Does an eight hour road trip seem daunting to you? We thought so too, but if you leave early enough in the morning and plan your side-of-the-road trips stops accordingly, it’s actually pretty painless. Last week, we took a last minute trip to Shuswap Lake with the kids – and they loved it.
Get the Biggest Ice Cream Cone You’ll Ever Have
Visit Tappen Co-op and get the biggest ice cream you’ll ever have. You’ll be fair-warned about these scoops before you order and the nine dollar, four scoop that’s more like eight scoops, is enough to feed an entire family. Classic hard ice cream flavours, it’s one of those hidden gems worth the side trip when you’re exploring with the kids.
Meet the Llamas at DeMille’s
You can buy an enormous bag of food to feed the llama, alpacas, goats, and other animals at DeMille’s Farm Market.Seriously, you could visit this place for a week with multiple kids, multiple times, and still have feed leftover. You can explore the farm, pet the friendly animals, and shop for produce when you’re finished. There is no cost, aside from the animal feed, if you want to visit.
Explore the Lake by Boat
Rent a boat and explore some of the spots that are accessibly only by water – like the Shark Shack, or the cliff jumping septs on the lake. Rent a boat and find the popular cliff jumping spot, pull a tube on the lake and find a rope swing or a new beach. There’s much to explore when you’re exploring the lake by boat. You can find out more about renting a boat on Shuswap Lake, here.
Sicamous Creek Falls Trail
Sicamous Creek Falls Trail is a 0.2 km family-friendly, moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Columbia-Shuswap E, British Columbia. The short waterfall walk is an easy trail, for all ages. For a little more of a challenge, there’s a path along the trail that can bring you along the canyon wall.
Venture a Little Further: Kangaroo Farm
If we’re being completely honest, the Kangaroo farm was not for our kids. It was crowded, and busy, and though sure, you got the chance to feed a Kangaroo, it wasn’t as magical as they thought it was going to be. Kangaroos and other animals (like capybaras) roam free here – so if you do want to visit, choose first thing in the morning when the crowds aren’t as thick. Note: the Farm is moving for 2020, and the new location is near the Kelowna airport.
BEACHES: Sicamous Public Beach
Two docks for the kids to jump off of, boat and seadoo rental, food stands nearby and soft sand for the kids to play in, Sicamous Public Beach has nearby parking and easy access. You can even rent bikes and explore the nearby paths. This was our kids favourite beach because of the train tracks that are above the beach, and the trains that pass by.
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