Canada Travel

Just outside of Calgary, Airdrie, or Cochrane Alberta is Big Hill Springs Park.

The provincial park is for camping and day use only and is just a few minutes from Cochrane in the west on Highway 567 also known as Big Hill Springs Road.

From Airdrie to the east it is only a 20 minute drive.

So What Can You See At Big Hill Springs Park?

Big Hill Springs Provincial park is just a couple kilometers off the highway and when you enter it you can walk along the side of a nice stream. There is a bit of a walk around on a lower level and then you can hike up the hills around.

https://youtu.be/Bju_Nz_0JG0

Big Hill Springs Park is great for kids as well as the hills are not a big hike and my 13 and 16 year olds have had no problems going around all of the park.

The video above was done in the middle of Winter and the conditions and sights are definitely different than Summer

Big Hill Springs Park is good in winter as well as summer but of course as with most out of our city parks it is not maintained at all. The parking lot seems to be occasionally cleared and plowed in the Winter but the park itself is untouched which to me is fantastic and very rustic.

The great hiking trails are covered in snow and getting around can be a little slippery but the upside is that it is really really quiet and there are still creeks and a waterfall to see.

One of the great things about Big Hill Springs Park is a waterfall and stream that are inside the park and the small waterfall is nice all times of the year.

The Summer is of course a lot busier. I think that this is the closest place that you can really get out of Calgary and into nature and people do flock there. The lower area on a summer day can be busy with kids playing in the freezing cold creek, families having picnics, and even couples getting wedding photos done.

Once you walk down the pathway a bit though it gets quieter. As with any large park anyone that goes a bit farther away from the main area is treated with quiet and nature undisturbed,

There is a long pathway that goes across the park, up a hill, across, and then back down. Probably 45 minutes to an hour long and not too tough but really pretty with lots of different trees, foliage, and even some wildlife although I haven’t personally seen more than squirrels myself 🙂

No matter what age you family is I think that you will find Big Hill Springs Provincial Park as a nice park to visit, quite quiet, and has lots of little picnic spots and trees to shield the heat and bright light of summer.

 

On the weekend I took the kids to Glenbow Museum here in Calgary and all three of us had a great time.

Glenbow is a museum in the downtown core of Calgary and although it is super expensive to park there during the workweek it is really cheap ($5 cheap) to park for a few hours downtown on the weekend.

So on Saturday we headed downtown for a few hours and spent about three hours down at Glenbow and learned, enjoyed, and were cultured up.

We live in Airdrie, which is a smallish town just north of Calgary and so right after lunch we drove downtown, found some indoor parking, walked through the plus 15 (an elevated indoor walkway that goes between buildings downtown, and made our way to the entrance to the Glenbow Museum.

Entrance Fee and Layout of Glenbow Museum

The cost to get into Glenbow is pretty good. It is $16 for adults and $10 for school aged kids. There is also a deal for a family for $40 but we didn’t have to take advantage of that with just the three of us.

We had a coupon for a free adult when going with a kid so for the three of us it was only $20 – that was great! 🙂

The Glenbow Museum is actually in 4 floors of a downtown building so each floor has a few sections and there is a big old circular staircase that takes you between floors. – Or an elevator for accessibility.

As with any Museum there are changes going on and new installations happening all the time. While we were there we had the following to see

1st floor – Gift shop, snacks, and lockers, also a popup museum of the Calgary Police Service

2nd floor – Asian religions exhibit, Civilizing the Northwest

3rd floor – History and Mavericks of Alberta, Indian and indigenous history of Alberta

4th floor – Rocks and minerals of North America with a specialty on our area, Celebration of achievement of West Africa, 5 centuries of warriors (always a big hit with the boys).

Our Trip To Glenbow

The great thing about Glenbow Museum for families is that here is a lot of hands on and interactive sections. You get a lot of the classic “museum pieces behind glass” and then lots of little video pieces and short movies, and things to touch. Actually I believe every kid in school in Calgary ends up there once or twice in their school career.

We certainly had a great time over the three hours that we spent at the museum.  We each had our favorite parts with my son and I really liking the religious sculptures and artifacts from Asia. Some of the sculptures went back 1700 years. My daughter loved the Alberta history and the gems and mineral area.

We were exhausted by the end. It was a lot of fun with a 13 year old boy and 16 year old girl at the museum. I remember going to the Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller years ago and having my son, then 8 years old looking at the map like a maze and racing through. This in contrast was a lot slower and enjoyable.

One last thing. My 13 year old son is a vlogger, he has a camera and records a lot of our outings around town and he made a great video on our trip with highlights of what we saw and enjoyed at the Museum. Check it out.

https://youtu.be/-uORWORfYwg

If you are visiting Calgary the Glenbow is a great place to go to with a family. Sometimes in the Summer the temperature can get quite hot out and of course the weather can be bone chilling in the Winter so anytime of year is a good time for the Glenbow museum.

West Edmonton Mall has a lot to see. My family lives in Calgary and we are about a 3 hour drive from Edmonton so a couple of weeks back we took a trip down to Edmonton just for the opportunity to go to West Edmonton Mall.

West Edmonton Mall is the biggest shopping mall in the world and is definitely a destination weekend trip and we had a good time, with a couple of exceptions.

West Edmonton Mall Highlights

So when you go to a shopping mall you are supposed to shop. And shop we did for about 3 hours. Actually West Edmonton mall is huge and there are even multiples of the same stores in the mall. The mall was originally built in 1981 and it is really starting to look dated although there is always a turnover of stores to keep things fresh.

On this trip the new Victoria Secret store had just opened and unbelievably there were lineups to go in and buy lingerie (strange to me). The stores are a real mix with upscale and downscale as there is a lot of stores, about 800, in the mall.

There are a few big attractions in West Edmonton Mall. There is an indoor amusement park, the worlds biggest indoor waterpark, a seal and fish exhibit, a big pirate ship, indoor mini gold, and a public ice rink.

Because of all the secondary attractions a trip to West Edmonton mall can be expensive. I can only speak for my family but we had to choose on the Saturday between going to the amusement park ($32.95/person) or the Indoor Waterpark (also 32.95/person). We shose the waterpark and had a fantastic day riding down all the waterslides and playing in the wave pool.

We also spent some time in the middle of the day in the Marine Life Park, which was $26 for the family and saw not only the sea lion show but also the feeding of the sharks and a touch and feel tank that the kids got to feel stingrays and sea cucumbers and stuff.

Accommodations and Food at West Edmonton Mall

This was a real falling down for us. Both the food and the hotel itself.

We stayed in a regular room in the Fantasyland Hotel. The Fantasyland Hotel is attached to the mall and was built at the same time as the mall. The themed rooms are neat looking but kind of small.

Our plain old regular room was still $235 a night and did not even include free wifi, the rooms were dated and it was just a regular hotel to us. Fantasyland did have a package though that included 2 free tickets to the waterpark so we did take advantage of that.

I was very disappointed with the hotel overall though for the cost. You can stay within a block for less than or around $100 per night which is a much better deal for any family.

The West Edmonton Mall has a huge food area but it is the same only greasy expensive food that you find in the food fait at any mall in any city and that is where we ended up eating. In retrospect there are many much better choices.

One of the ideas built into the mall are themed areas. There is a New Orleans Bourbon Street type area, a European street and there is a nice mix of restaurants instead of crappy fast food that you can eat instead.

With the kids it is always so hit and miss though that it drives me crazy trying to find good food that they will eat at a decent price.

Overall our trip to West Edmonton Mall although fun was expensive compared to most weekends. My wife who controls our money groused about the cost of “just a weekend” but it was really nice to get out of town and check it out.

You can learn more about West Edmonton Mall at the Mall website.

There is such a “wow” factor about Vancouver Island.

There are big vistas, like the one atop Mount Washington. There are impressive mountain ranges, like the jagged Mackenzie Range. With more than 2,100 miles of coastline, there are choices of water views, such as the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean or the island-studded Johnstone Strait.

But visitors can find plenty of hidden gems on this island of more than 12,400 square miles, the largest island on North America’s west coast. My family and I discovered some great places, despite the limited size. And if young children are among the travelers, an hour or two at these locales are well spent. Here are some worth including on a family vacation itinerary.

Ucluelet Aquarium

Where: Ucluelet, B.C., south of the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west side of the island.

The attraction: There are bigger living rooms than this diminutive operation, but it’s all about the creatures and the kids.

What we liked: The kids got wet, they learned something new and they had fun. They have touch tanks and aquariums filled with sea stars, sculpins, crabs, a Pacific octopus, anemones, rockfish, jellyfish, sea slug, pipefish, coho salmon fry and more. All the creatures come from nearby Barkley and Clayoquot sounds, and are returned at the end of the summer.

The young staff of volunteers is eager to get kids to touch the underside of a sea star or touch the tentacles of an anemone. “I’ll touch it if you touch it,” was the common challenge among visitors.

And that’s the idea, said curator Dave Hurwitz. “When you make it fun, kids will learn. That’s what we’re all about.”

Inside scoop: The place was crowded on the rainy morning we visited. Now that permits have been issued to allow construction in the intertidal zone, the aquarium is moving forward with plans for a new building. Hurwitz said he is going to invite architecture students from a Victoria university to submit designs for the building. The goal is to have the new building open by 2010.

Cost: $5 per adult and $2 per child.

Information: www.uclueletaquarium.org

Museum at Campbell River

Where: At the south end of Campbell River, B.C., on Highway 19A

The attraction: A museum that focuses on the local history of this town on the island’s east side.

What we liked: This award-winning facility, celebrating its 50th anniversary, could serve as a model for small-town museums. Visitors are first introduced to the history of the First Nation people who lived in the region. From the First Nation gallery, exhibits led us through the growth of the logging and fishing industries, the community’s development and the rise of recreational salmon fishing and the gamed Tyee Club.

Among the movies at the museum is one about Ripple Rock. With its top just feet below the surface, the rock made the south end of Seymour Passage one of the most dangerous waterways in British Columbia. The movie detailed the amazing engineering feat in which tunnels were dug underneath the twin spires and then filled with explosives. The top of Ripple Rock was lowered in 1958 by as much as 61 feet by what the movies call the world’s largest non-atomic explosion. There is a viewpoint off the highway north of town that overlooks the passage.

Inside scoop: There is a great display of First Nation masks that are used to illustrate the narrated story of “The Treasures of Siwidi.” Robert Ostler Park downtown offers views of the busy harbor and Discovery Passage. They playground is a great place to let the young ones burn off energy before a picnic lunch.

Cost: $6 adults, $4 students or $15 for a family (2 adults and children younger than 19)

Information: www.crmuseum.ca

Sproat Lake

Where: On Highway 4, 15 minutes west of Port Alberni, B.C.

The attraction: There is Sproat Lake Provincial Park that has a good beach, picnic area, campground and petroglyphs and the nearby Coulson Flying Tankers, the world’s largest firefighting bombers.

What we liked: Be sure to do the short hike to the petroplyphs. There are nine images in a rock wall just above the waterline. A small dock gives visitors a good view but also protects the images by keeping people back. Little is known about the images, known as K’ak’awin, most of which depict sea creatures.

Coulson, a private firefighting operation, flies two World War II-vintage Martin Mars flying boats. The planes, with 200-feet wingspans, can carry 7,200 gallons of water or foam. When not in service, you can tour the planes at the lakeside headquarters. The small visitor center is filled with photos of the planes in action, and there are two videos to watch.

Inside scoop: Of the seven Mars planes built during the war, only two remain, Hawaii Mars and Philippines Mars. When we were there, the Hawaii Mars was fighting fires in California. Gift shop prices seemed high.

Cost: Day fees at the park differ depending on how long you stay, but $3 will give you plenty of time. Plane tours are $10 a person, but the visitor center is free.

Information: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks, www.martinmars.com

MacMillan Provincial Park

Where: On Highway 4, about 10 mile east of Port Alberni, B.C.

The attraction: The small park is home to Cathedral Grove with its stand of 800-year-old Douglas firs.

What we liked: It was hard to grasp the scale and the ages of these giant trees. The largest Douglas firs measure more than 29.5 feet in circumference. There are plenty of places for kids to climb and crawl among the trees. But the park is more than big trees; we saw plenty of snails and slugs. The Cameron River flows along on edge of the park, leading to Cameron Lake. There is a picnic area just east of the park on the lake.

Inside scoop: A trail on the south end of the park is closed because several bridges were washed out by flooding. The park is on both sides of the busy highway so be cautious when crossing. Parking can be at a premium on busy days, so be sure your vehicle is well off the road if you’re not in the main parking lot.

Cost: Free

Information: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks

Whale Interpretive Center

Where: Telegraph Cove, 15 minutes from Port McNeill, B.C., at the north end of Johnstone Strait.

The attraction: A great place to learn about the creatures that live in the nearby waters and the environmental and human challenges they face.

What we liked: This is the kind of place where you can let the kids go and know they will learn something, have fun and not get lost. The staff was very attentive, answering all the questions a visitor might have, regardless of age. The museum has an impressive display of full skeltons, including an orca, Dall’s porpoise, fin whale, bald eagle and a cougar.

Suspended from the ceiling, the 65-foot skeleton of a fin whale that was struck and killed by a cruise ship in 1999 dominates the museum. Fin whales are second in size to blue whales.

There also is a set of blue whale jaw bones that stretch from the floor to the ceiling almost two stories above visitors.

Inside scoop: The museum’s core message came through loud and clear. “One of our goals here is to educate the public that we can do things to protect the whales,” said museum guide Calida MacKenzie. “The good news is we are slowly learning, we just need to learn more. Every person can make a difference.”

Cost: By donation

Information: www.killerwhalecentre.org

Old Country Market

Where: On Highway 4A in Coombs, B.C., not far from the popular destination of Parksville.

The attraction: Homemade pastries, bread, Cornish pasties and ice cream.

What we liked: OK, the goats on the grass-covered roof is pure kitsch, but the goodies inside are well worth the stop. So good, in fact, that we managed to stop three times while traveling around the island. We are fans of Cornish pasties, and the small ones sold made for a perfect lunch. They also had Jamaican patties, brioche, steak and kidney pies and African samosas. We also enjoyed the market’s desserts, such as fruit tarts, eclairs and hazelnut ganache-covered brownies. The lines were long in front of the ice cream counter featuring more than 20 flavors.

Inside scoop: A fun way to pass the time is to eat your ice cream outdoors and count the number of times a kid jumps out of the way after an adult says that the water trickling from the roof is really coming from the business end of the goats. There are a number of souvenier shops in the complex.

Cost: Depends on what you buy

Information: www.oldcountrymarket.com

Alert Bay

Where: On Cormorant Island across Boughton Strait from Port McNeill, B.C.

The attraction: The island is the home of the Namgis (pronounced Namm-geese) First Nation. Places to visit include the U’mista Cultural Center and what is called the tallest totem pole in the world at 173 feet high.

What we liked: Our plans to visit the cultural center, featuring tribal masks and ceremonial regalia, were scrapped when there was a power outage on island shortly before our ferry arrived. But we did get to meet wood carver Johnathan Henderson, who is part of a well-known family of First Nation artists and has works at The Legacy gallery in Seattle.

The power outage forced Henderson outdoors to work on a large red cedar mask. When it’s completed, he plans to mount it on a carved circle of cedar measuring 46 inches across.

Inside scoop: Head for the cultural center first, especially if you are going to walk. It’s about 15 minutes from the ferry terminal. A cemetery featuring a number of totem poles is in the other direction.

Cost: The ferry was $30.50 for two adults and two children to walk on.

Admission to the center is $5 for adults, seniors and students and $1 for children younger than 12.

Information: www.umista.org

Vancouver Island Info Sources

Books

“The Essential Vancouver Island Outdoor Recreation Guide” by John Kimantas (Whitecap Books). Lots of good information on island parks.

“Hidden British Columbia: Including Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler” by Eric Lucas (Ulysses Press). Offered plenty of information on towns and things to see.

“Backroad Mapbook Vancouver Island, B.C.” This is the Canadian eqivalent to the DeLorme Gazetteers so popular with outdoors types here in the United States.

“Frommer’s Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands & the San Juan Islands” by Chris McBeath (Frommer’s). Your standard Frommer’s guide, very formulaic.

The most notable and famous site to visit is probably the Canadian Parliament Buildings.  Parliament Hill, or “The Hill” as locals call it, is a scenic spot on the banks of the Ottawa River on Wellington Street in the downtown area.

The architecture of the Canadian parliament buildings is impressive in its Gothic Revival style, and the suite of buildings has served as the home of the Parliament of Canada since 1857.

Three Parts of Parliament Buildings

The best known building is the Centre Block with its national symbol of the Peace Tower.  This building houses the House of Commons and the Senate.

Visitors can watch either chamber in action from the visitor galleries at the Canadian parliament, take a tour of the building, or go up the Peace Tower for a spectacular view of the city.  The Peace Tower also houses the Memorial Chamber which honours Canada’s war dead.

The East Block of the Canadian Parliament Buildings looks much the same now as it did in the time of Confederation.  You can tour the restored offices of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, and other early statesmen, and you can interact with historical characters from that period.

The other building of the Canadian parliament buildings, the West Block, which houses offices for members of parliament is closed to the public.

When to go to Canada Parliament Buildings

One of the best times to visit Parliament Hill would be on Canada Day, July 1^st, where many activities take place, including street parties, live music, performing and athletic shows, an air show performing aerial manoeuvres over Parliament Hill, the RCMP Musical Ride, and a major fireworks event.

There are children’s activities from face painting and crafts to poster competitions, as well as cooking demonstrations, art shows and comedy reviews.  It is a fun grand event that is well worth attending.

From the Ottawa airport it is a short drive to downtown Ottawa and then the Canadian parliament buildings are just a short walk from downtown. Give yourself lots of time to look around, picnic and hopefully even see parliament in session.