Visit Vancouver: Burnaby Village Museum

Since we had nothing on our itinerary for our time in Vancouver, my husband suggested we go to Burnaby Village Museum.

After catching the SkyTrain and Bus to get there, we saw a very, very long line of people at the entrance.  It turns out that most of them were waiting in line to purchase carousel tickets (there is no charge to enter the museum).

Because we were visiting during Spring Break, the museum was offering an Adventure Guide for $6, which consisted of a fun booklet for the kids to complete as they visited various areas around the museum, a ride on the carousel, and a chance to earn cool prizes, so we decided to purchase one for each of the kids.

The Burnaby Village Museum is home to historic buildings and homes from the 1920s. Visitors can go to the theater to watch a silent black and white movie, visit a bakery or barber shop, cash a pretend check at a bank, shop at the general store, and even pick up mail!

It was neat to see the types of furniture, clothing, and other types of products used back then.

Wood-burning stove

The Home Bakery

Seaforth School

Japanese Ofuro

Bell's Dry Goods

Cast members throughout the museum acted as teachers, store clerks, shop owners, and more. The kids had fun interacting with them, especially when it involved tasks (like getting money from the bank and finding the general store to buy something).

Royal Bank

The kids cashed a check at the bank for $1

They exchanged the dollar for a prize at the General Store

General Store

There was also a play room on site, as well as an activity room.

At the end of our visit, all of the kids went to ride on the carousel.

Carousel

It was a fun and educational morning at the Burnaby Village Museum!

Burnaby Village Museum
6501 Deer Lake Ave

Burnaby, BC V5G 3T6, Canada
1 604-297-4565

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Visit British Columbia: Top 10 Reasons Why the Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre is a Great Hotel

 Our stay at the Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre was great, and here are the top 10 reasons why:

1. Service - It doesn't matter how beautiful a hotel is - if the service is not good, a stay could be ruined.  Thankfully we experienced great service during our entire stay.
2. Family-friendly - Kid packs, free cookies & milk vouchers, and even free meals for kids 6 and under make Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre a very family-friendly hotel.
3. Luggage storage - Having flown in on a red-eye, it was important that we found a hotel that could store our luggage until it was time to check-in.
4. Location - Located 20-25 minutes away from Vancouver International Airport, Stanley Park, Downtown Vancouver, and other popular tourist spots, and close to numerous restaurants, playgrounds, and stores, the location was ideal for us.
5. Free parking - There is plenty of free parking - we never had an issue finding parking during our stay.
6. Beautiful, spacious rooms - The rooms were very nice, and I loved the color scheme!
7. Great dining options - e.b.o. Restaurant & Lounge is on-site (you can read my review here), and several other dining options are within walking or driving distance.
8. Mini-fridge - All rooms come with a mini-fridge, which comes in very handy for bottled water or leftovers. 
9. Complimentary wired and wireless internet - This came in very handy for all of the work I had to do while on my trip.
10. Sanctuary Beds - Their Sanctuary Beds were extremely comfortable.

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Visit Vancouver: e.b.o. Restaurant and Lounge

In the Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre is a beautiful restaurant - the e.b.o. Restaurant & Lounge, where our family had breakfast twice during our stay at the Delta Burnaby.

At first glimpse the restaurant looks as if it's a place I'd have a date night with my husband, or a night out with friends - it looks too "fancy" - with gorgeous lighting and furnishings - to be somewhere to take the family for breakfast.

But e.b.o. welcomes all - couples, families, business workers - anyone looking for great service and great food.

What I love about Delta Hotels is that children 6 years and younger eat free at their onsite restaurants, in this case e.b.o., and the children's menu (for kids 12-7) offers very inexpensive meal options.

Kids Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon

Kids Eggs with Bacon and Crispy Breakfast Potatoes

Scrambled Egg

Rosy's Spicy Chorizo Scramble

Sourdough Toast

3 Egg Omelet with Smoked Bacon, Wild Mushrooms, and Boursin Cheese

Although one of my kids was given a Poached Egg instead of the Scrambled Egg we ordered, and the restaurant had run out of White Bread for Toast, we had a great server, and she was very quick to remedy any issues.

Also, we were pleasantly surprised to get a small shot of a fruit smoothie along with our meal.

The food was great and the prices were very reasonable (breakfast plates come with toast and potatoes!).

The second day we ordered almost all of the same items, and although the food looked different from our first visit (e.g. powdered sugar on the pancakes; no smoothie shot), and I was given the wrong kind of toast (Whole Grain vs White - I didn't mind and ate the Whole Grain anyway), the food was still delicious and the service was still excellent.

Kids Plain Pancakes with Bacon

Kids Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon

3 Egg Omelet with Smoked Bacon, Red Onion, and Boursin Cheese

e.b.o. Smoked Salmon Omelet

Whole Grain Toast

I wish I could've had a chance to try lunch or dinner at e.b.o. - I guess I'll have to wait until the next time I visit the area.

And if breakfast is any indication of how lunch or dinner is, I know it will be excellent.

e.b.o Restaurant & Lounge
4331 Dominion St
Burnaby, BC V5G 1C7, Canada
604-453-0788

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Visit Vancouver: Cactus Club Cafe

One of the chains I'd frequently see throughout Vancouver is Cactus Club Cafe, and we had dinner there on our first night in Vancouver.

Panko-breaded Chicken Tenders

Crispy Yam Fries with Garlic Aioli

Pesto Chicken Quesadilla

Mini Burgers  - topped with Cheddar, Alder Smoked Bacon, Red Pepper Relish

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar

Unfortunately Cactus Club Cafe does not have a kids menu, but they do suggest menu items for the kids, such as the Mini Burgers and Chicken Tenders, which were two of the items we ordered for our family to share.

I had the quesadilla, which I thought was quite good.  The combination of pesto, chicken, and sundried cranberries was an interesting combination.

The Yam Fries were really yummy, and my favorite part of any meal - dessert - was AMAZING!

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bar was delicious and decadent.

Although they don't have a kids menu, they do, however, give kids coloring sheets and crayons.  I think it's still a family-friendly restaurant, and the service was really good.  I'd gladly take my family back (and I'd be more than happy to go just for the dessert!).

Cactus Club Cafe
4219 Lougheed Hwy
Burnaby, BC V5C 3Y6, Canada
604-291-6606

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Visit Vancouver: Pinkberry

Even though Oahu has a Pinkberry at the Honolulu International Airport, it wasn't until I was at the Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby, Canada that I tried Pinkberry.

Unlike many other froyo shops, Pinkberry charges by the size, not by the ounce, but just as most other froyo shops, there are many yummy toppings to choose from, such as chocolate chips, fruits, candies, and - exclusively at Pinkberry, Sugarpova mini gummies.

Toppings

More toppings

Even more toppings!

All of my kids got Chocolate Hazelnut and added 3 toppings each.

Chocolate Hazelnut with Gummy Worms, Smitten Sour Mini, and Sugarpova Flirty Sour Mini

Chocolate Hazelnut with Chocolate Chips, Gummy Worms, and Strawberries

Chocolate Hazelnut with Smitten Sour Mini, Sugarpova Flirty Minis, and Mini Milk Chocolate Gems 

The frozen yogurt was really good, and although for our family Pinkberry is pricier than when we go to other shops that charge by the ounce (my kids eat less than what is in Pinkberry's small), I'm glad we finally got to try Pinkberry!

Pinkberry
4700 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC V5H 4M
Canada
(604) 569-1300

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Visit Vancouver: Central Park Playground in Burnaby

Just 20 minutes outside of Vancouver is the city of Burnaby, which is home to Central Park.

It is a HUGE park (90 hectares) with tennis courts, lawn bowling, trails, a pitch & putt golf course, and so much more, including a fantastic playground.

The playground had slides, swing, a splash pad, sandbox, and so many other interactive stations where kids could climb, spin, and even make music.

It was such a cool playground and my kids had a blast there!

Central Park Playground
3883 Imperial St
Burnaby, BC V5J 1A3, Canada
604-294-7450

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Visit Vancouver: White Spot

White Spot, a popular chain throughout British Columbia that has been serving guests since 1928, was one of our breakfast stops while in Vancouver.

The Spot's Omelette: Crispy Bacon, Back Bacon, Sautéed Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Green Onions, Tomatotes, Cheddar,  Mozzarella & Jack Cheeses, served with Smashbrowns

Nat's Hearty Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Smashbrown Potatoes, Pancakes

Pirate Pak Menu and Activity Booklet

The Hook: One egg, bacon & two pancakes

The food was really good. I had The Spot's Omelette, which was stuffed with meats, cheeses, and veggies. The Smashbrowns were good as well.

Everyone else in my family enjoyed their hearty breakfasts.

Unfortunately, the service was not that great. We waited a very long time to be greeted and seated (as did a party of two right before us) despite many empty tables, and our server, although friendly, did not provide very good service. He not only kept forgetting to give us things we asked for, but he seemed to have simply forgotten about us completely. Once we received our food, he checked on us once, and that was it. He never refilled our waters or came to see if we needed anything else, whereas he did for other tables. We instead had to flag down other servers when we needed more water or even to get our check. 

The other servers, however, were always quick to get us what we needed, and they were very friendly.

Because the food was really good and the prices were pretty reasonable, I would still try them again, and hopefully the next time the service will be much better.

White Spot
4129 Lougheed Hwy
Burnaby, BC V5C 3Y6, Canada
604-299-4423

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