Seal Bay Nature Park Beach Trail

There are a few special spots in our collection of adventures that spark imagination and make the tiny person buzz uncontrollably at the mere mention of a potential day spent.

Seal Bay Nature Park and its winding, lush, bit of a butt-kicker wander down the Main Beach (Don Apps) Trail to one of the most beautiful [...]

Summer NeighbourWood Walk No. 4 – Fanny Bay

Note to self: wine with the girlfriends after a long day on the trail is excellent fun at 9 p.m., not so excellent fun at 6 a.m.:)

A small group of super intrepid walkers made it out to our fourth NeighbourWood Walk yesterday, which took us to the far south end of the Valley and a [...]

Paradise Meadows

With the wet, cold, L-O-N-G Winters we’ve had the last couple of years, we can only hope that Summer lingers a bit longer than usual.
Personally, I hope the sunshine puts in some overtime this year so we can spend some long days wandering the forest of Strathcona Provincial Park taking in the absolute magic that [...]

Spots to Watch Spring Migration

Today’s comment challenge: Where are some of your favourite wildlife watching spots on Vancouver Island and other places around the world?
Did you check out the great thread about food and your family yesterday? Thanks to everyone who jumped in. And the winner of a cool dino puzzle is…Stacey. Wahoo. Boynton books up for grabs today.

There [...]

The Parents Primer for North Island Birthday Party Locales

If there was ever one day that makes kiddos screech with excitement and parents cringe just a bit with knowing the work that will go into it all, it has got to be your tiny person’s birthdays and the ensuing parties that make childhood sweet.
Finding the perfect locale to celebrate that special day can be [...]

Returning to the Real World with Family Vacation Tips

I apologize for being MIA yesterday. A snail-paced internet connection and gorgeous, jacket-free last day in Tofino meant radio silence.
Anyway, back in the Valley and back to business, our week in Tofino has inspired me to begin putting together family-friendly vacation guides for hot spots around the island – with Tofino being the first.
Look for [...]

Tofino’s Ocean Kids

So, there we were driving along Campbell Street into downtown Tofino.
We had to make a Co-op run for last-minute ingredients (it was perogi party night last night) and ended up at this great kids store that is, in the end, now the sole reason that we as parents no longer have ANY excuses about why [...]

Kayaking Tofino

I know, I know. All of you were expecting Dr. Ivey today, and I planned on it – I promise.
But, the lure of the beach, the crisp of the air and honestly my unwillingness to think about anything other than where I’m at while on vacation means Dr. Ivey’s debut will have to wait until [...]

Worth the Drive – Kool & Child

My husband and I almost set up camp there – particularly happy that the tiny person and grandma decided to hang out at home instead of come with us. Otherwise, she would have insisted we move in forever.
I’d been told by more than one intrepid parent that Kool & Child in Nanaimo was one of [...]

Get Away – Butterfly World

Butterflies hold an honoured place in our house.
As the story goes, my grandfather who passed away more than 20 years ago, returns to everyone in the family from time to time in the form of a beautiful butterfly.
I’m a firm believer in his visitation policy as on my wedding day, just moments before my dad [...]