We Go Together… or do we?

Many believe the only place you can bring children on vacation is Disney World. Mention taking them to destinations on the wish lists of adults and you’ll get:

• They won’t appreciate the destination.
• They’ll be bored.   
• They’ll complain.
• They’ll wish they were at Disney.

Last year, I set off on a family vacation to the Canadian Rockies complete with 2 days aboard a train with my two children and my parents, wondering: “Can children and adults achieve a great vacation together?”

The simple answer is yes. The complex answer: A kid’s definition of a great vacation and an adult’s are two totally different things. But… it can be done.

In Vancouver, we boarded a train for a two-day journey to the beautiful Rockies – and I was worried about all the points above. The train’s staff met the children with special bags of items to get them into the “train spirit” – a whistle, a great coloring book with information about the train and the wildlife they may see, binoculars, and a camera.  There was so much for them to do, see, and eat, that the days flew by faster than the scenery outside our windows. 

For the adults: this scenery really was so spectacular it defied imagination.  Vivid blue rivers, green mountains, charming towns nestled in the valleys, and amazing wildlife – elk, mountain goats, birds (an eagle was our favorite sighting!) and a giant bear were seen from our comfortable seats, to the delight and fascination of us all.  Every turn and mile brought something else to see, and all too soon we arrived at our next stop.

At the Jasper Park Lodge, those of us with young children explored the many trains running through the resort by the river and around the many cabins, and went for a swim in the pool overlooking the river.  Those traveling without children relaxed in their cabins, had cocktails at the lounge overlooking the pool where said grandchildren were cavorting, and then had a long, relaxing, and quiet dinner in Jasper Park Lodge’s excellent restaurant. 

Running between Jasper and Lake Louise is a beautiful stretch of highway; we saw moose, caribou and mountain goat… and played the best game of I Spy ever!  We stopped at the Athabasca Falls, where the kids hiked down to the riverbed below the falls and skipped rocks while the adults snapped away, looking for the perfect shot of the thundering falls. 

At the Banff Springs Hotel, known as the “Castle in the Mountains”, my daughter pretended she was a fairytale princess; the adults were content to sit on the spacious patio and drink in the amazing view while sipping from one of the hotel’s signature cocktails; and my son looked through the old-fashioned telescopes lining the patio’s edge. 

With a day to shop, you can find everything on Banff’s main avenue. Incredible galleries display the work of world-class artisans, designer shops lure you in, and restaurants feature the local cuisine.  My children’s favorite stops included a shop displaying fossils and crystals excavated locally, and what may be the best ice cream shop we have ever had the sweet pleasure of stumbling into!

For anyone hesitant about travelling with children, here is what we learned on this trip:  make sure there is time for kids to do things kids love to do, and for grownups to do things grownups love to do. If you want to do Disney, do Disney. But if you want to try something new, trust me – the kids can handle it. Don’t put traveling with family on hold for when they’re older. The adventure is plenty fun and memorable now!

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posted by Melissa Talks Trends

Collette Vacations

Tags: Canadian Rockies, Family Travel

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