-
East Meets West: Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre
Over the past 100 years, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Filipino and Laotian immigrants settled in Washington, Oregon and BC. Often, families move back and forth over the U.S.-Canadian borders, so there’s a nice multi-generational, multi-cultural intermingling at this point. Cascadia kids grow up eating sushi, pad Thai and dim sum; they attend cultural festivals with roots in Japan, China or Vietnam. This cultural coalescence is obvious in Richmond, BC, where 60% of the city’s population is of Asian descent. You’ll find the Chinese-influnced Aberdeen Centre, the Taiwanese-style President Plaza, the pan-Asian Yaohan Centre (featuring a large Japanese supermarket) and the Hong Kong-style Parker Place. Aberdeen Centre offers many kid-friendly…
-
Dine Out Vancouver — Families Welcome!
Today, Vancouver Tourism announced the Dine Out Vancouver participating restaurants. Three-course adult fixed menus are set at $18, $28 or $38. This is the perfect opportunity for your family to eat out in Vancouver, whether as a local or a visitor. The promotion runs from April 26 through May 6, but diners are encouraged to reserve early – reservations open on April 19. Especially if you want that cool kid-friendly room at Zen Japanese Restaurant (read more below). Restaurant + Adult Menu Link Adult Menu Price Point Kid-Friendly? Sample Kid Menu Blarney Stone $18 Kid-friendly Irish pub, crayons and coloring books No kid menu, but can accommodate kid appetites. Las Margaritas Restaurant…
-
10 Family-Friendly Vancouver Restaurants
I’m going up to Vancouver, BC, this weekend and thought I’d spill the soup on our favorite kid-friendly restaurants, those places we miss when we return home. Vancouver’s restaurants exhibit amazing Eastern flair, unsurprising for a Pacific-Rim city. Here are my 10 favorites – find even more places to eat in my new book, Northwest Kid Trips: Portland, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver. 1. Little Nest Cafe serves honest breakfasts and lunches to parents tired of lame-o kid meals and half-effort adult dishes. Fresh West Coast fare, super-cool décor and a kids’ play area filled with retro toys. Read my full write-up here. 2. Here’s how to enjoy downtown Vancouver’s Sciue. Get in…
-
Four Family-Friendly Markets in the NW & BC
We have markets by the bushelful here in Casadia and traveling families are always welcome. Bring the kids, $30 and a sense of adventure to these farmers’ markets. It’s a cheap vacation solution and a memorable excursion, all rolled into one afternoon. Here are my favorite four markets — indoor and outdoor, large and small. Don’t miss them when you’re visiting! Portland Farmers Market, Portland. This weekend, the Saturday Portland Farmers Market reopens for the growing (and grazing) season. The outdoor, downtown market features dozens of local-vendor booths, great food trucks (I like Pine State Biscuits) and musical performers. Chefs put on cooking demos, and children’s cooking classes take center…
-
10 Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in the Rain
Vancouver is one of my favorite cities in the entire world, especially with kids. There's so much to do -- whether the winds are warm or wintery. Here are my top 10 picks for cool-weather visitors.
