Who doesn’t dream of the ideal beach vacation? Hot sand. Cool water. Cold drinks. If you are like many parents, the days of international getaways are on hold or less frequent than your pre-child days. But do not dismay, you can get that Mexico feel right next door in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Penticton in the summer offers 30-degree temperatures, sandy beaches, festivals, farmers’ markets and lots of family fun.
If you have ever traveled with small children, you know how nerve-racking it can be. The stress level kicks up a notch when you are flying. Even short trips can be exasperating with an inconsolable toddler or multiple children. Maintenance delays and aircraft issues, traffic jams and construction, and many other un-anticipated issues often extend an already exhausting experience. Luckily, with a little bit of pre-planning, there are some easy ways to keep the kids occupied and happy while traveling, even on long trips.
As a family of five, we don’t fly if we can drive. However, with extended family on the other side of the country and three boys close in age, I can’t deny that we’ve been the parents on the plane with the shrieking, crying children; the ones that quickly become everyone else’s nightmare. Through trial and error, we discovered that there are a few things you can do to make everyone’s trip a lot more cheerful, while minimizing the stress of a long plane ride.
Early Spring is an excellent time to go biking in Kananaskis on closed highways and campground roads. Many campgrounds don’t open until mid-May or later, and this allows children the chance to practice their riding on safe, gentle terrain free from traffic on city streets. Many campgrounds have playgrounds and hiking trails, which offer a nice diversion for the whole family. We enjoy riding our bikes through the deserted campground roads to the playground, having lunch and then continuing on our ride to do a short hike (either on foot or on bikes if the trail is easy enough). Here are some of my top suggestions for where to take your family on a bike outing this Spring.
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