Christmas has always been my favourite holiday season - I love the music, the decorations, the holiday traditions, the giddy kids, and the feeling of happiness that fills the air. Our family seems to attend the same events and take part in the same Christmas activities year after year though and I wonder sometimes if we should branch out a bit and try something new. But, upon reflection, I think that I love these activities precisely because they have become family traditions and an integral part of our holiday celebrations so we'll continue with the same old things but leave open the possibility of trying something new.
I recently had the pleasure of attending Medieval Times Dinner & Tournamentas a chaperone with Emma's grade 4 class. This is probably the most anticipated field trip of the year for the students as many of them have heard glowing reports from older siblings that participated in previous years.
One of our family's favourite attractions in Toronto is the Royal Ontario Museum (The "ROM"). The ROM is one of the world's leading museums of natural history and of world cultures and has many engaging permanent exhibits as well as fantastic temporary exhibitions. My 9 year old daughter, Emma, and I recently paid a visit to the ROM as we were keen to check out the world premier of the Ultimate Dinosaurs Exhibition. Neither of us are particularly interested in dinosaurs but I had heard so much about this exhibition that I thought we should see it for ourselves.
The National Gallery of Canadain Ottawa was founded in the late 19th century as a place to showcase Canadian art and to preserve our nation's cultural heritage. Today it is one of the world's most respected art institutions with a collection that includes more than 36,000 works of art.
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island located in the north channel of Lake Huron which has the distinction of being the largest freshwater island in the world. As my husband's family hails from Manitoulin, we visit with our kids at least once every year to stay with Granny and Grampy at their cottage in Kagawong.
The Art Gallery of Ontario ("the AGO") is located in downtown Toronto and is one of the largest art museums in North America. The AGO, which was founded in 1900, now has more than 80,000 works in its collection, including a large Canadian collection as well as many masterpieces of European art, contemporary art and photography. It's a world-class art museum and it's also one of the most family-friendly galleries we have visited.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization has always been my favourite museum in Ottawa and we have visited it several times. The distinctive architecture and the lovely location on the banks of the Ottawa River are appealing, but what I truly love about the museum is that it's a natural history museum focused on Canadian history and culture providing an opportunity for my children to learn more about our country's past in a fun way. It also includes the amazing Canadian Children's Museumwhich introduces children to the idea that experiencing the world is a great adventure. I'm clearly not alone in loving this museum as it welcomes more than 1 million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular places to visit in the National Capital Region.
Emma and I recently stayed at The Lord Elgin Hotel on a weekend trip to Ottawa. That's not how the weekend had been planned, however, a couple of days beforehand what was supposed to be a family getaway to Ottawa morphed into a mom/daughter weekend. We had booked a 2 bedroom apartment at Minto Suites but Emma and I didn't need that much space so we decided to switch to a more centrally located hotel and chose the Lord Elgin in the heart of downtown Ottawa.
St. Lawrence Market has been thriving in downtown Toronto since 1803 and has recently been recognized by National Geographic as the number one food market in the world. Anyone who enjoys food markets simply must make it a priority when visiting Toronto. Emma and I recently visited late one week day morning and discovered that it's a fun place for kids to visit too.
There were only three of us for Canada Day this year since Katie flew to Scotland for her summer abroad program the night before. It was the first time that our family wasn't going to be together for a holiday and Emma was feeling a bit sad about it so I knew ahead of time that I had to find something fun for the three of us to do on the day. When we received an email from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival announcing their 1st Annual Canada Day Family Weekend, I jumped at the chance to book tickets.
Welcome to Gone with the Family! I'm Lisa and I'm on a mission to show my kids the world - one trip at a time! This site is about the adventures that we have had along the way - 16 years and counting. We hope to inspire you to
travel with your kids by sharing our tips, stories and photos. Have fun exploring the site! Learn More...
