Something I absolutely love doing on weekends is going on little family adventures. Driving to a part of the city we don’t frequent often, parking the car, and exploring. Add in a sunny gorgeous day after a long run of rainy ones, and it’s that much better.
Today, we made our way to the Dunbar area, an old university stomping ground of both Brad and I. We parked the vehicle, toured a toy store, and found the nearest playground. Afterwards, we walked along, Miss G stopping at each bus stop, sitting on each park bench, and hanging on each bike rack {because these are all very important things when you’re 2}. We eventually made our way to somewhere I’ve had on my ‘to visit’ list for a very long time now… Kokopeli Cafe. Well-known for being family-friendly, the place was absolutely packed with munchkins and their parents. So packed in fact, that we actually couldn’t get a table – inside or out – for quite a while. We’ll definitely be back to experience it at a quieter time, but I can already tell that it will become a rainy day favourite. We just had drinks this time around, but the baked goods looked amazing, I was envious of our table neighbours’ lunches, and the kids play area was the biggest I’ve seen in a cafe in Vancouver. Oh – and the bathrooms have special toddler-sized sinks, they sell world’s yummiest granola, and there’s a 25 cent ridable alligator out front. Can’t ask for much more than that, can you?
Here’s to Sunday adventures.
♥
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It seems like one of our weekend traditions has become going out for afternoon tea as a family of three. We have lots of little local cafes we love to support around the city, but one thing I’ve noticed is that many of them close between 4 and 5, which often doesn’t work out well with Gracen’s afternoon nap. 
While they don’t have a kids’ area like many of our favourites do, I did spy a big empty corner near the washrooms that would make a perfect kid-friendly space, so maybe it’ll happen one day? I don’t know… I do realize not every establishment wants to cater to children and I completely understand, but I can still hope right? ☺
Our drinks were good, the baked goods were yummy, and the overall space was lovely – bright, open, and modern. Gracen loved watching food being made from above and I enjoyed {politely} checking out the 
The coffee was strong, the pretzels were exactly as they should be, and Brad’s hot chocolate was ridiculously large and served in a beautiful bowl (we also ordered a cinnamon bun, but it disappeared so quickly that I didn’t manage to get a bite… I take it it was delicious).
On the way out, the super sweet owner, who is also a local mom, sent us on our way with a loaf of pumpkin seed bread and this adorable little dragon-shaped chocolate chip pastry (we visited just before closing on a Saturday) and both were absolutely delicious. So delicious, in fact, that we may have to make a weekly trip just for the bread alone. 
Located on the corner of Fraser and 19th (not far from our other munckin-friendly cafe, The Outpost), SweetSalt is super bright and inviting, even on the gloomiest of days. We ordered some hot drinks, a couple of baked treats, and settled in. 
The coffee was strong, the pretzels were exactly as they should be, and Brad’s hot chocolate was ridiculously large and serve in a beautiful bowl (we also ordered a cinnamon bun, but it disappeared so quickly that I didn’t manage to get a bite… I take it it was delicious).
The cafe, though beautifully decorated, maintains a very laid-back vibe, making parents visiting with children feel completely at ease. Gracen (along with two other little ones at the cafe at the time), played freely in the kids’ corner, made her way back to our table for a bite of pretzel now and then, and then back again for more fun and at no point did we feel like she was in the way or bothering other patrons. The play area was fully stocked with a mini kitchen, cooking tools, a chalkboard-topped table, colouring pages and crayons, wooden building blocks, nesting cups, and toy trucks, which was perfect for keeping our little lady happily busy for our entire visit. And though we didn’t bring ours in, there was plenty of aisle space for strollers, not to mention a big bathroom, complete with stroller space, a change table, a step stool for hand washing, and possibly the most adorable alphabet cards turned wall art I’ve ever seen.
On the way out, the super sweet owner, who is also a local mom, sent us on our way with a loaf of pumpkin seed bread and this adorable little dragon-shaped chocolate chip pastry (we visited just before closing on a Saturday) and both were absolutely delicious. So delicious, in fact, that we may have to make a weekly trip just for the bread alone.