Ten ways to make a memorable long weekend
BC Family Day is two weeks away, and that means our first long weekend of the year. We are blessed here with so many options of where to go, and how to spend quality family time. Here is a guide to 10 long weekend getaways perfect for the family.
1 Whistler
Besides all things ski, (there’s half-price skiing and snowboarding on Feb. 12) — Whistler Kids Ski School, Blackcomb Magic Castle and the Whistler Tree Fort — there are free Nintendo Gaming Lounges at the Roundhouse Lodge, the Rendezvous Lodge and at the Wizard Grill. Escape Whistler is a great group activity where you solve clues to work your way out of an escape room. Watch your kids skate (rentals are $6) at the Whistler Olympic Plaza, from the outdoor fire pit. Here too, Mondays and Wednesdays until the end of March is Family Après Ski, where kids’ activities include snowman building competitions, tobogganing, storytelling, roaming characters, music, street hockey, snacks, hot beverages and more. And it’s free.
Treehouse Playground is a big hit with toddlers, and bonus: it’s surrounded by cafes. To kick into high gear visit the Great Glass Elevator Candy Shop. If you’ve still got energy to burn, the tube park is located at Blackcomb Mountain base 2.
Try Spearhead Walk, Whistler Blackcomb’s newest alpine trail. With slight elevation changes, this family-friendly one kilometre walk is located in the alpine on Whistler Mountain and takes guests on a 45-minute loop that features incredible alpine vistas.
2 Sunshine Coast
What’s more fun than water activities on a grey, rainy day? Bring the kids and your inner child to The Sechelt Aquatic Centre with its lazy river, 250-foot waterslide, tumbling buckets and water curtain, rope swing, and a climbing wall.
The Nicholas Sonntag Marine Centre at Gibsons Public Market has cool touch tanks where you don’t need scuba gear to smell a watermelon-scented nudibranch and peer into the “eyes” of a scallop. Whether newbie or seasoned climber, the Hanger Climbing Lounge offers classes and workshops for kids and Ladies Night ends with a yoga session.
After all that exercise, it’s time to refuel. Just before Sechelt, the Wobbly Canoe is a local favourite smack on the beach in Davis Bay. Kids love PKLS Burgers and who doesn’t love a crazy milkshake? The Driftwood Inn is moderately priced and conveniently located across the street from the aquatic centre.
Just one more ferry ride transports you to the Upper Sunshine Coast. Go glamping at Back Eddy in Egmont — stay in a geodesic dome at the water’s edge. The resort also offers groovy vintage cabins with kitchenettes. Princess Louisa Inlet tours depart at Backeddy Marina rain or shine, a hike in the rainforest takes you to the Skookumchuk Narrows for the spectacular waves and whirlpools.
From downtown Vancouver a 45-minute float plane trip will have you on the edge of the wilderness and adventure’s jumping off point — The West Coast Wilderness Lodge.
3 Harrison Hot Springs
Celebrating the holiday Feb. 10, at Harrison’s Memorial Hall from 1-4 p.m. There will be live demonstrations from Science World at 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Along with games and crafts for the kids, there will be an indoor bouncy castle.
When you aren’t soaking in the hot springs — either at the Hot Springs Public Pool or Harrison Hot Springs Resort — grab a hot chocolate from Muddy’s and walk along Harrison Lake. Or stroll through a mystic forest at Spirit Trail — dozens of the cedars along the trail are decorated with Aboriginal masks. After working up an appetite, Muddy’ s signature items include monstrous desserts. And Black Forest restaurant overlooking Harrison Lake (the patio is heated with a fireplace) serves European cuisine with a focus on German foods.
Take the family sailing across Harrison Lake on the 62-foot Laroan. Outfitted with sightseeing decks, barbecue and full kitchen/ dining area, you’ll take in wildlife and beautiful scenery.
Harrison Resort and Spa activities include outdoor and indoor hot springs pools, kids programs, and the Healing Springs Spa for mum and dad. Bonus: you can bring the family dog along to the Harrison Beach Hotel.
4 Squamish
Individual Sea to Sky Gondola lift tickets are half price for the long weekend. Children under five are free. Children’s activities planned include face-painting and live music by Will Ross on Sunday.
The Sea to Sky Gondola is a winter wonderland with activities for every age and ability including front and backcountry skiing, hiking, snowshoeing and old-fashioned tubing. Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. you can take a guided headlamp hike.
At the top of Sea to Sky Gondola, cosy up with hot chocolate and fondue as you drink in the views at Summit Lodge. Treat the kids to the sweet delight of s’mores around the outdoor bonfire and maple syrup taffy on a stick from the Canadian Sugar Shack. Last ride up at 5 p.m.
Down at ground level is Fergie’s Café, featuring house-made menu items such as pulled pork, sausages and bennies.
Consider a sleepover: Sunwolf has a multi- family cabin and bunk beds by the Cheakamus River or fire up the wood stove in its Fisherman’s Cottage (minimum twonight stay).
The next day go for gold at Britannia Mine Museum with gold panning, rock and mineral activities, and an underground mine train that you can ride on.
5 Victoria
Spend Family Day at the Royal B.C. Museum exploring the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. From 1 to 3 p.m. Monday there will be photography-related activities for the whole family.
Then stop in at Cherry Bomb Toys, a little mecca for kids of all ages with its vintage pinball machines, and for a blast of nostalgia, upstairs is the toy museum.
The Pedaller has all kinds of bikes for rent — maybe pedal over to Fisherman’s Wharf for fish and chips, circumnavigate Beacon Hill Park and stop at the petting zoo and visit the Bug Zoo in downtown Victoria.
Sidney is hosting the Lego Brick Festival Feb. 10-12. Visitors can help build a giant Lego mosaic, join a Lego scavenger hunt and visit the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea with underwater Lego. And check out displays of Lego creations at the Sidney Pier Hotel.
Parents have a hard time dragging their kids away from Hotel Zed’s lobby with its typewriters and record player with vinyl LPs, or the Ping-Pong room with Wii terminals, outdoor pool and “Zedinator” waterslide. The Airstream trailer located in the courtyard sleeps four. Brunch next door at the Ruby serves up chicken and waffles and breakfast tacos. If you’re craving a burger or ‘Mac ‘n Cheese sticks’, look no further than The Pink Bicycle.
6 Parksville Qualicum Beach
Parksville, just a short hop up island from both the Duke Point and Departure Bay ferry terminals, has one of the most family-friendly beaches in the province. The water stretches out, seemingly for miles, providing a year-round opportunity to slosh through the tide pools.
Who can resist beachcombing? The kids will love searching for Float Fairies hundreds of glass floats and dazzling glass sea creatures hidden above the high tide line on beaches stretching from Nanoose Bay to Deep Bay.
Inland, visit Morningstar Farm at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, home to cows, horses, bunnies, pigs and more.
If you’re looking for something more strenuous, take a 90-minute Family Riverbend Cavern Tour at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. The North Island Wildlife Recovery Association started as a place to help animals that are ill, hurt or orphaned and has several full-time residents, including eagles and owls.
A visit to Parksville would also not be complete without a stop at Paradise Mini Golf and Fun Park, where two charming 18hole courses — Surf ‘N Turf and Treasure Island — are ready to challenge the putting skills of all members of the family.
Locals swarm to Bread and Honey in Parksville for breakfast, and dinner at the Beach Club Resort, where you will also want to stay with its indoor pool and hot tub. There’s a massive kids’ park next door and the beach is just a few steps away.
7 Tofino
It’s storm watching season in Tofino and there may not be a better spot to see nature’s fury than Chesterman Beach. If you like to watch but stay warm check into the Wickaninnish Inn where every guest room has ocean or beach views. Or break out the board games and puzzles for family fun. Long Beach Lodge Resort is celebrating by offering surf lessons 30 per cent off for kids six and over. And there’s a free wilderness tour Saturday morning and family movie night Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
The Tofino Botanical Gardens has a children’s garden for young kids to explore, as well as a duck pond, art installations and walking trails. If the waves are calm enough take a boat tour with Tofino Resort and Marina to see marine wildlife such as whales, sea lions and otters that would appeal to adults and kids alike. Tofino has a lot of restaurants that caters to kids. Try Chocolate Tofino — especially for their gelato in traditional and creative flavours like lavender honey, stracciatella and their mystery flavour, Hammerhead. They won’t share the ingredients so you’ll just have to guess. Also visit SoBo for a creative kids menu beyond the usual burger, chicken fingers options. And let the kids play outside in the purple bus.
8 Seattle
Put a little culture in your family day with a visit to one of 40 museums in the Seattle area. February is Seattle Museum Month, and if you’re staying at one of the many downtown hotels participating in the program you’ll get a pass that entitles you and three others to 50 per cent off admission at participating museums. These include the Seattle Art Museum, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, the Museum of Flight, Tacoma Art Museum, the Wing Luke Museum and the Seattle Pinball Museum.
Of particular note are two exhibits at the Museum of Pop Culture sure to get the family talking. Bowie by Mick Rock features 65 of Rock’s photographs that capture David Bowie’s creativity and charisma, while a Star Trek exhibit offers more than 100 artifacts and props from the five Star Trek television series, spinoffs, and films, including Captain Kirk’s command chair and the navigation console (on display for the first time to the public).
9 Mount Baker
For the adventurous family, it’s hard to top snowshoeing in the shadow of a volcano. But that’s what can be found just a short scenic drive from the Abbotsford-Sumas border crossing at the end of the Mount Baker Highway. Stop in at the ranger station in Glacier for maps and info, head up to the Artist Point parking lot, strap on your snowshoes and head for the glades to the west. If you’ve got little ones, this is the place for lots of fun trekking, with amazing views of the surrounding mountains.
If your kids are a little older, and the weather is good, head for Hinton Point. The six-mile round trip provides stunning views of Mount Shuksan to the east, Mount Baker to the southwest and Table Mountain to the west-northwest. And reward everyone after with some of the best pizza in the Pacific Northwest at the North Fork Brew Pub on the Mount Baker Highway at Deming, Wash.
10 Vancouver
If you can’t get away, enjoy a staycation. There are so many options but a good start is The FlyOver Canada experience at about 30 minutes in length — good timing for kids. The Vancouver Aquarium is worth visiting for the new Stellar Sea Lion exhibit alone and lunch at the new Prospect Point Café is a perfect place to go before or after a Stanley Park walk, or a trip to the aquarium.
Science World is fantastic because there is so much indoor play space. Capilano Suspension Bridge offers B.C. residents a deal: When you buy admission once, you get a free pass for the year.
The Museum of Anthropology has lots of space for kids to roam (once they are old enough to learn “don’t touch”). Kids delight in opening and closing the “visible storage” drawers. Also at UBC is the excellent Beatty Biodiversity Museum where you can see an incredible whale skeleton hanging overhead. There is also nothing there that kids can knock over or break, which is a huge plus.
There’s a lot to do at Kidtropolis in Richmond. Bonus: you can drop off the kids (ages 5-12) for a few hours while you enjoy dinner or go shopping.