Miniature World Museum in Victoria, B.C.

Walking down the busy but well-kept streets of Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, my family and I had a destination in mind. Our goal: to find the harbour, rent a sea shuttle, and find a delicious seafood restaurant overlooking the ocean.

Then it began to pour.

Surprised by the deluge, my husband and I tried to find a place to shelter our shivering two-year-old and four-year-old children. As luck would have it, we ducked under a black awning and found ourselves reading the gilded writing splashed across the door.

"Miniature World. The Greatest Little Show on Earth," my husband read. "Wanna go in?" I nodded happily - we would be dry, warm, and entertained. Does escaping a surprise spring shower get any better than that?

And so we entered Miniature World, the land of all things teeny tiny.

The Ellis Bird Farm in Lacombe, Alberta

Imagine it is a warm summer day. The sky is blue, the breeze is light. You want something relaxing but fun to do outdoors, without the hassle of having to pack for the beach, or launder wet swimsuits from the pool or splash park. You just want to hop in the car and go, be entertained, and come home satisfied without a bunch of packing or cleaning to do as a result of your day out.

Enter the Ellis Bird Farm, located just southeast of Lacombe, Alberta. Free to visit (but they sure do appreciate donations, so I encourage you to bring a bit of cash) the Ellis Bird Farm offers a lot for individuals and families to do. Activities include bird watching, TWO interpretive centers, pond dipping, strolling through the amazing gardens, a tea house with fresh ice cream, and a petting zoo of sorts.

My kids loved visiting the Ellis Bird Farm, so allow me to share our day there with you to help you plan your adventure!

Exploring Rat's Nest Cave with Canmore Cave Tours

What do you get the father / husband who has everything? That's the question I have every Father's Day when trying to decide what to gift my husband.

This year, I went with my usual go-to: the gift of a new experience. This is something I love to give to my husband, because he usually buys what he needs for himself and I also really am horrible at thinking of physical presents. But I can always give him a new experience! In the past, I've gifted Joey with dog-sled rides, helicopter rides over the mountains, hiking through frozen ice canyons, and soaking in grotto-style hot tubs. (Plus, I always get to tag along, so we both benefit from this! See what I did there?)

So for Father's Day 2018, the kids and I gave my husband a fantastic Father's Day gift of exploring Canmore, Alberta's 'Rat's Nest Cave' (with me) and then a day of fun and sun at Calaway Park (with the kids). You can watch the Calaway Park video here, but to hear about our amazing time spelunking in Rat's Nest Cave, read on!

That Time I Got to Fly an Airplane in College

Long before I began this blog, or had a travel bucket list, or was even obsessed with travel itself, I was able to experience something that most people can only imagine themselves doing. One crazy Saturday in my second year of college, I got to fly an airplane.

Okay, in full disclosure, I can't actually say I was entirely responsible for flying the aircraft. I flew the plane for, at most, ten minutes before we hit a bump of turbulence and I freaked out and insisted the pilot take the wheel again. (Which was probably for the best, let's be honest.) But I still GOT TO FLY AN AIRPLANE and that was a pretty neat experience.

Let's do the trippy 'back in time' ripple effect so I can tell you my story...