Summer vacation is in full swing and I’m sure many of us have already heard that dreaded phrase “Mom, I’m bored”. While it’s good to be bored every now and then, summer is also the perfect opportunity to get out and explore what’s local to you. Today, we’re sharing 5 family-friendly places across the Lower Mainland to add to your summer bucket-list.
CULTUS LAKE WATER PARK
Cultus Lake Water Park is the place to be for cooling down on a hot day during the Summer. It’s a place that I enjoyed going to when I was a kid and I cannot wait to take my own kids, especially since it’s changed so much since the last time I went and offers something for everyone in the family. Thrill-seekers who love a slide that suddenly drops must check out the aptly named “Freefall” slide, and the new “Rattler” black hole body slide that takes you slithering downhill and picking up great speeds! Little ones will have a ball in the new Giant Sand Castle and Family Spray Park. Arrive early, pack a picnic lunch (or plan to buy food from one of the many concession stands) and be prepared for your kids to want to stay all day!
CULTUS LAKE ADVENTURE PARK
Cultus Lake Adventure Park is at the top of our bucket-list for places to go as a family this summer. It’s a great family theme park located right across from the Water Park. There are all sorts of rides and attractions here. Just be sure to check your kids’ heights before going so that you know what rides they can go on and prepare them for what they can look forward to. There’s lots to do for all ages! My girls have their hearts set on going on the Honey Pots and Carousel. The kids are going to want to try the Giggle-Ridge Adventure Gold. For other adventurers, there’s the Cloud Buster (apparently it lifts occupants to the sky-piercing height of its 120-foot tall tower before releasing them into a heart-stopping plunge to the ground below – eek!). If you are already headed out to the Water Park for the day, don’t miss visiting the Adventure Park too.
WEST COAST RAILWAY HERITAGE PARK
If you have kids who love trains, then you’ll definitely want to head up to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park located in beautiful Squamish. We love taking the drive along the Sea to Sky highway to get there. You’re able to check out all sorts of vintage train displays throughout the station, plus historic exhibits like Brightbill House, blacksmith forge, wash house, and a vintage printing press. A highlight for us is always going into the roundhouse and seeing some trains up close. It’s amazing to see just how big their engines can be! Plus, there’s also a 3 km mini-rail that runs on the grounds outside the roundhouse. Take a ride around, you never know what you may see. I’m also intrigued by the idea of the new Billy Miner Escape Room that’s open 7 days a week by reservation, and I think our girls would love to head up there for one of their drive-in movies hosted every other Friday throughout the summer!
BRITANNIA MINE MUSEUM
Every time we drive to Squamish, our oldest points out the Britannia Mine Museum. We are looking forward to going aboard the mine train and seeing just what a mine was like, plus everyone gets to wear a hardhat! It’s a great opportunity for everyone to learn about a copper mine that operated from 1904 to 1974 and was once the largest in the British Empire. And their new exhibit, “Howe Sound: Beauty Below”, an underwater exhibit in the Historic Machine Shop sounds pretty cool! The next time we are hit with some hot weather, we’re planning to head to the Britannia Mine Museum to do some summer learning and to cool down inside the mine.
MAPLEWOOD FARM
Our girls love visiting farms and Maplewood Farm is one we enjoy visiting out in North Vancouver. You wouldn’t suspect to find this rural farm tucked away in the city. It once was a dairy farm and is now a great place to go and learn all about animals. There are all sorts of animals to see from goats who love to climb their hill, to sheep wandering out in the fields, you may even spot a few chickens roaming around. When you go, be sure to get a bag of bird feed at the entrance. Feeding the ducks is a favourite for my girls each time we go. I like to pack a picnic and bring it with us whenever we go here, and there’s a great washroom and hand washing facility so there’s no need to worry about getting little hands clean before sitting and enjoying lunch. The farm hands are very informative and more than willing to answer any questions your kiddos may have too!
We’ve got all 5 of these places on our bucket-list this summer and can’t wait to start crossing them all off our list. There’s a little bit of everything from water fun, to learning a little about BC’s history, to visiting animals. Thank you to the Healthy Family Expo for inspiring our adventures with their Summer Family Fun 2018 Guide, and to Jessie Farrell for providing the soundtrack for our adventures! Jessie Farrell’s new album, Sparkle & Shine, is inspired by nature and perfect for a drive to an outdoor adventure. You can preview & download this album on Apple Music or order the CD online, and also catch Jessie & The Gumboot Kids on CBC Kids! The girls love all the songs and I love how Jessie’s music has this calming effect on them for any of our travels to great places we’re visiting.
Will you be visiting any of these places while your kids are out of school this summer?
We love taking our three kids to Maplewood Farms. It is such a quick escape from our downtown life and the kids love the farm.
If we lived any closer, you can be sure we’d be visiting Maplewood Farms and Cultus Lake Water Park this summer!
That water park looks like the most fun ever!
Great ideas! We’ve never been to any of these places. My son would love every single one. We don’t live nearby but we love to travel so definitely putting these on our bucket list!
Looks like you’ve been having such a great summer!! All of those places look great, and my family can’t get enough of the water parks!