Steam Whistle Brewery

Steam Whistle Brewery, A Family Adventure?!

     I have been to Toronto many times with my family for different types of Sporting Events or Ice Shows. But had never thought of going on a brewery tour while I was there. Until I heard from The Steam Whistle Brewery Company claiming it was the "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" type of brewery (Sadly, no Oompa Loompas). This sounded like the perfect place for the kids to take their dad... 

  I was right! The kids, and even my mom, had a great time. The kids were even lucky enough to pull the actual "Steam Whistle"!! (Jealous)

Three Things I love About Steam Whistle 

1. The delicious taste of the beer. 
2. The Steam Whistle Company is as Green as it gets when it comes to saving the planet.
3. Real Man Travels and Steam Whistle have "founding" similarities. Steam Whistle was thought up on a canoe trip in Ontario around a campfire and that is exactly how Real Man Travels was created.

   Steam Whistles Tour Info

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The Canadian Space and Aviation Museum

The Canadian Space and Aviation Museum

“When I was eight years old to be a spaceman was the most exciting thing I could imagine.” - Roberta Bondar

I have a dream! And it is a very important one. I want my daughters to be the best they can be in life. I am sure you have similar hopes and dreams for your child/children.

My plan this past summer was to try and inspire my children to be leaders by taking them to a city that is full of leaders,our nations capital Ottawa.

You maybe wondering why I chose The Canadian Space and Aviation Museum as a place of inspiration for my daughters. Well the museum is host to many exhibits, but my favorite part was dedicated to Great Canadian Astronauts like Roberta Bondar, The first Canadian Woman in space, and Col. Chris Hadfield who just this past year was the Commander of the International Space Station. You can pretend to be an astronaut by playing a giant version of Chris Hadfield's guitar or by sitting on a space toilet.

With amazing planes of all shapes and sizes, and craft workshops to keep the kids happy. Strolling through the museum is a fun way to to teach your kids about the history of aviation and space travel. 

Another bonus that I was not expecting, was the nice playground they had just beside the parking lot, its a great way to burn off any left over energy.

Check out Ottawa Tourism's Website for more info.

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The Rideau Canal Museum

On my recent road trip to Ottawa, I planned my route in hopes that I would be stopping in Smith Falls, Ontario to visit the Rideau Canal Museum, So the kids could maybe learn a few things and have fun,  before hitting the road once again.

Before I get started here is a brief history of the canal: It was constructed in the 1800's and is nearly 220 kilometres long. It is also Ontario's First UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

 

After hearing "Are we there yet" 34 times we arrived at the locks in Smith Falls, it was beautiful to say the least, it was a perfect spot to relax or have a picnic. The kids were excited because I had told them classified info that there was a "Species At Risk" scavenger hunt with a possible treat at the end. 

We were met by two very nice young ladies that explained the scavenger hunt to the kids and took us to the film room for a short film on the history of the canal.

 The Scavenger Hunt took you from the bottom floor up 4 floors to the Indoor Lookout Tower. (Don't worry there is an elevator.) Each floor had a different theme and different interactive activities. 

It was an excellent way to stretch our legs. If you are ever in Smith Falls you should check it out.

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Bruce Peninsula National Park

Imagine seeing the sky just like your grandparents did or Imagine swimming in a grotto like you are the Little Mermaid...

Bruce Peninsula National Park is one of the few places that offer this kind of fun. Star lovers will love the Dark Sky Preserve, you will be fully able to appreciate the sky and stars with no interruption of city lights. Mix in some of the clearest waters and  most beautiful landscapes you have ever seen. 

Oh.. Bruce Peninsula National Park also has Yurts which are a Dad's best friend when it comes to camping. Placed right beside Cyprus Lake . It includes a comfy place to sleep, a cart to unload your things, indoor furniture, outdoor furniture and my personal favorites a BBQ and a Key to the only showers in the park! 

Of course there is more! like a Outside and Inside Stoves and great protection from the weather. In the winter you even get a snow shovel! So if you are new to camping or just want to relax more and pack less  this is a great way to do it. Do yourself a favor and indulge in the spoils of the Yurts. 

We also ventured in to Tobermory and visited the Parks Canada Visitor Centre where they had quite a few things to do like climb a lookout tower and lots of activities inside for the kids and information for the Adults. 

**HINT: Ask about the Junior Explorer Program for cool souvenirs for the kids!**

 While we were in Tobermory we hopped on a Glass Bottom Boat Tour out to Flowerpot Island which is part of Fathom Five National Marine Park of Canada

Please Enjoy the pictures below. The scenery was breathtaking and I cant wait to go back! 

With a Yurt you will never ever hear this from your kids

 "Oh great! Dad has to set up the tent. This is going to take forever!!"

 Beautiful Inside and out. You can leave almost everything at home

I forgot the Bowls! Real Dad Stuff!!

Indian Head Cove

A Cave that we swam to and explored was really cool. The top was the perfect setting for a great picture.

Above: Climbing the lookout tower. Below: On Board the boat tour.

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Marten River

MARTEN RIVER

If you have been thinking about getting away camping with your family, you really should. Especially with all the great parks and private campgrounds here in Ontario to choose from. Camping makes you stronger as a family, opens up a new world for your kids and it creates lasting memories. Obviously I’m telling you from experience. The picture above is one of my most favorite pictures in the world. The 4 days my daughters and I spent at Marten River was like heaven on earth. The site we had was right on the water next to the beach, we spent so much quality time hiking and fishing along just hanging out with no pressures of the world to interfere.

 Here are some facts about Marten River

·         Marten River is situated about 40 minutes north of North Bay, Ontario. Right off of HWY 11.

·         Authentic Logging Village on site

·         Great Fishing

·         Trappers Outpost located just outside of park, has all your camping needs and more

HIKING WITH THE KIDS

 On a beautifully sunny August day, we went on a 4 kilometer hike which involved a couple rolled ankles and temper tantrums, but overall the kids were great. It took us roughly 4 hours to complete the trail, not counting the time taken for a picnic at the riverfront.  There were however a couple of times that I didn't think we would make it to the end. But thankfully I had my secret weapon, a package of delicious red licorice; it gave the kids the motivation and energy to keep going.

First off, I put the boat in the water. With no plug. The result was an hour worth of work bailing the boat out.(Lesson learned) My luck had took a turn for the better and we caught and landed 2 Walleye and a Bass. We had a wonderful shore supper that night.

TIP: when you take your kids fishing, you don't fish, you do everything else you are the Captain of the boat, baiter of the hook, line untangler and fish handler. So make sure you bring a lot of patience

. 

Our campsite was truly beautiful. Here are some other fun things that we did on our camping trip.

·         Bathed in the river like pioneers, the water was a bit chilly.

·         Sat down at everyday for an Ice Cream at Trappers Outpost

·         Many hours Spent at the beaches and playground

Are you going camping? Tell us more below in the comments section.

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Making Dreams Come True at Disney World

 Making Dreams Come True At Disney World

Let me set the scene... BUZZ LIGHTYEAR.

 I  used  to hear "To infinity and beyond!" about 14 times a day on average. I would step on little aliens twice a week. The worst had to be when the toys would talk by themselves, at night in the dark, just to freak you out it seems.

My youngest daughter LOVED Buzz Lightyear! And when we went to Disney World we set up a chance for her to meet Buzz and hopefully have a classic moment that we could cherish forever.(like in the commercials) Check it out and tell me if you think that's what we got!

    

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New York City

NYC Skyline taken from Hoboken NJ

    Have you been to New York City? Where did you stay? How did you get around?

    When I went to New York with my family we decided our legs were our best mode of transpotation, even though 6 of our 10 legs happened to be pretty small, but that was the way it was having 3 daughters under 5. After all walking is one of the best things you can do with your family and it was a good/cheap way to get around and see the sights on a budget.  I'll share with you how I spent a lovely afternoon with my family walking 37 blocks of New York's Concrete Jungle.

    It was a beautiful Saturday in May. We stayed in Hoboken NJ to save some money. After looking at all of our options of getting  to Manhattan, we took the Path transportation underneath the Hudson River to the very surprisingly busy and a little bit confusing streets of New York City, our plan was to walk as far as we could towards 5th Avenue and Central Park in hopes to take a carriage ride in Central Park



FDNY Crews in Times Square

     After we gathered our bearings and asked which direction to go, we took in the view, of the very tall Empire State Building (look wayyyyy up). We pointed our noses towards Times Square and walked in baby steps. We stopped at a souvenir shop so I could get a NYC Snow globe. Then Continued the trek of 36 more blocks. Sounds completely crazy I know, but that day my kids were great, they walked their little hearts out. When we finally reached Times Square there was so much to look at and take in all at once. There was a movie being filmed, there was FDNY Hazmat squad at one building, so many distractions but we stuck to our plan and kept moving, passing a gentlemen’s club with a large black man at the door. He seen that I had 3 daughters and gave me a sympathetic "how are you" head nod or the "man you are screwed in 10 years" head nod, I'm not sure which one it was, I get them mixed up all the time.

Time Square Banner Art

     All jokes aside we went down a side street just past the Disney Store, after spotting a Tim Horton’s! (O Canada!) this is no joke we grabbed some Coffee and Bagels, just like we were at home. We walked a block or 2 over to 5th avenue and much to my surprise we ended up walking right past Rockefeller Center and more important to me the place where Kevin finds his Mom in Home Alone 2!

  

      When we made it to 5th avenue we passed massive Churches that had weddings in progress (really neat).  We were nearly 2 blocks from Central Park and I thought that it was almost time to celebrate our journey was near its end and my feet were sore. I said to my daughters "Lets buy you guys a shirt from a 5th avenue shop!" with all the fancy stores around you might think I am nuts! Well no i am not fully nuts (just a little). We bought "I Love NYC" shirts right on the corner of 5th avenue, off of a street vendor for 10 bucks a shirt! (haha)

Girls Showing off their new Shirts

     When we made our way into the park the Movie scenes started flashing through my head. It was movie geek heaven! The kids who were very good the whole way had become tired of walking,  just in time for the long awaited carriage ride. The price for a Carriage Ride was $50 cash plus tip. It is a very unique thing to do, the weather was perfect and the kids loved it. For me I thought the movies make it look a lot more romantic and was a little dissapointed. However, I was still very happy we went on the ride and I will never forget it.

After the Carriage Ride I spotted an empty cab and paid the driver 25 bucks to get us back to the PATH station. Talk about an adventure! That cab ride was wild! We spotted 3 cool things during the cab ride. 1. Broadway Ave. lit up like a circus. 2. A S.W.A.T. Team running into a building. 3. A NYPD cop directing traffic with Aviator Sunglasses on. (Classic)

Overall we had a great day in NYC. Here is a look at what we spent - What we spent for the day - $20, path tokens Hoboken to NYC. $10, Snow Globe. $10, Tim Hortons. $30, I LOVE NYC kids shirts. $50 plus tip, Horse and Carriage Ride at Central Park. $25 Thrilling Cab Ride from Central Park to Path Station. Overall $150 spent.

If you decide to walk - Tips for Walking distances with kids - A few things you will need are Sense of humor, Patience,  A Plan, A Backup Plan in case of bad weather, Water, food, sunscreen and lots of breaks, dont make it seem like work. Keep them busy by pointing out different things.

A little fun fact - What took us 3 hours to walk took 12 minutes by cab. 

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