Travel

Fun Family Activities To Try on a 2-Day Vacation to Banff National Park

April 17, 2018 by Kathryn 16 Comments

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the picturesque town of Banff. Nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, it’s like a secret passageway into the wild world beyond. As a child, I stopped there with my parents on the way to visit family in B.C. As a teenager, I set out to explore the town with a car full of friends. And now, as an adult, I have the chance to introduce my boys to the spot that holds so many memories for me.

And if there’s a great spot for a family vacation, it’s Banff National Park! That’s why my husband and I recently decided to spend a few days exploring the town and surrounding area. And if you’re planning a trip of your own, these activities are perfect for families:

1) Climb to the Top of Tunnel Mountain

A trip to Banff National Park wouldn’t be complete without climbing to the top of a mountain! This climb is on the outskirts of Banff and while there are some tough stretches, it’s easily done with children. Just make sure to bring plenty of water and a few snacks! At the top, climbers are rewarded with a picturesque view of the town of Banff and the nearby mountains. [Read more…]

Five Stunning Locations For A Much-Needed Health Retreat

April 6, 2018 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Life can get stressful. In fact, it does get stressful and from time to time, we can find ourselves yelling a hearty “I need a break!” Well, I’m here to tell you that you do, and it’s a very well-deserved one at that! What I’m also here to tell you, however, is to consider setting aside the sunny beach holiday with all of its sandy towels and awkward sunburn, and swapping it in for a health retreat. A holiday focused on you, your well-being and your health is exactly what the body and mind need when the going gets tough. Wondering where to go? Check out my personal top five of the hundreds of locations you could choose from!

Istanbul, Turkey

While Istanbul is rife with spa resorts to enjoy, I actually suggest that you bypass the resorts completely and just enjoy Istanbul on your very own city break. Home to some of the world’s best medical tourism, you could find yourself getting the best hair transplant Istanbul has to offer, and walking out the very same day to enjoy some of the finest food and most exciting tourist destinations within the city. Of course, if you do want to opt for a spa resort or at least a luxurious hotel, you could try out the Titanic City Hotel, or maybe the luxurious Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel! [Read more…]

Tokyo with Kids? 10 Things to Do

April 4, 2018 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Visiting Toyko is a dream of mine, so I was thrilled when Tiffany of AsiaTravelBug offered to share her top ten things to do in Tokyo with kids. If you’re planning on making a trip to Tokyo with your family, make sure to put a few of these activities on your itinerary!

Tokyo is one of the world’s largest cities, and it is full of many exciting adventures for you and your kids. With so many things to do, it may be overwhelming to try and narrow down your list of adventures. But one of the best things about the city is that there are so many different activities available, rain or shine. Whether you are visiting for a day or a week, there are plenty of attractions to keep you and your little ones happy and entertained. Here are ten great ideas to get you started!

Enjoy a Full Day at Hanayashiki

This amusement park is the oldest one in Japan. There are entertainment aspects for both parents and kids. The park is located near a temple, and there are numerous restaurants and souvenir shops within the park. You can visit for a couple hours, or make a full day out of this one location. This park is great for small children because it is rather small, and they won’t have to walk nearly as much as in other amusement parks in Tokyo. [Read more…]

A Day in Dublin – Seeing the Best the City has to Offer in Less than 24 Hours

February 28, 2018 by Kathryn 9 Comments

When my husband and I flew into Dublin to spend ten blissful days exploring the country of Ireland, we knew we were in for an incredible experience. And I couldn’t have been happier that our journey started near the capitol, so that we would get the chance to spend a day in Dublin before we headed off across the country.

day-in-dublin-castle-hotel — Checking out the view from the balcony in our castle hotel room!

Our castle hotel was in the Dalkey region and on our first day, we napped to get over our jetlag and then spent the rest of the day wandering through the picturesque spot. The quaint shops, ocean view and towering Dalkey Castle had us falling in love with Ireland immediately. But we were even more excited to dive into the heart of Dublin the next day, and we planned our excursion carefully so that we’d be able to make the most of our visit.

Getting Around

Even though we had a rental car, we were informed at once that driving in downtown Dublin is not a great idea. The streets are just too crowded, and parking is minimal. Instead, we took the DART to the downtown station and then got passes for the Dublin Hop on Hop off Bus Tour. This tour travels to over twenty different spots, visiting all the most popular landmarks in the city. And, as an added bonus, the bus features a tour guide that shares facts about the city and its top attractions along the way. [Read more…]

Tips for Traveling with 2 Under 2

February 23, 2018 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Traveling with kids is a challenge, and that’s especially true with two kids. When both are also under two years old…well, let’s just say challenging probably isn’t a strong enough word! Today Katelynn from Hampers and Hiccups is sharing her tips and tricks for making traveling with 2 under 2 just a little bit easier!

When I was pregnant with our second baby, my husband and I were considering taking a trip over to Wales, UK to see my aunt and her family before Sweet Girl turns 2. This would put us in the air with 2 under 2 for, oh, about a million hours. It’s a long trip from our home in Saskatchewan to their doorstep in Wrexham.

While we were still chewing this over, my father-in-law brought up the idea of taking the entire family down to Maricopa, Arizona. The timeline was the same as our dream trip! All these conversations were taking place before we even had a second baby, but I was sure we’d be able to do some traveling with a rambunctious toddler and a 6-month-old. So, we agreed to the Arizona trip and decided to save Wales for another year. When we head off, Sweet Girl will be 23 months old, and Pip 6 months old.

Now that Pip is born, and Christmas is over with, I’ve started focusing on our April trip to Maricopa. I was half-planning the whole time, but just in my head. Now I’m actually making lists. And holy moly is there lots to consider!

This will be our first real trip with kids. No more carry-on luggage only. We’ll be waiting at the baggage carousal with the rest of heavy packers. [Read more…]

Sharing the Best of Edmonton on the Trivago Weekend Travelogue

December 14, 2017 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Living on the Prairies may seem a little limiting when it comes to looking for an exciting weekend road trip excursion, but there are actually quite a few action-packed cities to explore. And since moving to Saskatoon, one of our family’s favourite destinations is a weekend in Edmonton.

The city is bustling with exciting things to do and see, so finding the best of the best can be a challenge. That’s why I partnered with Trivago to showcase my perfect weekend itinerary for families that will let you see the most appealing attractions that Edmonton has to offer. Find the best places to stay, the most mouth-watering spots to eat and so much more! [Read more…]

5 Tips for Traveling with a Wheelchair

September 27, 2017 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Traveling has plenty of perks, but it also requires a lot of preparation. And that’s all the more true if you are in a wheelchair. The unexpected can happen during trips, and some events you may not be prepared for. For wheelchair users, the challenge is even greater, so you always need to think ahead and anticipate.

You deserve to have a great time on your vacation! So, to make the trip more enjoyable for yourself and everyone else that’s coming along on your trip, check out some of the tips for traveling with a wheelchair.

[Read more…]

The Magic Experience of VOLTA by Cirque du Soleil

August 15, 2017 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

I’ve seen Cirque du Soleil performances before, so I thought I had a pretty good idea about what I was getting from VOLTA. I was wrong. VOLTA is next level and I cannot tell you enough times to go see it.

Where do I start? The huge white big top itself is gorgeous, unusual, magical and set the right scene from the second we approached. I should have realised then that we were about to see something special.

We were lucky enough to get great seats and find ourselves really in the thick of the show. We were just a few rows back from the stage, and in the center, so we could look right into the eyes of the performers. Their spirit, skill and pure love of what they were doing was inspiring. And what they were doing absolutely blew my mind.

VOLTA has a real action-sports vibe in its production (I found out later that the directors have been collaborating with Red Bull extreme sports athletes), and the performance switched beautifully between high-voltage BMX bike-riding to graceful dance interludes to some truly incredible acrobatics. I found myself enjoying swings, spins and sensational entertainment right from the very beginning.

The BMX work was, for me, the highlight of the show – the performers flipped, whirled, rotated and pushed their bikes into positions that seemed to defy the laws of physics. It was amazing to watch! I think it was about more than just their skill, though – the staging was very creative. (The stage itself was dynamic so could lift, shift and move to push the athletes through their paces even harder.) I never felt like I really knew what was going to happen next.

I also appreciated that the spectacle of the show supported rather than overwhelmed the story, and the lead character’s journey of transformation was beautifully sketched. The bright and brilliant costumes helped track the rhythm of his changing persona and communicated a sense of high performance as well as thrills and spills.

You do need to know that the show itself is in French (as it’s staged in a majority French-speaking area), but you can still easily follow it if you’re not Francophone (acrobatics needs no translation). There are also a lot of dance elements which hold the entire production together, but, for me, they helped with the flow of the story.

What can I tell you about Cirque du Soliel VOLTA? I wasn’t expecting any of it. I thought we would have a good night, but it was incredible. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting that. It’s a fusion of dance, action sports, theatre and acrobatics. See it if you can.

The show can be seen in Gatineau, QC until the 27th of August and from the 7th to 29th of November in Toronto, ON. More information can be found at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/volta.