Sioux Falls, South Dakota hosts a wide number of free and budget-friendly family attractions, with Falls Park as the crown jewel. Located adjacent to the downtown area, Falls Park features the city's stunning namesake…the Big Sioux River's Sioux Falls. Visitors to the park can walk the many paths to points of interest around the falls, and enjoy the falls themselves, which cascade over … [Read more...]
Sertoma Butterfly House and Purdy Marine Cove
November 1, 2012 By
If you're visiting Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a few days, or just passing through on I-90, the Sertoma Butterfly House and Purty Marine Cove offer a high-quality and educational stop that won't break the bank. One of many quality free or cheap attractions for families in Sioux Falls! Housed on Sioux Falls innovative Outdoor Campus, where local families and visitors can stop in to take other … [Read more...]
Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History
October 29, 2012 By
A perfect half-day pit stop off I-90 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Great Plains Zoo is manageably sized, but more importantly, carefully managed to be a high quality zoo experience in the heart of the midwest. Plus, Great Plains Zoo has a Kidscore of 66. (Learn more about Kidscore.) Great Plains Zoo is so open and accessible, it feels like a park that just so happens to house an … [Read more...]
Butchart Gardens, Brentwood Bay, BC
September 13, 2012 By
At first glance in a guidebook or two, I didn't think the Butchart Gardens had much to offer a family with three active kids. I was wrong: the two hours we spent there waiting for a recent ferry crossing from Sidney BC to Washington's San Juan Islands was both relaxing for us and interesting to our school-aged boys. Located in Brentwood Bay, just minutes from the busy ferry terminal in … [Read more...]
Where to find tide pools in Tofino, Vancouver Island, BC
August 31, 2012 By
Every tide pool we saw in Tofino, BC on Vancouver Island's west coast was more amazing than the last. After a while, we stopped exclaiming about it and learned to expect to be stunned by the intertidal beauty of this area. Where to find the best tide pools in Tofino? Below are our top picks: 1. MacKenzie Beach: Just a few miles south of Tofino, MacKenzie Beach stretches widely in low tide, … [Read more...]
What to do in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve with kids
August 27, 2012 By
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on Vancouver Island's scenic west coast is a must-do for families visiting Vancouver Island. The park is divided in to three sections: Long Beach, Broken Island Group, and West Coast Trail. The Broken Island Group is off-shore, and accessible only by guided kayak tour if you're inexperienced (and best for older children of at least 12 years old), and the West … [Read more...]
Hiking in Tofino BC: Visiting Meares Island with Remote Passages
August 22, 2012 By
For families looking for a budget-friendly Tofino excursion or are simply low on time, Remote Passages offers a 1.5 hour round-trip Vancouver Island hiking adventure of Big Tree Trail on nearby Meares Island. Hiking in Tofino: Located just a few fun Zodiac boat turns from the Remote Passages boat dock, Meares Island is uninhabited and protected by a local First Nations land conservation … [Read more...]
Tofino whale watching with Remote Passages
August 20, 2012 By
I'd heard the West Coast of Vancouver Island called the Galapagos of the Northwest, and never is that more apparent than while on the water, whether families are exploring tide pools, kayaking, or in this case, on the open ocean on a Remote Passages whale watch in Tofino BC. Tofino whale watching: Our Tofino whale watch with Remote Passages just may have been the crown jewel on the treasure … [Read more...]
Kayaking the Vancouver Island west coast with Majestic Ocean Kayaking
August 17, 2012 By
Families don't have to venture far into the Pacific or spend a whole day (and a whole lotta cash) seeing nature up close on a Vancouver Island west coast kayaking tour. When we joined Majestic Ocean Kayaking on their half-day harbor tour, we hadn't even pushed off from the boat dock before Calvin spotted a massive sea star glowing purple and pink under the shallow water. "What, that little thing?" … [Read more...]
University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology
August 11, 2012 By
Vancouver's Museum of Anthropology is the perfect first stop for visiting families (and a great option during rainy weather, too). Much more comprehensive than we thought it would be, the Museum of Anthropology, or MOA, features not only an impressive main gallery of First Nations totem pole carvings, but also room after room of artifacts of native peoples (both of Western Canada and elsewhere). … [Read more...]
