Calgary to Vancouver Island - COVID Travel with Kids
Vancouver Island 2020 Summer Plan
With travel restrictions, a pandemic and COVID, travelling in 2020 was tricky but not impossible. Here is a trip we took from Calgary to Ladysmith, BC with our family of five.
GOOGLE MAP - https://bit.ly/3e4xOGh
Bridal Veil Falls on route to Kamloops
On July 18 to loaded up the car and headed to Kamloops (6 hours 51 minutes)
We booked our Hotel at the Travel Lodge on Columbia Street. The pool was closed and they did not offer their free breakfast, but since we were only sleeping here, and the price was affordable and accommodations fit our family of five, this worked.
#rockphotoshare
look for these instagram moments on your walks and hikes.
The Next morning we work up and headed to Whistler where we stayed at the Hotel Pan pacific Mountain Side - this is a 4 hours 9 Minutes drive without stopping.
We booked a 2 bedroom Suite for 3 Nights which had plenty of space for our family of five.
Things to do and see in Whistler
Head into the woods across from Function Junction and hike to the most colourful set of ruins you’ll ever see, at Whistler Train Wreck. This scenic one-hour walk and bridge crossing leads to the site of several abandoned box cars that went off the rails in the 1950s.
Fill up a bag with the candy of your choice from the many sweet offerings at the Great Glass Elevator Candy Shoppe in Whistler Village. The Village’s excellent playground is located just outside the doors, and there’s no better place to run off steam than at this 13,000-square-foot outdoor play area with slides, spinning disks and soft flooring.
Lakeside Park – Alta Lake A favourite for local families, Lakeside Park is a great place to enjoy a picnic, take a dip, rent a kayak, or just putter around. This popular park contains 2 swimming docks, a raft, a children’s play structure, a large grass lawn, picnic tables, and a concession stand. Lakeside Park is located 2 km south of the village in the Alta Vista neighbourhood and is accessible by car from Hillcrest Drive or by biking or walking the Valley Trail.
Lost Lake Beach
Equally popular is Lost Lake Park which can be reached by or a short walk (20 minutes) or free shuttle from the village (summer months only). The park area features a swim area, docks, barbecue stands, accessible washrooms, a concession stand (open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from July 1 to Labour Day, and weekends from June to September), picnic tables and slackline posts.
Visit Brandywine Falls
Take a 15 minutes drive south from Whistler to Brandywine Provincial Park with its awe-inducing 70m waterfall. The falls are just a short walk from the parking lot, although there are much longer hikes to take should you so choose.
The Treehouse Playground
A visit to this excellent playground near Whistler’s Olympic Plaza. It’s a win-win since the kids love the playground, and I love the fact that it is surrounded by an abundance of coffee/tea shops (Starbucks, Blenz, Purebread, David’s Tea). The playground also has a number of strategically placed ice cream and frozen yogurt shops nearby (Cows, Dairy Queen, Menchies).
Zip-line through a rainforest.
Fly through a rainforest, hundreds of feet over Fitzsimmons Creek with North America’s oldest zip-lining company, Ziptrek Ecotours. Ziptrek operates 11 lines, connected by treetop bridges high above the old-growth forest that stretches between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. The minimum age to zipping is 6 years old, and kids under 65 lbs are limited to tandem rides with professionals on the (still awesome) Ziptrek Bear tour.
In between the chairlift terror, Rich and Tween Traveler went skipping across the suspension bridge to a lonely peak with amazing panoramic views on the other side.
The Peak-to-Peak Tram from Whistler to Blackcomb breathtaking. It’s an additional fee on top of the gondola to the peak. worth it? TOTALLY!
July 22 - 24 Whistler to Qualicum Beach
2-night stay - 2 bedrooms Deluxe Cabin
Hotel - https://www.myriversideresort.com
4 hours 40 minutes with Ferry
2-hour drive from Whistler to Ferry Terminal
The central Vancouver Island tourism region of Qualicum Beach & Parksville BC is Canada’s best family-friendly beach destination according to Better Homes and Gardens. The Globe & Mail called these Vancouver Island tourism towns “Canada’s Riviera”. Local islanders often call this charming collection of communities “Oceanside”.
Things to do and see in Qualicum
1. Qualicum Beach
The first stop was Qualicum Beach. It was just a quick visit where to enjoy a simple morning walk along the beach. The beach’s perfect sand stretches over four kilometres along the Strait of Georgia.
2 . Coombs
About 10 kilometres west of Qualicum Beach, on Highway 4A, is the small community of Coombs. We will stop in specifically to check out the Old Country Market and the Goats on the Roof. Yes, you read that right, there are goats on the roof!
3. Coombs Wooden Shoe Dutch Import Store - Among its many Dutch delicacies, the Wooden Shoe Dutch Store carries traditional European snacks; quality cheese and chocolate, salty and sweet licorice, peeled Danish potatoes, french-fry dips and cookies of all sorts, even traditional chocolate sprinkles for your toast. There is something to satisfy nearly every European taste bud, especially those who have immigrated and want a little taste of home.
4. Cathedral Grove: MacMillan Provincial Park
Here we can walk under towering ancient Douglas-fir trees, some over 800 years old, at Cathedral Grove. Douglas-fir is one of Canada’s oldest living tree species and can live to be over 1000 years old. A lot of them are so tall that you can’t even see the tops of them no matter how much you crane your neck. The “Big Tree” is the park’s largest at 76 metres tall and 9 metres around. There is a sign at the park comparing it to the Leaning Tower of Pisa- the tree dwarfs it!
5. Little Qualicum Falls
Sound cute ~ walked around for a bit then jumped swim in the river and play- 75 metres above the Middle Falls Bridge to the downstream park boundary below the Lower Falls (NOTE) Bridge has a strong current and is closed to swimming
6. Trent FALLS
A few minutes off the North Bound Highway, Trent River falls is well worth the scramble down. Perfect for a dip! Some people jump off the falls. However, it is quite shallow and perhaps not worth the risk.
7. Yambury Beach
Location: Qualicum Beach
This “secret beach” is favoured by Qualicum Beach locals. I recently discovered this beautiful beach, but it has quickly become a favourite. With its vast sandy shoreline, the quietness of Yambury Beach offers a great spot to relax and enjoy your surroundings. I’ve been told that it’s also a spectacular spot to view the sunset.
Getting There
You will find this beach off Yambury Road (off Hwy 19A) in the Eaglecrest neighbourhood. There is quite a large parking area off of Yambury. A few more spots can be found a bit further down the highway at the end of Seacrest Place.
July 24 - 31 Qualicum Beach to Lady Smith - 7 nights
51 Minute Drive
Inn on the Sea - 2 bedroom Ocean Front Condo
Things to do and see in Parksville
Parksville Community Venture & Waterpark ~ guarantee to entertain children for hours. The kids will enjoy the swings, zip line, tire swings, obstacle course, slides and awesome waterpark. Bring a picnic lunch or eat at the on-site concession. The Parksville Community Park is located on Corfield Road in scenic Parksville Bay.
Tiger Lily Farm
A great place to experience farm living. They cater to all ages of animal lovers. Learn to milk a goat, feed the sheep, pet the burrow, hold the chickens, or go out on a trail ride on horseback. Located off Hwy 19, turn onto Errington Road and follow it to 1692 Errington Rd approx. 5 minutes after the turn-off. http://www.tigerlilyfarm.ca
Little Qualicum Cheese-works & Morningstar Farm
Producing award-winning artisan cheeses the old-fashioned way. Free tours – open to the public. Great samples in the farm gate store. 403 Lowry’s Rd Parksville. Off Hwy 19A turn up Lee Rd, toward Morningstar Golf Course. Follow the signs to the Golf Course then straight over the railway tracks and you can see their sign ahead. www.cheeseworks.ca
Paradise Adventure Mini-Golf
Two mini-golf courses, video arcade, redemption games room, and ice cream parlour. Paradise has something for everyone – including an oceanfront RV Park, gift shop and is wheelchair accessible.375 West Island Highway, Parksville www.paradisefunpark.net
Riptide Adventure Mini-Golf
An easy walk from Rathtrevor Beach and nearby resorts. Young and old alike can enjoy themselves for a fun and challenging game on this18 hole course. Open 10 am 7 during summer months1000 Resort Drive, Parksville http://www.riptidelagoon.com
Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre The Fossil Tour
tour adventure begins in the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Center. Here, a friendly and informative guide will give a brief lecture and show a short video about the famous discoveries made in the local area. Then, it’s off into the exhibit galleries to see the actual specimen and reconstructed cast of an Elasmosaur found in the Puntledge River. You’ll also see other vertebrate fossils, such as mosasaurs, turtles, and fish -along with the invertebrate fossils of shelled creatures that lived in the warm, shallow ocean surrounding Vancouver Island 80 million years ago. A short 10-minute drive and an easy 5-minute forested walk bring you to one of the many beautiful fossil sites along the Puntledge River. Here, you’ll experience the thrill of hands-on discovery. After a brief discussion about the history of the site and proper collection techniques, participants will have a chance to find a fossil of their very own. A limited number of hammers, chisels and goggles will be supplied. You can keep any fossils that you find on the tour. If the species is of scientific value, you may be asked to donate the fossil to the museum collection, with the finder’s name attached. You will require your own transportation to the fossil site.
Courtenay Museum 207 Fourth Street, Courtenay B.C., V9N 1G7 www.courtenaymuseum.ca
Saratoga Beach may be the ultimate stretch of shimmering sand on the sheltered east coast of Vancouver Island. The tide along this stretch of the shoreline goes out for over a quarter of a mile, creating a hard-packed oceanfront playground perfect for children. The gently sloping beach continues for well over a mile into the calm waters of the Strait of Georgia, creating warm, shallow and safe swimming conditions, free from powerboat traffic, deep water or strong currents. Saratoga Beach is flanked by popular camping and recreational sites at Miracle Beach Provincial Park and Oyster River Regional Park.
2:00 PM to 6:00 PM At the Island Roots Farmers' Market you will find locally grown seasonal produce, fresh-baked bread and bagels, antibiotic-free and grass-fed meats, cheese, plants, free-range eggs, locally roasted organic coffee, handmade natural care products and soaps, as well as an excellent selection of preserves, spices, and other weekly features. The Island Roots Farmers' Market is a "make it, bake it, grow it, catch it, forage it" market, meaning all of the vendors are involved in the production of the product that they sell. Take the opportunity to learn about the food you eat, ask a farmer! Buying food from the farmers' market is a healthier way to eat, is a more environmentally friendly way to shop and is more economically stimulating for the local community... plus it's just a really great time!
Englishman River Falls, Parksville
Englishman River Falls Trail is a 1.3 kilometre heavily trafficked loop trail located near Parksville, British Columbia, Canada that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. A good spot for families. You will need to take Errington Road off of Hwy 4 to get to this popular waterfall. There is about 3km of maintained trails and when the water is flowing this waterfall is impressive and powerful!
Christie Falls, Ladysmith To get to this location, take Grouhel Road exit off Hwy 19, right on Christie Road, and then left on Arroyo Road. Once you are past the yellow gate, on the right, is an old logging road. Park here and follow the road to the fish hatchery. The 2.5km trek to Christie Falls is worth it and is amazing in the winter when the water flow is powerful.
Ladysmith, originally Oyster Harbour, is a town located on the 49th parallel north on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
