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Fleeting Moments at Whistler’s New Playground
Visitors to Whistler, BC no longer bump into Olympic athletes — but we still get to enjoy the games’ legacies. One of the coolest, most-kid friendly new fixtures is the 13,000-square-foot Whistler Accessible Playground. This nature-themed playground, completed right before the February 2010 games, offers a true multi-sensory experience. At the playground, I took photos of my kids in action as they hid in the hollowed-out tree trunk, scrambled up onto a bobcat statue’s back and struggled to hold onto the merry-go-round disc. It’s funny — when I started shooting several years ago, I was frustrated when photographing my fast-moving children. I wanted to stop movement, blur and action. I wanted…
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Camping with Kids in British Columbia
Looking for a BC vacation deal? British Columbia offers pitch-perfect camping options for every family: seven national parks, 900 provincial parks and hundreds of private campgrounds and RV parks. BC’s provincial parks typically only charge between $10 to $24 per site for car campers. Jayne Seagrave is an expert on BC camping, and a mom to two boys (aged 10 and 11) — two lucky boys who’ve been camping since birth. She’s also the author of Camping British Columbia and Camping With Kids: The Best Campgrounds in British Columbia and Alberta. Let’s find out what Jayne recommends for BC family camping. 1. For families visiting Vancouver, can you recommend a close-in campsite with a playground or…
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The Best of Spokane with Kids
Our family first passed through Spokane back in 2001, on our I-90 Washington-to-New York driving adventure (with a toddler – yeah, we’ve always been crazy!). Spokane was cute — historic, turn-of-the-century buildings, a riverfront park and bustling college scene. I threw Spokane into my “bucket list” of destinations to visit in the future. Fast-forward 9 years, and life finally afforded the opportunity to return. Here’s my guide to the best of this Inland Northwest city with kids: Best place to spend the day in Spokane: Riverfront Park is one of the most adorable urban parks ever. The park’s 100 acres are packed with preschooler-friendly amusement park rides, an IMAX theater,…
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Portland in a Day: 12 hours of fun
Where do you go in Portland with kids – if you’ve only got a day? My friend Sarah recently came down from Victoria, BC, with her daughter Rowan (age 4) and I wanted to introduce her to the city I grew up in. We only had one day to cover Portland’s Greatest Hits, so I was determined to pack as much as possible into 12 waking hours. I snagged a four-star hotel room off of Priceline (RiverPlace Hotel, $100/night) using the Priceline bidding method. Once we arrived, we upgraded to a junior suite for $25, which offered a King and a Queen pull-out sofa bed. My kids and I shared the…
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Families Travel! Corene goes to Orcas Island
Luckily, Seattle-area foodie blogger Corene Caley (foodiepatootie.com), husband Calvin and daughter Arden (age 5 ½) always knows where to eat when arriving on Orcas Island. Caley is more than qualified to dish on Orcas’s culinary delights. “We go to Orcas two or three times in the summer and about every other month in the fall/winter/spring. I’m sure that will change now that Arden is starting elementary but hopefully we’ll fit it in.†Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands, is located about two hours northwest of Seattle via Anacortes, Washington and the Washington State Ferry system. Why does your family frequently visit the San Juan Islands? I was lucky enough to marry a…
