Which adventure would you choose for your family vacation

[swellmomma]

I am taking the kids on our very frist non-bible camp family vacation this summer. It will be a 2-2.5 week long camping trip through part of Canada, I have 3 possible adventures to choose from.

 

Adventure 1 travel all over Alberta, Sask and Manitoba visiting various historic sites and museums and camping in provincial parks enjoying birdwatching, geocaching etc.

 

Adventure 2 Drive to BC, camp in the mountains, and closer to the ocean. Spend lots of time on the beaches, go to Vancouver aquarium, walk through victoria, take the ferry boat etc. Take the tram to hell's gate restaurant (it's said to be haunted)

...

Adventure 3 Drive through Sask and Man into Ontario. Stay in campground 30 minutes outside of Ottawa(very good weekly rate), use the park& ride bus to head into Ottawa daily, visit the mint, parliament hill, supreme court and a slew of museums and historical sites focused on the beginnings of Canada. Go to a re-enactment of 1 battle in the war of 1812, and a bird sanctuary on lake superior. Then drive a little further south and stay for another few nights in another campground outside of Toronto and goto the Royal ontario museum, CN tower, Toronto zoo and Casa Loma (it's a castle). Also in Ontario is uncle Tom's cabin, a historical site focused on the underground railroad, and Niagara falls. I also know somewhere in Ontario is a safari adventure park but not sure exactly where. Other ideas: ghost walk at fort henry(after a day of exploring the fort), historic cornwall jail, pioneer memorial, Loyalist memorial. Basically this adventure would focus on the region around Canada's capital.

 

All 3 trips would cost close to the same amount of money (the Ontario one is affordable because of special summer "passports" you can buy that give you admission to 7 museums for the whole family for $85, and free admission to another one on thursdays between 5-8 pm, and the 1 campground being only $195 for the whole week.

 

Actually if I could have someone watch all our animals for a full month I would extend the trip either further east, but I suspect finding someone to care for them all for 2 weeks will be hard enough.

 

If we do adventure 3 I am thinking of looping south into the US for the drive back home from Ontario to Alberta and then hit some historic sites in southern Alberta(and visit my brother) that we have never seen.

 

Basically this is the 1st and likely only time to do a family vacation with everyone still young enough to think camping across the country is very cool. It will be likely the only year I have the money on hand to make such a trip. I am looking to make it memorable regardless of which adventure we do. So here is where I need your help. Which adventure would you do with your kids and why (presuming of course you are as into museums and such as we are, you live in a landlocked location so ocen, mountains and the great lakes are not easily accessible, even a beach on a lake is hours away so these are all things that would be new experiences for the kids, and some would be new to me).

[Dandelion]

I'm partial to the ocean (really miss it now that I'm living in landlocked Colorado), so I voted for #2.

 

All of them sound like great trips though, and I'm sure your family would have a great time with any of those itineraries. :)

[TraceyS/FL]

Oh man.... that is hard!

 

Do the kids have any preferences at all?

 

Mine would be apt to pick the Ottawa trip - but i'd have to let them vote!

[Dory]

I said B.C, but I would choose either 1 or 2. I think either of those would be awesome.

[DragonFaerie]

Ocean, aquarium, ferry rides, AND a haunted restaurant? Number 2 for sure!

[FaithManor]

I'm all for BC. Temperate Rainforests are just fantastic sights to behold. Unusual plant life, unusual wildlife, and underepresented in museums, nature discovery programs, and zoos.

 

Ds says you really need to see the giant banana slug! (giant being a relative term - 2nd largest slug in the world and can grow to almost 10 inches in length)

 

Faith

[Mabeline]

I picked number three because it seemed the most action packed.

 

If you need a more relaxing vacation I would do the second one. I love the water and just sitting by it is so soothing to me. We live close to water so it's not new to me, but I still love it.

 

I do really like museums and walking around to see new stuff. If it was for my family I would choose number one.

 

 

[swellmomma]

Oh man.... that is hard!

 

Do the kids have any preferences at all?

 

Mine would be apt to pick the Ottawa trip - but i'd have to let them vote!

 

The teens said the 3rd but are begging to do all 3 lol They want us to travel for 3 months if we could. The youngers don't care as long as there is marshmellows at each campsite and get souveniours along the way.

[T'smom]

If your kids have never been to the mountains/ocean, I would definitely pick that. (Of course, I grew up in Kansas......)

[regentrude]

If I'd camp in the mountains, I'd skip the beach and do the mountains. That's what MY teens would prefer.

[TheReader]

well, *I* would pick the one that gets to the ocean/beach, because that's just me. But if your teens want #3, and it won't tire you out too much doing so much w/so many, then I say go for that. They all sound amazingly fun, just remember to plan whatever down time the 5 yr old might need.

 

Enjoy!

[Starr]

I grew up in the northwest and love those options. But I now live near Ottawa. It's easy to drive in Ottawa and so much to see. You wouldn't even get it all in. So much would relate to things you study in school and be really fun. The Museum of Civilization is one of our favorites. You would get a nice mix of the outdoors and the city. I'm going for door #3.

[Sahamamama]

I chose BC/Vancouver/mountains/ocean because my husband traveled there often when he lived in Northern California. After all these years, he still will not stop talking about how stunningly beautiful and amazingly clean it was. And, you'll meet friendly West Coast Canadians! What could be better?

 

FWIW, the family vacations that meant the most to me were not the museum/historical site trips, though they were meaningful. But time spent outdoors was so wonderful for a cooped-up school kid -- the sunlight, the trees, the mountains, the streams, fishing in the lake, camping, hiking, canoeing. I remember it all, and the outdoors made the best memories for me.

 

Only you know yourself and your children. Have a GREAT trip!

[cathmom]

I've been reading about Ottawa and can't wait to go there someday!

[swellmomma]

I grew up in the northwest and love those options. But I now live near Ottawa. It's easy to drive in Ottawa and so much to see. You wouldn't even get it all in. So much would relate to things you study in school and be really fun. The Museum of Civilization is one of our favorites. You would get a nice mix of the outdoors and the city. I'm going for door #3.

 

That's what I was thinking. I have always wanted to take the kids to the ocean and the BC trip is something I have wanted for years but we have been studying Canadian history for a couple years now and will be for another couple and it would be great to bring it all together like that. Here is the list of possible excursions for our time on adventure 3 if we go that route

 

On the $85 passport

 

Museum of Civilization (and the children's museum adjoined)

War Museum

Agriculture museum

Aviation museum

Nature Museum

The Science and technology museum

The Mint

 

Plus

 

Parliament Hill

RCMP stables

Upper Canada Village

Casa Loma

Toronto Zoo

Royal Ontario Museum

Fort Henry

Battle of Chrysler's farm

Historic Cornwall Jail

Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary

Pioneer memorial

Loyalist memorial

 

And dd13 has requested that if we go there I have to make time in the schedule to go to Niagara falls and marine land

 

The other 2 adventures would have a ton of stops too but not quite as packed in as those ones. I am planning to spend 12 days or so exploring sites in Ontario if we go that route. The drive there will be fairly quick because I don't plan on stopping too much along the way to maximize our time there. I am thinking giving us 3 days to drive there, 12 days exploring and then 3 days home for a total of an 18 day adventure

[Mom in High Heels]

Well, not being a camping kind of girl, or as Indy puts it "Mom doesn't sleep outside" (he knows his mommy so well), I'd vote for a hotel, wine and museums, but since that isn't an option, I'd go with #3. ;)

[UrbanSue]

I'd be torn between 2 and 3. I voted 2 but all that historical stuff would be super fun as well.

[Remudamom]

I'm for the most beach time.

[Unicorn.]

I lean toward #2, butI can't decide! I want to do all three! Since you are all museum lovers, I would say #3, but w/ a five year old, I would vote 1 or 2.

[Impish]

I'm from ON, so would def go to BC. Actually, we will be, once baby's here and all that stuff is over w/.

[Giraffe]

I voted number three. Honestly, reading your descriptions I got the vibe that you were most excited about that one. It was the most detailed, the most fleshed out, and your writing sounded the most excited.

 

Plus, I'm a sucker for a good museum.

 

Runner up is number two.

[Dandelion]

Well, not being a camping kind of girl, or as Indy puts it "Mom doesn't sleep outside" (he knows his mommy so well), I'd vote for a hotel, wine and museums, but since that isn't an option, I'd go with #3. ;)

 

As my DH likes to say with respect to camping: "Why should we lower our standard of living when we're on vacation?" :D

 

In his defense, he's been in the Army for over 20 years, so he's done his share of sleeping in tents.

[Eagle]

I voted for the BC trip.

 

Victoria has a lovely "living" museum:

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Exhibit_Gall/default.aspx

 

Science World in Vancouver is exciting:

http://www.scienceworld.ca/

 

Sidney (near Victoria) has an ocean discovery centre:

http://www.oceandiscovery.ca/events/info

 

Vancouver Island has caves to explore:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/horne_lk/

 

In Victoria you can tour an historic fort and lighthouse:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/bc/fortroddhill/index.aspx

 

Victoria also has castles to explore:

http://www.thecastle.ca/

http://www.hatleypark.ca/

 

Plus, you could learn to sail, kayak to sheltered coves, collect seashells and beach rocks, and experience the magic of the ocean.

[Freckles]

I voted for BC. I've been there. It is so amazingly beautiful. I'm sure whichever one you choose will be a wonderful lifelong memory.

[swellmomma]

I voted for the BC trip.

 

Victoria has a lovely "living" museum:

http://www.royalbcmu...ll/default.aspx

 

Science World in Vancouver is exciting:

http://www.scienceworld.ca/

 

Sidney (near Victoria) has an ocean discovery centre:

http://www.oceandisc....ca/events/info

 

Vancouver Island has caves to explore:

http://www.env.gov.b...rkpgs/horne_lk/

 

In Victoria you can tour an historic fort and lighthouse:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/...hill/index.aspx

 

Victoria also has castles to explore:

http://www.thecastle.ca/

http://www.hatleypark.ca/

 

Plus, you could learn to sail, kayak to sheltered coves, collect seashells and beach rocks, and experience the magic of the ocean.

 

Thanks for the links. I used to go to BC every summer for 2 weeks until I was 14 and old enough to be left home instead. I didn't list much for that adventure because there is so many places in my head to go see that unlike the ontario one I had not researched much. I had forgotten about Fort Rodd hill, we have pictures of me as a kid there, it would be cool to take the kids there and get pics of them too.

[swellmomma]

After creating an itinerary for adventures B and C and figuring out costs Plan B it is most of the costs balanced out but I forgot to account for ever rising gas prices. The distance for round trip adventure B is the same as for 1 way plan C which plus driving to attractions. Adventure C would be far more expensive due to gas costs.

 

So we are heading to BC for 21 days total vacation time and I think my itinerary has a good balance of touristy attractions and museums and simply hiking, beach time, tidepooling etc.

 

The one big expense will be for the 2 teens to go parasailing in Kelowna. They will do a tandem parasail, and we will buy the SD card of photos of their experience. The littles and I will keep our feet firmly planted on the beach.

 

The plan is lots of little attractions between here and Vancouver taking 4 nights, then 5 nights in Vancouver, 3 Nights in Victoria, then 5 nights in Rathtrevor provincial park up by Parksville. Then we are going to push to make the drive from Vancouver to Jasper in 1 day (8 hours, plus the time on the ferry from the Island first). Then 3 nights in Jasper before taking the 5 hour drive home and getting home on day 21.

 

Next week I will be reserving camping spots. Some of the campgrounds are already full for the summer, so must do this to ensure we get the places we want. I am so excited!

[TraceyS/FL]

Sounds awesome!!!!!!!

 

(Although, my parents STILL are talking about the Mint tour in Ottawa! :p )

 

Gee, do we get to see pictures?!?!

[Starr]

This will be a great trip, enjoy!

[swellmomma]

Sounds awesome!!!!!!!

 

(Although, my parents STILL are talking about the Mint tour in Ottawa! :p )

 

Gee, do we get to see pictures?!?!

 

 

the kids made me promise we will tot eh ontario trip before they graduate. We have 4 years to save up for it :)

[Eagle]

What a fabulous trip!

 

I parasailed on Okanagan Lake as a teen and it was unforgettable!

 

I would also make time for a trip to Lytton to raft the Thompson/Fraser Rivers. Our family has gone several times (with Kumsheen Rafting) and it is another memory-maker. I would give up a day in Vancouver for a day of rafting.

[Cinder]

I voted #2 because it sounds more like a vacation that *I'd* enjoy. I'm not a high energy kind of person, though.

 

I got tired just reading #3. It would be good, though, if you're all high energy types and love to go-go-go. A couple years ago we took 10 days to do a Grand Canyon and surrounding areas trip. It was good but after 9 days everyone was done and ready to go home. Seems like 7 days is max for us. :tongue_smilie:

 

Enjoy your vacation, whatever you decide!

[lmrich]

Are you super woman? Those all Sound incredible and tiring! Your kids are so lucky!

[Mrs. Darinski]

I'm from Ontario and I would have picked your BC trip as well. It sounds like it has a more natural flow to it. And I've never been to the west. With all the Ontario sites you wanted to see, I don't think you would have enough time to see them all, especially after factoring in travel time. You mentioned wanting to see the sites in Ottawa - we were just there for our 15th wedding anniversary! We had been there on our honeymoon and went back this time with our son. Our nation's capitol is a great and interesting place to visit. But then you mentioned going to Lake Superior.... That is a huge distance. From where I live, Ottawa is 6 1/2 hours by car to the east of us. From where I live to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior is at least an 18 hour car ride to the north... All the places you mentioned are great to see, but some are very stretched out. Casa Loma is great too, by the way! It's only 2 hours south of us. ;)

 

The animal place you mentioned may have been the African Lion Safari between Hamilton and Cambridge. It's a pretty cool place too!

 

Maybe we should house swap! I love animals! I'll come watch your pets and you can come here and go site seeing! :001_smile: Where do you live again? :seeya:

 

I look forward to hearing about your Western trip and hope you and your family have a great time! (And remember...we have no penny now. You can still use it as legal tender, but you won't receive any in your return change. Every thing either rounds up or down, unless you pay by debit - then the price doesn't change.)

[swellmomma]

I'm from Ontario and I would have picked your BC trip as well. It sounds like it has a more natural flow to it. And I've never been to the west. With all the Ontario sites you wanted to see, I don't think you would have enough time to see them all, especially after factoring in travel time. You mentioned wanting to see the sites in Ottawa - we were just there for our 15th wedding anniversary! We had been there on our honeymoon and went back this time with our son. Our nation's capitol is a great and interesting place to visit. But then you mentioned going to Lake Superior.... That is a huge distance. From where I live, Ottawa is 6 1/2 hours by car to the east of us. From where I live to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior is at least an 18 hour car ride to the north... All the places you mentioned are great to see, but some are very stretched out. Casa Loma is great too, by the way! It's only 2 hours south of us. ;)

 

The animal place you mentioned may have been the African Lion Safari between Hamilton and Cambridge. It's a pretty cool place too!

 

Maybe we should house swap! I love animals! I'll come watch your pets and you can come here and go site seeing! :001_smile: Where do you live again? :seeya:

 

I look forward to hearing about your Western trip and hope you and your family have a great time! (And remember...we have no penny now. You can still use it as legal tender, but you won't receive any in your return change. Every thing either rounds up or down, unless you pay by debit - then the price doesn't change.)

 

 

Well the seeing lake superior was an easy one, I have to drive past it to get to Ottawa since I am in Alberta. As a kid I used to go to BC but my parents would drive from Edmonton stright through to courtney in 1 day, no sightseeing, and they don't like museums etc so we didn't do a lot of that stuff. So it will be a good trip. I have never travelled much further than the sask border, though I guess as a kid we once drove through regina and saskatchewan, doing a loop and then returning back to edmonton, I don't remember it though. Heck I only went to the calgary zoo for the first time 3 years ago and it was only 3 hours from my my whole life. Any and all adventures are exciting and I want to take in as much as possible while on them. Making up for lost time or something. Ottawa is 38 hours drive from me, so I figured if I was going to drive that far I was going to do as much as humanly possible. Driving from the west my plan had been to skim through sask and man as fast as possible, we had to drive right past Lake Superior so we would have been fine stopping off. We were going to do Ottawa first, then as we worked our way to Toronto do a couple of the stops in those towns, do Toronto, then Niagara, then head south to Buffalo, NY and start driving west again looping under lake michigan because then I could say we saw all 5 great lakes and it shortened the drive home by 5 hours, being only 33 hours on the drive home via that route. The trip would have included 3 provinces and 4 states. But it will have to wait.

 

I am excited about the BC trip too as are the kids. Now to figure out who to hire to pet sit our reptile zoo without advertising that we will be away.

 

On the whole I don't feel like a highly energetic person, my health has slowed me down this year by a lot but all 4 kids are and if they are kept busy they don't have time to find ways to get into trouble and ruin it.