So, the tiny person and I hit the opening day of the Spring Break Hands-On Farm yesterday. It’s most definitely a scaled-down version of the Summer farm. But, it was totally great to see our daughter getting into hanging out with the bunnies and guinea pigs inside, and getting the chance to feed the donkey his apple breakfast outside.

The pics here are all from yesterday’s good times. Make sure you get on over to the farm (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily) this week and enjoy a morning running around out at The Filberg.

Last year around this time I was hanging out on a daily basis with the tiny person and her cousins.

At that point they were 1.5, 5 and 7 – and not mutually interested in anything at all, which made for some challenging adventuring.

I was stunned…and excited…and totally amazed by the one thing that resonated with all of them – a regular schedule of museum touring.

If your impression of museums is the land of things that are untouchable, unexplainable and even verge on boring, you are in for a cool treat if you go local.

The absolute beauty of community-minded museums is they are BUILT FOR FAMILIES to enjoy and while spending an hour at any one of these small wonders can be a stretch in terms of content, making a day out of checking out local history can be the Spring Break adventure that will surprise all of you in terms of good times.

This idea is pretty transportable from one locale to another. So, if you live in a different area of the world or are planning a Spring Break trip with a local adventure built in, small local museums are often a fun, fascinating, family way to check out any region. We’ve adapted this to just about every place we’ve ever visited. Even in very small communities such as Tofino and Ucluelet there are an amazing number of local history options.

Here’s our recommended tour route for those of you starting in the COMOX VALLEY (Campbell River is below) with tips and tricks:

1. Start your day out at the Cumberland Museum and Archives, where you can check out some of the flavour of this old mining village including displays on the influence that Chinese workers had on the region, a hands-on switchboard station where you can see for yourself how old phones worked and the super cool coal mine replica that you can walk through again and again (the kids go CRAZY for this one). It’s cash-only for the low admission cost. So, make sure to stop by a bank machine first…and then make a trip to the Cumberland Bakery (just down Dunsmuir) for a cookie or famous donut to recharge afterward.

2. Next stop, the Courtenay Museum in downtown Courtenay. Switch gears to the prehistoric and check out all of the awesome creatures discovered buried beneath the Valley floor (they even have a cool, live lung fish that is considered prehistoric). Head upstairs for a sweet display of First Nations masks and consider stopping for lunch at one of the great downtown eateries before heading off on the next part of the adventure.

3. Head on over to the Comox Archives and Museum to read up on local maritime history before heading down the street to The Filberg and Mack Laing Nature Park to discover the actual locales where many of those stories originated. This is a great way to get a short walk and some fresh air in before moving on and a cool way to connect kids to local history. Benino Gelato is right there. Time for a treat:)

4. To wrap up a museum day in the Valley, take a drive out to 19 Wing to hit the Comox Air Force Museum. This hands-on museum full of 100 years of military gear is manned by a crew of incredibly friendly and accommodating volunteers and there are some really great things to check out including a chance to take pictures of your “pilot” kiddo sitting in a jet fighter chair (helmet and all), radar and landing field displays. Then, take a trip down the road to the Air Plane Park (it is open sporadically this time of year. But, you can see the planes from the parking area) to check out actual military planes for yourselves.

STARTING IN CAMPBELL RIVER:

5. I HIGHLY recommend starting the day hitting the Campbell River Museum. This museum is premiere in terms of just amazing displays including a stunning First Nations mask show with traditional storytelling, an interactive history of commercial fishing display and movies about Ripple Rock and an animated First Nations tale that take the edge off of anxious museum goers. This is definitely the museum you will spend the most time at, and when you go you’ll understand why.

6. Before heading into the Valley, make sure to hit the Maritime Heritage Centre at Discovery Pier. The fishing boat that is the cornerstone of this museum is fully accessible and there is a TON of cool old commercial fishing gear including a series of bells that need ringing. I really dig this spot as you can take a walk out on Discovery Pier after to get some fresh air and walk down the waterfront to find a picnic table for lunch. If take-out is more your style, be sure to hit Dick’s fish hut near the Quadra ferry dock for the tastiest fish and chips in town.

Happy Spring Break Adventuring!!!