Canada

Vancouver with Kids: Biking in Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC

April 20, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 3 Comments

Our visit to Vancouver with kids last summer was short and mixed in with business but it was one of the most memorable trip for the kids. Not only we took several mode of transportation ranging from boat, train, trolley and bus, we also got to bike around the popular Stanley Park in Vancouver.

Explore Stanley Park by Bicycle

Stanley park is a must visit for anyone who plan a trip to Vancouver. The park is well maintained with various activities for the whole family to enjoy and the view.. the view is breathtaking even with cloudy sky!

Great Bicycle Rental Shop with Ideal Location

During this trip we had only a few hours to explore Stanley park, ideally I wish we could stay longer during our visit in Vancouver. So we decided to explore the park on a bike. We received complimentary passes from the conference I attended for Spokes Bicycle Rentals. Funny how thing worked out since that’s the company that I had been researching and planned to use them anyway.

Spokes store is located only a short walk from the entrance of Stanley park which makes it’s an ideal location. With kids, we didn’t want to have to walk with our bikes around the block. The shop has various types of bikes to fit various level of bikers. For our family, we opted for one child’s bike and one trail-a-bike. Mr. Z still hasn’t mastered his bike skill and we knew he would most likely give up on biking if he has to do it on his own.

The staff was very helpful in setting up our bike and made sure that it was the right size for each of us. The process didn’t take long and soon after we were ready to head out for a fun day except it was still raining. It was our last day in Vancouver and it was one of the activity that the kids had been looking forward to. We waited it out a bit and luckily the sky opened up and we were ready to roll.

Let’s GO!

Biking in Stanley park is very popular and easy. With separate path just for bike and pedestrian, it was safe and easy to do with young kids. The path is clearly marked with the sign to show separate lane for bike versus pedestrians. We started off at the main entrance of Stanley Park and followed along the bike trail the curve around the shoreline providing us with amazing view as we look back to Vancouver skyline.

Kids Approved Points of Interest

There are several points of interest to stop along the way that will keep kids entertain for the whole bike trail. It would have taken us the whole day to stop at everything. But with limited time, we just had to skip some and save those for next visit. Not long after the entrance, we learned about First Nation History and the Totem Poles at Brockton Point Interpretive Centre.

As we peddled leisurely along the Sea Wall bike route, we stopped to check out the Nine O’Clock Gun, the historical canon that still booms out message faithfully each night.

The bike trail wraps around the shoreline that go around the whole park. It took us about an hour and a half to complete the whole loop. The path is clearly marked for bicycle, pedestrian and roller-blade traffic. Most of the path is easy even for kids. There are some sections that narrow but with caution there shouldn’t be any issues for any kids.

We also saw several playgrounds along the way. Even though we visited Vancouver in June, the day we went to Stanley Park was cool and cloudy so we didn’t try out the outdoor water fun at the Variety Kids Water Park.

In the end, we enjoyed our time in Stanley park and we would highly recommend exploring the park on a bike. It was fun and easy to do as a family.

Family Tips:

Dress properly with tennis shoes or non-slipper shoes.
Dress in layer as the weather in Vancouver can change frequently. An extra rain jacket came in handy for us.
Bring bottle of water. There are also a few concession stands and restroom along the way.
Remember to ask for the trail map from bicycle rental shops.
Enjoy!

Filed Under: Canada, Natures & Parks, Vancouver Tagged With: bike ride in Stanley Park, blogsherpa, Canada, Canada with kids, family travel, family travel vancouver, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Family vacation in Vancouver, family vacations, stanley park vancouver, stanley park with kids Vancouver, Things to do in Vancouver with kids, Things to do with kids, Travel with Kids, Vancouver, Vancouver with Kids

A Look Back to Family Travel 2011

January 4, 2012 By Amy @ The Q Family 9 Comments

Although we are a few days into 2012, our recent family trip to Keystone resort is still fresh in our mind, the first ski experience on one of the best family ski resort in Colorado. So to keep up with our tradition, we have our review post looking back to our family travel last year. It was a fun year!

January: Snow in Atlanta

It’s not often or should I say NEVER that Atlanta metro area will get seven inches of snow in winter. So it was a real big treat for our kids to enjoy snow tubing (home-made style) at our own backyard. The snow storm in Atlanta shut down the whole city a whole week. For adults, the cabin fever started to set in but for kids it was like an unexpected winter break!

February: Indoor Water Park fun

We went up to Sevierville, Tennessee to help celebrate our friend’s birthday. An indoor water park at Wilderness in the Smokies is a great year round fun where kids (and adults) can enjoy swimming, sliding, surfing and more in the heated environment even in the middle of winter.

March: Mickey Memory with Disney Social Media Mom

This month we drove down to our familiar vacation spot in Orlando to attend the Disney Social Media Mom 2011 where we learned, laughed and connected with bloggers. It was our first time staying at the Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Resort and it was an experience we won’t easily forget. Mr. Z also experienced a big kid ride and hooked on the roller coaster now!

April: Fun in Atlanta at Georgia Aquarium

In Spring, we stayed close to home and enjoy local attractions in Atlanta like the Grand opening of new Dolphin Tale show at the Georgia Aquarium, the beautiful day at Piedmont Park for the Dogwood Festival

May: Birthday Celebration at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

This year we took another trip down to Orlando to celebrate Mr. Rojo’s birthday at the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. We hardly stayed at the Disney’s resorts previously because our family has a timeshare in Orlando but year 2011 we stayed in not just one but two property! And I have to say I understand why people keep going back year after year!

June: Summer fun in Seattle & Vancouver

Our big summer trip this year was a two weeks trip to Seattle and Vancouver. It was a business/family trip combo. I attended TBEX 2011, the Travel bloggers conference, in Vancouver and we also enjoyed family vacation in Seattle.

July: Family Reunion in the Ozark & Side trip to St. Louis

Our first family reunion was planned at the YMCA of the Ozark. It was wonderful for kids to meet and play with their cousins. We also took a little detour to visit St. Louis, MO. A fun day but not nearly enough to discover this gem in the Midwest.

August: Back to School

Summer time flew by when you had so much fun. Before we knew it, the kids were back in school. Yes, here in Atlanta we go back to school in August!

September: Myrtle Beach on Labor Day

Now, that kids are in school, we have to work around school holidays and take advantage of every holidays we can get. So we planned a short break during Labor Day weekend to visit Myrtle Beach. What a fun place for the whole family! We found that Myrtle Beach is not just a place for fun time at the beach or various family entertainments like MagiQuest but we could also enjoy nature like Kayak tour.

October: Fall Family Camping

In October, we had our first fall family camping trip with a group of our friends at Redtop Mountain Park. It was beautiful even though a bit too cold for this tropical girl. Kids, on the other hand, had no problem with the cold temperature at night when they had the whole park to explore. The water in the lake was too cold for anyone of us to dare going in. But we knew it will be a great place to camp again in the summer.

November: Legoland Florida

During the Thanksgiving break, we went to visit the recently opened Legoland Florida. Mr. Z was beyond happy to be able to ride in EVERY SINGLE ride at his height. Miss J loved being a big kid who could take her little brother on the ride without us. Ah!! A theme park where kids rule!

December: Ski & Snow at Keystone Ski Resort

Our last but certainly not least family trip of the year was one of the memorable one for our whole family. It was their first time on ski and my first time learning to ski. One word, AMAZING trip! We certainly enjoyed our whole experience during our trip to Denver & Keystone. This will certainly be a place we would love to revisit again in the future.

Wow! I didn’t realize how much we have traveled this past year until I started this post. It certainly has been a blessing for us to be able to continue our love of travel and adventures. We are thankful for the opportunities we have been given and hope we will continue to be able to travel as a family in 2012. Here to more travel in 2012!

Filed Under: Camping, Canada, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ski, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vancouver, Walt Disney World, Washington Tagged With: family travel, Family Vacation, Vancouver

The VW Canuck in Vancouver

October 5, 2011 By Mr. Rojo 3 Comments

Hello. Mr. Rojo here. I don’t usually do the writing but I thought I would pick this one up because of the sports twist to it and that a new NHL Hockey season is upon us. We were fortunate that we took a trip last year to Vancouver during the Stanley Cup finals and experienced the passion of the city first hand. Yes.. I know that that image got tarnished after the completion of the Stanley Cup finals. So I thought to help bring back a good memory of that period of time with some shots we took.

While walking the Vancouver city streets one day, we ran into this curious looking VW Beetle parked on one of the streets intersecting Robson St. From far away it looked like a piece of junk with more junk glued to it. After closer inspection, we found it was an interesting tribute to Canada with a Vancouver Canuck hockey team twist to it.

Miss J and Mr Z were fascinated by all the little items glued to the vehicle. All they wanted to do was to look at all the little toys and pluck a few off. For the record, we made sure that they didn’t do any of the plucking.

Here is a closeup of the right rear section of the car. This is just a small sampling of all the items on the car. I tried looking up the total of items on the car but couldn’t find the number. I wasn’t going to count every piece on the car. I am a bit OC but that bad.

Here’s an item on the car that embodied the Stanly Cup Finals. The good old Canadian Mountie wearing the Vancouver Canucks jersey.

I guess this is what embodies the Canadian spirit but as hard as I tried to find, I only heard one person say the word “Eh” in a sentence. I suppose it’s an urban legend of some sorts eh…

Filed Under: Canada, Vancouver Tagged With: blogsherpa, Canada, family travel, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Picture of Vancouver, Travel with Kids, Unique volkswagen, Vancouver, Vancouver Canuck, Vancouver with Kids, Volkswagen picture, VW Canuck

Jump Shots From Our Travel

September 2, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 10 Comments

During the trip to Seattle, Miss J had finally embraced the jump shot that is popular among Asian or even my travel blogger friend, Kristin at Camels & Chocolate. I have never been able to learn how to capture the jump perfectly. But after a few (ok.. several) trial and error, we finally got a few shots worth sharing.

During our visit to Vancouver, we took an evening leisure break at Stanley Park. We have a perfect backdrop for the jump shot!

A jump shot during our Seattle Photo Walking tour with Shutter Tours at the Post Alley.

A group jump shot in Seattle China Town on a beautiful day. I love that I was able to capture while all of them were in the air!

A shot at the Seattle Waterfront with Seattle Aquarium as a background. I love the look on Mr. Z’s face. I think he imagines he is one of the super hero or Kung Fu fighter.

Check out other travelers’ photo at Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday.

Filed Under: Canada, Vancouver, Washington Tagged With: family travel, Family Vacation, Jump Shots, Jumping, seattle, Vancouver

Vancouver With Kids: Flavor Overload @ La Casa Gelato

August 24, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 3 Comments

Gelato, ice cream and frozen yogurt; these are our secret weapon to garner good behavior from our kids. During our Vancouver trip, I didn’t spend much time with Mr. Rojo and the kids because I was in Travel Blogger conference – TBEX. So we decided to give them a treat of the gigantic propotion after a long day with daddy that didn’t result in a bloodbath from either side.

We headed to the ultimate gelato wonderland, La Casa Gelato, where they would be able to choose from varieties of gelato goodness. La Casa Gelato is a local favorite and tourist attractions within itself. Judging from the pictures lining the wall of several famous people like Martha Stewart. With over 218 flavors available daily and more than 508 flavors, picking one will be a huge challenge.

We got there pretty late but it seemed this is the place to be on the Saturday night. The place was packed and loud with techno music to get the fun atmosphere going. They just need a disco light and it would be a party. There is no seating inside the store but across the street there is a little garden with outdoor seating available.

It can be overwhelming walking in and trying to figure out what you will have. The gelato selections are made from ingredients around the world from Wasabi, Akbar Mashti to Hazelnut Chocolate. But don’t worry you don’t have to make a commitment as soon as you walk in. You can try out any flavor you like and once you decide you can go to the cashier to purchase a token to get your ice cream.

Our first taste was based solely from our curiosity. Balsamic Vinegar gelato!! Seriously? Who would buy them? But we had to try it.

You can tell from Miss J’s face that it wasn’t something for our taste bud. However, surprisingly the employee told us that there are quite a few people who love them because otherwise they would never put it up.

We slowly made our way around the shop. (not that we tried every single flavor. That would be CRAZY!) I found the Asian section where Lychee, Durian and Mango were on display. I knew I had to try Durian to see how authentic the taste was. And I was pretty impressed with the taste because I felt like I was really eating a Durian fruit.

After a while, we each settled on our own favorite. A few notable options for me are Death by Mango, Durian, Papaya Rasberry Sorbeto, and Peanut Buttercup.

So if you are in Vancouver and look for a place to enjoy gelato experience, La Casa Gelato is definitely worth a visit.

Have you been to La Casa Gelato? What’s your favorite flavor?

Check out other travelers’ food posts from Wander Food Wednesday.

Filed Under: Canada, Food Around the World, Vancouver Tagged With: blogsherpa, Canada, Canada with kids, family travel, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Food with kids, La Casa Gelato Vancouver, Things to do with kids, Travel with Kids, Vancouver, Vancouver with Kids

Vancouver With Kids: Adventurous Family Fun @ Capilano Suspension Bridge

August 22, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 4 Comments

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is not only an attraction for thrill seeker who wants to challenge their fear of height but also a great place to visit for families as well. With various options for things to do with kids in Vancouver, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is a one must-visit for any families even if you have only a few days in Vancouver.

The Easy Transportation from Downtown Vancouver

For us, during our trip to Vancouver we decided to go against the recommendation of many friends to drive from Seattle. We instead took the Amtrak Cascades train to Vancouver. So during the whole time while we were in Vancouver, we explored the city on foot, bike, skytrain and bus. The location of the Capilano Suspension Bridge is actually outside downtown area. BUT, with free shuttle service from several stops at downtown hotels, the visit there was just a quick 15 minutes ride.

We waited for the shuttle bus at one of the stop near downtown area and soon we were on our way to the suspension bridge.

Learned about History & Development at Story Center

Once we got our tickets and our hands stamped, we picked up the map and checked out the Story Center where we learned about history of the bridge via life size photo books, artifacts and antiques. I would love to spend more time reading and learning about the stories of the early adventurers but the kids were getting impatient to get their feet on the bridge.

Breathtaking Walk on The Capilano Suspension Bridge

To say walking on the Capilano Suspension Bridge is a piece of cake will be lying. It was scary at my first step to the suspension bridge. However, the way the bridge is built made me feel much more confidence in every step we took along the way.

The bridge has secured steel anchored and also safety net along on both sides. The kids soon felt better to even manage to smile of their accomplishment at the other side of the bridge. And the view above the Capilano river was breathtaking.

Entering Family Favorite at the Rainforest and Treetops Adventure

Yes, walking on the suspension bridge is the main attraction here at Capilano but for me my most favorite part of the whole place is the Rainforest and Treetops Adventure on the other side of the cliff.

Once we crossed the bridge, we entered into the Rainforest zone where you can explore the park on the walking trail or join the complimentary Eco guided tour. For us, we opted to take the high road literally by going up on the Treetops Adventure.

Fun for Kids at Treetops Adventure

The Treetop Adventures is by far MY favorite part in this park. The thought and the work that they put in to make the whole experience fun not just for adults but for the whole family is huge. If you just want to walk around the elevate suspension bridge from one tree to another, it is already fun adventure. But for families, it will be even more exciting for kids to grab a scavenger hunt activities sheet to become a Rainforest Explorer.

The Rainforest Explorer activity sheet at the Treetop Adventures is a great way to not only get kids engaged in the walk along the whole path but also learn more about nature in the Rainforest.

Each kid will get a clipboard with map & clue for stations around Treetops Adventure.

Each station will feature little fact about the nature that kids can learn and question for them to answer from the information they gather at the station.

With the amount of walking that in our typical day would definitely last only a quarter of the distance the kids were so eager to learn and collect all the stamps from each location that we walked the whole trail without whining! This was definitely the first in our walking adventure history.

After earning their badge of the Rainforest Explorer, we took a little break at Dr. Wood’s Cabin for snack and drink while kids enjoyed checking out interactive display about Rainforest and Capilano Suspension Bridge. I’m telling you.. This place is full of educational and hand-on activities for kids.

More Adventure Fun at the Cliffwalk

To add more to the adventures fun inside the park is the brand new thrill seeking walk at the Cliffwalk. This cliffside journey is not for the faint of heart as we walked on the series of suspended walkway along the granite cliff above the Capilano river and through the unexplored rainforest part of the park.

The walkway is narrow and has steps along the way and some sections even have only glass to separate us from below. Surprisingly, the kids had no fear of heights. They enjoyed the walk without any fuss. Then it was time to head back downtown.

Our fun day at the Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of the most memorable moment for me in Vancouver. Many times popular attractions fall short on their hype and promise but the Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of a few that exceed my expectation. Yes, I expected a fun adventure day walking on swaying suspension bridge 450 feet above the river. But I didn’t expect to enjoy the walk along the nature path in the rainforest and learning so much about our eco system.

This is definitely one of a must-visit family attraction in Vancouver.

Family Tips:

Wear layer clothing as weather in Vancouver can change in a moment notice. They also provide biodegradable poncho!
A good pair of walking shoes will go a long way and make walking around more enjoyable.
Arrive early for a cool morning walk will ensure a less complaint from kiddos.
Grab the park map and go on a hunt for the stamp around the park will keep kids engaged and interested.

Disclosure: Thank you the Capilano Suspension Bridge for providing us with complimentary tickets. But we would have gone there even if we have to pay full price. This post is based solely on my experience and opinion!

Vancouver Vacations

Filed Under: Attractions/Museums, Canada, Vancouver Tagged With: blogsherpa, Canada, Canada with kids, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Capilano Suspension Bridge Vancouver, Family Adventure, family travel, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Things to do with kids, Travel with Kids, Vancouver, Vancouver with Kids

Photo Friday: The Love of Train Travel

August 19, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 14 Comments

Typically, I share more than just a photo during Photo Friday but today I just want to share the look on Mr. Z’s face of how happy and excited he was to be able to take the Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Vancouver. It was one of the highlight on his experience during our Seattle trip.

Check out other travelers’ photos at Delicious Baby – Photo Friday.

Filed Under: Canada, Vancouver, Washington Tagged With: seattle, Vancouver

Vancouver With Kids: Food Truck Adventure @ Japadog Hot Dog Stand

August 17, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 7 Comments

As much as I want to say my kids are adventurous eaters who can devour new types of food from around the world, I accept the fact that they are not always willing to try new thing most of the time. I just have to slowly introduce new cuisine to them whether we are at home or on the road.

One of the easiest way to introduce new food is to find food that similar to their comfort food at home. And with that I shamelessly admit that they do love their hot dog. So when I heard, read and see about Japadog, a famous food truck in Vancouver that blend Japanese flavor to American favorite food, I know this is a must-try on our Vancouver trip.

The Japadog is a food truck so that means there is no table to sit, no servers and no restroom. But that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy our street food experience. With their population, Japadog operates in several locations where each location has their own special dog.

Fortunately, we stay at the hotel where it is just a block away from the Japadog at Burrard & Smithe Street corner. The selection is plentiful with topping from Japanese style of Edamame or my favorite, Oroshi with grated raddish & soy sauce to Terimayo series which you can choose from different type of hot dog type topped with mayo & dried seaweed.

And for kids who are not so sure about weird looking topping, you can order a normal hot dog for them. Another great option will be Yakisoba hot dog, a hot dog with yakisoba noodle topping. As for Mr. Rojo and me, we love the Oroshi. The grated radish is a great topping to counter the saltiness from hot dog. The popular Terimayo series hot dog is a little too salty for my taste but we tried it anyway. Who can resist Kobe beef hot dog!

For more Vancouver food truck experience, check out Albany With Kids post about her Vancouver Food. Also check out other food stories from Wander Food Wednesday.

Filed Under: Canada, Food Around the World, Vancouver Tagged With: blogsherpa, Canada, Canada with kids, Family Adventure, family travel, Family Trip, Family Vacation, Food Around the World, Food Trucks in Seattle, Japadog Vancouver, Travel with Kids, Vancouver, Vancouver with Kids

Top 5 Family Friendly Things to Do in Vancouver with Kids

August 12, 2011 By Amy @ The Q Family 12 Comments

There are not many cities that leave a huge impression on our family. Yes, we mostly enjoy visiting different cities and attractions but at the end of the days we were happy to be home. But Vancouver is one of the city that we wouldn’t mind packing our bag and trek across the continent to move there.

There are many great fun things to do with kids in Vancouver and the best part most of them are free or fairly affordable. With our short visit, here are the fun things we have on our to-do list. Stay tuned for our review of each visit!

Top 5 Family Friendly Things to Do in Vancouver with Kids

1. Bike in Stanley Park

I love to the idea of doing things that will help kids experience the city in a different way. Instead of just walking around Stanley Park, we are looking forward to renting our bikes from Spokes and enjoying biking along the seawall to experience Stanley Park from the wheels.

2. Visit Vancouver Aquarium

With the location inside Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium is a perfect choice after a couple hours of exploring Stanley Park. Yes, we do visit many aquariums around the country but this will be our first visit to the Canadian aquarium. I am curious to see what kind of experience we will have.

3. Visit Vancouver Science World

The Vancouver Science World is under renovation so there are many exhibits that are currently closed. But it also means that the discount admission is a great chance for us to check it out. I love to bring our kids to visit Science Museum in general because there are many hand-on and interactive exhibits for kids to enjoy for hours.

4. Grandville Island Kids Market

We are also looking forward to riding the Aquabus, a mini ferry across the bay, to Grandville Island. The Grandville Island Kids Market looks like a great place for families to spend a couple hours (or more) there enjoying shopping, playing and exploring in the market.

5. Capilano Suspension Bridge

A must-visit place in Vancouver even if you are not the dare devil type! The Capilano Suspension Bridge is much more than just a suspension bridge, there are also Treetops Adventure where kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt, Cliffwalk where you can face your fear of height on this suspended walkway.

What other family fun would you recommend for family visiting Vancouver?