Greece: Cycling Through Seven Islands with the Double Fours
Do animals have a belly button? How can a volcano be sleeping if it doesn’t have eyes? What do fish eat? Where is the shadow of the sea? How come the rules in Greece are a bit different? Where are our bike boxes? Why is Kai sad? Which side to ride on? Which side is the right side? This is just a fraction of the questions we got from our four year old while we were cycling together in Greece over five weeks. It didn’t matter how many times we told him he should be cycling on the right side, he still kept on asking about 500 times a day,…
Around Lake Michigan with a Three Year Old on a Bike (Video)
In May we went to a family wedding in Chicago and decided to stay on and do an 11 day bike trip around Lake Michigan. It was the first long bike trip on which our three year old son Neil biked part of the way by himself. The route was very flat and included many bike trails, some of which used to be old railways. We crossed the lake by ferry, cycled in four different states, stayed with friendly families through Warmshowers and took the train back to downtown Chicago. We hit a heatwave so we swam in the lake a lot and to Neil’s delight we made a stop at…
2018: Recap of a “Peak Year”
I have a theory that every few years you have what I call a “peak year”. Most recently I would say that 2013 was a peak year for us in which we crossed Central America on our bikes and then started our lives back in Vancouver. Next up, 2015 was definitely one with Neil being born, the start of Kids on Wheels, moving into the co-op and then our three month cycling trip in South Korea and Japan with baby Neil. Most recently I realized that 2018 is getting up there among the “peak years”. Although we didn’t do any “big trips” this year, the shorter ones we did were…
- Cycling & Cycle Touring, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, Kayaking and Canoeing, Trip Reports, Trips with Kids
Savary Island: Forgotten on a Small Island
We had one week that we could take off at the beginning of September. The options seemed more limited than usual. At 32 weeks pregnant we didn’t want to go very far, or do long biking or hiking trips. In addition, most of the interior of BC seemed be on fire and we didn’t want to cross into the US in case of a medical emergency. We tried to think of things we wouldn’t normally do. Then I remembered a few people recently mentioning Savary Island and its magical atmosphere. We started researching and we got curious. A tiny island, just off the shore of the Sunshine Coast, off the…
Whistler and Pemberton: Smokin’
We had cycled the Pemberton Slow Food Cycle Sunday twice before, and were looking forward to doing it again this year. With a three year old on the back seat, the drive from Vancouver just seems getting longer and longer, so we decided to make a weekend out of it. We met up with two other families with kids, in Whistler by the Meadow Park Sports Center. From there we cycled the 4 km’s or so to Alta Lake, and spent most of the rest of the day there, on the grass, swimming, and lounging. We borrowed a stand up paddle board from a friend of a friend. It was…
Every Day is ‘Just Another Day in Paradise’ While Cycling Around Maui (Video)
In February 2018 we set out on a three week cycling adventure around Maui with our three year old. After hearing how touristy Maui is we were surprised to find some of the quietest roads we’ve ever ridden, deserted beaches and endless views at every bend. Maui literally took our breath away. It was a magical experience and every day on Maui truly felt like ‘Just Another Day in Paradise’.
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…
