One of the best days on our recent trip was spent biking along the seawall and through Stanley Park. We rented bikes from Reckless Bikes in Yale Town and rode up along Sunset Beach and English Bay, into Stanley Park, and back around along Coal Harbor.
Riding around Coal Harbour Quay
Science Gallery at The Manitoba Museum
I’ve written about other Winnipeg attractions, such as Assiniboine Park and Zoo, Lower Fort Garry, and the Western Canada Aviation Museum, but that’s not all there is to do in Winnipeg. Those interested in natural history or hands-on science shouldn’t miss The Manitoba Museum.
The Manitoba Museum consists of primary galleries relating to the history, geography, and culture of the area, as well as a planetarium and science gallery. Admission can be purchased for separate areas or bundled together to see the entire museum. When we visited with our young children, the Science Gallery was our destination, although I would have loved to have shown my children the Nonsuch ship replica I remembered from childhood. Read More »
Royal Mail Plane at Western Canada Aviation Museum, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Can an airplane museum be interesting for both adults and children? That’s what we set out to find at the Western Canada Aviation Museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Western Canada Aviation Museum, located near the Winnipeg airport, consists primarily of a variety of aircraft housed in a hangar. Many have been lovingly restored by volunteers, and some of the works-in-progress can be seen while at the museum. Visitors can see the frames of, and occasionally step inside, airplanes from a variety of eras and sizes. My husband really enjoyed seeing the various aircraft.
But the big question was: What about the kids? On the second floor of the museum, there is a special children’s area, with interactive exhibits about gravity and flight. My kids loved playing in this area of the museum.
For those who want to take a break, there is a large windowed room with chairs where one can watch flights taking off from and landing at the adjacent airport.
A gift shop sells both souvenirs and unique books regarding the history of aviation.
We would return to the Western Canada Aviation Museum with children. For families visiting Winnipeg, this is a stop to add to the list.
Details:
Monday through Friday: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm; Saturdays: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm; Sundays and Holidays*: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm *Closed New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Adult: $7.50; Seniors & Students: $5.00′ Children (ages 3-12): $3.00; Family rate (2 adults / 3 children): $18.00 (all prices CDN)
Hangar T-2, 958 Ferry Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3H 0Y8, CANADA
204-786-5503
Linda (minnemom) has traveled near and far with her children,
including a family vacation to Manitoba, Canada.
Photo credits: Dano on flickr
Related Posts:
Nanaimo: Canada’s Best Little City
Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island
There is no shortage of ways to celebrate Halloween in Chicago. Whether you are looking for something family-friendly, something wild, something free, or something spooky, you’ll find it this month in the city. Here are some of the best ways to celebrate “Chicagoween” now through October 31st.
Franken Plaza
Daley Plaza becomes Franken Plaza from October 23 to 31st. Admission is free and events include circus shows, mask-making, arts and crafts, a farmers market, and other performances.
Franken Plaza's Orange Fountains
Pumpkin Patches and Pumpkin Picking
You don’t have to venture out of the city to get your hands on a great pumpkin to carve. Instead, just plan an outing to the Green City Market. The market remains in its outdoor location through October 31 before heading indoors for the season. For a true pumpkin patch experience in the city, complete with petty zoo, hay rides, cider and donuts, and pumpkin carvings, check out one of the many pumpkin patches located at parks around the city, such as Humbolt Park and Archer Park. Hours differ and admission ranges from $3-$5.
Halloween Barn at Living History Farms
By day, Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa, is just what its name says: a series of farms from different time periods in Iowa’s history. The complex includes sections demonstrating the lives of the Ioway Indians in 1700, pioneers in 1850, townspeople in 1875, and a farm in 1900.
For several evenings each October, however, Living History Farms becomes a trick-or-treater’s delight. The buildings are decked out in their Halloween finery and families follow the path through the town with treat stations set up along the way. After the treats are gathered, there are storytellers, horse-drawn wagon rides, and fall displays. There is nothing scary about the event, and it’s perfectly suited for little ones. We navigated easily with a stroller and enjoyed our fall evening. Read More »
Honeygold Apple with October Snow on Branch
Despite the snow here in Minnesota, the calendar says it’s fall, the time of year that says “orchard” to many people. With the expansion of “agritainment” venues, a visit to the orchard is now about much more than just apples. These are some favorite fall orchard activities.
Apple Trees at an Orchard
Apple Orchard Pumpkin Patch
Hayride at Minnetonka Orchards, Minnetrista, MN
Corn Maze at an Apple Orchard
Straw Pile at Minnesota's Carlson Orchards
Corn Pit at Sever's Corn Maze
Orchard Store
Orchard Animals
Pie-making Demonstration
Haralson Apples Grown in North Dakota
Photo credits: minnemom on flickr
Linda (minnemom) visits one or two Minnesota orchards with her kids each fall.
She writes about their trips at Travels with Children.
Related Posts:
10 Minnesota Apple Orchards worth Visiting
Chicago’s El (or L, depending on who you ask) is the train system that helps locals and residents explore all the great and diverse neighborhoods of the city. It’s called the El because in most spots, it’s elevated above the city, glinting in the sun and making a loud rumble as it moves by overhead. Of course, those who call it the L insist it got its name because it encircles the downtown core known as the “Loop”.
El Train in the Station
Whatever you want to call it, the train is an iconic image of Chicago, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to visit the city and not take a ride. The El is more than just transportation, it’s one of the top experiences every visitor to Chicago should have.
At $10, $15, or more – adult admission to the Shedd Aquarium in nearly $25! – visiting several of Chicago’s great museums can really take a toll on your budget. If you plan on going to more than one during your stay in the Windy City, it makes financial sense to look into one of the city’s multi-attraction passes. There are two options.
Field Museum
Denver Botanic Gardens
The Denver Botanic Gardens is one of the largest and most-visited in the US, and it’s easy to see why. With over 30 different sections ranging from the Japanese Tea Garden and the Birds and Bees Walk to the South African Plaza and the Herb Garden, each section has a unique feel. You’ll see plants you’ve never seen before plus several endangered species. In addition to the acres of beautiful outdoor gardens filled with colorful flowers, fragrant herbs, and flowering plants like cactus, you can also visit the green roof, check out dinosaur replicas in the Jurassic garden, and marvel at butterflies and delicate tropical plants in the indoor conservatory. A bistro serves snacks, there are plenty of nooks and crannies to enjoy some privacy amongst the flowers, and the on-site library contains one of the largest collections of plant-related resources in the country. You can also arrange for guided tours, take classes or listen to gardening lectures.
With so much going on, those with a passion for flowering plants could easily spend a whole day at the Denver Botanic Gardens. If you don’t have much of a green thumb, it’s still worthwhile to visit the garden for an hour or so and check out the many unusual and beautiful plants growing here. The Botanic Gardens are open from at least 9am to 5pm, with slightly extended hours in summer. Admission is $11.50, going up to $12.50 during peak summer months. The gardens are wheelchair accessible, can be reached by public bus from downtown Denver, and offer free wi-fi.
Photo credit: exgaysurvivordan via Flickr
There is no shortage of ways to get “high” in Chicago. We’ve got two of the tallest buildings in the US, both offering sweeping views of the city from their observation decks, and the Navy Pier ferris wheel towers over Lake Michigan and its beaches, hoisting riders several stories up. Now there’s one more way to get some air in Chicago. Navy Pier just opened a new balloon attraction called the AeroBalloon, which will lift passengers 350 feet above the city.
AeroBalloon
© UpTake Networks, Inc. 2009
