vibrant and family-friendly neighbourhoods, Kitsilano. …
Rainy Day Family Fun in Vancouver
It seems to rain in Vancouver as many days as the sun shines in a year. Even though we are an outdoorsy bunch, there is so much to do indoors too, and since it does rain here (more days than we might wish), here's our handy list of fav indoor spaces to spend some quality family time.
Great Places for Indoor Kid and Family Fun
The Best Campgrounds in British Columbia
It's no secret.
British Columbia has some of the most well-designed, best-located provincial (state) campgrounds anywhere in North America. We've camped all over this great land (and in the south too), and we who live and camp in BC know how lucky we are to have this all at our doorstep.
The firewood may no longer be free, and now we're being charged the HST, but camping remains the cheapest and most fun family holiday you can have (without crashing at your parents' cottage - but where's the freedom in that?).
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The Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium is one of the top tourism sites in the city. It's also one of the most popular destinations for local families as well, making any visit a potentially crowded one.
We must have spent hundreds of hours at the Aquarium over the years. The kids had freedom to safely wander and run around in the play area, nurse 'sick' stuffed otters, and identify all kinds of cool and interesting creatures.
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BC's Rustic Playground - Manning Park
Located east of Hope, three hours from Vancouver, is Manning Provincial Park, one of British Columbia's most popular outdoor recreational playgrounds.
We've been visiting here since 1992, in both winter and summer; pre-kids and as a family. It's become an annual vacation destination for us around the New Year, starting when we used to winter camp…
Winter Fun on Vancouver's North Shore
The weather forecasters have predicated a colder & snowier-than-normal winter season for 2011. With the school holiday break only one month away, there's no better time than now to plan for some snow play fun & snow sports on our local mountains. And you don't have to break the family piggy bank to enjoy these pursuit.
The three local north shore mountains - …
Richmond Night Market
The influence of Asian culture in Metro Vancouver shines brightest at the annual summer tradition of the Richmond Night Market. It's a vibrant & busy night market, modeled on those found in Hong Kong or Taiwan.
Vendors sell everything from Asian DVDs to clothing to care products to dollar-store toys. You can enjoy the displays of martial arts & Asian culture, and the quirky contests, but the main draw in our book is the food.
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The Beaty Biodiversity Museum
The newest museum in Vancouver has unofficially opened at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and it includes not only a whale, but a whale of a tale.
The new Beaty Biodiversity Museum is holding some special, free public previews this summer in anticipation of its official public opening in fall 2010.
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The Museum will display specimens and collections of all manner of animal and plant life found on earth through the millenia, including over 800,000 …
Whistler Weekend
We live approximately two hours away from one of the best ski resorts in the world: Whistler, British Columbia.
Unfortunately, we don't get to spend as much time there in winter as we'd like. If you have school-aged children and are busy with extra-curricular activities, finding the time to get away, even for a weekend, can be a challenging thing.
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A Walk on the Super Natural Side
Walking? Sixty-five feet up in the air?
That was my first thought when we were invited to tour the Greenheart Canopy Walkway at the UBC Botanical Garden. I have a fear of heights, and the thought of being that high up, walking on very bouncy, see-through metal bridges attached to large Douglas Firs didn't thrill me, at first.
But I am an adventurous mom and so, enthusiastic family in tow, we proceeded to introduce ourselves to our guide for the 45 minute, 308-metre Canopy Walkway tour in the Garden.
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Beautiful Bowen Island
Looking for a family day trip from the city that combines natural beauty with touches of modern civilization? You can't do better than a visit to Bowen Island, just a twenty-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay, northwest of Vancouver, and now, also a 25-minute, 'express' water taxi ride from Granville Island (pedestrian-only).
Bowen Island has long been a weekend playground for Vancouver residents and visitors, going back nearly one hundred years to the days of the …
Olympic Memories
It was an incredible 17 days in February in Vancouver. The experience changed the city and its residents in personal and profound ways that we'll cherish for a long time to come.
Vancouver Best Bets for Kid & Family Dining
Food plays a big part of any family holiday or one-day trip outing. Children can be picky eaters at any age, and finding a family-friendly dining spot to suit all tastes and appetites can be a huge challenge.
Vancouver is justly famous for its wide and affordable variety of dining out options. This multicultural mix has produced some of the best restaurants of their kind in North America, and many of them are kid-friendly. …
The Vancouver Olympic Village Plaza
The Olympic Countdown clock is ticking down the days until the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies on February 12, 2010.
In Vancouver, it remains the calm before the storm. We're all going around town on our pre-Christmas business, with the holiday season top of mind. I think that the the penny will drop with a very loud 'bang' on January 2nd, when we wake up to realize that this event is really, actually happening.
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Cypress Mountain Provincial Park
Not only do these mountains offer winter recreational activities such as skiing and snowboarding, two of them - Cypress and Seymour - are also designated Provincial Parks with wonderful summer and fall hiking opportunities.
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Travelling Mom contributing to InsideVancouver.ca
It's been an exciting past few weeks at thetravellingmom.ca.
We received lots of comments about our article on Belgian chocolate - thank you for the feedback! It was a true pleasure to taste-test all of those delicious chocolate temptations on our recent travels in Belgium. We plan to volunteer for that task again - and soon!
Our efforts to spread our wings a bit have been warmly received by a couple of very supportive travel sites that we'd like to highlight.
…The new view @ YVR
Thirty years is a long time to wait to see an airplane up close. Today I had the opportunity to attend the opening of the new Public Observation Area at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the first public viewing area at YVR in 30 years.
The Observation Area offers the public a magnificent view 'from the air side' of the take-off and landing strips, the busy airport operations, and the beauty of Vancouver's UBC Endowment Lands, the north shore mountains, and Vancouver Island.
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Galiano Getaway
I wrote about Galiano Island, one of the Southern Gulf Islands, in my article about the Top 5 100 Mile Holiday destinations near Vancouver. A recent visit confirmed its place on our list, and here are a few reasons why:
1. Short ferry ride. From the Tsawwassen ferry terminal it takes just one hour to reach Sturdies Bay terminal on Galiano Island. …
Zippin' in Whistler
There's nothing like overcoming your fear of heights by suspending yourself from a metal clamp attached to what seems like a thin metal cable 200 feet over rushing Fitzsimmons Creek in Whistler B.C.
But how about subjecting your beloved offspring to such an experience?
Now that we've done it, I can only say - go for it! Our 9 and 11 year olds astounded us with their courage and overcoming their own fear of letting go, literally. …
To the Lighthouse
This Mother's Day, my family has decided to forgo the fancy brunch and lunch plans.
This decision was made easier by the fact that every restaurant my poor husband called (last night) was of course full to bursting with reservations previously booked a week or more ago in honour of mom's' one day (morning?) break from cooking.
Rather than wallow in self-pity over a lack of eggs benedict this Sunday, I suggested revisiting an old friend - Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver - and that we would bring our own food to enjoy after a lovely hike to the seaside. …
The Great Outdoors
There's nothing like being all snug in your sleeping bag, fast asleep in your tent.
Suddenly, you are awakened by a murder of black crows right above your campsite, cawing incessantly, and very, very loudly. It's 5 AM and nature's alarm clocks are saying 'Good morning in the great outdoors!' (I understand why a group of crows is referred to as a 'murder', because at that hour, I know what I'd like to do to those birds.)
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A 100 Mile Holiday - Recession-proofing your Summer Vacation
Planning a holiday during a recession, when many of us are watching every dollar we spend, seems a bit decadent and in many cases simply impossible. Is this summer really the best time to take a holiday?
Taking inspiration from local B.C. authors Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon and their successful 100 Mile Diet and book chronicling their one-year experiment in local eating, …
Day Trippin' - Our Top 5 100 Mile Day Trips
The 100 Mile philosophy, inspired by local B.C. authors Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon and their successful 100 Mile Diet and book chronicling their one-year experiment in local eating, applies to our family's attitude towards rewarding day trips from our Vancouver home.
Think about your home-town, city and surrounding environment. What are all of the recreational opportunities within a 100 mile radius of where you live? …
A Break at the Peaks
Skiing and snowboarding for Spring Break is my idea of a fun and care-free family holiday.
Sun Peaks Resort, located north of Kamloops, BC, and a five hour drive from Vancouver, has been voted #2 Best Ski Resort in Canada (and #10 in North America) by Conde Nast Traveler magazine (2008).
This was great news as we'd booked a week of skiing there in March!
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