Heavenly Holiday with kids

Some friends just got back from an incredible holiday in southern California. They rented a 3000-sq-ft family beach house in San Clemente, mid-way between Los Angeles and San Diego. The house was extremely child-friendly as the owners have 4 children of their own. Our friends' two young children were in heaven in the children's playroom and art room complete with toys, games, a piano and even two indoor swings. Mum and dad were happy with the state of the art kitchen, the excellent choice of local restaurants and stores, and the surfboards that are available for guests to use. Disneyland and Legoland were only 25 minutes away and the beach, a short 5-minute stroll. While the house doesn't come cheap (it sleeps 12 after all), our friends said it was worth every penny. Their kids were in floods of tears when it was time to pack up and head home.

It's not always easy finding a kid-friendly vacation home that everyone can enjoy, but I have to admit to being a little green with envy at the reports of this amazing house!

Summer in the Pass

Are you looking for a family friendly adventure this summer and want to try something new? Then head to the Crowsnest Pass -- I highly recommend it. My family has a cabin there and we escape south a couple of times a month to unwind away from the city.


I wrote about my top 10 favourite summer things to do in the Pass in the upcoming July/August edition of Calgary's Child. Here they are in short form. For the full text, pick up a Calgary's Child magazine.
- Tour the Bellevue Mine
- Visit the Hillcrest Mine disaster
- Walk the Frank Slide trail
- Hike the historic Miner's Path
- Cool off at the Flummerfelt water park
- Munch on a warm cinnamon bun at the Cinnamon Bear Cafe
- Go fly-fishing on the Crowsnest River
- Tour the Crowsnest Museum
- Picnic at Chinook Lake
- Enjoy Rum Runner Days from July 16 to 19

...and remember to pack the sunscreen!

Travel Alberta Family mag

If you are visiting Alberta this summer or live here and plan to take a vacation close to home, then take a peek at the new edition of Travel Alberta's STAY Family magazine. It's packed with great ideas for things to do with kids in southern Alberta.

Click here to download the pdf (it's a big file - about 11 mb - so may take a while).

Still dreaming of Tofino

My family and I just got back from a fabulous, sunny week in Tofino. We had such an amazing time there last June that we decided to head back there this year. We stay at the Crystal Cove Beach Resort on Mackenzie Beach -- a resort that is absolutely perfect for children. Our 2-bed log cabin was right on the beach -- a long, sheltered sandy beach that is almost deserted this time of year. There are loads of starfish-filled rock pools to discover and the waves are small, just right for toddlers and pre-schoolers to splash about in.

The resort has its own hand-hewn wood children's playground including an old boat to clamber on. The cabins come with a fully equipped kitchen, TV and a log fireplace with plenty of wood. The resort also caters to campers and RVs.

Tofino is a 5 hour drive from Victoria so we prefer to fly to Vancouver then take the ferry to Nanaimo. (We spotted a pod of orcas on the way there and dolphins on the way back.) From there it's a 2.5 to 3 hour scenic drive. We rented our baby gear from Wee Travel in Vancouver who delivered to the airport for us.

Highlights from our travels include:
- enjoying the views from the sun deck of the ferry
- exploring the rock pools on Mackenzie Beach
- making elaborate sand castles
- brunch at the Common Loaf bakery in Tofino
- exploring the Botanic Gardens
- hiking the Schooner Cove boardwalk
- boat trip to Meares Island
- massage at the Wikaninnish Inn (mum's special treat)

We'll be back next year for sure. If I can wait that long :o)

Calgary's Amazing Attractions

The Travel Alberta web site just announced some summer coupons and special deals for Calgary. By signing up for a holiday card (which is free) you can take advantage of some great deals at some of the best family friendly attractions in the city. For example, you can enjoy 50% off admission for up to four people at Calaway Park. And there are similar deals for the Calgary Zoo, TELUS World of Science, the Aero Space Museum and more.

25 best campgrounds in Canada

If you're planning a family camping trip this summer, check out this article from Today's Parent on the 25 best campgrounds in Canada.

If you're heading to a national park, visit the Parks Canada online campground reservation service to reserve a spot ahead of time.

Here at Little Traveller, we rent out the Peapod travel bed to families with little children in the Calgary area. The compact pop-up tent has mesh sides for added bug protection and an inflatable mattress. It's suitable from 0 to 12 months. Visit LittleTraveller.ca for more portable equipment ideas for camping trips.

Pit Stops with Kids

It's not always the case (I can think of a couple of memorable exceptions!), but half the fun of a family trip is often the journey there and back. Especially if your kids are very small (so they sleep the whole time!) or old enough to enjoy some lively family discussions that you don't get around to having at home. There are also plenty of adventures to be had along the way, especially if you know where to look.

Next time you are planning a road trip through the US, check out the recommendations on Pitstopsforkids.com. This super-useful site provides reviews of kid-friendly places to rest, eat and play searchable by state, airport or interstate. Most of the reviews so far are for Oregon, Washington and California but they are expanding coverage.

The site doesn't have any recommendations yet for Canada but is hoping to expand northwards. So next time you head out on a road trip, make a note of where you stop and send in your reviews (details here). They also accept reviews of airports around the world.

What a great resource this will be for travelling families when we have all the major routes in Canada covered!

Heritage Park in the news

Exciting things are afoot at Heritage Park. This weekend (May 9/10) is your last chance to visit Thomas the Tank Engine who has rolled into Calgary for a visit. There are limited tickets available at the gate (advance tickets are sold out).

Heritage Park recently unveiled its new $65 million expansion. With the addition of Heritage Town Square, the park now covers 127 acres on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir. From May 16 to September 7 the historical village is open daily and is a great spot for a family day out. The new additions such as the interactive Gasoline Alley Museum give families more "all weather" options at the park. So you don't have to change your plans when one of Calgary's infamous spring storms rolls into town...

Holiday Card offer

The Holiday Card from Travel Alberta is free and gives you access to hundreds of special deals on accommodation, attractions and activities throughout the province. As part of its sweet summer deals promotion, Little Traveller is offering all Holiday Card carrying customers 10% off their rentals from May to September.

Little Traveller is a baby equipment rental company in Calgary. Visit our web site for a run down of all our sweet summer deals.

Add more fun and culture to your next family holiday

My husband and I both did postgraduate research at university. It's left us with an incurable desire to research everything. If we watch a movie based on a real event, we read up on it afterwards to find out more about the event. When we plan a holiday, we delve into the history of the place. We don't overplan the trip itself because it's fun to discover the sights when you get there, but we like to have a grasp of the culture and even the language. We went to Zanzibar on our honeymoon and spent the months leading up to our wedding learning some Swahili so we could interact with the hotel staff and perhaps meet a few local people -- which we did. Our best memories of the trip come from these interactions.

We plan on continuing this approach to travelling with our chidren in tow. Of course we can't make them learn the local dialect but then children don't seem to let a little language barrier get in the way of a good playdate on the swings. And we won't force feed them culture -- there are more subtle ways of enjoying a foreign travel experience with kids. Check out this great blog posting written by Debbie Dubrow on the blog www.Travel-Rants.com: Adding fun and culture to your next holiday.

CARES harness for children with special needs

The CARES airplane harness can be a very useful tool for families flying with children that have special needs. If your child is in the 22-44 lb weight bracket and has physical disabilities, check with your doctor or physical therapist to determine whether the harness will provide sufficient upper body support. If you get the green light, check your bulky car seat and carry the little 6" CARES stuff sack on board instead.

For children with autism or related issues, the CARES harness has been successful in providing a level of security beyond what the lap belt alone does, and families that have used it say that it helps to keep their child calmer during the flight.

For more information on flying with children with special needs, check out this About.com web page that has relevant links to the major airlines.

Little Traveller baby equipment rentals in Calgary sells and rents the CARES harnesses (we ship within Canada). Visit our website for more information or call us at 1-877-242-4067.

The Mother of all Packing Lists

Packing for a family vacation takes a lot of preparation. I take the opposite approach to my husband and start making lists of things to remember weeks before I go, but I'm a serial list maker (and I tend to get very excited about upcoming trips). Here are a few websites with packing lists you can print out to help take the strain:

The website www.HaveBabyWillTravel.com has a pretty inclusive packing list to help you in this mammoth task. Consider renting the last four items on the list when you arrive at your destination, if that's an option.

There are a number of tailored packing lists at About.com including a Disney packing list and a camping packing list.

Listorganizer.com has a form to print and fill out so you can personalize your list according to baby's needs and the length of your trip.

For help with what to take pack in your carry on, check out www.havebabywilltravel.com again as well as the US Transportion Secutiry Administration's advice page, and the Canadian equivalent with a detailed list of what is and isn't permitted in carry on baggage.

Happy travels!

Why rent baby gear?

Renting baby equipment makes sense for many reasons. Here are the most common reasons people call Little Traveller:

- I like the convenience of travelling light knowing that I can rent what I need in Calgary
- My young nieces and nephews/grandchildren are coming for a visit
- I need a car seat for my rental car
- I want to rent a CARES harness to keep my child safe on our next flight
- I need some gear to keep tabs on my errant toddler at the airport or Disneyland
- I’m having a party and I need some extra highchairs
- I need some toys to keep my little one amused at the hotel
- I want my toddler to sleep in a sturdy full-sized crib
- I need some child-friendly equipment to take my kids hiking or camping
- I’ve relocated to Calgary and I need to rent some equipment until my container arrives
- I’d really like to try out a piece of expensive equipment before I buy one

All our equipment is new, clean and CSA approved. We monitor for safety recalls and safety inspect every item between uses. For a complete listing of our gear, visit www.littletraveller.ca/equipment

A few of my favourite things...

Is there a book or CD in your collection that you wouldn't leave home without?
Here are my favourite ways to entertain the under 5s when travelling. They've all stood the test of time and then some.

1. Best kids music CD: Sharon, Lois & Bram Sing A to Z
Even grown ups love this CD. There's a clever mix of musical styles and a such a range of music that I promise you won't tire of hearing it. The vocals and musical arrangements on the 34 tracks are top notch.

2. Best audio book: Little Beaver and the Echo
A lovely story about making new friends. The CD has additional songs and activities. Great for a road trip when you need a break from Sharon, Lois and Bram.

3. Best book for long airplane journeys (for ages 3+): Puzzle Castle by Usborne Books
This great picture puzzle book keeps little minds entertained for longer than you'd think possible. All the Usborne puzzle books are great -- we bought the big bind-up edition and it's been a huge success in our house. Our 4 year old has "read" them over and over.

If you have some firm family favourites, let me know by adding a comment to this posting. I'll post a list of the top 10.

Disney special from clickthemouse.ca

I've blogged about clickthemouse.ca before because I love their expertise and great service. They have a new offer that's sure to help combat those winter blues. Until March 29, when you purchase a 4-night Walt Disney Travel Company "Magic Your Way" package you get an additional 3 nights for free. Details of the offer (with sample pricing) and the applicable dates can be found here.

Happy Valentines!

I love this photo. It conveys all that is sweet and innocent and fun about being a kid on Valentine's Day. My daughter got some Valentines in the mail yesterday which pleased her no end. She LOVES getting mail so I'm going to sign her up for Happy Mail for Kids which ships out a fun-filled, colourful package each month. Here's a tip next time you travel: buy a stash of extra postcards and address them to your little ones. Write a little note about the picture on the card that will remind her of your holiday and put them in the mail towards the end of your trip. She'll love getting the mail when you get home and remembering the happy times. Happy Family Day long weekend everyone!

Calgary to Amsterdam

Some welcome news for anyone planning a trip to Europe... KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Airlines have announced they will offer nonstop service five times a week between Calgary and Amsterdam's Schipol Airport beginning May 3. These flights offer connections to more than 65 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.