Mama.Papa.Bubba. -
Menu
Skip to content
  • SHOP
  • preemie
  • baby
  • play
  • craft
  • learn
  • cook
  • DIY
  • kuwait
  • vancouver
  • contact
  • about

Category Archives: around the Okanagan

BC Summer Family Fun

6 / 5 / 246 / 5 / 24

BC Summer Family Fun in the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

If you follow along over on Instagram or Facebook, you know I’ve been lucky enough to work with Toyota Pacific for the last several years and they’ve generously sponsored this post. We have a fantastic giveaway happening right now, so be sure to read all the way to the end for all of the details and how to enter.  

Summertime is quickly approaching and I’m not sure we’ve ever looked forward to a summer more than this one.  We’ve even gone as far as eagerly naming it “The Summer of ALLLL the Fun”.  (Okay, so maybe that’s just me, but I’m beyond ready for fewer commitments, lighter loads, some serious fun with my kids, and more than anything, for Grae to be done with online school.  Because it’s been a yeeeeeaaar.)

This summer will be our FIFTH summer with my RAV4, and I’m so, so thankful we own a hybrid that allows us to road trip all summer long without giving much, if any, thought to the cost – even when fuel prices are as high as they have been recently.  

BC Summer Family Fun | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

BC Summer Family Fun Powered by the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

If you’re new new to the RAV4 Hybrid, I really can’t say enough good things… It’s an all wheel drive compact crossover SUV that has two electric motors and a regenerative breaking system in addition to a 2.5L four-cylinder engine.  (Which basically means you get the perks of electric engines, without ever having to plug it in.) It’s reliable, comfortable, safe, and super peppy and fun to drive, all of which has contributed to it being one of Canada’s best selling vehicles, I’m sure. To boot?  It’s super family-friendly, if fits the four of us and all of our stuff easily, and the fuel economy??  EXCELLENT.  Since buying our RAV4 Hybrid, my fuel costs have gone down by more than 65%.  (Seriously.)

BC Summer Family Fun Powered by the RAV4 Hybrid | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

This summer’s plan involves packing up the vehicle and road tripping to all kinds of fun right here in BC… And we’re going BIG! We have nothing set in stone just yet, but we’ve been brainstorming and I think the kids really want to hit up some local attractions that we wouldn’t usually do, which is a-okay with me this time around.  Here’s some of the summer fun currently on our list and I’m happily taking suggestions, so if there’s something your family loves to do in BC during the summer, I’m all ears!

  

Splash BC Water Wibit in Penticton – Have you seen these before?! Wibits are essentially giant playgrounds on the water that include climbing walls, monkey bars, slides, trampolines, and obstacle courses.  I’m pretty sure everyone 5 years old and up is welcome to enjoy them so long as they’re wearing a life jacket and they look like a ridiculous amount of fun.  The one is Penticton is at the top of our list because it’s right off of the lakefront boardwalk lined with shops, including the cutest ever ice cream stop, Cherry On Top Shake Shop.  Loco Landing is also right nearby, which I’ve also heard is great fun!

 

Cultus Lake Water Park & Adventure Park – A theme park filled with rides, an arcade, and mini golf plus BC’s largest waterpark right across the road from one another?  Sounds like the things my kids’ dreams are made of! We have friends who go every single year and honestly the way they talk about it makes it sound like a local version of Disneyland – they love it that much.  Apparently there are really great vacation rentals nearby and I hear that the camping options are excellent too.

 

Wild Play in Victoria – An outdoor adventure in the trees for the whole family?  Yes please!  Imagine platforms well above your head, ziplines through the trees, giant swings, suspended ladders, bridges, nets, tightropes, and obstacle courses all with the safety tethers and harnesses.  The Victoria location is at the top of our list because we LOVE the island and haven’t visited Victoria in years, plus one of our very favourite family-friendly hotels, Hotel Zed, it just 10 minutes away.  If you’ve never been, Hotel Zed is the absolute best – all of their locations include fun extras like free bike and roller skate rentals and the retro vibes are beyond cool.  The Kelowna location has a huge games room and karaoke room and the Tofino location has epic outdoor games and a SECRET arcade room!!! 

 

Granville Island & Olympic Village in Vancouver – This is one of our many favourite Vancouver adventures and we do it so often that I feel like we’ve got it down, so I’ll share exactly what we do.  Park in Olympic Village, wander through Hinge Park and Habitat Island, along the water to Science World and the incredible playground in Creekside Park.  If you have a membership, pop into Science World, let the kids explore for a little bit, then take an Aquabus over to Granville Island. Here, wander the public market, pick up some fresh fruit, bagels with cream cheese, and an iced coffee (always coffee) then walk along the boardwalk, in front of the Sea Village and all the way around to the playground and water park.  If you have time and energy for anything more, pop into the Kids Market before hopping onto an Aquabus and heading back to Olympic Village.  Depending on the day, finish the adventure off with ice cream from the nearby Earnest Ice Cream location (you won’t be disappointed).

 

Whistler Village – Okay, so this one is a bit of a different pace, but we haven’t been up to Whistler as a family since Sam was a newborn and I’ve been just itching to go.  There’s no one main attraction we’d like to hit up per se, but I’d love to do all of the usual things… Ride the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, hike the Lost Lake Nature Trail while listening to the accompanying audio tour, do the village scavenger hunt put on by Whistler Tourism, find the infamous train wreck, and visit all of the restaurants and shops in the village.  If you’ve not been to Whistler in the summertime, it’s a must.

Of course we’re hoping for some time at the cabin too, but it doesn’t count because Point Roberts is technically part of the USA. :) 

BC Summer Family Fun | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

We’ll see how much of our list we actually end up doing, but it’s starting to sound like a pretty great summer, isn’t it?  (I’m also REALLY hoping for a short Scandinave Spa trip with my girlfriends too, so fingers crossed for that!)

And while all of these things cost money to visit, the good news is that getting there won’t cost us much.  Our usual trip from the North Okanagan down to Vancouver costs less than $45 in fuel, which you really can’t complain about.  

 

If you’re in the market for a new family-friendly, affordable-to-drive vehicle, I can’t recommend the RAV4 Hybrid enough AND if you’re going to be in BC this summer, you’re in luck because we’re giving away seasons passes to WildPlay Element Parks for you and the family  courtesy of Toyota Pacific and WildPlay Element Parks.  The grand prize includes 2 adult and 2 kids seasons passes for B.C. locations.

Click this link to enter. This contest is open to those 19+ in BC and the Yukon and closes on Contest at 5 p.m. PDT on June 24, 2024 . Good luck, friends!! ❤️

 

Are you following us on social media?

Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | 

We’d love for you to join us!

Leave a comment

A Vist to Kangaroo Creek Farm

8 / 8 / 138 / 30 / 13

IMG 0822

It took us a while, but we finally made it to the Kangaroo Creek Farm in Winfield today.  It’s been on our radar since visiting the zebra farm last summer, and I’m so glad we snuck it in before leaving.  

Read More

1 Comment

A Day at Davison’s

7 / 6 / 138 / 15 / 13

Today we spent another lovely day at our Okanagan favourite, Davison Orchards.  If you know me well, you know that my love of Davison’s has been around since I moved to the Okanagan when I was 11 years old.  It was a place I loved visiting as a kid, a place I took the kids I babysat and nannied during high school and university, and it’s now a place I love bringing my own daughter.  Delicious produce, beautiful views, and endless family-fun aside, I love Davison Orchards because it’s constantly growing and improving while staying true to it’s family-run farm roots – not an easy feat.

IMG 9911Grandma Sue and Rorie joined us today and despite our {very} regular visits, we tried two completely new-to-Gracen things this time around. First off, we jumped aboard the hourly tractor train ride and took a tour of the orchard while learning about its history and different fruits and veggies that are grown there.  It’s been a few years since I last took the tour, and I have to say that I love hearing how passionate Grandpa Davison is about his orchard, even after all of these years.  While the sitting quietly during the chatting part wasn’t Grae’s favourite part, she did love the ride and hearing about each of the plants/trees as we passed by.

IMG 9929IMG 9931IMG 9933IMG 9938Afterwards, while playing in the Crazy Cow Kid’s Corral, Gracen got to experience her first ever duck race after Grandma Sue gave her a toonie to buy a little rubber duckie.  She’d plunk him into the tube, start pumping water, and as soon as he started moving, race to the end of the track to retrieve him.  Such fun!

IMG 9919After a good long play, a visit to the animals, and some lunch at Auntie May’s Deep Dish Cafe, we picked up a big jug of Davison’s famous apple juice and headed home with our happy and tired girl.  Another great day at Davison Orchards!

♥

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

 

2 Comments

Zebras at Raw Hide Ridge Ranch

7 / 25 / 125 / 28 / 16

When I heard that there was a zebra farm right here in the teeny tiny town of Lumby (the town that is so small that it’s technically a village), I didn’t really believe it. Zebras, like the ones from Africa, right here in LUMBY? Sure enough, my good friend, Google, confirmed the story. Rawhide Ridge Ranch, located just 25 minutes outside of downtown Lumby (towards Mabel Lake), is not only home to four zebras. but it’s home to turkeys, cows, horses, sheep, chickens, coy, and bison too.

Curious to see what zebras living in Lumby looked like, and knowing Gracen’s love of animals, we picked a day and  booked a ranch tour.

IMG 7379

Today, we arrived to the ranch to meet James, one of the farm’s hosts, a big friendly rottie named Max, and this sweet little calf named Sophie.

IMG 7371

Gracen wasted no time and wanted to go over and say hello to Sophie right away.

IMG 7381

Our host, James, was wonderful. He was super friendly, truly excited to tell us all about the farm, and very mindful of the fact that we had a {soon-to-be} two year old with us.  He even brought out a bottle of milk for Gracen to feed Sophie.

IMG 7373

IMG 7383

We spent the first part of our tour oohing over Sophie and this one week old foal, named Sky.

IMG 7384

After a quick trip to the pond to admire the gorgeous water lilies and lily pads, it was off to the barn to meet a mystery animal named Tom.

IMG 7390

Turned out that Tom was a giant, friendly turkey who roams freely around the ranch.

IMG 7396

Such a funny looking guy – and with a personality to match.

IMG 7393

We hung out in the barn for a while and visited with the other birds, and then it was time to be on our way.

IMG 7402

Next stop – the fish! Strangely enough, this was one of Grae’s very favourite parts of tour (most likely because James gave her the job of feeding some of them).

IMG 7406

IMG 7413

IMG 7417

It wasn’t easy, but when we finally convinced Grae to leave the fish, we headed down to the field to find Lucky, a very friendly ram who happily walks on a rope and visits with guests.  We petted him, learned about what to do if he ever puts his head down and looks as though he might charge at you, and some of us (not me!) were even brave enough to try playing a butting game with him.

IMG 7420

Then it was off to see the farm’s highlight… The zebras.

IMG 7429

IMG 7430

IMG 7433

IMG 7436

When we got up to their enclosure, they were all the way at the very back of it near the forest, so James went in, rounded them up, and got them to come towards us.  The four of them, including 3 mares (2 of which are currently pregnant) and one stallion, came right up to the fence to let us admire them. They were beautiful and it was really cool to see zebras happily living in this sort of setting, rather than in a zoo.  We learned all about zebra behaviours and even got to witness Apollo, the dominate stallion, keeping the herd close together by nipping the rump of one of his female counterparts.

IMG 7443

After a visit to the bison herd, that was our tour. We stopped to see the fish again, visited the beautifully rustic guest house that can be rented out much like a bed and breakfast, said goodbye to Tom, and left with a dozen free-range eggs and Grandma Charlotte’s name on the list for an all-natural free-range Christmas turkey.

We had such a good time at Rawhide Ridge Ranch that I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to visit a real, working farm.

♥

UPDATE:  Rawhide Ridge Guest Ranch has closed since our visit.

Rawhide Ridge Guest Ranch is located on Siglet Road in Lumby, BC. Contact them at rawhideridge@gmail.com to book a tour. Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for children, free for munchkins 4 and under and can be booked from April 1st to October 31st.

7 Comments

find us here

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

looking for something?

want our posts to your inbox?

popular posts

  • BC Summer Family Fun
    BC Summer Family Fun
  • Make Your Own Surprise Boxes
    Make Your Own Surprise Boxes
  • High School or Homeschool?
    High School or Homeschool?
  • Daily Reflection Journal for Kids and Tweens
    Daily Reflection Journal for Kids and Tweens
  • 3D Paper Bag Snowflakes
    3D Paper Bag Snowflakes
  • Things to Listen to While Road Tripping with Kids
    Things to Listen to While Road Tripping with Kids
  • Dear Dad Printable Book
    Dear Dad Printable Book
  • The Best Tips for Taking Road Trips With Kids (& a GIVEAWAY!)
    The Best Tips for Taking Road Trips With Kids (& a GIVEAWAY!)
  • Easy DIY Outdoor Skating Rink
    Easy DIY Outdoor Skating Rink
  • Small Shop Gift Guide
    Small Shop Gift Guide

archives

Site made with ♥ by Angie Makes
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes