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Families Travel! Amber goes to Parksville BC
Could any trip be more kid friendly? A BC beachside vacation, combined with a tour of a family farm and an artisan cheese factory. Vancouver mom and blogger Amber Strocel and husband Jon recently returned to Parksville, BC with their kids Hannah, age 5, and Jacob, 22 months. Parksville is about 45 minutes north of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and one of Strocel’s favorite vacation spots (she’s been to the retreat three times now). And after reading over their vacation, I’m jealous! I’m ready to book my stay – read this over, and see if you’re not ready to go, too. Where are you staying? Did you find a family-friendly Parksville, BC, hotel or other Parksville…
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Cycling Across Canada with Kids
Joe Kurmaskie and his wife Beth set out on a cross-Canada adventure with their three boys, ages 9, 7 and 1. Method of transport: bicycles. Really. And it was awesome. Kurmaskie’s crew started out from their home in Portland, Oregon, cycled to North BC’s Prince Rupert, then east across Canada to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They started out on a three-seat tandem bicycle, pulling a trail-a-bike with a baby trailer attached. But always conscious of safety, the couple soon switched to a two-seat tandem for Joe and one son, pulling a trail-a-bike and baby trailer, with Beth riding alongside on her own bike. Q: What was the best part of your journey? Having the whole family join a…
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Tofino with Kids … er, a Baby
Vancouver-based mom Elaina Spring Eden, husband and adorable 9-month-old daughter Ava just traipsed off to Tofino, BC for almost a week. Tofino — located off the west shore of Vancouver Island — is well-known for opportunities to hike, whale-watch and unwind from the world. But that last part (unwinding) isn’t always so easy for new parents, as we all remember. “My husband I both realized that our days of laying in bed in terrycloth robes and staring out at the ocean for hours on end are on hiatus for a while,†Eden says. “The idea of rest and relaxation has taken on a whole new meaning in our lives at…
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Families Travel! Sarah Goes on a Quadra Island Farm Stay
In August 2009, Sarah Pugh, her husband Stirling and 3-year-old daughter Rowan rented a kitchen-equipped cottage from Bold Point Farmstay for six nights. Their hosts, Rod and Geraldine, run the farmstay on the secluded and rustic Quadra Island, BC. Quadra Island is located about three hours north of Victoria (and involves a quick 10-minute ferry ride). Here’s why Sarah thought her family’s stay on a functioning farm was so fantastic: Q: What did you do at the family-friendly farm? Sarah: We went for long rambles in the woods, picked berries and fruit, went swimming in the lakes, and fishing and paddling in the ocean. We went to the market, popped over…
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Victoria Pick: Beacon Hill Children’s Farm
Yesterday, one of Victoria, B.C.’s most wonderful (and affordable) little attractions reopened after a winter hiatus. Beacon Hill Children’s Farm’s menagerie of farm animals, peacocks and flamboyantly-crowned chickens offers an off-the-beaten path experience to visiting families. There are bunnies and donkeys to fawn over, plus a bird-filled building, where tiny finches flit from branch to branch. Many of these animals have restrictions on touch, so don’t feel disappointed if you can’t hug a pot-bellied pig. But then you arrive at the African Pygmy goat pen, a glorious exception to the rules. In this family favorite, baby and adult goats meander and mill about in a large enclosure. Children mingle with…
