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. 

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Top 10: Things to Know Before Visiting British Columbia

My husband and I have visited British Columbia, Canada several times before having kids. However, prior to our first trip to BC with the kids, we had new concerns to take into consideration - car seats, family-friendly restaurants, transportation, etc.

In addition to those types of concerns, we had to inform ourselves with knowledge that we didn't need a decade or more ago. For instance, data roaming fees are something we never had to bother with 10 years ago, but now, Wi-Fi and international roaming is essential (I can't believe we used to travel without smartphones and Google maps!).

With that in mind, here are my Top 10 things to know for families (from the US) visiting British Columbia for the first time (please be sure to confirm with appropriate resources on specific information, as changes may have occurred since this post).

1. Passports: Your passport must be valid during your visit (less than 180 days). Children under 16 can present proof of U.S. citizenship (e.g. a birth certificate), however, we have passports for all of our kids. 
2. Car seats: Whenever I travel to new cities, one of the first things I research is child restraint laws, since laws differ in each state. In Canada, the law differs by province/territory. In British Columbia, you can find the child restraint law here. Although it is illegal to purchase US car seats for use in Canada, I confirmed with the BCAA that foreign visitors are exempt from this law, so you are free to bring in your US car/booster seat if you're just visiting British Columbia. 
3. Transportation: A US Driver's License is valid if you rent a car.  However, if you're traveling to Vancouver, consider taking the SkyTrain.  No need to drive in the crazy Vancouver traffic, no need to pay sky-high prices for parking, and no need to lug (or rent!) car or booster seats.
4. Currency / Credit Cards: We rarely carry Canadian dollars when in Canada, since just about every where we go our credit cards are accepted.  If we do carry cash (for things like housekeeping tip), we get it from an ATM in Canada (I use a surcharge-free ATM card).  .
5. Taxes: Be prepared to pay a Provincial Sales Tax (7%) and Goods and Services Tax (5%) at most places in British Columbia. 
6. Dining: Tipping is similar to the US, and restaurant servers will bring a card reader to your table if you are at a sit-down restaurant if you choose to pay via credit card.  This prevents the server from walking away with your card.
7. Wi-Fi: I often times found cellular coverage spotty.  Fortunately, Wi-Fi was readily available at numerous hotels, restaurants, and at the airport.  You can also sign up for TELUS Wi-Fi to access public hotspots. 
8. Playgrounds / playspaces: British Columbia has some of the best playgrounds we've ever taken the kids to, and several restaurants offer playspaces for kids.
9. Washrooms: I found that family washrooms were quite common (although disposable toilet seat covers are not!).  
10. Voltage: No adapters necessary if you're traveling from the US to British Columbia.  

Sea to Sky Gondola

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Visiting British Columbia on the Cusp of Spring

Earlier this year, we traveled with friends to both Vancouver and Whistler for a ski vacation on the cusp of spring.

With suitcases stuffed with winter clothing and ski gear to prepare us for the frigid temps and snow play, we made our way to Vancouver via Air Canada Rouge. A late-night arrival at the lovely Pacific Gateway Hotel at Vancouver Airport and an early wake-up time left us less refreshed than we had hoped for, but luckily, we hired Perimeter Transportation for the two-hour drive to Whistler.

All we had to do was sit back and relax in the air-conditioned, comfortable van, while our driver navigated us safely to Whistler.  Some of us slept, while others snapped photos along the beautiful Sea-to-Sky Highway.

People have told us that going to Whistler in Mid-March is a gamble - some years the mountains are already visible in March; other years the mountains are still packed with snow.

We lucked out. The past ski season at Whistler was a big one - extending into May, and even being dubbed "snowmageddon" by some.

The Crystal Lodge and Suites was our home-away-from-home for a few days. Its central location in the heart of Whistler Village provided easy access to restaurants, shops, and of course, all of the winter fun. My kids and I took ski lessons (which I highly recommend if you've never skied before), and although there were more falls than successful glides down the tiniest slope ever, it was still a lot of fun.

If you have no interest in skiing, you need not worry, as there is still plenty to do in Whistler -
tubing, sledding, and tree-trekking, to name a few.

Our time in Whistler flew by as quickly as the skiers on the black diamond runs, and we soon found ourselves back in Vancouver (thanks, once gain, to Perimeter Transportation).

We stayed at the beautiful Fairmont Vancouver Airport, which allowed for easy access to the SkyTrain.

Using the SkyTrain means no need to rent a car, no driving in traffic, no searching for parking, no paying expensive parking fees. The last time we were in Vancouver we rented a car and had to deal with all of the traffic, the parking, and the fees.

Now we know better.

We took the SkyTrain to several vicinities to partake in my favorite vacation activities - dining and shopping!

We truly ate in vacation mode - donuts, ice cream, pannekoeken, and of course - French fries in gravy (my love for French fries + gravy originated in Victoria, B.C.!).

One of the things I love about dining in Canada is that servers bring the "machine" - portable credit card machines, to your table. This lessens the possibility of fraud or theft, as you swipe your credit card yourself instead of having the server walk away with your credit card.

As for shopping - I searched for popular Canada treats - Ketchup potato chips, Coffee Crisp, and Aero chocolate.

If you're a parent of a kid from the United States who watched those Kinder Surprise Egg reveal videos on YouTube, you'll be happy to know that you can buy them in Canada. We made sure the kids opened and ate the eggs while we were still in Canada, as the treats are illegal in the US (Google it if you don't know why).

Spring had eventually sprung, and the inevitable Vancouver rain dampened our last day in British Columbia, but that didn't stop me from dragging the family to catch the SkyTrain to the Olympic Village to make the 15-minute walk (in the rain!) to Earnest Ice Cream.

It was a sweet (and cold and wet) ending to our British Columbia vacation.

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WW: Whistler

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Visit Whistler: Bridge Meadows Trail

Throughout Whistler there are numerous trails, and one morning we had some free time, so we decided to walk the Bridge Meadows Trail from the Upper Village to Whistler Village.

It was a fairly short hike through the snow, with views of Fitzsimmons Creek along the way.

The Bridge Meadows Trail connected to other trails, but because it started to rain, the snow was icy, and it was super duper cold, we decided not to walk any further and just return to Whistler Village.

I'm sure the trails would be just as beautiful in the summer, but a lot easier to walk than in the winter.

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Top 10: Tips for First-Time Skiers at Whistler

Even though Fall has just begun, it's not too early to start planning a trip to Whistler!  The ski season typically starts in a few weeks!

For our first trip to Whistler, we wanted the boys to experience skiing, and after a lot of research, we decided ski lessons would be the best option.

For someone who has never been to Whistler and never skied before, it was quite a learning experience.  Thankfully we were traveling with another family, and our friend also did a lot of research and provided me with some great tips for first-time-skiers.

So if you're a first time Whistler visitor and/or first-time skier, here are a few helpful tips:

1. Seriously consider ski lessons if you/your kids have not skied before. The instructors at Whistler are so amazing, and they have the knowledge and patience needed to teach you/your kids the necessary skills. 
2. Family lessons are great for a group of four with similar ability, and it's a fun bonding experience!
3. Get fitted for skis and boots the evening before your ski lesson to avoid the morning rush. Allow plenty of time for rental fitting (for four of us it took almost an hour).
4. If the fitter asks if you want to rent helmets, don't hesitate to say yes.  My kids fell a lot during their ski lessons, and even I fell backwards during our lesson, but luckily we all had helmets on. 
5. Find the closest rental facility near your hotel, so you don't need to lug around all that gear for a long distance.
6. If your hotel doesn't have a ski valet (our hotel, the Crystal Lodge and Suites, has a ski valet), check with the rental facility for a storage locker (most hotels will prohibit you from storing skis in your room).
7. Don't forget to bring water and snacks, or money for hot chocolate and BeaverTails for apres-ski!
8. If you plan to eat at the restaurants on the mountains or just take in the views during a break in or after your ski lesson, make sure you have a ski lock to lock up your skis on the available racks to prevent someone from walking off with them.
9. Consider taking your regular boots in a backpack with you to your ski lesson.  Because you'll most likely use ski boot rentals, which are not specifically molded to your feet, it's very possible that for your feet, ankles, and shins will hurt - and I mean HURT!  The boots didn't seem to affect my kids much, but my feet were killing me (and my friends couldn't wait to rip off their boots either!). If I had known ahead of time how much they'd hurt, I would've taken my regular snow boots up to the mountain with me just so I could wear them after the ski lesson as we explored the mountains.
10. If you feel your ski instructor did a great job, don't hesitate to tip (tipping isn't required, but it's a welcome gesture).

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Top 10: Things to Do with Kids in Whistler

The ski season in Whistler is just a few weeks away.  If you're planning a trip to Whistler for the first time, and your kids are not interested in skiing, there is still so much to do!

Here are my top 10 things to do with kids in Whistler:

1. Go sledding at the Olympic Plaza Snow Zone

2. Go tubing at Coca-Cola Tube Park

3. Find a snow play area to build a snowman

4. Slide, spin, and climb at the Olympic Plaza Playground

5. Visit Purebread to pick out a sweet treat

6. Take a ride on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola and stop for photo ops on both mountains

7. Buy and open Kinder Surprise Eggs (they are not allowed in the US!)

8. Play video games in one of three Nintendo Gaming Lounges

9. Trek through the trees on the Ziptrek Ecotours TreeTrek Canopy Walk Tour

10. Watch skilled skiers and snowboarders jump through a ring of fire at the Fire & Ice Show

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WW: Vancouver

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Top 10: 2016 Vancouver Eats

Our trip earlier this year to Vancouver resulted in both new eats, as well as familiar ones. Here are my top 10 favorite eats from our trip:

1. Croque Monsieur from Twisted Fork Bistro 

2. Salted Caramel Ice Cream from Earnest Ice Cream

3. Abby Perogie Pannekoeken from De Dutch 

4. Chocolate Glaze from Cartem's Donuterie

5. Grilled Cheese & Smoked Bacon Sandwich from Canucks Bar & Grill 

6. Organic Milk Soft Serve with Granola, Pistachio Bark, and Caramel Drizzle from UYU Ice Cream 

7. Fresh Fruit & Asiago Scones from Twisted Fork Bistro 

8. Grilled Chicken Club House from Koho Restaurant & Bar

9. The White Spot Club from White Spot

10. Timbits from Tim Hortons

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Top 10: Favorite Whistler Eats

Our first family trip to Whistler was full of lots of snow play, activities, and eating!  Here are my favorite Whistler Eats from our trip:

1. Salted Caramel Bar from Purebread - Sweet, salty, and simply amazing!

2. Chocolate Monster Ice Cream from Cow's - Chocolate ice cream, moo crunch, English toffee marble, in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone.  Total yumminess!

3. Pesto Chicken Pizza from Fat Tony's Pizza - Pesto, peppers, chicken, cheese topped a crispy & chewy crust.  

4. Classic Grilled Cheese from Black's Pub and Restaurant - It paired perfectly with the tomato basil soup!

5. Poutine Canadian from Zog's - A visit to Canada means indulging in poutine!  The sausage turned it into a very hearty meal.  

6. Butter Chicken Poutine from Beacon Pub & Eatery - The tandoori chicken topping was so flavorful!

7. Mini Mango Brulee from The Keg Steakhouse + Bar - A very pleasant mango flavor with a delightful caramelized crust!

8. Chili Chicken + Wontons from Earls Kitchen + Bar -  Sweet, spicy, and crunchy!

9. Wizard BELCH from Wizard Grill - An enormous breakfast sandwich consisting of Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Cheese, and more!

10. Wild Breakfast Bowl from Wild Wood Pacific Bistro - A huge serving of Pemberton potatoes, onions, mushrooms, bacon (extra), cheese, eggs, peppers easily satisfies anyone's hunger.  The Cranberry Sourdough toast was yummy!

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