Visit Canada: Vancouver Aquarium

When I asked my friends for recommendations for family friendly things to do in Vancouver, nearly everyone responded the Vancouver Aquarium was a must see.  Opened to the public on June 15, 1956, the Vancouver Aquarium has become the largest aquarium in Canada and one of the five largest in North America.

You could easily spend all day perusing the many exhibits and galleries featuring over 50,000 aquatic creatures from across the world.  One of our favorites was the Discover Rays touch pool where we enjoyed a hands-on encounter.  Not only was it thrilling to watch these gentle fishes up close, but it was so amazing to be able to feel their bodies as they swim by.  



The new 50,000L Discover Rays touch pool is home to both cownose and southern stingrays. 



Cade loved getting close to the stingrays.



The largest of the galleries is the Wild Coast, home to Helen, a rescued Pacific white-sided dolphin, Chester, a rescued false killer whale, rescued sea otters, Daisy, a rescued harbour porpoise, rescued harbour seals, sea lions and much more.  It also houses a tide pool, several touch pools, and the underwater viewing area for the dolphin habitat.  We enjoyed spending time watching the sea lions play and eat.  Beginning July 1, an exciting new exhibit will spotlight the Steller sea lions at Steller's Bay and feature an active research station.  



Feeding time for the sea lion.



Swimming and playing.



The Vancouver Aquarium also hosts fun and educational shows and programs daily.  From caring for dolphins to some sea turtle talk, definitely take advantage of the shows that feature the aquarium's animals.  For a very unique and full sensory experience, do not miss the 4-D Theatre.  The 4-D experience combines sight and sounds with smell and touch.  It certainly caused me to jump in my seat a few times, but it was very fun.  

We all loved the 4-D Theatre!

Lauren and Cade deciding whether the caiman is real or not.

Cade loved the jellyfish exhibits.

My family spent hours at the Vancouver Aquarium!  The sea life here is fascinating and definitely made our visit a highlight of our Vancouver trip.  You can visit the Vancouver Aquarium 365 days a year from 9:30am to 6pm.    

Thank you so much to the Vancouver Aquarium for hosting our visit.  All opinions are entirely my own. 

Read More

Visit Vancouver: Sea to Sky Gondola

Last month the Sea to Sky Gondola opened in Squamish, and our family drove the magnificent Sea to Sky Highway for about an hour to make a visit to this new attraction.

Sea to Sky Gondola

Highlights of Our Hosted Visit
Our family was very eager to experience the 10-minute gondola ride to approximately 885 meters above sea level.

The gondola can fit up to 8 people

Although it was a very cloudy day, we did have some nice views of Howe Sound Fjord as we made our ascent.

Howe Sound Fjord

My younger two kids did hold on to us tightly, as they were a little scared of how high we were going up, but once we arrived at the summit we were all eager to explore.

Even though it was such a cloudy day, there was something magical about being in the midst of all the clouds.

Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge and Summit Lodge Viewing Deck

We were all anxious to cross the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, which is 110m long and 65m high.

The bridge was just a bit wobbly, but it gave us such beautiful views of the surrounding area.

Once on the other side we took in the views from the Spirit Viewing Platform, and then decided to walk the Panorama Trail.

The 1.6 km long trail was nicely-paved and quite easy for our entire family to walk.

Nicely-paved trail

Along our walk we had beautiful views of the mountains, forest, and Olesen Falls. We also learned a lot about the insects, trees, birds, and animals in the area.

Olesen Falls

About halfway through the walk we reached the Chief Overlook Viewing Platform.

Chief Overlook Viewing Platform

Stepping onto this cantilevered viewing platform was both exhilarating and a bit terrifying.

My kids were fearless!

Although our view mostly consisted of clouds, it was still breathtaking!

Adventure-seekers can also opt to hike other more difficult trails in the backcountry, go rock-climbing, and more!

The descent on the gondola was just as thrilling and beautiful as the ascent.

Both the ascent and descent provided great views

Once we arrived on the bottom my kids spent some time at the playground onsite.

Playground

Dining
On site is the Summit Restaurant and Edge Bar, The Summit Tea House, and The Basecamp Cafe.  Click here for more information.

Our Experience Visiting as a Special-Needs Family
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

Although my son has gone on a gondola ride before, we made sure to try and explain the best we could exactly what he'd expect at Sea to Sky Gondola (if your child loves smartphones as much as my son does, you can download the free iPhone Sea to Sky Gondola app so your child can familiarize him/herself with the attraction).

Once we arrived at Sea to Sky Gondola he was very eager to get on the gondola, and as we made our ascent he was very ecstatic and even took some pictures.

Since my son loves bridges and going on walks, at the summit he had no issues crossing the suspension bridge, checking out the viewing platforms, or walking the trail.  He enjoyed himself immensely, and he did a great job keeping close to the group and not wandering off.

If rest or snack breaks were needed, there were several places to sit in or near the restaurant, and there were also several benches along the trail.

Although it was very cloudy, we luckily did not experience any rain (my son has sensitivity issues with rain), but we were prepared with our jackets and hoods, and we would have retreated into the restaurant area for shelter if necessary.

My son absolutely loved the Sea to Sky Gondola.  When we ask him what his favorite part of our trip to Vancouver was, he'll always say "the gondola ride."

Final Thoughts
The Sea to Sky Gondola ride and everything we did at the summit was the highlight of my trip to British Columbia.

Although clouds and fog hindered most of our views, it was still awe-inspiring to be amongst the clouds, and it was memorable to go on such exciting adventures so high up in the mountain.

I hope I get to go back one day, and perhaps the next time the sky will be clear!

Sea to Sky Gondola
Sea-to-Sky Hwy
Squamish, BC V0N, Canada
604-892-2551

Click here for tickets; click here for hours; free parking.

Thank you to Sea to Sky Gondola for hosting our visit. 

Read More

Visit Vancouver: Vancouver Aquarium

My kids love to visit aquariums, so we knew a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, Canada's largest aquarium with over 50,000 animals, was a must during our trip to British Columbia.

Highlights of Our Hosted Visit
We saw so many interesting and amazing animals at the Vancouver Aquarium - frogs, birds, snakes, and of course, many, many fishes.

Poison Dart Frogs

Hyacinth Macaws

Anaconda

The kids loved watching the fish swim by

By far our family's favorite exhibits were those of the jellies.

Jellies

There were jellies big and small, and watching these graceful creatures swim in the water was just entrancing.

The Vancouver Aquarium showcased so many different types of beautiful animals, and other favorites included the Strawberry Anemone (my middle son thought they looked so neat), the African Penguins, the Beluga Whale, and of course, the Clownfish (aka "Nemo" to my kids).

Strawberry Anemone

African Penguins

Beluga Whale

Clownfish

The volunteers at the Vancouver Aquarium were very friendly and helpful, encouraging my kids to interact with props (e.g. trying on a turtle shell; feeling the fur of a sea otter), and providing us with information about different animals (e.g. the differences between dolphins and porpoises).

Trying on a sea turtle's shell

Feeling the fur of a sea otter

Throughout the aquarium there were also numerous kid-friendly areas and activities, such as Clownfish Cove (it was in the process of being moved on our visit), as well as areas for crafts, story time, a puppet show, and more.

Dining
Onsite is the Upstream Cafe, which serves burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and more.

Our Experience Visiting as a Special-Needs Family
My oldest son has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and although I know kids on the spectrum all behave and react differently in various environments, I always try to share our personal experience when visiting attractions.

On the Vancouver Aquarium's website, a Photographic Preview (social story) is available for downloading and printing. I think this is a fantastic resource, as it gives children an idea of what to expect on their visit. Social stories often help my son whenever going to new places, and I love that the aquarium has the photographic preview readily available so I could simply print it out.

We went to the aquarium on a Saturday just after it opened, and there was already a huge crowd. Fortunately my son did not get overwhelmed with the number of people at the aquarium, but if your child does not do well in crowds, the aquarium advises that the quietest times to visit are on weekdays or prior to 12pm or after 2pm during winter, and prior to 11am or after 4pm during the summer.

Although my son can sit through shows fairly well, on this day he was adamant about not watching any shows, so we did not want to force him.  However, he was quite eager to walk around the aquarium and explore.

Fortunately he enjoyed viewing the various exhibits, and his favorite part of the day was trying on a turtle shell.

If we needed to take any breaks, there was plenty of seating throughout the aquarium.

For those on a GFCF diet or who have other food allergies, the cafe's allergy list is available online.

Final Thoughts
Our family had a wonderful time seeing so many different types of animals at the Vancouver Aquarium.

I loved that there was a nice variety of exhibits and activities to keep everyone engaged, and we learned a lot from our visit.

The Vancouver Aquarium is great place for families to spend a few hours or even the entire day.

I can't wait to go back again one day and see the new expansion.

Vancouver Aquarium
845 Avison Way
Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2, Canada
604-659-3474

For admission prices click here; for hours click here

Thank you to the Vancouver Aquarium for hosting our visit.

Read More