Fun with kids around Vancouver: Crescent Beach, White Rock

White Rock is a small community south of Vancouver, and Crescent Beach is a neighborhood in White Rock, situated where the Nicomekl river flows into the ocean.

Driftwood log on the beach.

This is one of my family's favorite places to go for a walk, no matter what the time of year or what the weather is like. The beach stretches along the edge of the bay, with rocks and sand and driftwood to explore for beach-combing kids. There's a great, gravel and dirt walkway that runs along the entire length of the beach, passing a small pier on the way where you might see people fishing or laying crab traps.

Up close and personal with the seaweed.

We usually park in the street somewhere  at one of the ends of the beach and then walk along the path, stroll in the sand, and just watch whatever is going on with the ocean and the sky and the birds and the passing dogs. It's a great way to spend some time outside.

Beach-combing.

At the farthest end of the beach, near the marina and sailing club, is Blackie Spit, a park area that includes a small nature preserve that is home to many kinds of birds.

Beecher Street is the commercial center of this tiny community, and has some nice little shops and places to eat. There are various restaurants as well as coffee shops, and ice cream places. The Wired Monk is nice for coffee and baked goods: my kids are crazy about their gigantic cookies!

Blistering barnacles! (That's a Tintin joke...)

At Beecher Street there are also some public washrooms and change-rooms. You can go swimming at this beach, though there are warning signs that you might end up with swimmer's itch if you do so. We usually don't swim here because of that.

Crescent Beach is a nice, laid-back place to go with the kids. It's easy to get to, there's lots of parking on the side-streets and by the sailing club, and nature always provides something to do and look at here.