Did you know Attractions Ontario has a list of coupons and deals to use all summer long?
There are a variety of popular tourist and stay-cation spots families love to hit across Ontario and luckily, you can save on your outings using the Attractions Ontario Coupons.
These include special savings on some of the most popular places for families to visit.
A few deals that caught my eye:
Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls (I’ve written about why we love it!) and you can save $3 a ticket.
Save $2 on regular priced admission to the Canada Nature Museum which is located right here in Ottawa! (There’s also a discount to one of our other favourite places, the National Gallery)
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Toronto offers savings of up to 20% for a family of four.
There’s also a discount for the CN Tower!
You can browse all of the discounts on the Attractions Ontario Website to plan your summer adventures and save some money!
Family Travel: Why we love Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello
I have written about our visits to Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello many times over the years since we started going. We now, on average, get to visit about two times a year – often in the summer, and again when the Christmas decorations are up.
Sometimes, we have partnered with them to share tidbits on social media as a part of my blog, and I always love working with them, but this is one of those partnerships that works because we truly love the place, and go because we want to. We have recently booked our holiday trip (not sponsored, just a part of our advent activity celebrations!) and we can’t wait.
So what is it that brings us back, over and over again? Here are a few reasons we love Fairmont Montbello as a family (and why I think you will too)
Reasons to love Chateau Montebello
Comfortable rooms for families
We’ve been in a variety of the rooms, from a King bed with pull out couch, to two double beds – we’ve had the smaller rooms and larger ones and honestly have been comfortable in all of them. We typically don’t opt to pay for the extra space or the river view (sometimes we get lucky when we check in!) because our rooms are usually for sleeping and changing for the pool! Simple!
One thing I always talk about that I love at hotels when travelling with the kids are fridges. These rooms have fridges in everyone of them making it simple to cart along some snacks or breakfast bites (although, we do splurge on breakfast – you’ll read why later).
We make ourselves right at home!
The lobby and relaxation areas
We spend a lot of time in this area, ordering drinks or snacks, and playing board games (all you have to do is ask for a board game at the front desk or board game room depending on the time of day). The kids are comfortable going to sign out a game themselves now, and it’s the perfect place to reconnect after a busy day.
The activities
In the summer months, one of the reason I love going so much is there is so much to do to keep us active. I often call it our summer camp. We play tennis and kayak and mini golf.
In the winter months, there are outdoor skating rinks, trails to walk on, curling available (at an additional cost) and more. Although, we tend to make our way to the lobby and the giant fireplace even more in the winter.
The pools
Yes, two pools. The outdoor pool is just like being at a warm destination resort but close to home. There is food and drink service, umbrellas to protect you from the sun, plenty of spots to lounge, and the pool is a good size so even on busy days it doesn’t feel like you can’t enjoy yourself.
In the cooler temperatures (and at night in the summer) we enjoy the gorgeous indoor pool. It’s stunning.
The food
I mentioned the breakfast briefly before, but while we’ve had delicious food for other meals, we often go into the town of Montebello to grab a bite and instead eat breakfast at Fairmont Chateau Montebello. The breakfast buffet is amazing and while it feels like a splurge, we all end up eating what we love. Especially the maple crepes. I can’t express how strongly I feel about my recommendation for trying these crepes! When the kids were much smaller, we used to order room service and make sure to get these too.
Bonus reason: The memories
Every time we go, with just the four of us, or with my parents and siblings, we have an amazing time and there are new memories being made. We love that we can arrive after only about a 50 minute drive from home, but feel like we are so far away. The service is incredible and the entire feel is special.
Wondering why we love going during the holidays? These decorations are definitely one of the reasons. But seeing the kids’ faces light up when we get there and they see this? That’s an even bigger reason. We love creating these memories!
Currently, the resort is undergoing massive renovations so we can’t wait to see the changes! Our holiday trip is booked – I have big plans for board games by the fire!
TIP: The rates are often less expensive between Sundays and Wednesday nights. When possible, we book then, and keep an eye out for their specials!
We’ve been a few times to Bird Kingdom and have never been disappointed. It’s located on the River Road in Niagara Falls and not far from the Falls themselves.
The experience is fairly similar each time – you and your family can pretend you are on an expedition where you are exploring natural wild life. You’ll get an up close and personal look at snakes, bats, and of course the many birds that await in different parts of Bird Kingdom.
“Why’d it have to be snakes?” – Me, and Indiana Jones
However, the highlight is always the giant aviary where the birds are free to fly around and you can get a greater appreciation for these beautiful animals. It reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie setting.
There is also an interactive area where you can feed lorikeets, as they land on you!
There is so much to discover, plenty of interactive opportunities and you’ll also learn many new things about the animals. As a family adventure, this one is worth taking together.
According to their website, Bird Kingdom is the world’s largest free-flying aviary and while we can’t help but recommend it for families and kids, even if you are travelling without the kids we think you’d love it.
We love taking the train. You’ll notice that often when I have work trips planned in Toronto, I travel by Via Rail. It’s been a few years since we’ve taken the kids (the last time was to a ball game) mostly because our summer travel hasn’t really warranted train travel. But that doesn’t mean we don’t look from time to time. For example, we often travel to Windsor to see family and will price out our options. But it’s the Ottawa to Toronto run that’s the better, more affordable option usually.
I love taking Via Rail when I can.
What I love about train travel is the convenience of getting to the station and boarding (it’s so stress free, especially now that seats are assigned) and I find the trip relaxing. As a family, all of us can just sit back and watch shows (with headphones!) play games, read or nap. This is especially appealing to my husband who is usually the driver and has to deal with traffic and navigation (I’m not very good at it!)
If you are making your summer travel plans as a family, consider taking the train!
This summer, Via Rail is once again offering discounted seats for kids for travel Between June 18 and August 31!
How much does it cost for kids to take the train this summer?
Kids under 24 months old: $0 (if they don’t occupy a seat and sit on your lap)
Kids aged 2-11 years old: $15 (one way)
There are some conditions that apply (you can read all of the details on their website) but for example, the four of us could make a round trip to Toronto this summer for under $285, all in. That would mean stress free travel, no parking costs in Toronto and we’d arrive right in the downtown area. Hmmm, we may not have a trip planned currently, but maybe we should rethink that!
Find out more information about travelling by Via Rail this summer on the Via Rail website.
After spending time in Florida’s Gulf Coast, it’s no secret that we really enjoy the area. If you followed our March Break trip on social, you’ll have seen that we were surrounded by water, pools, beaches, sun, baseball and seafood – all ranking high on our ‘what makes us happy’ lists.
One area that want to tell you about is the St. Pete Beach area where we stayed at the beginning of our trip. A couple years ago when we went on a Florida vacation to meet up with all of my family (sisters, parents etc), we had one night that we needed to book before meeting up at the house we rented. We were flying into Tampa, and looked at local hotels, but we figured that since we were so close to the open water, we would much rather find a place near a beach to enjoy – even if it was only going to be for about 24 hours.
Prices for beach properties are naturally not very inexpensive, especially during March Break, but we kept looking and stumbled on a gem. A family-owned motel resort called Bon-Aire Resort is where we booked. It was directly on the beach (and I’ll talk about the beach later), had two pools, a restaurant that served delicious, simple bites and drinks, and was so well priced we booked right away.
After that one-night stay, we always talked about going back, so when we planned another family vacation this year, and had a few days to fly in ahead of my family, we knew where we wanted to go.
Why St. Pete Beach?
Let’s start with the Bon-Aire. This became our home for three nights. There are kitchens in the suites, including fridge, microwave and an oven in the larger ones, which means when you travel with kids you can buy groceries that they’ll actually eat and you won’t have to eat out all the time. However, when you do eat out, there is Sandbar Bill’s located right at the Bon-Aire, or delicious restaurants all in walking distance. We ate at Grand Hacienda one night and it was great (not to mention, we scored an early bird buy-one-get-one-half meal!)
The Bon-Aire Resort has two heated pools and is located on the beach. Each day we would leave our room and walk out to either swim in the pool or walk the beach. The white sand is hard to describe, but baking soda may be the best way to explain it.
St. Pete’s is about 45 minutes away from Clearwater Beach, a very popular travel destination (and recently, it’s been named the best beach in the U.S.) We took a day trip in search of great food and more beach time. We went to Pier 60 and from their walked long Clearwater Beach. It wasn’t a surprise why it’s so popular. It has gorgeous white sand that is incredibly clean and soft. There’s a pier to walk out on and the area is full of shops and things to see and do. We ended up grabbing a bite at Salt Cracker Fish Camp that had an excellent kids menu, and was well priced (plus it tasted amazing) and I can’t recommend it enough.
Nearby, there is the Clearwater Aquarium and Marine Rescue Centre which we didn’t get to this time but definitely would another time, and just a bit north you’ll find Dunedin Stadium, the home of the Blue Jays during Spring Training.
St. Pete’s is near Tampa Bay (about 30 minutes from the airport) making it an easily accessible beach destination if you are flying into the area. One of the main reasons we love staying there is that everything is accessible – the beach, great food, groceries – within walking distance. We only got in the car to day trip to Clearwater. Otherwise, we had everything we needed at Bon-Aire Resort. We love the St. Pete’s Beach area and hope to make it back again soon.
I openly joke about being a vacation mom when we go away, vs ‘regular’ mom when we are at home. I don’t want the kids to think I’m boring and no fun when we are enjoying our day to day lives, and I don’t think they usually do. But they also need to know that our lives can’t be all fun all the time. Many of their activities and so much of their time is spent with me, and I know we’ve been creating memories for years whether we are at home or in a new, exciting location. Life as a parent includes those special moments, but also the tough ones. Where we need to learn lessons together and sometimes it means that we aren’t in very good moods. I can’t be super fun and say yes to everything all the time, there are responsibilities and routines that need to be kept.
But vacation mom. Oh, she’s pretty fun. Bedtimes get pushed back a bit (although, only a bit) and she’s likely to say yes to play time, to pool time, to going for a walk (unless she’s in the middle of her book) and to extra popsicles and dessert. It’s vacation mom who buys the sugary cereal that we would never eat at home. It doesn’t mean that it’s a free for all when we are on vacation, but let’s be honest; vacations usually mean less stress, and less items on the to-do list competing for time and attention. As parents, we let ourselves be free when on vacation a bit too.
I hope that vacation mom creeps out every so often in our everyday lives. I like it when she’s around. We do plenty together as a family, I know how fortunate we are to spend so much quality time together, and how we find exciting, interesting and even simple things to do in our own backyard – that really is about quality over quantity.
But I’ll miss vacation mom now that we are home. And I’ll also miss her decision to buy Fruity Pebbles.
Do you have an upcoming family vacation? It’s very exciting to book and plan for a trip together, but as the weeks and days approach closer and closer to your departure, the to-do list seems more and more overwhelming. While most of us don’t start actually packing until a couple days (or the day) before the trip, there are ways to help ease into travel and ensure that you are all ready to go so you can enjoy a relaxing vacation together.
Book your appointments
Leaving in a couple weeks? Make sure you’ve booked all the appointments you have to. That not only includes hair appointments but medical ones too. A vacation is not the time for that sore tooth to get even worse.
Stock up on Medicine and reorder prescriptions
Speaking of medical appointments, while you’re at the doctor’s office, make sure they give you any new prescriptions you may need and head to the pharmacy to fill them right away. Then, plan to pack the family travel pharmacy. Grab children’s medicine, anti-nausea relief, allergy medicine, and any other items that you feel you need on your trip. I always create and pack a travelling pharmacy to take with me. Include items like band aids in that pack, sunscreen and more.
TIP: Read about how I pack our travelling pharmacy in this post!
Stock up on Books
We always end up bringing new books to read when we travel. One of the reasons I love vacation is because of the endless time to read (usually by the beach, or at night after the kids are asleep) and the kids are no different. Having new books will not only keep their interests and be a special treat, but books are a great way to spend time in airports or when you just need some quiet downtime.
TIP: You can find great books for the kids at consignment shops or thrift shops!
Check clothes for sizing
There is nothing worse than packing the day before and realizing that your child’s swim suit which you remember from last year is actually way too small or that thanks to a growth spurt there are no summer shoes that will fit. Check the clothes to see what is still around, what still fits, and what needs to be replaced before you go.
Print Your Forms!
Print your reservations, coupons, and itineraries before you leave. Before every trip we take, Andy prints everything we need. He’s in charge of printing forms ahead of time and keeping them together – hotel reservations, discounts, car rental notes and more. Print them ahead of time because relying on just your phone for access or a printer at your destination could spell trouble.
Whether it’s for a staycation or if you are coming to Ottawa from out of town, here’s why you’ll love the Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown.
This past weekend, my family and I enjoyed a little staycation right here in Ottawa. Sometimes, it’s far too easy to not make local plans when the weekend arrives, and while I am a huge believer in not over-scheduling ourselves, it’s also fun to spend quality time together, experience new activities and step out of our usual routine. And as a family who loves to travel, why wouldn’t we want to explore our own backyard? Ottawa in the winter isn’t usually something I brag about, however, paired with warmer temperatures this weekend and easy access to skating, museums, great food, shopping and more thanks to our stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown, I felt even more connected to my city, and family, by the end of the weekend.
The hotel is located in the heart of the Byward Market and if you live in Ottawa, you’ll know how important location is when it comes to downtown. Especially if you are like me and live in the suburbs. We always want to know how to get places well in advance, where to park and how busy a location is. By staying at the Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown, we eliminated those stresses. We left the car parked for the weekend and walked everywhere. If we needed to get in and out, the hotel is located on Dalhousie which isn’t far from the highway. If you are coming from out of town, this also means that you won’t have to navigate busy streets in Ottawa that you may not be familiar with.
We loved being able to walk to Parliament Hill, the Rideau Centre, all around the Market and the Rideau Canal for skating (of course). There were plenty of food places in walking distance too.
We were greeted by friendly staff and I was most surprised by how spacious the room was. We had a room with two beds that overlooked the courtyard roof of the pool so don’t expect a view of the City in every room. The truth is, this is one of the least important things for me when I look at hotel options. I don’t need the view of downtown Ottawa, and the big windows let plenty of light in which was pleasant.
The size of the room wowed. We were able to easily walk around and store all of our gear (we had a lot because of skating) and didn’t feel cramped or lacking space. A cot, crib or playpen would have easily fit in the space as well and there was plenty of seating (making snacking for the kids easier). The rooms are equipped with a fridge and if you’ve read my suggestions for finding family friendly hotels in a previous post, you’ll already know that I love having a fridge in the room. For babies and toddlers it means easier access to drinks and snacks, for us, it means cold water, yogurt, cheese sticks or other snacks become an option. The truth is, kids don’t always eat as much as you want them to when you are out and about so having a fridge provides so many more options for meals.
The Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown has a bistro with yummy food options for everyone. We were treated to breakfast each day and all of us could easily fill up on delicious offerings like eggs and bacon or french toast. One night, I went down to buy some cereal as a bedtime snack. Having access to this was so much easier than going to find a nearby food market (which we’ve had to do during other hotel stays).
In addition to the bistro, the pool has to be mentioned. If you look for hotels with pools (it’s guaranteed entertainment for the kids) than you’ll be happy with this one. The pool is 4 ft – 8 ft deep and the kids loved swimming in it (they got in with little hesitation and didn’t complain about the temperature. That’s a good sign!) and there’s also a smaller, very shallow baby/toddler pool. It was very quiet when we were at the pool so there was plenty of room to play and swim. It’s also easy to get to (some hotels have a long walk to the pool which is uncomfortable when you are on your way back to your room!) The kids were happy to have an afternoon swim during our stay.
Location, location, location
Sometimes, when you want to have a great location for a hotel, you either end up paying more or you compromise on quality. I don’t think either happen at the Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown. While our stay for the weekend was complimentary, I looked up rates for upcoming weekends (we all agreed we would love to go back!) and even during busy weekends like Winterlude or other special events, the rates vary from $128-$161 for a Friday or Saturday night. Those are very reasonable, and when you factor in the location they suddenly seem like a steal. In addition, the hotel was spacious, clean, friendly and had a lot of amenities. It’s a win all around.
Why did the location become so important? Because being able to walk around with the kids to restaurants and activities is so much easier than having to drive somewhere. We parked the car for the weekend and didn’t need it once. That was amazing. We walked to Parliament Hill (the first night just for a stroll, the second for skating) and walked with our gear to the Rideau Canal to skate. This was convenient and so much easier than navigating downtown streets and parking with all of our skating equipment. It didn’t hurt that Beavertails was located right near the hotel too (as were other delicious places to grab a bite to eat or a treat!)
Becoming a tourist in my own City was eye opening. I forgot how close so many activities and restaurants are in the Byward Market making it so convenient to explore and indulge (it’s been many years since this was my go-to place to eat and have fun during University!) but I am so glad we were able to explore Ottawa in a different way this weekend. Whether you are taking a staycation yourself, or are coming to the City from out of town, my family and I all agree that the Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown hotel would be the perfect spot to be if you want to be in the heart of it all.
Disclosure: Our hotel stay, parking and breakfast plus other treats were included this weekend. All opinions are my own as always. Thank you Courtyard by Marriott Ottawa Downtown for this opportunity. It was just what we needed to break up these winter days as a family.
Tips for travelling to Melbourne, Florida as a Family
Recently, I spent 30 hours in Melbourne, Florida. I had the opportunity, along with some other writers, to explore the area in a condensed amount of time. Usually, as a family, we don’t plan our travel to take place over such a short amount of time. But travelling with kids can feel like we are in fast forward mode, can’t it? The whirlwind, the stress of making sure we don’t forget to pack something, the reviewing of the timeline to make sure we know where everyone needs to be (before meltdowns set in) and so on and so on. That’s why pre-planning trips as best we can often helps families from too many unexpected surprises and delays.
What was especially fun about going to Melbourne is that it was where I first went as a child on my very first trip to Florida with my own family. We went to Cocoa Beach, Port Canaveral and Ron Jon’s Surf Shop. So I was thrilled to relive a few of these moments from my own childhood and think about how my kids would have loved to experience them too.
From this whirlwind trip I did take away many tips for fellow parents who may be planning a trip to Melbourne, Florida with their kids. Packing for beach vacations, flying with kids and exploring new areas isn’t something new for my family, but sometimes, having the inside scoop before you go can help.
Flying direct is always the preferred way to fly when I can (especially given how much trouble myself and the kids have with flying sometimes!) but it’s not always available. That’s why I love that Porter Airlines will soon be offering seasonal non-stop flights to Orlando-Melbourne International Airport (beginning in December) from Ottawa, Windsor and Toronto. Flying into Melbourne was extremely comfortable (if you’ve flown with Porter before, you know this is not a surprise) and the airport itself was easy to navigate. When you land with tired children and an arm full of stuffed animals, luggage and whatever other items you’ve had to bring along, convenience, comfort and ease are all important when arriving at your destination.
Stay on the beach, and rent a car
I suspect there are a few different, popular types of vacations that families take when they travel to Florida. Two that I am most familiar with are the theme park vacation (with special trips to Walt Disney World or Universal) and the beach trip. We’ve done both and love both, but have always made these separate trips. One thing that is especially enticing about Melbourne is you can do both on the same trip.
We were about an hour away from Disney which meant we were able to drive and visit Disney for a brief time. This was of course exciting for me (as you know how much I love Disney). Having this as an option opens up a new set of possibilities for your vacation planning. If you want to stay at the beach, but drive to Disney for some pixie dust and magic, the option is there.
Rent a car, and you’ll be able to explore everywhere you need to go, which brings me to my next point…
Explore and learn something new
You can get the kids excited about space travel by bringing them to Port Canaveral, The Kennedy Space Centre and Exploration Tower. The Space Coast offers plenty of stops where your family can learn, be adventurous and try something new, like surf lessons! Depending on the age of your kids and their interests, I have no doubt you’ll find something everyone loves.
Discover the Natural Space Around You
I love going to Florida and seeing new wildlife. We are always on the lookout for fish, dolphins, manatees, and ocean birds. It’s always so special to see a dolphin fin in the water (like when I was kayaking at Sebastian Inlet). These moments are impossible to describe, and so rewarding. I know how much my own kids love experiencing these sightings too. When you travel to the Space Coast, you’ll have the opportunity to kayak, take hikes and explore natural areas.
Planning a Trip?
There is plenty to discover in this area if you are planning a trip this coming winter.
Head to the Visit Space Coast website for details about what the area has to offer and look at what Porter Airlines (and their vacation planning site Porter Escapes) has available as well.
Hopefully these tips will help you plan your own trip to Florida’s Space Coast. Your trip won’t be the rush that mine was, but if I managed to fit in so much with my colleagues, think about all the adventures that your family can have in this area.
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Disclosure: I was invited on the press trip to explore Melbourne, Florida by Porter Airlines and the Melbourne-Orlando International Airport. Costs, accommodations, food and my flights were paid food, however, all opinions are my own and based on my own experience. These tips are for planning purposes only and everyone’s experiences may vary. I’m sharing this post because anytime I can encourage family travel, I am more than happy to do so! Travelling without the kids was pretty great, but I did miss them on my adventures!
How finding a home away from home opens up our family to new experience and memorable moments that we will always cherish.
It’s no secret that we love to travel as a family, and certainly no secret that we have certain places we love going back to over and over again. We tend to find comfort in the familiar, and many of our favourite destinations have a homey feel about them that is hard to imagine not returning to. They draw us back over and over again.
With it’s open, gorgeous property on the water, the towering fireplace in the centre of the main building, the cozy, inviting chairs, the delicious food or the impeccable service, it’s easily a family favourite for us. I’ve written about our visits in the past (during both the summer and winter. Both have their appeal!)
When we were invited back this summer, we were excited to plan our return. While the winter has a magical feeling about it (especially when we go during the Christmas season), the summer for me is all about the activities and time together.
For those in the Ottawa area, Montebello is not a far drive. If you are outside of Ottawa, it’s worth making the trip for.
This is a place where together, as a family, we try new things. Our first experience with kayaking was at Le Chateau Montebello last summer and we instantly were in love (even if my muscles weren’t!) We naturally had to repeat it this year.
It was also last summer’s tennis matches at Le Chateau Montebello where we discovered we all loved the game and it would be the perfect family activity. After that trip, we bought racquets and balls and have been enjoying the game since.
Having a place where we are comfortable to try new things together has been so special. Of course, there are the tried and true activities that we love too like mini golf (my game improves each time!) and swimming. While the indoor pool is stunning, the outdoor pool captures my heart in the summer. It’s heated, it’s situated in a gorgeous location, has pool-side food and beverage service, and feels like we are at a far away resort. It’s perfect. We spent a lot of time there!
I realize now that one of the things I love most about Le Chateau Montebello is that it’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure vacation. Want to go play tennis? Great! Want to take up kayaking? Perfect! Want to swim? Head to the pool! Want to read a book by the water? Done! Each step is something new and different if you choose, or you can repeat your favourites (which is how we end up playing mini golf about 4 times.)
I can’t tell you how much I love the memories we make at Le Chateau Montebello. I know the kids love them too. We don’t have a cottage, but this feels like our own little cottage getaway (with many more perks!) In truth, if I could, I would return every quarter, or every month. Just all the time.
If you want to build memories like this, I can’t recommend a stay here enough.
Disclosure: Part of my stay was compensated, but all opinions are my own. Thank you Le Chateau Montebello for your hospitality! We had an amazing time, as always.
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