Family Friendly Getaway to Toronto

A weekend trip to Toronto can be exciting for the entire family. I had forgotten how fun it is to wake up in a hotel in a big city, go down for a swim and then take off for the day on a walking trip that will present all kinds of surprises and wonders for your children. Being in a city can be extremely family friendly if you plan strategically. Staying in a hotel that is centrally located is a must. The Fairmont Royal York is located perfectly for exploring the CN Tower, St. Lawrence Market, the shops of Queen Street and the ROM – Royal Ontario Museum. A clever feature offered through their in-room dining is a picnic lunch provided in a re-usable backpack they will provide you and your family with sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, drinks and water for you day outing.

We decided we wanted to walk in order to take full advantage of stopping along the way to explore and discover the unexpected. With map in hand we set out for the day heading towards Queen Street to poke around the shops before making our way to the ROM. The ROM is a wonderful museum and something I greatly appreciate bringing up a young family in a city without a proper museum. From the dinosaurs and ancient Egyptian exhibits to the featured exhibition – Dead Sea Scrolls – our boys loved the displays and interactivity at Canada’s largest museum of world cultures and natural history. The ROM has an excellent website that can greatly assist with your planning both at the museum and around the city, including information about Toronto, dining information and a comprehensive list of accommodation options.

Before heading to the museum we had discovered that there are Toronto City Passes that you can be purchased. For $59 for adults and $39 for children you receive a pass for 5 attractions in the city which include the CN Tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Centre and the Toronto Zoo. Our boys were excited to go up the CN Tower and even though we were floating in the clouds it was a lot of fun…for them any way. Standing on the glass floor is not for the faint of heart. From there we experienced the Toronto street cars and made our way to Casa Loma. The legacy of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a prominent Canadian financier, Casa Loma is an impressive mansion worth a visit. The wonderful view experienced from climbing the turreted towers and exploring the tunnel connecting the castle to the stables are a few of the features that make this a great place for kids to explore.

The only problem we had on our excursion to Toronto was a lack of time. We really needed a few more days to explore the other attractions and to further enjoy Canada’s largest city. We will be back!

To plan your family friendly trip to Toronto, it can be helpful to visit the Tourism Toronto website located at SeeTorontoNow.com

Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit – Swimming in Family Friendly Adventure by Mark Sissons

Xanna and Marina can’t resist mugging for the camera with me. Grinning, clapping, and performing aerobatic tricks on cue, they frolic six times a day in their private pool with groups of delighted tourists. Rescued as infants off the coast of Uruguay, these two fun-loving sea lions, along with over a dozen playful dolphins, are the most popular attractions at Vallarta Adventures, Riviera Nayarit’s premier adventure travel operator.

Renowned for its unbroken string of beaches, quaint seaside villages and luxury resorts ringing the stunning Bay of Bandares just a few minutes north of Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport, Riviera Nayarit is also a growing centre of family friendly outdoor adventure on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Along with getting up close and personal with some of the ocean’s most fascinating creatures, including whales, your clients can go snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and even zip-lining in the mountainous tropical forests that command breathtaking views of the Bay and beyond.

Outdoor adventure specialists
With a dedicated staff of guides and animal trainers from seventeen different countries, including Canada, Vallarta Adventures is one of the region’s most versatile adventure tour companies. “I don’t know anywhere else in the world where you can choose from the variety of outdoor experiences that we offer under one roof”, says PR director Gareth Price. “Our trainers try to give interaction with sea lions and dolphins more of a personal touch and make it more of an educational experience.”

Trainers like Nahako Hayashi from Nagano, Japan, who coaches Xanna and Marina’s interactive aquatic performance. “Although I’m an oceanographer and biologist by training,” she explains, “I chose to become a sea lion and dolphin trainer because it allows me to bring people and animals closer together, resulting in greater emotional contact.”

I certainly receive an enthusiastic welcome from the half dozen dolphins I swim with that afternoon in their Olympic size pool. I’ve signed up for the Signature Dolphin Swim (USD$149) – an hour of in which you can touch, feed, play, learn and swim with these remarkably intelligent sea mammals. Among my group are three generations of a family from Minnesota, and Sudbury Ontario’s Rod Ogrady, visiting PV for the first time with his wife Tracey and their teenage daughter, Halley. “Hanging onto the dolphin’s fins while it raced around the pool was my favourite part,” gushes Halley. “I had my own pet boogie board!”

Rhythms of the night
That evening, the Ogradys plan to take in Rhythms of the Night, Vallarta Adventure’s most popular attraction. For USD $89, visitors can enjoy a scenic sunset cruise across Banderas Bay to the isolated cove of Las Caletas. Only accessible by sea, this former home of legendary Hollywood director John Huston operates by day as a private beach club and spa. After sunset it transforms completely, and guests are treated to an elaborate dinner lit by over 2000 candles and torches, followed by a contemporary dance show performed in a pyramid-shaped amphitheater.

Jungle gym
The next morning, I join a dozen fellow eco-adventurers for a speedboat ride to Boca de Tomatlan, a secluded beach at the edge of the jungle on the southern shores of Banderas Bay. There, we board 4×4 Unimogs for the 2000-foot climb to base camp in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

We then ride mules higher into the sub-tropical forest, before clipping into a series of thrilling zip lines, rappelling down waterfalls and splashing through streams and natural river pools that form Vallarta Adventures’ Outdoor Adventure Circuit. With the highest and longest zip lines in Mexico, this exhilarating experience is often called a canopy tour on steroids.

Whale of a time
My final Riviera Nayarit adventures is a catamaran cruise to snorkel and kayak through the rocky caverns and archways of the Marietas Islands, a protected marine sanctuary that is home to many species of wildlife. En route, we watch giant humpback whales soar into the air, flicking their enormous tail fins as if in greeting as they plunge back to sea. Each year from mid-December to the end of March, the waters off the coast of Riviera Nayarit offer some of the most spectacular whale watching opportunities in the world.

Wild dolphins also appear, playfully racing alongside our boat, providing a rare opportunity to observe these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. I’m tempted to dive into the crystal clear waters of the Pacific and hitch a ride on one of their dorsal fins. It would certainly be a perfect way to end a memorable weekend in Mexico’s newest outdoor adventure paradise.

Getting there
Westjet offers four non-stop flights a week to Puerto Vallarta from Edmonton and Calgary. Air Canada flies daily from Vancouver and Calgary. Mexicana flies daily from Vancouver via Mexico City. And Alaska Airlines runs daily flights from Vancouver via Seattle or L.A.

Where to stay
I was a guest of Villa del Palmar Flamingos Beach Resort and Spa, an all-inclusive oceanfront five-star property located just 20 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. For more info, visit www.villagroupresorts.com/resorts/villa-del-palmar-flamingos

Special agents rates
Travel agents registered with Vallarta Adventures will receive special rates when booking any of their tours and activities. For more info, visit www.vallarta-adventures.com or call toll free 1-888-303-2653. For more about Riviera Narayit’s attractions, visit

Travel Recipes – I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Erica Ehm

After reading a book about Escaping Alcatraz, my eight year old son was intrigued. Just around that time my hubby and I were trying to decide what to do over the holidays. With friends living just outside San Francisco and Alcatraz top of mind, we booked our trip and hoped for the best.

Since having kids I haven’t been much of an adventurer. This would be our first foray into sight seeing, playing it by ear and seeing a bit of the real world with my kids. At eight and five, they were ready for some real travel.

Hotel:
I searched online and discovered Hotel Diva – a very hip boutique hotel a couple of blocks away from Union Square (can you say shopping?!). What sold me was their “Little Diva’s Suite” – two rooms, one comfy Queen sized bed for me and hubby, and the other room was Kid Heaven. Get this: bunk beds, a computer with DVDs, drawers full of blocks, costumes, toys and a CD player. When we had enough of hitting the Streets of San Francisco – my kids were only too happy to stay in their room and play. For mummy – a Starbucks on the main floor of the hotel. Highly recommended by this discerning Yummy Mummy.

Transportation:
Cabs were fantastic. The drivers were happy to chat with us and give us some touristy background info about the city. But the highlight was the cable cars. I was charmed how the city is preserving these old fashioned trams – the best to experience the huge dips and climbs of the famouns San Francisco Streets

Restaurants:
Traveling with little ones (especially one with a fish and nut allergy) makes finding the right restaurant a challenge. Two special ones come to mind.

Crepevine on Fillmore Street is a very casual creperie in lovely Pacific Heights we happened upon. The food was delicious, fresh and plentiful. The decor is simple and casual – nothing for kids to break. Right around the corner is one of the most beautiful little playgrounds for kids I’ve ever seen. We actually drove across the city TWICE just to let our kids play in the park while we sipped delicious lattes.

LarkCreekSteak was a great find. I searched on the net from my Hotel for a kid friendly restaurant and this upscale eatery kept on popping up. Intrigued, I phoned and sure enough they were more than happy to accommadate a couple of crazy kids (and their allergies). The food was delicious all around; service – spectacular.Our waiter James was perhaps the most patient server I’ve ever had the pleasure of dining with. If you’re looking for fancy, check this place out for sure. And ask for James.

Tomasso’s in North Beach (the Italian District) was closed while we were in town. But it came highly recommended if you’re looking for delicious pizza in a family friendly setting. Apparently this is where Francis Ford Coppola eats when in town. If Frankie thinks its good, it must be good!

Here are our “must visit” family destinations in San Fran:

Zeum Museum is awesome. In fact, it’s awesome even before you go into the museum. Just outside there’s a fantastic old fashioned carousel enclosed in glass. What kids can resist spinning around on those magical horses from yesteryear. It’s like being in Mary Poppins.

Now, inside the Zeum is the opposite of the carousel. This a museum of modern art and technology for kids and their parents – an amazing place to expand your brain and your potential. We spent hours there and only experienced about half of what they offer.

Here’s what we did:
1. Played with this supercool interactive maze that is actually a projection on the floor. No idea how it works but it was amazing.

2. Learned about “green screen” technology by acting out scenes in costumes in front green screen and playing back the clip with the superimposed backdrop. My son loved reinacting the fire scene in which he rescues his trapped sister from a blazing fire.

3. Created plastercine characters and then created a stop motion film. Fab for the family as each of us made our little people blobs, the kids dreamnt up the blob storyline and of course, the hubby directed.

4. Made masks from paper bags. Actually my daughter turned hers into a crown but it kept her busy for half an hour.

Alcatraz was amazing. How could visiting the worlds most “legendary prison” be anything but? Experiencing this old jail was thrilling for my son who had just finished reading about the great escape from Alcatraz. The whole experience was enjoyable and educational for all four of us – even my five year old daughter. Taking the boat to the island was cool (and cold). We were immersed in a huge clouds of fog and suddenly the jail pops into view. The tour includes headsets with stories and sounds from back in the day. The narrator guides you through the rooms and really brings history to life. At one point my daughter Jessie was sure she saw real blood on the cement. (It was rust!), but the experience was that vivid for her.

Being able to walk into A REAL JAIL CELL and see what happened to “bad people” is probably a good lesson for my kids. Stay in school kids or you could end up here…On the way out in the mandatory Alacatraz Gift Shop, one of the original inmates was actually there hawking his book! He wasn’t very nice, but my hubby bought his book anyway.

Russian Hill, according to our cab driver is the curviest road in the world. It is so steep that in order for horse and buggies not to slide down the hill in the “olden days”, they created this tiny S shaped road to cope with the incline. Today tourists line up to walk up and down this little paved street. We saw footage of it on American Idol today and my kids screamed with recognition. My world travellers!

Travel Recipes – Unique Experiences at Disneyland

Going to Disneyland for the first time is not only exciting for the kids but also for us. There are memories of when you went as a child and the dreams of seeing your children wide-eyed and innocently delighting in rides and eating cotton candy. It can also be stressful if you are staying too far from the park or the kids are afraid of the rides. We decided to stay at the Grand Californian hotel for our first visit with our children. It was fantastic to be right at the gates to Disneyland, in order to be able to go back to the room or the pool to relax once everyone had been stimulated to the max for the day.

But all was not magical and easy at the Magic Kingdom as we did experience children who were too afraid of the rides. As all the other children whirled around screaming in tea cups, riding on log flumes with sheer delight or venturing into the dark recesses of Space Mountain our children would only ride the old bumper cars; back firing all the way. We had thought at 6 and 8 they were old enough for the thrills of Disneyland, but all kids are different, and it led to some interesting discoveries as we worked to ensure they had an exciting trip too.

Pure delight came in a few unique forms for our wee ones. The best move we made was to get a black Sharpie pen and two Mickie Mouse magicians’ hats as our children delighted in tracking down all the Disney characters and collecting their signatures. While other children held out their traditional signature books, our kids pushed their hats into the faces of every character they could find. It even lead to a wonderful event of teasing between Alice and the Mad Hatter that the entire crowd enjoyed.

The other obsession they developed during their 5 day visit to the Magic Kingdom was to collect the Disney pins. When you check into a Disneyland hotel you are given a lanyard and a complementary pin. From there you can visit the many tourist shops on the grounds to collect other unique pins to add to your collection. The best part is all of the Disney employees who are wearing a lanyard will trade pins with your kids. Our children loved meeting these extremely friendly people, hearing the stories about how they had received their pins, and then being able to trade for their favorite treasures.

By our third day at the park the boys had settled in and began to venture onto a few more rides; with the Pirates of the Caribbean becoming a favorite. Even still it was so nice to have found things that were a little out of the ordinary and ensured that our children loved the Magic Kingdom and want to go back to see Mickey and the gang.

We would love to hear about your unique experiences at Disneyland. We welcome you to comment below or to send us an email with a unique experiences to sarah@connectmoms.com.

Travel Recipe Planning
To assist with your planning there are three hotels directly around Disneyland: Disney’s Paradise Pier, the Disneyland hotel and the Grand Californian hotel. The Paradise Pier is the most economical accommodation choice, while the Disneyland hotel is the original hotel so it offers a lot of nostalgia for a visit to the land of magic. While the Grand Californian is the most expensive it does offer the ease of being right at the park gates, with a separate entrance for hotel guests, the ability to watch the fire works from your room and a lovely pool to hang out in once the frenzy of the day is over. The Disneyland site offers a comprehensive overview of your choices. You may want to check Expedia, Orbitz, Hotels.com or Kayak for better rates. There is a lot of information about Disneyland on TripAdvisor that you may wish to review before making your decision.

You may wish to pick up a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland that is full of many tips and tricks for navigating the Magic Kingdom.

How to Make the Perfect Travel Recipe

Being a busy working mom there is so many things to juggle and one of those is the family vacation. It is usually left to mom to determine schedules, find the best flights, the best accommodations and a destination that will make the whole family happy.

As we all know this is an incredibly time consuming activity, we are please to announce the launch of our new section Travel Recipes. We will be bringing you travel stories, destination ideas and tips and tricks on making the whole experience a lot easier.