Cowichan Lake & River: New Water Adventures
Our original plan was to head over to Vancouver Island on the BC Day long weekend. We were easily convinced though that it may not be a good idea due to both being crowded on the ferries and on the Island due to a large music festival. I was also exhausted after four back to back sessions of Kids on Wheels and three weekend trips in a row, so staying in town seemed reasonable. It was actually a great decision – the beaches were empty and our local farmers market was not so busy, I guess most people were out of town. So we decided to take three days off…
Brew Lake: The Most Refreshing Lake in the World
A few months ago Gili got an email from a friend asking if we would like to join a family hike to Blowdown Pass at the end of July. Gili replied that we would love to as long as the weather cooperates. When he wrote that we thought of rain possibly ruining our plans, not of extreme heat. A few days before the planned trip emails started flying around, reconsidering the plan. Temperatures in Pemberton were around 34C and the hike to Blowdown is exposed to the sun, on a logging road, and with the long drive no one sounded too keen. So a new plan emerged – hiking to…
Agassiz and Chilliwack: Farm Tour Biking & Cold River Swimming
After a one year break we decided to do the Agassiz Farm Tour again. The problem was that Neil really had a hard time falling asleep the night before (which seems to be a pattern this summer) so we left Vancouver pretty late. By the time we started riding in Agassiz it was almost noon, which was actually good timing for having lunch just a few kilometers later at a cheese farm. The toasted sandwiches were yummy (although the bread was just regular supermarket bread) and we also had a delicious soup. We thought we’d keep some room for the next stop which was supposed to be tacos de carnitas, but…
The Skyline Divide: Big Hike for Short Legs
The first hike of the season is always the hardest. Not only physically, but also mentally. After not doing serious hiking for almost a year the idea of carrying a heavy backpack, getting into the woods and the unknown is a bit scary. In addition, being very busy this summer with work, plus tiredness from being pregnant I guess, did not make it easier. Gili convinced me that it will be fun to get out of the city, and to spend some time in nature. Of course he was right, but a little push was definitely needed. We decided to take a risk and not bring the hiking carrier for…
Newcastle Island: All Ages and Weather Camping Trip
Our friend Pascale sent out an email back in January about a families’ camping weekend on Newcastle Island at the end of June. Since most times we are not sure what we’ll be doing on the next weekend, let alone a weekend in five months, it was extreme advance planning for us. My dad was planning a visit to Vancouver for the same time, so I figured we could already commit to it. I wasn’t sure how he would react to the camping idea (he lives in NY and has a pretty urban lifestyle) but he was actually excited about it (or at least tried to be). As the trip…
Lake Michigan Loop: A Trip Full of Surprises
This trip was full of surprises. The first surprise was the very reason for the trip. It was the news that my aunt was getting married, in one month’s time, in Chicago. Originally we had planned to go cycling in Oregon for two weeks at that time, so a new plan emerged – go to Chicago for the wedding, then do a cycle touring trip near Chicago. But, wait a moment, “cycle touring near Chicago”, never heard of that… Fast forward some time spent staring at online maps and searching, and we made two key discoveries: 1. There is a ferry across Lake Michigan (in fact, two ferries!), and 2.…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids, Vancouver Island
Gabriola Island: A Relaxing Weekend on a Quiet Island
After our success on the previous weekend in Victoria we decided to head to Gabriola Island. As is typical for us, we didn’t check the ferry schedule and discovered in the morning that if we don’t leave within half an hour the next ferry would only be at 1pm. We probably broke our all time record for leaving home, biking downtown just in time to catch the bus to Horseshoe Bay. Luckily there were no other cyclists waiting for the bus. The waterfront in Nanaimo is awesome, but for some reason bikes are not allowed to use it for part of the way… Neil rode his bike, and we arrived…
Victoria: A Three Year Old Pedaling the Bike Trails
Spring seemed to finally arrive to Vancouver just on the week before this trip, but alas on Saturday morning we woke up to rain. We contemplated what to do, not too excited about a whole day of riding in the rain. In the end we decided that it would be an important lesson for Neil, not to cancel the trip because of the rain… Neil started riding his own pedal bike about a month and a half before this trip, and we wanted to see how far he’d be able to ride on his own. A few days earlier Gili bought a trail-gator, a pole that connects a child’s bike…
A Mini-Guidebook to Cycle Touring Maui: A Figure Eight From Heaven
When we started planning our trip around Maui, we found it difficult to find information online. This mini-guidebook should hopefully answer most practical questions about cycling around Maui. For the story of our trip, see our other blog post. Basically, if you are already inspired to cycle around Maui, this is the place to get the nitty gritty details. If you are looking to get inspired, read the other post. On Maui the weather changes far more when you go from one end to the other, than it does when the seasons change – it rains about 20 times as much on the wet side (the Eastern side) than it…
Hawaii: Maybe Not the Maui You Had in Mind?
A few times during this trip I had to stop, rub my eyes and ask myself where were we? Were we in Maui when I encountered a cow on the side of the road? Were we in Maui when the road became narrow, unpaved and deserted? Were we in Maui when already on the first day we found a hole-in the-wall place for our first poke bowl, or when we climbed out of the city into the countryside, with beautiful views and very few people? This is definitely not the image of Maui that I had in mind. We booked our tickets to Maui a couple of months before since…
