Travel gear: getting a new backpack/hand-luggage

I don't buy myself a lot of new travel gear, mainly because I'm just not much of a shopper. However,  recently I did pick up a new backpack for myself. This also means I bought a new piece of hand-luggage, since my backpack pretty much goes everywhere with me, including on flights.

If you shop at Costco, you might have seen my backpack there: it's the grey version of the Swiss Gear Scan Smart Computer Backpack. I can't find the identical one at Amazon, though it is very similar to SwissGear ScanSmart Laptop Backpack and SwissGear SA1908 ScanSmart Backpack .

Like I said, I bring my backpack pretty much everywhere: to the beach and on hikes, on the bus and the Skytrain, to the mall, and to play-dates. When the kids were smaller it doubled as a diaper bag.

These days I'm thinking they're old enough for me to downsize to something else, since I don't have to tote around so much gear for them on a daily basis, but it's hard to give it up.

And it is the perfect hand-luggage, at least for me. It leaves my hands free (which is why I don't use a wheeled backpack: I give those to my kids), and the compact size makes it possible to stow it under a seat or in the overhead bin.

So yes, I admit, I'm quite excited about my new travel gear, because it has a lot of features that I always look for in my backpack/hand-luggage (and I've gone through a few over the years!):

• The fabric, seams, and zippers all feel durable and heavy-duty - This is a very good thing, because when it's used as hand-luggage, this backpack will take a beating and be heavily loaded with everything from extra clothes to pretzels and medical supplies


• It has lots and lots of pockets and compartments - This really helps me stay organized when I'm traveling, so I don't have to dig around so much when looking for something important, like antibacterial wipes, granola bars, a pen, or a bottle of water. 


• Actually, there seems to be a special holder for everything - A detachable key fob (no digging around for those keys when we come back home), a cellphone pocket, a sun-glass holder, pen holders, a special audio-player compartment, a carabineer clip (that I'm not sure what to do with yet), and two really deep and roomy bottle-holders (refillable water bottle, here I come!).


• There's a "Scan Smart", 17" laptop compartment - This compartment holds a laptop, and also zips open, essentially opening up the backpack like a book. There's a mesh "viewing window", so that airport security can see and x-ray your backpack without it being removed. I'm not totally sure that airport security will always allow the laptop to stay in the backpack, but I'd love it if they would.


• The straps are comfy and padded - Which is a relief when you're lugging around extra clothes for 3 people, and maybe a snuggly blankie, as well as a stash of snacks supposed to last for 20 hours of travel-time.

Fun with the kids at Harrison Lake, BC

This weekend my family made a day-trip to Harrison Hot Springs and spent a great day relaxing on the beach and zooming around on the water in a boat. The weather was fantastic and the kids had a blast in and out of the water.

We started off on the beach next to the shallow, bathtub-warm waters of the man-made lagoon: a perfect spot for toddlers and babies. However, we soon moved over to the beach next to the lake itself. This year it seemed the kids had finally outgrown the lagoon and felt big enough to handle the colder and deeper lake-water. Also, the water did seem a little cleaner in the lake than the lagoon.

Harrison Lake is a fantastic spot for families. The water is nice and placid, and the sand is perfect for making sand castles and moats. There are also lots of other water activities available. At Killers Cove Boat Rentals, near Harrison Hot Springs Resort, you can catch a boat tour of the lake, and they also rent out powerboats, catamarans, pedal boats, kayaks, canoes, and more.

We rented a small power boat for an hour and headed out on the lake. It was a great adventure. Harrison Lake is gorgeous: its greenish water fed by the glacier-capped mountains surrounding it, and with smaller and biggish forest-covered islands in the middle of it.

Our boat ride was sometimes speedy (bouncing on the waves), and sometimes leisurely (watching the scenery of steep cliffs, green water and isolated cabins) as we went all the way around the biggest island in the lake, before heading back to the dock. We saw some big fish jumping out of the water, the kids were laughing as the water splashed up in their faces, and we enjoyed the speed and sunshine. Will definitely be doing that again!

On the way home we stopped at a Sparkes Corn Barn and bought some fresh corn on the cob! It made a delicious end to a great day.

Facilities

• There's a playground, change rooms, washrooms and showers near the man-made lagoon.


• There's a nice, long walkway along the lake where for strolling.


• You can enjoy the hot, smelly, mineral-rich waters of the local, natural hot springs either at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa, or at the public indoor pool.


• There are lots of restaurants serving everything from burgers and hot dogs to very fancy fare. In general, restaurants in Harrison are over-priced (in my opinion), so I usually bring snacks and a picnic lunch along. However, some of the local restaurants are certainly very good. Harrison Pizza makes fantastic pizza, but my favorite restaurant in the area is probably the Horn of Plenty in nearby Agassiz: it's a tiny place but it has personality and great home-cooking.


• If you're looking to stay overnight there are lots of options: campgrounds, RV-parks, B&B's and hotels.

Flying with kids: my top 7 activities & toys to bring

On our recent long-haul flights I've determined pretty well what toys and activities work for my kids (4 and 8 years old).

Now, it's possible that my kids are a little particular. For example, neither one of them likes any kind of hand-held electronic game, and neither one is interested in any kind of personal audio-player.

Also, once we're on board the plane, they are mostly interested in whatever movies or TV-shows are available on the in-flight entertainment system. On our recent trip with Iceland Air, for example, my 4 year old daughter watched innumerable episodes of the Iceland-produced kids' show Lazy Town.

Anyway, after this year's field tests, I will definitely bring along these 7 "entertainment items" on our upcoming trips:

1. Books
Perfect when the kids want to just chill out at the gate, or when they're too tired to really do anything but a) whine, or b) listen to a story. Recent favorites include Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp! and What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?.

2. Crayons and paper or coloring books
Simple, easy to bring, and usually good for passing at least fifteen minutes or so at the gate or on the plane. Remember that on most airplanes the tray table is not very roomy, so don't bring coloring books or paper that is too big and bulky.

3. Sticker books
This is a great, non-messy activity at the airport or on the plane. My kids have gone through several of these, some where you place stickers in various landscapes, and some where you can created faces or creatures using the stickers.

4. Stuffed animals
My daughter does not travel anywhere without a selection of stuffed animals. I just have to limit the maximum number that goes into her hand luggage or it gets ridiculous.

5. Trains, planes & automobiles
My son is a vehicle man. He usually brings along a toy airplane, and one or two small toy trains and cars that he'll play with by driving them on the floor at the airport, or on his seat and tray table on board.

 

6. Hand puppets
Yes, it seems my family has a thing for puppets. I've mentioned before how they can be used to maintain a sense of humor on long trips, and even to help coax kids out of a tantrum. Just one goofy puppet can make it so much easier to get your travel-weary kid to laugh. Really. My kids usually bring a fluffy tiger puppet along.

7. 2 small games
We usually bring 2 small games with cardboard playing pieces along. One is an alphabet matching game where you match puzzle pieces together: the letter that goes with the word in the picture. The other one is a "what goes with this?" matching game, where you match together puzzle pieces with things like snorkel and dive mask, stars and moon. My daughter really likes these games, and they're easy to set up and play, and also easy to bring along in a ziploc bag.

Fun with kids in Vancouver: Playland & the PNE

Taking your kids to an amusement park can be a real summer-time highlight. There are so many sights and sounds and smells to take in: vertigo-inducing rides, glittering merry-go-rounds, spooky houses, whack-a-mole, bright-colored cotton candy, popcorn, lemonade, and the ever-present squeals and screams of terror and delight.

Vancouver's amusement park is called Playland, and inhabits a huge area with some truly fabulous kid-sized rides and entertainment: a kiddie roller-coaster, an old-school merry-go-round, flying elephants, bumpy-ride motorcycles, bumper cars, a giant slide, cars on a track, a mini-train, and much more.

And this time of year, from the end of August until the Labor Day weekend, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), also called The Fair, is added to the fun.

The fair at the PNE has been around since 1910. It features all sorts of exhibitions, concerts, and entertainment. There are dog shows, farm animals on display, pig and duck races, star searches, bands and artists performing, and more.

This past weekend, my husband and I took the kids to Playland and the PNE. Going there means pretty much a full day of fun and frolicking outside with the kids, and there are some things that I highly recommend you bring in order to make the day easier:

• at least one refillable water bottle - just fill it up in one of the bathrooms when it's empty: much cheaper than buying bottles of water


• some snacks - just in case your kids get the munchies


• sunscreen - if the sun is shining: some rides have shady canopies, but you definitely need the sunscreen to be on


• hats - and hope you can get your kids to wear them if it's sunny!

The rides & the fair
We bought Junior Ride Passes for the kids (they're 4 and 8 years old). The Junior passes are for kids who are under 48 inches tall, and this was the year when they both seemed to be old enough to totally enjoy the whole "going on rides" experience.

There are tons of great rides for kids at Playland, and many allow parents to accompany their kids for free. This is the case on the kiddie roller-coaster for example, which was just a tad too scary and shaky-bumpy for the kids to go on by themselves.

Amusement parks are not that much fun with, or for, babies and toddlers, at least not in my experience. They can't go on most of the rides, and the whole experience can be a little overwhelming for them as well with all the noise and chaos (and heat, if you're going on a hot summer day).

This year is really the first year I've felt that both my kids were old enough to truly enjoy both the rides at Playland and the exhibitions and shows at the PNE. We no longer need to bring a stroller (strollers are a hassle at an amusement park, but a must if you're going with a baby or toddler), and  they are also able to go on (and enjoy!) enough rides to really make it worth the trip.

In addition to the rides, the kids also hugely enjoyed the big barn/exhibition area with the farm animals on display. We saw cute little piglets, fluffy little chicks and ducklings, calves, an endless parade of cuddly bunnies, llamas, dogs, goats, sheep... My animal-crazy daughter was in absolute heaven. We got to pet rabbits and horses, watched a sheep being sheared, and even got to very gently touch a tiny newborn chick...

Food & snacks
Food is a bit pricey inside Playland and at the PNE, but there is a huge selection of tasty grub at the outdoor food-stalls at the fair: everything from Chinese and Indian food to barbecued ribs and hot dogs.

We chose to have our lunch at the White Spot restaurant in Playland. It had lots of air-conditioned indoor seating (nice on a hot day), and because it was indoors, there was less stuff going on around us to distract the kids.

For snack-time, we bought blue cotton candy, and some of the PNE's famous mini-donuts (fresh cooked and rolled in sugar and cinnamon... mmmm...).

Admission, parking & facilities
This year, children under 13 get free admission during the fair at the PNE, but you still have to pay for ride passes. Admission varies, depending on whether you're going when the PNE is on, or when it's "just" Playland.

Parking your car at the designated parking lots just outside the PNE costs $20 during the fair. We parked for free about 10 minutes away instead. Beware if you do this however, since there are many parking restrictions in place in the area around Playland/PNE.

There are lots of washrooms available on the grounds, including washrooms with diaper change tables.

Playland and the PNE (or just Playland, if you're going when the fair isn't on) definitely makes for a fun and active day out. Just bring along that refillable water bottle and apply LOTS of sunscreen!

Flying with kids: 8 ways to get cozier on board

Until we all get flatbeds when flying long-haul flights, there is no way to be really, really comfortable in Economy class. And when you're flying with your kids, you have the added problem of trying to make them comfortable enough to hopefully get some sleep. However, here are some things you can do when you're flying to make it a little cozier on board.

Maybe I need some travel slippers for my next flight.

1. Take off your shoes - Take off your own shoes because your feet are likely to swell on board, and it's just comfier without them on for an entire long-haul flight. Take off your kids' shoes because they are pretty likely to put their feet up on the seat, especially if they want to go to sleep.

2. Fold up the armrests, maybe - This isn't possible to do on all airplanes, and you might not always want to have your child sleeping in your lap or on your shoulder, but sometimes this can help make you and your kids comfier when you're seated together.

3. Recline your seat, carefully - It's usually comfier to recline your seat because you get a little more space and a better sleeping position. (It also reduces the risk of your head slumping forward and your mouth falling open while you're asleep...) Check the seat behind you before reclining though: if the person there is just receiving their drinks, it might not be a good time to push back!

4. Grab some blankets and pillows - If pillows and blankets are offered on your flight, then grab some as soon as you're seated and hold on to them. Often, the temperature on board is lowered to "cool" when you're at cruising altitude, and a blanket can really help. Just to be sure, I usually bring along some easy-to-pack fleece blankets for the kids too (packed into their own hand luggage) just in case there are no blankets on the flight. A neck-pillow for your kids and yourself can also be a comfy option!

5. Wear layered clothing - The temperature on board airplanes often seems to vary between too warm (when you're on the tarmac), and a bit too cool (when you're in the air). Wearing a short-sleeved top with a sweater over top makes this easier to handle.

6. Remember to bring your child's comfort items - Bring any particular items your child usually has in bed with them when they fall asleep: soothers, blankies, stuffed animals, whatever. Maybe a favorite book as well. This can definitely help your child relax and feel comfortable enough to fall asleep on board.

7. Pull down the window shade - Blocking out any bright sunshine can help you and your kids fall asleep on board.

8. Keep items you need frequently, close - Any items you know you will need during the flight: water bottles, snacks, head phones, music players, and so on should be kept in the seat pockets, or in hand luggage stashed under the seat in front of you. Getting up to dig things out of the overhead compartment during a flight is doable, but if one or all of your kids are sleeping when you need something, it's a lot easier if you don't have to get up.

11 museums to visit in Stockholm, Sweden when traveling with kids

In my experience, visiting museums with kids can be a hit and miss affair. Whether your children will like a certain museum or not obviously depends on their ages and personalities, and on the museum itself. My kids, 4 and 8 years old, still favor museums where they can interact with at least some of the exhibits (as in grab, touch, bang on, and try to break them...).

I've written about Stockholm on this blog before. It's a beautiful city with lots to do for families with kids of all ages. There's the Old Town, several castles, a big amusement park, lots of pretty little islands in the archipelago, many parks... and many interesting museums. Here are 11 museums in Sweden's capital, many with interactive exhibits and other kid-friendly features.


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1. Skansen
Skansen is an outdoor museum, zoo, petting zoo, and playground all rolled into one. You can learn about Swedish history, watch glassblowers or other crafts people, enjoy the special holiday events, or just walk around the grounds and watch the animals and historic buildings.

It's a great place to spend a day if the weather's good. And it's great for kids because of the variety of things to do, and because they get the chance to play outside. There are also several places for food and snacks throughout the grounds.

2. Junibacken
Junibacken is part museum and part amusement park, and is dedicated to Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and her storybook characters, including Pippi Longstocking. There are also exhibits about other authors famous for their children's books. There's a storybook train, activities and exhibitions, storybook characters, a children's restaurant and a bookstore.

3. Vasamuseet/The Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum houses the remains of the royal ship Vasa. The ship was a royal mega-project that went horribly wrong when it sank in 1628, on its maiden voyage (it barely made it out of the harbor!). It was salvaged in 1961. It is an amazing sight and a must-see on most tourist itineraries in Stockholm.

There are some interactive exhibits geared for kids, and you can learn a lot about the history of the ship and the time in which it was built, but the main attraction is definitely the gigantic wreck itself.

4. National Museum of Science and Technology/Tekniska Museet
Tekniska museet is a  great place to visit with kids: there are lots of interactive exhibits and activities for kids. For example, there's a section called Teknorama where kids can try out various scientific experiments. There's also a "4D" movie theatre, a gift shop and a restaurant. Well worth a visit, even if your kids are too rambunctious for a "be quiet and don't touch anything!" museum.

5. Stockholm Slott/Stockholm Royal Palace
This massive building is located in the Old Town. You can tour some of the apartments and rooms, but the real fun, in my opinion, is to visit the Treasury, where the royal regalia is kept, and the Royal Armoury, both located in the vaults below the Palace

The exhibits and collections here are not very touchy-feely, but they are definitely royally impressive. It also makes a good stop if you're wandering around the Old Town, which you should do if you are visiting Stockholm!

6. Swedish Museum of Natural History/Naturhistoriska Museet
Naturhistoriska Museet is the place to go if you have dinosaur-crazy children. There are dino skeletons on display, and the museum also houses a wide range of other exhibitions, including ones about the geology, the human body, and the polar regions.

7. Aquaria Water Museum
Aquaria features exhibits about three water regions: the Amazon rain forest, tropical oceans, and Nordic waters. (The museum's own website is, unfortunately, all in Swedish.) There are lots of different kinds of fish and other ocean-dwelling creatures to see and learn about. Aquaria is marketed as a kid-friendly, educational experience, and also does tours for schools and preschools.

8. Medeltidsmuseum/Museum of Medieval Stockholm
Medeltidsmuseet is located in the Old Town. It features archaeological finds from Stockholm, and exhibits about Stockholm's history in the Middle Ages. It's a fascinating place, but might not be a hit with younger kids. I'd say tweens and teens might get a kick out of it though. Just like the Royal Palace, it makes for a nice "cultural" stop if you're wandering the Old Town.

My favorite thing: looking at the maps and models of Stockholm's Old Town in medieval times, and realizing how similar the place looks today. Many of the alleys and buildings are exactly the same as they were back then!

9. Museum of National Antiquities/Historiska Museet
This museum houses exhibits about Swedish history from the stone age and forward. If you and your kids are at all interested in the Viking age, then this is the place to go. Other exhibitions focus on the use of gold through history, the medieval church, and the lives of people in prehistoric Sweden.

Like many of the other museums, there are regular tours hosted by a museum guide, as well as portable audio guides that you can borrow to help you navigate the exhibits.

10. The Nobel Museum
The Nobel Museum houses exhibits that present and explain the findings and research of various Nobel Prize winners. I have not visited this museum myself, but it does sound interesting. For kids and families, there's the The Bubble Chamber, which is specifically geared towards kids 3-11 years old, featuring interactive exhibits, games and other activities.

This museum is located at Stortorget, in the Old Town: I will have to check it out on my next visit to Stockholm!

11. Kulturhuset/House of Culture
Kulturhuset is located in the very heart of Stockholm, next to the square Sergels torg, and is easily accessible by taking the subway to the stop T-Centralen. There's a restaurant, a library, and Serieteket, a special library dedicated to comic books and graphic novels. In the KidZone, kids can do crafts, read, listen to stories, play or just hang out. Older kids might enjoy hanging out at Lava.

Fun for traveling kids: old-school postcards

The postcard my kids sent to our cat on our recent trip to Sweden.

These days, the Internet and cellphones make it easy to stay in touch while you're traveling. Sending an email or a text message, using Twitter or Facebook, chatting online, or even video-chatting online: there are lots of ways for adults and kids to let family and friends know how they're doing.

If your old, like me, you know that this wasn't always the case. In the early 1990s, when I first moved to Canada from Sweden, I wrote a lot of letters to friends and family. That, or expensive international calls, were the only ways to communicate with people I knew "back home". These days, I send Christmas cards, maybe a Christmas letter, and an occasional birthday card. Don't get me wrong: it's a good change in many ways. I definitely feel less isolated and more in touch thanks to the Internet than I did back when I was only using snail-mail.

However, I am still very much in favor of sending old-school postcards when traveling with my kids.

So, when we go away for a trip I bring a small address book (yes, an honest to goodness book) with me that contains the street addresses of my kids' friends written in pen or pencil.

(This little book is also a hard-copy of the phone numbers of our friends and family members, which is quite handy to have, just in case you end up with no internet access, or without a cell-phone.)

Snail-mail might be losing ground to email, but even with all the email and tweets and status updates in the world (and I do love them all), there's still something special about actually going to the mail box and finding something in it that a) is addressed to you (and isn't a bill), and b) was written for you and sent by someone you know.

There's something so real and tangible about a postcard, and it makes a great project for kids to help with as well.

• First of all you have to pick out a postcard you like. In Sweden, I found a lot of selection: moose, moose poop, summer flowers, red-painted cottages... Let your kids help you pick, but be ready for it to take some time!
• Then you have to write something on the card. If your kids can write, then this is a great thing for them to do themselves. Otherwise, your children will have to think about what it is about their trip that they would like to share with friends and family, and let you write it down. They can also sign their names on the card. Leave a lot of extra space if your child is new to printing: crayons and fat markers can be easier for little kids to use than pencils.
• You also have to write the address on the card. Get your kids to help you look it up in the address book. If you can, look up where you are and where the cards are going to on a map or globe to help your kids visualize it.
• After that you have to get a stamp and stick it on the card: for little kids, this can be quite exciting!
• Finally, you have to find a mail-box and put the postcard in it. Watch out for sibling fights over who gets to put cards into the box!

All these steps can be quite exciting for kids, and I also think they learn something from it. On our latest trip, for example, both my children were asking lots of questions about how the postcards would eventually get to their friends' houses. I tried to answer as best I could, envisioning the cars, trucks, planes, and finally mail carriers who would deliver the cards to the addresses we'd written on the cards.

My daughter was quite worried that the cards would not end up in the right place. When we got home, she was overjoyed to see that the postcards we'd picked out for her dad and for our cat (yes, cats need postcards too), had arrived in good order.

Finally, a postcard is a nice gift for the person you send it to. Sure, it's a cheap gift (not that there's anything wrong with that!), but it does show the other person that you were thinking about them, and made an effort to find them something personal while you were away.