Overnight passenger train travel can be more expensive and slower than air travel today. So why should you go? And where? Train across Canada: after spending two nights traveling the Canadian Rockies on VIA Rail's Canadian, the 'why' is easy to answer: in an age when traveling to a destination has become only about getting from Point A to Point B in a rushed, often stressful manner, a few days … [Read more...]
A week stay at Three Bars Ranch, British Columbia
July 27, 2015 By
There are beautiful resorts and vacation properties all over the world. The best start with a stunning destination, then add experiences, dining, and activities in a way that feeds both a sense of adventure and the need for relaxation. Then there are a few truly special, tucked-away places that manage to do all of the above, plus add a certain something that take them over-the-top for family … [Read more...]
Big White Ski Resort: family-friendly skiing in Kelowna BC
January 21, 2013 By
It speaks to Big White Ski Resort's dedication to families that there's too many family-friendly activities, events, and programs to include in just one post. Over the next week, we'll be featuring our favorites, in addition to this overview of the mountain and its lodging, dining, and family fun. First, an overview from the Pit Stops for Kids video channel: Skiing at Big White: I asked … [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 stay in Parksville, BC: Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and Spa
September 4, 2012 By
The first thing my kids noticed upon entering the grounds of Parksville BC's Tigh-Na-Mara Beach Resort was the pool house. Then the kids' club space. Then the playground and the basketball and tennis court. Finally, they spotted the beach access leading to one of Parksville's famous warm sand beaches. The first thing I noticed was the Cedars restaurant and Grotto Spa. To say Tigh-Na-Mara has it … [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...]
Where to stay in Tofino BC: a review of MacKenzie Beach Resort
August 24, 2012 By
As you might guess, the outdoor excursion, storm-watching, and surfing mecca of known as the west side of Vancouver Island offers more lodging in Tofino than anywhere else we visited on our July 2012 Vancouver Island trip. Families can choose from B&Bs, five-star resorts, vacation home rentals, and our favorite, beachfront resorts with individual cottages for let. We made the MacKenzie … [Read more...]
Where to stay in Ucluelet, BC: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort
August 13, 2012 By
What everyone needs after an active day hiking, kayaking, or touring Vancouver Island's west coast: a plunge pool and hot tub, rain shower, and cheery fire waiting at their resort. Families vacationing in Ucluelet BC get all that and more in Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. What, precisely? Try heated bathroom tiles, dramatic views, and fine dining, but more importantly to parenting traveling with … [Read more...]
Exploring Vancouver B.C.: Capilano Suspension Bridge
June 23, 2011 By
Only ten minutes outside of the city center, Vancouver offers family-friendly outdoor attractions kids will go crazy for in Capilano and Grouse Mountain. The first stop (and an easy free shuttle ride from Canada Place), is Capilano Suspension Bridge, an engineering marvel stretched 450 feet across a high river gorge in thanks to nineteenth century Vancouver settler and builder George Grant Mackay. … [Read more...]
Exploring Vancouver, B.C.: Granville Island with kids
June 20, 2011 By
When I set out to explore Vancouver's Granville Island on a sunny Monday afternoon, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Known best for its upscale public market and boutique shops, I certainly didn't think it would have much to entice kids. I was wrong. Granville Island began winning me over before I even got there: from the dock at the very end of Hornby Street, I waited (all of two … [Read more...]
