12 Canadian places I'd like to visit with my kids

July 1st, Canada's birthday, is the perfect time to think about all the places in Canada I'd love to visit with my kids.

1. Digging in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta
Who doesn't want to take their kids to this place? It's one of the best places in the world to dig for dinosaur fossils. There are educational exhibits, programs, shows, and tours. I think my kids would love it.

2. Skiing in Whistler, British Columbia
Since my family lives just outside Vancouver, Whistler/Blackcomb is not too far away from us. The two mountains, Blackcomb and Whistler mountain, have some awesome runs. I still haven't gone downhill skiing with my kids (they have tried some cross-country skiing though), but when I do, I'd love to take them on the slopes here.

3. Camping in Jasper & Banff, Alberta
Just the drive up into the Rocky Mountains from British Columbia is breathtaking, and the drive between Jasper and Banff is equally amazing. Lots of hikes, wildlife, and amazing scenery. I just want to bring our tent, sleeping bags, and the kids and experience the Rockies.

4. Driving to the Yukon
Yukon is one of Canada's territories, rather than a province, and I'd love to head up there sometime (I'm thinking summer time might be the best time of year), and experience this part of Canada with my kids. 

5. Seeing Niagara Falls, Ontario
I'd love to see Niagara Falls at least one time in real life after having seen it in so many movies and TV-shows. There are a lot of family attractions and activities around the falls: I'd definitely want to take the kids on a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist, and for a walk in the tunnels behind the falls.

6. Exploring Quebec City
I've never been in any of the provinces east of Alberta, and Quebec City feels very far away when you're in British Columbia. I'd love to go there with the kids and experience the place first hand: castles, fortifications and walls, the old town, and maybe some walking/hiking in Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier.

7. Visiting Prince Edward Island
I've never seen Canada's East Coast, and every time I see pictures of PEI, it just looks like such a beautiful place. Plus, for some reason, I've gotten it into my head that I'd love to ride bike around the island with my kids. Or maybe we should just stay close to the ocean and go for long beach walks? 

8. Taking a boat tour in Newfoundland
There are lots of boat tours and trips you can take off the BC coast, but I'd love to see the Atlantic side of things too in Newfoundland. Whale watching, ice berg viewing, cruising for sea birds life puffins... I could definitely get into that! 

9. Going on a polar bear safari in Churchill, Manitoba
There are lots of tour companies in Churchill that offer various kinds of polar bear viewing and polar bear safaris. I think my kids might just fall off their tour-bus chairs if we got to see some real-life polar bears.

10. Adventuring in Nunavut
Nunavut is Canada's newest federal territory and they have one heck of a gorgeous tourism website. And who can resist the description of what you'll experience at the floe edge, where the sea and ice meet:

From April to July, the floe edge is the most dramatic, dynamic place to be, as the sea meets the retreating ice edge. Whales swim metres from shore. Walrus and seals haul themselves out to bask in the sunlight. Polar bear cubs enjoy an ocean dip. ---- Thousands of caribou and musk-ox take their first halting steps on the tundra. Millions of birds arrive from the south to start their families. Experience the rebirth of the unspoiled Arctic.

11. Hiking the West Coast trail on Vancouver Island. British Columbia
This is not too far away from where we live, and when the kids are a little bit older, we will definitely try this trail. The west side of Vancouver Island is a beautiful place, and I'd love to go for a serious wilderness hike here. 

12. Skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Ontario
July first might be the wrong time of year to think about skating outdoors, but skating on the Rideau Canal is one of those iconic Canadian things that I've heard about and seen pictured in books and on TV since I first moved to Canada. I'm the worst skater in the world, but I'd gladly shuffle around the ice in my winter coat just to let my kids experience this.