Sheringham Point Lighthouse is a heritage site located in the hamlet of Shirley about 20 minutes west of Sooke on Sooke Rd/Hwy 14. This lighthouse was first illuminated in September of 1912 and a foghorn was added in 1925. The lighthouse was automated in the 1980’s and fully de-staffed in 1989. The building is now maintained and supervised by the volunteer run Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society.
To access the lighthouse you will turn left on Sheringham Point Rd which is where the firehall is located as well as Shirley Delicious Cafe. You will continue down this road until you see a trail head marker. Park to the side and then you can follow the trail.
The trail is a short walk through a forest, and you will see the lighthouse. To access the lighthouse you will cross a private road and pass through the gates. The gates are open from 9am to 8pm daily. It is free to access the lighthouse grounds.
Be aware that bears are in the area, so best to make noise when walking this trail. The bear in the picture below was sneaking up behind a volunteer who was doing some painting on the lighthouse. We managed to scare it off some to give distance with hollering and clapping. It is good to always be aware of your surroundings when in bear habitat. This bear hung out for a while at the top of the hill eating before it eventually wandered off. We gave the bear lots of space and decided we would enjoy the views from the viewing platform until the bear wandered off.
Once you walk down to the lighthouse, there is a viewing platform that you can walk out on and watch the wildlife and boats go by. You may even get lucky and see a pod of orcas swim by. While we didn’t see any orcas the day we were there we did see seals and otters playing in the water.
Once out at the lighthouse there is a short trail that is a loop that follows along the cliff edge for a short while that you can enjoy and get some different views of the lighthouse.
Do you like to visit lighthouses? Do you have a favourite lighthouse?
Mystic beach is part of the Juan De Fuca trail on Vancouver Island. This is a fun hike to with kids with lots of things to find and see on the way.
Before heading out, it is best to check trail conditions as windfall can block portions of the trail. Be prepared for mud as this hike is through coastal rainforest. The kids will think the mud is great, but it can also prove to be a bit slippery in places as well so shoes with good grip are best.
To access the Mystic Beach trail you will park in the China Beach day use area parking lot. This parking lot is accessed off of Sooke Rd also known as BC 14W. The parking lot will be on your left side approximately 5km after Jordan River when heading towards the community of Port Renfrew. You will see a sign for the China Beach campground, but continue past this and it will be the next turn off. It is about one hours drive from Victoria.
The trail to Mystic Beach is about 2km. If you plan in advance, you can also camp at Mystic beach, but you do require a backcountry permit to do so. Being that it is not a far hike, this would be a great introduction to back country camping with children.
The trail leads through the woods, with a few boardwalks as well as stairs.
Keep your eyes peeled for banana slugs and various forms of fungus growing from falls trees and on the trees themselves. My children loved seeking out all of the different fungus on our way to the beach.
A favourite part was the suspension bridge you reach at about the halfway point to Mystic Beach.
Continuing on the trail enjoying the flora and fauna and searching for critters you will eventually start to hear the waves breaking on the beach as you begin to near the stairs down. The stairs are well maintained down to the beach.
Make sure you check the tide tables before heading out on the trail so that you will be able to spend time exploring at Mystic beach and to be able to walk over to see the waterfall. At the beach there is a swing we had lots of fun swinging on and it is a great spot to enjoy a picnic.
Once we had lots of fun down at the beach it was time to head back to our car. On the hike back we continued looking for plants or fungus we might have missed on the way out as well as exploring the trees.
Have you hiked to Mystic Beach? Do you have a favourite hike on Vancouver Island? Any hidden gems?
Avatar Grove is a fun little hike where you get to see ancient cedars and Canada’s Gnarliest Tree.
Upper Avatar Grove
Upper Avatar Grove
Avatar Grove is located in Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. To get there take Hwy 14/West Coast Hwy to Port Renfrew. Once in Port Renfrew you will take Deering Road north to the end of the road. You then need to turn left onto Gordon River Main Rd. When you reach a Y in the road continue to the left then the following Y turn right. Continue past the pavement and onto the gravel road, you will keep going even if you suspect you may have missed it. You will cross 4 bridges in total and shortly after the 4th bridge the trail signs for Avatar Grove will be visible on the left side. This road can be rough so best to have a vehicle with higher clearance. Ancient Forest Alliance provides a map of the area and other large trees worth a visit.
Upper Avatar Grove Trail
Amazed at the size of the trees
The trail on the right side of the road takes you to the Gnarliest tree, and the trail on the left side takes you down into a forest with many tree nurseries.
Amazed at the roots of a tree that had fallen over on the lower Avatar Grove trail
When going ensure you have proper footwear as the trail can be wet, muddy and slippery. Take your time and be amazed by the ancient trees. My children loved making up stories about who lived in some of the trees. There are large cracks in some of the trees where you can stand inside the trunks, allowing you to have a great appreciation of how large these trees truly are.
Fun exploring inside the trunk of a Redwood Cedar
My kids and I standing inside the trunk of a Redwood cedar
When hiking to the Gnarliest tree, keep your eyes peeled for faces carved into some of the trees which can keep kids busy.
One of the carved faces hidden in the trees
The Gnarliest tree is roped off around it, so please respect the signs and stay on the outside of the rope. This is to help protect the tree.
Kaslo is a a small town in BC located in the Kootenay region, located approximately 3 hours south of Revelstoke.
We were camping in the region this summer and decided to drive over to Kaslo to see what it was all about. This is a very small town located on Kootenay Lake. There is a cute Main Street with a few unique shops, a brewery and a couple of restaurants. Kaslo also has a Saturday Farmer’s market during the summer months.
S.S. Moyie
The S.S. Moyie is the oldest intact passenger carrying sternwheeler steamer in the world, having been built in 1898. The S.S. Moyie was retired in 1957 and sold to the town of Kaslo in the spring of 1958 for $1. The S.S. Moyie is now a National Historic Site and a British Columbia Historic Landmark. You can find the S.S. Moyie on Main Street in Kaslo.
You can visit the S.S. Moyie between Mother’s Day to Thanksgiving weekend each year. Admission rates are: $12 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-14, kids 5 and under are free. There is also a family pass for $30. If you do choose to visit with children, ask for the scavenger hunt when you pay your entry fee. We had great fun as a family seeking out the items as we toured the boat. On site there is also a Ladies Salon boat, a miner’s cabin and a CPR Caboose that you can tour.
If you plan on visiting, expect to be there at least an hour or possibly more depending on how much time your children take checking out all of the rooms on the ship. If you go at the right time of year you may also be fortunate enough to see the nesting osprey. They are best seen from the upper level. The nest is built on a large wooden post out in the water. When we were visiting there were hatchlings in the nest that we could see.
Kaslo Family Skills Bike Park
When we inquired at the visitor centre about kid friendly mountain biking in the area were told about the new Family Bike Skills Park. This bike park was created along the river in town. The bike park can be accessed from the Kaslo River Trail which is accessed via Kaslo West Rd. Once you drive to the end Kaslo West Rd, you can park at the trail head. There are a couple picnic tables located right beside the parking area.
To access the Family bike skills park you will follow the trail that runs along the river and follow it up the hill as it starts to climb. At the top of the hill you will see the bike skills park on your left towards the river.
Our children spent a couple hours riding the loops here and practicing their skills. The loops are big enough that we never had to worry about them running into each other, and they were able to give each other lots of space. We were quite surprised to find no one else using this area while we were there. This is a great spot for children to gain more comfort riding on trails and practicing their skills. One portion is more like a pump track which is the smaller loop and the larger loop includes some mild climbing and mild downhill riding
Check out some of my other posts for things to do in the Kootenay Region:
Sandon, BC is one of those places and worth a visit when in the area. Sandon is located in the Kootenays of British Columbia, approximately 45 minutes west of Kaslo. The drive to this ghost town is lovely , winding through the mountains and forests.
It is free to visit this community. If you do choose to visit, stop into the general store first for some information on the area. They also have some antiques and artifacts from the area on display which are neat to see.
There is a museum on site that does charge an entry fee. It was not open when we were there as we arrived quite early. It is also free to tour the power plant on site that has been restored.
Sandon was known as the Silver City and was at the centre of the richest silver-lead producing area in Canada. Galena ore was first discovered in this area in 1891 which drew may prospectors to the area. By 1898 there were 5000 residents. However by 1920 the town was de-incorporated. As silver prices declined so did this town. It became a Japanese internment camp during WWII. Much of the town was destroyed in 1955 by a massive flood and what was left after the water dissipated was looted and destroyed by looters.
A few buildings do remain including the original city hall from 1900 and the powerhouse.
There is a fleet of old busses and trolleys which you are welcome to enter and look around, and some old vehicles and an old train which my kids thought were pretty neat.
Retired city buses
The old roads have become hiking trails and if you follow them you may happen upon some abandoned homes.
one to the hiking trails
an abandoned cabin
We enjoyed touring the power plant which is small and self guided. It was neat to see the original equipment working. They also have some images posted from when the town still existed which are neat to see.
The Hydro Electric Station
If you follow the trail that runs along the front of the power plant it leads to an old wooden bridge across the river where you can view a waterfall. The trail is very short and leads through the trees.
When in Sandon there is a road that leads up to Idaho Peak. If you plan to drive up there for great views, it is best to go early in the morning before there is much traffic on the road. This is a narrow road, many spots are only wide enough for one vehicle and can be a bit rough. We opted not to drive up the day we were there, but do plan to return to check it out another time. There is hiking available at the top as well as mountain biking.
Have you been to Sandon? What did you think?
When you are travelling do you look for places that are off the beaten path? Places many people don’t know about? Hidden gems?
We are slowly trying to visit places near to us that we have on our bucket list. Our kids really enjoy living history museums and we thought we would plan a weekend around that this summer.
Rocky Mountain House is just over 2 hours north of Calgary. It is a nice drive up through rolling hills and without a great deal of traffic. Being that it is a National Historic Site, your Parks Canada Pass will gain you free entry.
We elected to camp on site. The campground is an open area, but the sites are quite large and each site is equipped with a picnic table and a fire pit. There are no hookups on the sites, but there is a water fill station. For sewage dump you do need to go into Rocky Mountain House where there is a pay dump station at the Visitor Centre. This is a small campground, however it did not fill up when we were there.
Our campsite for the weekend
When you check in, staff will provide you with a map of the entire site along with tokens for the showers. They do run an evening program some nights at the campground, however we didn’t make it to one.
It is wide open skies here, so you get a pretty great sunset view. We also spent one evening watching a storm roll in from off in the distance which was kind of neat.
At the one end of the campground is the beginning of some of the historic site as well as a viewing platform to view the bison from. The path then meanders through grasslands, past the tipi campsite, and up into the forest where you join the main loop of attractions. You can book a Tipi to camp in for the night here as well as Trapper Tents and Trapline Cabins.
Tipi CampsiteAlways need to get a picture in the red chairs at any of the National Parks
There was a tipi set up with 2 interpreters dressed up as Metis who were showing off some of the tools that would have been used when this fort was in operation. They did tell us that some days they are prepping pelts at this site. This is slightly off from the main site, but can be worth a wander down as they do perform different activities down here. We arrived just as they were setting up, so if you waited until a bit later there would be more going on at this spot.
Once we arrived at the main site the kids wanted to check out the museum and learn a bit more about this site before venturing around more. They had a virtual reality activity so the kids could see what the fort would have been like when it was in operation. My kids loved that and thought it was pretty neat. They had 2 different options as our youngest was too small for the main virtual reality, but they had one where he felt he did the same as his big sister.
The museum is small, but has a wealth of information and many hands on activities for kids. This would be a good spot to take a break from the heat on a hot summer day.
After exploring the museum and enjoying all of the activities it was time to head back outside. The kids wanted to go and see what the blacksmiths were making. We wandered over and watched them make some hot dog roasters. We ended up returning a few times throughout the day as my oldest thought this was pretty neat and loved watching them work. While they were working they shared information about the fort, about the Metis heritage and some fun facts about the area.
While our oldest was watching the blacksmiths work, our youngest had a great time pretending he was setting off on great voyages in his long boat. It was hard to get him out of the boat.
Once we could convince him to get out of the boat we wandered over to the Metis Tent to explore it and try some fresh made bannock that had been cooked on the fire. While the kids were waiting for the bannock to finish cooking they enjoyed chatting with the interpreters about their Metis heritage and the Metis culture. After chatting for a while one of the interpreters asked my kids if they would like to see some of the traditional dances. Of course our kids said yes, so the fiddle came out and we got to watch some dancing. After they performed a few dances, the kids were invited up to learn a dance. This was certainly a highlight for our daughter.
Our sons absolute favourite thing to do here was to watch the David Thompson Puppet Play. This is a play all about the life of David Thompson with singing and story telling. They keep the children well engaged throughout and our youngest still likes to occasionally tell me the story of David Thompson.
We spent the entire day having fun on site and participating in the numerous activities, talking with the interpreters and having fun.
We noticed the bison had moved closer to the main visitor area near the end of the day, so went over to watch them for a few minutes before heading back to the camp site for dinner.
We took a different trail back to the campsite that followed along the river for some of it and some of it was through the forest. This trail also passed by the Trapper tents and Cabins.
This is a great place to visit with kids whether it is for the day or to make a weekend of.
If you are up there for the weekend then it is also worth stopping into the visitor centre in Rocky Mountain House and viewing the museum they have there. Be sure to ask at the desk for the scavenger hunt for the kids. If they complete the scavenger hunt they will get a prize. I took the kids in while my husband waited for the Sani-Station for our trailer.
Have you been to Rocky Mountain House? Is there something we missed?
I am a planner when it comes to our family vacations. I like to plan out any of the main highlights we want to see to ensure we can see all we want and also ensure we allow for some down time.
Being that I like to plan, it means I do a great deal of research, on the web, library and Facebook groups. Books make it easier for my children to participate in the planning. What they like to do is look through the books and use sticky tabs to mark off anything they are interested in. We then work together, the kids and I to narrow down the sites based on the amount of time we will have in a location.
The pre-planning also comes in handy when it comes time to book campgrounds so we can ensure we book a site close to the area we are exploring to help cut down on travel time each day. We generally try to section off National Parks when visiting to create our timeline.
Glacier is a park where it is harder to camp in one spot that is central and then explore from there. We found it is best to divide the park into two and allocate time accordingly.
Some of our favourite resources for our trip to Glacier were:
This book was excellent as it accurately describes hikes, any areas that may be of concern with young children, age appropriateness and how to find the hike. The pictures were great in this book as and it was very user friendly. They also have recommended a few itineraries and break down each areas recommendations based on how much time you may have to explore that area.
Websites:
KidTripster – This blog is a great resource, breaking down costs, ways to get around the park and things to see and do.
Since we have been back RV Travel Atlas has posted a number of great podcasts and blog postings about Glacier.
My friend Karen over Play Outside Guide visited Glacier National Park this fall and has a great post as well that also discusses some fun accommodation options in the area if you aren’t camping.
Facebook Group:
RV Atlas Group is an invaluable resource no matter where you plan on camping or for general questions about trailering and camping. This is a no cranks allowed group and so a great positive resource. The administrators of this group also have a great blog and podcast talking about different campground, national parks, and great spots to visit.
Apps:
The Gypsy Guide – Going-to-the-Sun-road. We discovered the Gypsy guide apps on our trip to Yellowstone and love these for visiting National Parks. They are an audio tour that is family friendly. This app once downloaded does not require any internet service to play once in the park. You simply turn the app on and it will tell you about spots you are driving past, things to look for and unique things to see.
Do you have any resources you would add for planning a trip to Glacier National Park?
Our youngest is obsessed with trucks and more specifically Monster Trucks. We knew that we couldn’t pass by Sparwood and not stop and see the world’s largest truck. Luckily for us, we didn’t even have to get off the highway, as the road goes right past it.
This truck is in many children’s books about trucks so you may have seen pictures of it before.
This truck is a Terex Titan built in 1974 for use in open pit mines. It is so large that it took eight train cars to transport it here. This truck was in operation until 1991 when it was gifted to the town of Sparwood. It is over 22 feet high and weighs over 1 million pounds.
Terex Titan – World’s Largest Truck
After stretching our legs, it was time to get back on the road in hopes that we wouldn’t arrive home too late.
The views were great along the way home. One can never get enough of open prairies and mountain views. These captured Waterton National Park in the distance.
Waterton National Park in the distance
We will definitely head back to Glacier National Park as we have more hikes we would love to tackle with the kids. We are thinking a fall trip may be nice when it isn’t so warm and a little more comfortable for long hikes.
Do you have any favourite hikes we didn’t get to on this trip?
To see what other fun we got up to on our Trip to Glacier National Park check out the links below:
As we were nearing the end of our vacation, we knew we wanted to get some more hikes in and there was one part of the park we hadn’t been to yet.
We made a drive back along highway 2 early in the morning to Two Medicine Valley. This is certainly one of the quieter parts of the park and doesn’t appear to see near as many visitors as the other sections.
We decided to start the day off with a short hike to stretch our legs after sitting in the car for a while. It was the first trail we noticed on our drive into Two Medicine. Running Eagle Falls is a very easy short hike (0.6 miles) with nice wide paths and little to no elevation gain. A great hike to take with little ones sine they can splash in the shallow river when you reach the falls.
Running Eagle Falls was named after Running Eagle who was a woman warrior of the Pikuni tribe. She is held in very high esteem by the Pikuni people for her knowledge and wisdom, as well as the inspiring person she is.
We continued on the road to Two Medicine Lake where most of the trails in this area begin. We were aiming for Aster Falls.
Aster Falls is a fairly easy hike which would be doable for most families. It is 2.8 miles round trip with a total elevation gain of 320 feet. Huckleberries lined most of the trail.
Since we found the trail to Aster Falls easy compared to any of our other hikes, we decided to continue up to the Aster Park Overlook making the total hike 4 miles. This has considerable elevation gain of 780 feet over a short distance. Be prepare to hike switchbacks up due to the gain. The effort is worth it for the views up top.
I personally found it harder going down the steep hill than climbing up.
Once down we took a few minutes to enjoy the view of the lake and rest.
This hike deserved some more ice cream for the kids and a cool drink for us, especially with the temperatures getting quite warm again. We went into the general store in Two Medicine for the treat. This was probably the best general store for souvenirs we saw in all our time in the park.
On our drive back out we stopped at a few pullouts to take in the views and take a couple pictures.
We figured one couldn’t go to this part of the park and not stop in to see the lodge. Glacier Park Lodge is one of the original lodges. They had a great display at the end of the one hall depicting the history of the lodge and of the park. It was neat to read and see all of the photos. While we were reading about the history of the park our kids enjoyed working on the puzzles that were out on the tables. You don’t have to be staying at the hotel to go in and enjoy the lobby area where you can sit and relax out of the sun.
Our son loved seeing the Totem poles and gardens that were out front of the lodge.
There are some neat signs we noticed on the East side of the park along the highway. We stopped to see one of them and see what they were about on our drive back to West Glacier and camp.
When you have a child with loads of energy you are always on the lookout for interesting spots to stop and stretch legs, run around, or get sillies out. Luckily there were a few spots we could stop on the way back. One place we stopped was the Continental Divide.
This was a great way to spend our last day in Glacier National Park before heading home the next day.
To read about more of our adventures during our time in Glacier National park check out the links below:
Multiple times throughout our vacation we had passed through the town of Hungry Horse and kept seeing signs for the Hungry Horse Dam. We weren’t really sure what this would be or if it was something worth seeing, but with the heat, it was worth taking a drive up to see.
The drive to the dam is lovely along the side of a mountain.
Hungry Horse Dam is one of the largest concrete arch dams in USA, standing 564 feet tall. Interestingly this dam provides 60% of the hydroelectric power for the Northwest.
Hungry Horse Dam
You can walk along the top of the dam. There is a sidewalk all of the way around. There is also a cute little free information centre/museum. It was quite interesting all of the history of the dam. They had some activities for the kids to enjoy so parents could check out the displays and information which was appreciated. The staff were friendly and glad to share information with visitors.
The Glory Hole was pretty neat to see. This is used when the water levels become too high in the reservoir to be able to quickly dump water down the river.
The Glory Hole
We took a drive across the bridge to enjoy the views from the road along the reservoir and of the surrounding area known as the Hungry Horse Reservoir Recreation Area.
Views of the Hungry Horse Reservoir
What are some places you hadn’t planned to see on a vacation or didn’t know about until you passed a sign for it? Was it a hidden gem?
To read about more of our adventures while visiting Glacier National Park check out some of the links below:
