Traveling to Vancouver with a Toddler
Believe it or not, I have just spent an amazing 11 days in Vancouver with my 3 year old daughter. I had so many doubts about this trip at the beginning, being this our first trip ever without the boys in our family. But as I type this on the plane back home, I can find only thankful memories made during this Vancouver trip.
A mommy-daughter trip was not something I had planned but it turned out to be one of the best things we’ve done. It was such a great time for us ‘girls’ to bond. It was an amazing opportunity for me to not only reconnect with old friends but to introduce my daughter to a part of my past: "this is mommy's friend", "This is where mommy used to work", "Sarah, mommy used to live here"...And above all, I am treasuring every adventure and memory we made along the way.
If you are ever planning a trip to Vancouver, especially with toddlers and preschoolers, here are some pointers we learned along the way.
Day 1 - Travel Day, Wedding Rehearsal
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| All set to go! |
Sarah slept about 1 hour on the plane (window and middle seat) and the rest was spent colouring books, watching videos or playing games on the ipad. We arrived in the early afternoon. I was nervous about Sarah crashing due to lack of sleep but she showed me a resiliency to travel I admire. We took our time to get out of the plane, went straight to the washroom, and then picked up our 2 suitcases - by then almost everyone was gone and there was less waiting for my 3 year old.
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| Waiting to board on the plane |
I had previously arranged for a friend to pick up a stroller, car seat and Entertainment Coupon Book from a friend. This friend also lend us their car and met us at the airport.
Upon arrival, our uncle took us to Chinatown since I had to drop off my friend at work near Terminal Station, to BOSS Bakery and Restaurant where we had a late lunch/dinner. When we finished we bought Pineapple buns for breakfast the next day. Then we headed to a friend’s home in Vancouver to rest. I put Sarah in a bedroom where she had the option of sleeping/napping or playing quietly. We joined the family for a very light dinner at 6 which consisted only of soup for us (we were still stuffed from the afternoon meal) and headed to the wedding rehearsal which was nearby.
By the time we got to 'home base' in Coquitlam, it was already about 9:45PM - Sarah fell asleep in the car after the rehearsal.
Lessons learned:
- Travel light.
- See if you are able to find friends to loan you a car seat, stroller, etc. I even asked my uncle to loan me his camera. Every day I would simply download the pictures into my laptop.
- If you will have access to laundry services, just bring enough clothes for about half of the duration of your trip.
- Buy toiletries when you get there - less weight to carry and less worries about shampoo spilling, etc.
- Prepare your child. Let them know where we will be going, who we will be seeing, etc. And let them know how they can help you - Sarah was ecstatic she was given specific roles during the trip (help mommy find our seat on the plane, wait in line to buy breakfast, etc.)
- Bring along their best friend. “Georgina”, Sarah’s monkey, travelled with us the entire time.
- I was going to bring my GPS - but there is so much construction in Vancouver it would not have helped that much.
- Adjust to local time from the start. I have to admit I was skeptical, but not letting Sarah sleep early turned out to be the best thing.
- Find places where your child can ‘crash’ - whether it is a friend’s place, the car, on a stroller in a park -- the key is to minimize stimulation. They might not sleep but it might still give them a much needed break.
- Traffic in Vancouver is really bad and slow. Unless you live in Vancouver, factor in travel time and think about how your child travels in cars.
- Get a set of headsets that fit your kid - the little ones fall down and will give you trouble. I got a set at Walmart that fits her little ears AND has noise reduction. No, I did not spend an arm and a leg for them. The extra feature - it folds well and packs compactly.
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| In-Flight Entertainment |
Day 2 - Richmond
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| Fooling around at the park |
At Lafarge Lake, Sarah had time to just be a kid - we walked around, saw people fishing and saw some geese. It must have been only 15 minutes but it was a much needed time for a 3 year old to be a 3 year old.
In the late morning we headed out to have Dim Sum at Grand Palace Restaurant in Coquitlam. After Dim Sum, we drove to Richmond for a leisurely afternoon. Again, with some trepidation, I decided to tell Sarah she could nap in the car. We would not rush back home for her to nap as we usually do at home.
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| Falling in love with Hello Kitty |
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| Dessert Dinner |
We took a short walk at Richmond Centre only because it was an odd time - too soon for dinner, too early to go home. But Sarah was getting tired by now and we had had enough ‘shopping’ for a day. We headed back to Coquitlam soon after walking about 1/4 of the mall.
Lessons Learned:
- It takes 2-3 days for your body to adjust to the time changes. Try to resist the temptation to nap when you are tired and instead just go to bed anytime after 7 or 8PM.
- Do not worry if your child’s meals do not seem like meals at this point. No point in forcing food on a kid who is experiencing so many new things at once - Sarah’s dinner today was ‘dessert’
- Consider changing bath times to mornings - since Sarah would often fall asleep in the car on our way home late at night, we switched her bath time to the mornings some days.
- Fibre - I am always weary of the kids' fibre intake during trips so I always get Heinz Prunes and feed them a few spoonfuls every day. I also try to get fruits.
- Consider turning breakfast into the healthiest and most routine meal of the trip. Sarah had breakfast at home every morning, which consisted of toast or buns, milk, fruit and a few spoonfuls of baby prunes. Lunch and dinner was often at times I could not control, and the choice of food was not always to Sarah's liking. Often times she would be so tired by dinner time she would not eat well - so she was always hungry by breakfast time.
- You probably won't be living in Coquitlam if you visit Vancouver (my uncle lived there) - but just be spontaneous and stop by any of the beautiful lakes and parks in the Greater Vancouver Area.
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| Breakfast |
Day 3 - Wedding #1 - Flower Girl Duties
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| Flower Ball for a Flower Girl |
Today was a big day for Sarah - one of the reasons we came to town was because a friend of mine invited Sarah to be her flower girl at her wedding. The wedding was at 1:00 PM so it was perfect - I was able to let Sarah sleep in. I had no time to feed her an early lunch as we had to arrive to the church at noon so I packed a bun and fed her ‘lunch’ at the church. She did amazingly well walking down the aisle and even staying on stage for the entire wedding. So proud of her!
After mingling with friends after the wedding, we headed to a friend’s home in town to have some quiet time - I brought a set of clothes for Sarah so I changed her to be more comfortable. We were hungry, though, so we headed out to Solly’s for amazing bagels and cinnamon buns at around 3PM.
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| My sweet flower girl walking on a field of daisies |
Lessons Learned:
- Small meals throughout the day is ok. Just keep hydrating your kid. Don't worry if they are not eating as normal - even adults do not eat as they do at home when they are on vacation!
- Do not pack mornings with activities if you know you will be out late at night. I knew in order to meet people (who work) we would be out till 8 or 9 PM easily. So we did not do anything in the mornings. Sarah would often sleep in until she woke up on her own, at about 9 or 10 AM.
- Plan to give entertainment for your kids while you eat out in restaurants, especially for dinner. I usually never let the kids watch movies while eating but hey, it's a vacation...so I did this trip, and just fed them as they watched (GASP!)
Day 4 - Vancouver Day: Church, Friends and QE Park
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| Discovering a new 'like' - Flowers! |
After the service we met with some good old friends. Instead of going out to a restaurant I asked if we could meet at their home and simply do take out. They agreed and Sarah thoroughly enjoyed it - it was much more comfortable for everyone!
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| Cherry Blossoms in full bloom |
Then we headed back to the car and drove a little further and parked just outside of the park. If you park inside the park it will cost you. Just 1 block off the park, on Cambie and 33rd (just before you enter the park) there is plenty of free parking. We walked through the beautiful park and my friend proceeded to continue teaching us the proper names of flowers: euphorias, forget me nots, cherry blossoms, magnolias, hiasus, dogwood trees, daffodils, daisies and tulips. She loved the water fountain at the top too.
Sarah had an awesome time here - we let her run around, explore and play.
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| Running Free! |
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| Tulips Galore |
We headed home afterwards and after a 1 hr break at home we headed out to the local Japanese restaurant Sushi Mori where she had some tempura and udon noodles.
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| Nice ambiance at the Japanese Restaurant |
Lessons Learned:
- Street parking is normal in Vancouver - this is something I had forgotten. Look for street parking wherever you are.
- If you are visiting friends, see if they would mind having lunch/dinner at their place. You will be able to chat more, and your kid will be much happier than being stuck in a booster seat or high chair.
- Be spontaneous. There are lots of wonderful parks in Vancouver. Go there and let your child run wild. You don’t have to go to the paid parks - QE Parks is one of my favorites.
Day 5 - Steveston
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| Steveston Fishermen's Wharf |
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| Mary's Ice Cream - Sarah trying to imitate Mary |
There are a lot of interesting small shops here. You will enjoy simply strolling around from shop to shop. I was also excited when my friend showed me the TV Show “Once Upon a Time” was being filmed here. I guess if you do not watch the show, you would not care about "Storybrooke".
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| Once Upon A Time Toy Store |
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| Canary Cafe and Sherbrooke Pet Shelter |
We had easily spent 2 or more hours and so then we headed back towards our car. Just beside the Community Centre there is a great playground. This was Sarah’s reward for being such a trooper. She played there for a while before we said our good-byes to our friend.
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| Steveston Playground |
Lessons Learned:
- wherever you go, try to find out if there are parks or playgrounds nearby to give your kids ‘breaks’
- let them know verbally how much you appreciate their cooperativeness during the trip
- indulge - we have been eating so many sweets during this trip!
Day 6 - Fort Langley
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| Cafe Planet Jave in Fort Langley |
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| Candy Store |
As it is Vancouver - Day 6 was the rainiest day of the trip. There is a Fort Langley Historic Site and we were planning on going there, but decided to cancel as it would be muddy. If you ever go though, on a sunny and dry day, it is a nice and small place perfect for little ones - it is not as crowded as the tourist attractions in Vancouver too.
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| Walking in the Rain with her new friend - like a good Vancouverite would |
After the visit I decided to stop by Trinity Western University - where I studied and work before. Unfortunately, graduation was just last week so there weren’t too many staff around. I took the opportunity to simply use it as a washroom stop for Sarah and I.
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| Trying on hats at the Hat Store |
We endured rush hour traffic and got home and after some rest, my uncle took us to the local Chinese restaurant that serves home made style food Poco Ocean Restaurant. It was the perfect place and I think Sarah ate the most that night. If you ever go to Coquitlam, I would recommend this small restaurant.
Lessons Learned:
- Vancouver is so green because it RAINS all the time. So plan activities where you can do even when it rains. If you feel adventeourous, just pack rain boots and rain jacket and let the kids play in the rain!
- It is easier if you pack jackets with hoods than umbrellas - one only has 2 hands after all!
- Fort Langley was perfect in size for us - small town, small crowds and small area to cover.
Day 7 - Whistler
We got back to town by around 5PM, amidst the traffic, but one could have made a stop also at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver on the way back.
Another Japanese dinner with my uncle and cousins was in order tonight, in Coquitlam...Nagano Japanese Restaurant
Lessons Learned:
- A one day trip to Whistler might not be worth going with kids. If you do an overnight on good weather you can enjoy the gondola ride (which is expensive), Shannon Falls and the museums around.
- If you plan on going, bring a winter jacket with you.
- Make a pit stop at the McDonalds in Squamish - it is kind of mid way and a good place to stop for kids.
- Don't tell your toddler we are going to see the mountains - I told Sarah that and she was disappointed because she did not actually see the mountains - it was hard for me to explain later that she was ON a mountain.
- If you plan on going, bring a winter jacket with you.
- Make a pit stop at the McDonalds in Squamish - it is kind of mid way and a good place to stop for kids.
- Don't tell your toddler we are going to see the mountains - I told Sarah that and she was disappointed because she did not actually see the mountains - it was hard for me to explain later that she was ON a mountain.
Day 8 - High Tea, Stanley Park and Aquarium
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| Learning to Prepare Tea |
The Secret Garden is a nice small shop. We were given one of the best seats, by the window looking out the street. I ordered the Lavender Earl Grey and fell so in love with it I bought 3 more bags as souvenirs. The place was very busy and I was surprised at the noise. Other than that though, it was a lovely experience.
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| The Sea Otter |
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| Third Beach |
After the aquarium, we drove in Stanley Park and made some pit stops - parking in the park is paid but most stops do not require long stays. We stopped at Third Beach - which is a quieter and less known beach, the Hollow Tree and the Peak that gives you a great view of the city.
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| Breka Bakery |
Things worked out well and while at Stanley Park my uncle texted me about dinner plans. So instead of going back to Coquitlam in the traffic (something I was not looking forward to), we decided to have some quiet time at my friend’s home, and then join my uncle in Richmond for some authentic Shanghai Cuisine at Top Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant
- Stanley Park parking is paid but most places require only a few minutes of viewing. If you can, have someone wait in the car while the rest visit the different spots for pictures.
- Be prepared for your kid to NOT want to get in and out of the car - aim for the beach and the playground in the park...the other stuff might not be as interesting for them
- Third Beach is a more quiet beach if you want to visit one around downtown/Stanley Park
- it takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to cover the Aquarium with a toddler - i.e. assuming your kid will be like mine, who did not enjoy the indoor exhibits. The best part for her was Nemo's Corner and seeing the Sea Otter, Sea Lion training show, the feeding of the dolphins and the Balluga Whale - all in the back side of the Aquarium. We paid for 2 hours parking and did not feel rushed at all - Do not plan on eating there though...a hot dog costs more than $5!!!
Lessons Learned:
- it is possible to cover a lot with a toddler!- Stanley Park parking is paid but most places require only a few minutes of viewing. If you can, have someone wait in the car while the rest visit the different spots for pictures.
- Be prepared for your kid to NOT want to get in and out of the car - aim for the beach and the playground in the park...the other stuff might not be as interesting for them
- Third Beach is a more quiet beach if you want to visit one around downtown/Stanley Park
- it takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to cover the Aquarium with a toddler - i.e. assuming your kid will be like mine, who did not enjoy the indoor exhibits. The best part for her was Nemo's Corner and seeing the Sea Otter, Sea Lion training show, the feeding of the dolphins and the Balluga Whale - all in the back side of the Aquarium. We paid for 2 hours parking and did not feel rushed at all - Do not plan on eating there though...a hot dog costs more than $5!!!
Day 9 - Downtown Vancouver and Waterfront
Originally I had planned on driving to Oakridge Station, park there and take the Sky Train on the Canada Line. But at last minute a friend was able to drive me downtown from her apartment in Vancouver. She dropped us off and for the first time we used the stroller a friend had loaned me. I met with our downtown friend at the Waterfront around Canada Place, who took us to see the Olympic Cauldron (which happened to be lit that day!) - and then proceeded to just eat at the food court by the convention centre. Sarah thoroughly enjoyed her first and only McDonald’s happy meal.
After lunch my friend had to go back to work and we proceeded to discover downtown. It was quite a work out for me to push Sarah uphill from Waterfront to Robson Street on Burrard Street but it was much needed considering all the food we eat during the trip....We stopped for Gelato at Bella Gellateria - and boy is it great! She had a Vanilla ice cream while I decided to try the Early Grey Tea Ice Cream. I was so full I was not sure I was going to be able to make it to Robson Street! Definitely worth trying...but beware...it is not cheap (around $5 a single scoop)
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| Cupcakes! |
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| Sea Bus entrance in North Vancouver |
Once there I was going to meet a friend who would pick us up - it was too bad we ran out of time or else we could have explored the market at Lonesdale Quay
Lessons Learned:
- Take a stroller with you if you go downtown
- Consider taking the Sea Bus to discover North Vancouver
- Do not park downtown - take the chance to take the sky train...the Sky train expanded after the Winter Olympics and it is an attraction all by itself!
- Keep in mind it might be difficult to find washrooms downtown - your best options are the coffee shops and the Convention Centre
- Most stores on Robson are not stroller friendly. It might be easier for your kid to just walk around if you do plan on shopping here. I only did some window shopping so it was ok.
Day 10 - Second Wedding
We had another wedding to attend today. We simply went to the church ceremony, after which I went to last night’s friend’s home to just ‘hang’. Sarah loved the play time and I was thankful I didn’t have to walk on high heels. From there we headed to the banquet at Kirin Restaurant in Richmond where this time, Sarah lasted through 7 courses of a 10 course meal! We only missed the rice and noodle dish and dessert!
Lessons Learned:
- The 15-20 min catnap Sarah had from our friend's home to the restaurant was very helpful in keeping her from crashing at the banquet
- Keep the kid busy while you are in a long restaurant dinner. She played, walked around, took pictures, played with the ipad, played with other friends and ate.
- Don't wait until the kid melts to go home. No need to feel guilty. At the first banquet we left after the 4th course was being served. At this one, we left at course No. 7. We missed speeches, etc., but went home without tears or tantrums.
Day 11 - Going HOME!!!!
We are on the plane now heading home. Last night Sarah asked to go home for the first time. This was just the perfect length of a vacation - not too short, and not too long.
I was a little weary about Sarah adjusting back to East Coast Time. We went to bed at 9PM tonight and though she said she could not fall asleep, we did not give her an option to stay up (I was too tired) - so she slept with us but she slept - I woke her up the next morning to go to school, as usual, at around 7:15 AM.
Yeap, if you stayed with me through the entire blog - yes, I did all this with a 3 year old in 11 days...and not one single tear or tantrum. I still cannot believe it. Your kid might or might not be the same. Two key things I learned in this trip: take it easy - be adventurous ... and pray and ask other friends to pray for you... I really believe in the end, God answered prayers and made this a true mommy-daughter VACATION for both of us!
Yeap, if you stayed with me through the entire blog - yes, I did all this with a 3 year old in 11 days...and not one single tear or tantrum. I still cannot believe it. Your kid might or might not be the same. Two key things I learned in this trip: take it easy - be adventurous ... and pray and ask other friends to pray for you... I really believe in the end, God answered prayers and made this a true mommy-daughter VACATION for both of us!
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