7 great places to celebrate Christmas

With the Christmas season approaching, I'm thinking quite a bit about the holidays right now. This year, we're not going away for Christmas, instead, my parents are coming to stay with us. Can't say I mind not having to travel by plane right around Christmas and New Years!

I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to where I'd like to spend Christmas: at home, with family us my preferred spot. But in recent years I have occasionally considered other options, and here are some places I wouldn't mind celebrating Christmas.

About to go dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh.

Northern Sweden
This is a bit of a cheat, because we have already celebrated Christmas here several times. I was born and grew up in Sweden, and when we do travel for the Christmas holidays, this is where we go: to my parents' place in northern Sweden. It is a great place for traditional Christmas celebrations though: snow is usually in place, it's cold, and there are a lot of nice Swedish traditions to experience. Last year on our Swedish Christmas-trip we went for a sleigh-ride in the snow, we went tobogganing, the kids tried out cross-country skiing, and we had lots of delicious gingerbread cookies, peppermint candy, glögg (Swedish mulled wine), and the kids got their presents on the evening of December 24th, since that's the tradition over there.

Maui
I love, love, love Maui. I would go back there every week if I only could afford it. In the past I haven't been too crazy about the idea of celebrating Christmas somewhere warm and sunny and without any chance of snow, but I would actually love to try this in Maui. At least once!


Santa Claus village in Finland
For a traditionally snowy and cold Christmas, Finland is a pretty sure bet. And going to the Santa Claus village constructed in Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle, would definitely be a lot of fun with the kids.

Australia
Celebrating Christmas in Australia would of course mean celebrating it in the middle of summer in the southern hemisphere. And that's kind of the charm of it, right? To see the world from the other side, see the starry Christmas skies with all different stars than at home, and go to the beach instead of for a sleigh-ride.

Banff, in the Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies is a spectacular destination any time of the year, but I do think that it would be really special to celebrate Christmas up there. The slopes certainly add to the attraction: there are worse ways to spend Christmas morning than going for some skiing down a mountain.

Gran Canaria: there are worse places to spend Christmas, I'm sure!

The Canary Islands
My family visited Gran Canaria last year in the spring, staying in the town of Arguinegin, and it was a fantastic trip. For many Europeans, going to the Canary Islands is nothing all that special: it's like Canadians and Americans going to Mexico for some beaches and sunshine. But if you're coming all the way from North America, it certainly felt very special. Parts of the islands are too touristified to really appeal to me, but the place we stayed was fantastic. I definitely would not mind going back there for some Christmas cheer.

New York City
I have never been to New York City, but of course I have seen the city in so many movies and TV-shows that I feel strangely familiar with the place anyway. Not sure if Christmas-time is necessarily the best time to visit, but in my head I have this vision of gentle snowfall, sightseeing with the kids, and just a good time had by all as we explore the city. Christmas-fantasy? Probably, but I wouldn't mind giving it a try in real life.

Accommodation for traveling kids: Best Western Airport Executel, Seattle

On our trip to Sweden this past summer we stayed overnight in Seattle before taking our Iceland Air flight from Sea-Tac to Stockholm, through Keflavik. The hotel we chose was the Best Western Airport Executel, located outside downtown Seattle.

At Sea-Tac airport.

The room
Our double-queen room was nice and big with two very comfortable queen-sized beds, a fridge, coffee maker, kettle, TV, bathroom with bath-tub, and plenty of space for our many suitcases and bags.

Having a fridge was handy for storing some milk, yogourt and snacks in for the kids. The bathtub got a complete workout since my children entertained themselves by having 2 baths each in that one day, and why not? There are worse ways to spend the time than having baths and watching TV!

Free wireless internet was provided and worked well during our stay. (I really hope every hotel is providing this service free by now: I keep reading that some hotels charge for it, but I really don't understand the reasoning behind that.)

Amenities
One of the selling points when I chose this hotel for our stay was that it had a pool. It was easy to get to and had a small change room/washroom adjacent to the pool and gym area. We had a nice dip and if I hadn't been by myself with the kids, I would have also used the gym. We spent most of our time in the hot-tub and the kids really loved that.

There are a lot of restaurants in the surrounding area, but we ate both dinner and breakfast in the hotel restaurant and the food was very good. For dinner, the kids' menu had a good selection, service was great and the food arrived promptly. The breakfast buffet had a nice selection of hot and cold foods (make your own waffles!), and it was a great way to start off a long day of travel.

The hotel provides a free shuttle-service to the airport, and even though the first shuttle bus had some technical difficulties, another bus was brought out quickly and we made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Service
The staff was unfailingly helpful, polite, and friendly. I felt very welcome with my kids, and little touches like a supply of free, fresh fruit in the lobby, and helpful service in the restaurant made things even better. Checking in and out was a breeze.

Verdict
I'd stay at this hotel again in a heartbeat. It was a good deal, and a perfect fit for our needs. The kids had fun, and we got a good night's sleep which really helped get us on our way for the long flight to Sweden.

5 camping trips I'd love to do with my kids

It's almost summer time where we live on Canada's west coast, and camping season is definitely here, or at least on the horizon. Lots of kids, including mine, really love the whole idea of camping out, having a campfire, cooking your food outdoors, and generally hanging out close to nature. I'm hoping to head out for a camping road-trip later this year, but I'm not quite sure where we'll end up for that.

Here are some places, near and far, where I'd love to go camping with my kids. (And if you think I favor western North America, that's because I'm thinking of places close enough to drive to with our camping gear!)

1. Yellowstone National Park
My husband and I camped in Yellowstone before we had kids, and I thought the park was absolutely amazing. It's one of those places you think might be over-hyped, but nothing can beat the reality of hot springs, boiling rivers, geysers, buffalo roaming the landscape, and bubbling, colorful mud flats. I'm hoping to take my kids here some time in the next few years. And what a great place to introduce them to some very exciting geology and natural history!

2. Redwood National Park
My kids love the woods, and they love hiking in the woods. That's a couple of reasons why I'd love to take them to Redwood National Park and see the tallest trees on Earth. I also think a road-trip to California would be pretty cool to do with them.

3. The Canadian Rockies
I've camped near Banff and near Jasper up in the Canadian Rockies, and it's an amazing place to be. The drive alone when you're coming from British Columbia is absolutely fantastic. Those peaks, the glaciers, the animals, and just the majestic scale of everything is literally breathtaking. I think my kids would have a blast up here, and if we managed to spot a bear (at a very, very safe distance), that would be icing on the cake.

4. Long Beach, Vancouver Island
We visited Long Beach when my son was only a couple of year's old, but I'd love to go back soon with both the kids. The scenery along Vancouver Island's west coast is so beautiful, and there's some serious beach-combing and hiking to do out here as well.

5. The Oregon coast
I have never been to Oregon myself, but so many friends and family race about the beaches, the sand dunes, the camping, and the cheese that I would really love to visit. It would make a great drive from British Columbia as well, and since my family is very much in love with sand and ocean, it seems like it would be a great fit!

There are lots of other places I'd love to go camping, including several of the places mentioned in these two articles:

• From USA Today: 10 most beautiful places to camp in BC, Canada
• From The Vancouver Sun: A guide to B.C.'s best camping parks

Also, for more camping with kids resources, I love to check out Tales of Mountain Mama.

18 of my kids' favorite places around the world

The world is full of wonderful places. My family has gone to some of those wonderful places, and I hope we will go to many more. Here, in no particular order, are 18 of the places my kids have loved, and still love to go.

1. Burvik, Sweden
This is where my parents have a summer place, and this is where we've spent almost every summer for the last 5 years. There's water, there's a small beach, there's frogs and fish and flowers, and sometimes a hare outside the window in the morning. Doesn't get much better than that.

2. Leos Lekland, Skellefteå, Sweden
The only indoor jungle-gym in my Swedish home-town Skellefteå. When we visit in the winter, this is a great place for the kids to burn off some energy without freezing their noses off. Bouncy-castles, ball-rooms, giant inflatable slides, corkscrew slides, tiger slides... It's a zoo, but it's a fun one.

3. The Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver
Otters, belugas, bats, spiders, jellyfish, sharks, tortoises, parrots, baby wolf-eels... and that's not even the half of it. This place is so kid-friendly and my children just love getting up close and personal with all the critters. The Aquarium is definitely a place they love to go, anytime of the year, whatever the weather.

4. Science World, Vancouver
Interactive and educational fun, where the exhibits are made to be touched, climbed, squeezed and generally handled by kids. We always have a blast here, and I think the recent renovations improved a lot on an already fantastic place to take the kids.

5. Stanley Park, Vancouver
Going for a walk, playing on the playgrounds, looking at the squirrels... there's always something to do and see in this park.

6. On board the Skytrain, all around Vancouver
My kids love to ride this public transportation anywhere and everywhere. Not a bad way to spend a day. 

7. On the ferries of the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia
Traveling, as in actually being in the process of going somewhere, can be an adventure in itself. Going on the ferries up the British Columbia coast is definitely fun in itself: the views are spectacular, and it's just a great ride.

8. Steveston, BC, Canada
Whether we end up walking around Garry Point, or hike the waterfront through the village of Steveston, this is always a great place with the kids.

9. Lynn Canyon, North Vancouver
My family's favorite weekend-hiking spot right now. The suspension bridge adds some drama, and the trails are great for kids: not too easy, and not too challenging either. 

10. Centennial Beach, Tsawwassen
A fantastic playground next to an amazing beach. It doesn't get much better than that.

11. Third Beach, Vancouver
One of my favorite beaches. Stunning views, nice water, and often some wild-life to watch, whether it's barnacles on the rocks, eagles high above, stranded jellyfish and crabs, or a seal poking its head out of the water. 

12. Playa Ingles, Gran Canaria
This very popular beach in Gran Canaria became our favorite spot when we were there in the spring of 2011. Great sand, great waves, brilliant sunshine. Our kind of beach. Sure, it's crowded, but that's because it's a nice beach! 

13. Baby Beach, Maui
When we visited Maui in 2009 this was the perfect beach for us. The kids could go in the water without getting knocked over by the waves, which meant that the grownups could relax and enjoy the sunshine and the ocean. Next time we go to Maui, they might be too big for this beach, but it was perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

14. DT Fleming Beach Park, Maui
Another fantastic Maui-beach. Great sand, rocks with all sorts of aquatic life clinging to them, waves (too big in spots, but the kids still enjoyed the water's edge), and turtles swimming further out.

15. Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Mineral-rich, Geo-thermally heated hot springs to bathe in, right in the middle of Iceland's amazing landscape: that was really something special for the kids to experience. My daughter can still mention how she thought the steam rising off the water might have been dragon's breath.

16. Point Roberts, WA, USA
Fantastic beaches for beach-combing and gathering beautiful rocks. Also a perfect place to fly a kite.

17. The pool
Meaning any pool, anywhere. There's a reason my family always travels with swim-suits: you just never know when they'll come in handy!

18. Our backyard
As I'm writing this, it's mid-April and the kids are discovering the joys of the backyard again after the winter. Trampoline, the garden, the grass, the earth-worms, the plants... it's a great place, and no airplane tickets needed to get to it either.

Traveling with kids: 5 trips we're definitely going on

Cape Scott, Vancouver Island.

I have a lot of ideas for trips I would love to do with my kids, but I know that many of those ideas are not going to happen anytime soon (ever?), unless we all of a sudden are rolling in money... However, here are 5 trips I really want to do with the kids, that are actually very do-able for us.


1. Disneyland
My husband and I already went once, way before we had children, and I think it's going to be time for this trip pretty soon. The kids are old enough to handle the excitement and craziness of all the rides and crowds and fantasy characters wandering around, but also young enough to really get the magic of the place. One of the things I do wonder about is whether we should drive to LA from Vancouver and enjoy the scenery on the way down, take the train maybe, or just be lazy and fly.


2. Yellowstone
This is another place my husband and I visited before we had kids and it was such a fantastic trip . Deer, buffalo, hot springs, geysers, boiling mud, boiling rivers... just an amazing place. I want to do it the same way we did it on our previous visit: camping. I'll probably be terrified that the kids will step in a hot steam vent or something, but that's just part of the experience, right? My kids love the outdoors, hiking, animals, and camping so I think Yellowstone would really blow their minds.


3. The Rockies, Banff & Jasper
This is another great camping-trip I want to do with the kids. Camping in Banff and Jasper is fantastic in the summer, even if you risk ending up in some freak thunder storms (and reading a lot of bear warnings...). There's the wildlife, the amazing scenery, and the trails. If we end up spotting a grizzly, it'll be a thrill and a half for the kids for sure. I'm also thinking that if we go really crazy with the driving and camping, this trip could include a trek across the Rockies into Alberta, and a visit to Drumheller, dinosaur capital of the world.


4. Finland
When we visit my parents in the summer, Finland is right there, just a ferry-hop across the Gulf of Bothnia if you travel the Umeå-Vaasa route. I know the kids love to ride the ferries on the Sunshine Coast and to Vancouver Island, so why not this ferry ride too? The crossing takes only a few hours, and I think it could be a fun, easy way to visit another country. Maybe stay overnight in Vaasa and visit the Wasalandia amusement park.

 
5. Vancouver Island
This is basically our backyard, and yes, we've already taken the kids to "the island" before, but I want to do a Big Trip. Drive across to Long Beach and do that, head up to the northern end and Cape Scott, see some ancient trees, and maybe some whales with them, go for a swim in a cold lake, and burn some marshmallows under the stars too!

Traveling with kids: 6 ski resorts I'd love to visit

Panorama from the Roundhouse at Whistler, looking towards the Blackcomb side. Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

It's almost ski season here in western Canada, depending on when the snow starts to fall of course. Before we had kids, my husband and I went skiing every winter, either on the local hills around Vancouver: Grouse, Cypress, or Seymour Mountain, or up at Whistler/Blackcomb.

Since the kids came along, we haven't made it to the ski hill once, but we do keep talking about it every winter and I think this might be the year when we finally get around to it.

Here are six ski hills I would love to visit with my kids, and introduce them to the fun of downhill skiing (or snowboarding, if they so desire: but in that case I'd have to learn right along with them!).

1. Whistler/Blackcomb, BC, Canada
This ski resort is located about two hours drive north of Vancouver. The skiing there is spectacular: lots of runs, lots of variety, and usually really good snow. The two mountains at this resort offer some of the best skiing I've ever experienced, but the prices are a bit steep, though I guess you can argue that at least you get a lot for your money!

There are various types of lessons for kids and adults, and childcare is also available for visiting families.

2. Mount Baker, Washington, USA
Located just across the border from where I live in British Columbia, this is another mountain my husband and I used to love going to in the winter. Best powder I have ever experienced was right on Mount Baker: so deep and fresh and just plain fluffy that it was hard to believe it was real. It's still the best day of skiing I've ever had!

There are skiing and snowboarding lessons available for kids, adults and families on Mount Baker.

3. Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
The Lake Louise ski resort is located in the Canadian Rockies, in the province of Alberta. The Rockies and the area around Banff is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, and in the winter the skiing is excellent. Don't miss out on a dip in the hot springs pool in the town of Banff after a day of skiing! Sitting in that hot water while the snow is falling is a great way to relax.

There are lessons for all age groups, and childcare is also available at the ski resort.

4. Big White, BC, Canada
This ski resort is located in the Okanagan, just outside Kelowna in the interior of BC. I have never skied there myself, but have heard very good things about the resort, and that it is family friendly.

There are snowboarding and skiing lessons offered for all ages, and also various family activities every week.

5. Silver Star, BC, Canada
Just like Big White, Silver Star is located in the Okanagan, but close to the town of Vernon. I haven't tried out this resort, but the prices are supposed to be cheaper than the skiing in Whistler/Blackcomb, and the snow is supposedly plentiful.

Lessons are offered for all ages, and there is also the Star Kids program which offers daycare for kids 18 months to 5 years old, with various indoor and outdoor activities.

6. Hemavan, Sweden
If I was going to take my kids skiing in Sweden (I might!), I'd love to take them to Hemavan, located in the north of Sweden, in the mountains between Norway and Sweden. When I was a kid, I'd go here with my family, and this is pretty much the place where I learned to ski. It's a beautiful part of the country, and the skiing is great.

You can learn how to ski or snowboard, and there are also lots of trails for cross-country skiing. If you've never tried cross country skiing, I'd highly recommend it. It's a great way to experience this part of the world in the winter.

Beautiful panorama photograph by Thom Quinet, via Wikimedia Commons.

Beach-time in Point Roberts: Go fly a kite!

Yesterday was an unusually nice day here on the wet west coast of Canada: sunshine, a bit of wind, and temperatures that felt more like spring-time that we've had for a while. Not that I should complain: compared to most of Canada, winter is a mild and wimpy business around Vancouver!

Anyway, it was a very nice day and my family was itching to get out of the house. So where did we go? The beach of course, because we are all beach-bums at heart. This time we headed to Point Roberts on the other side of the border, in the United States.

Point Roberts is kind of like a appendix of United States territory, attached to Canada at Tsawwassen, south of Vancouver. You reach it either by boat, or by driving across the tiny border crossing. There's a marina, beachesm about 1500 inhabitants, and a few scattered businesses. For Canadians, it's a nice place to head over for cheaper gasoline, cheaper summer-cottage real estate, or to pick up parcels from the various mail box companies that make it possible for Canadians to order goods in the US and ship them cheaply to a US address.

We headed down to the beach at Lighthouse Marine Park, and though my 4-year old did ask if we could go swimming (brrrr!) we were there for another reason: to test out the kites my children got for their birthdays in February. We had Tinker Bell and a dragon to contend with!

The beach at Lighthouse Marine Park can look kind of rough and gray when you first see it, but it's an excellent beach for walks and beach-combing. It's covered with lots and lots of smooth round rocks (perfect for little rock-collectors), plenty of of clam shells, broken pieces of crabs, driftwood logs, and gray sand. Across the water you can see the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and looming even farther in the distance are the mountains of Vancouver Island.

We unpacked our kites and to my relief the wind was perfect: we had them flying within 5 minutes. The kids had lots of fun holding their kites and walking them along the beach and in the grassy areas next to the beach-side trail. We just had to keep an eye on all the tangly patches of prickly bushes that kept tugging at our pants and were just waiting to chew up the kites in case they fell to the ground.

There's a large picnic area on this beach, all made of wood weathered to a silky gray, but we had already eaten our lunch in the car while waiting to cross the border in the Saturday morning rush. There's also a washroom that's open all year round, though many other facilities are only open in the summer months.

The kids enjoyed their kites for a while and then we headed down to the beach for some beach-combing, throwing rocks and sticks in the water and just general beach-meditation. Beach-meditation is an awesome parent-activity that involves staring at the waves and relaxing completely while your children are having fun doing their own thing. Highly recommended!

My daughter and husband also managed to save the life of a stranded starfish before we headed home with our kites, and a collection of shells and rocks to add to the gigantic pile of shells and rock already in our house. All in all, another fantastic day on the beach, adding to my study of beachology.