drivable summer vacation ideas with the kids

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

We're re-thinking vacation plans and looking for something we can drive to with our 6 and 4 year old.

We dont have an rv and are not the tenting type.

A condo, or villa, or something on the okanagan or shuswaps would be awesome, but the idea of a best western in the middle of kelowna to me sounds crappy.

Alternately a cabin at even somewhere like glennifer lake would be fine, as long as there is enough to do

Has anyone stayed anywhere recently that's worth checking out?

[STeeLy]

There's a place somewhere near Jasper that has lodges.

It's been a while since I've been up near Jasper so I don't quite remember the name of the lodge

[Anthony Soprano]

Saskatchewan

[jayswin]

^^^^^^^^^

He's got to be the most useless poster we've seen on these boards in a long time.

[photon]

Actually Prince Albert and Prince Albert Park were very nice the last time I was there (quite a long time ago though). Saskabush has lots of nice lakes.

Renting a condo in Kelowna is actually very nice, we've rented a house in Peachland (15 minutes outside Kelowna) for a few years.. there's lots to do around the area, though after 2 years we're starting to repeat.

We also rented a house on Sylvan Lake with my sister and her kid and that was fun.

[RougeUnderoos]

Google "rental vacation properties Alberta" and you'll find plenty of cabins near lakes to rent for a week.

[GGG]

[


Renting a Cabin and Candle Lake, Waskusiu and any other of the Northern Saskatchewan lakes can be a cost effective alternative to the Kelowna/Sylvain options.

It is basically Kelowna without the mountains with better fishing. So if fishing or Watersports activities are what you are looking for I would take a look.

[Kybosh]

There is a ton of stuff within Canada that would fit the bill but I'm gonna give a shout out to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Beautiful scenery, lots of "old west" history, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse (as it stands right now), tons of activities for little kids. As a kid, I found the Devil's tower particularly mesmerizing due to the Native legends around it.

[photon]

Oh yeah, Waskusiu was another place I remember was nice.

Thanks for the link Kybosh.

I want to go to Yellowstone too.

[thesmugger]

Check out Invermere. Great spot in the summer.

[bossy22]

You can rent a cabin at whitefish in the summer for cheap. You could take the kids to whitefish lake. On the mountain they have a slide, that's good for kids. Columbia Falls is close by and they have waterslides. On the way to Glacier National park from Whitefish there is a spot that has mini golf and go-carts...not sure for kids your age though. Columbia Falls had a drive inn, but last year they didn't show any movies, so I'm pretty sure they're shut down. Downtown Kalispell has the best soda fountain place ever. It is awesome. My kids love it.

[photon]

That's another good idea, we did that, rented a cabin at a ski resort in the summer. Our experience wasn't that great as the weather was sucky and the town nearby didn't have much to do (can't remember where it was) so do your homework, but it is a nice option as well if you pick the right area.

We did that near Comox on Vancouver Island once too, didn't have kids then but I remember thinking that that would have been great with a family too, lots of stuff for families it looked like. But that might really be stretching it as far as driving is concerned.

[TopChed]

Before my family got a place in Kelowna, we used to take our boat down to Sandpoint in Idaho. It was always a great time, with an incredible lake where we could always find a spot free of boat traffic. There was pretty decent campgrounds when we used to go, I'm not sure how many of them still exist though.

[supadaveo]

[QUOTE=
A condo, or villa, or something on the okanagan or shuswaps would be awesome, but the idea of a best western in the middle of kelowna to me sounds crappy.

QUOTE]


Theres much more to the Okanagan than a crappy hotel in the middle of Kelowna Try heading south of Kelowna, not quite so busy and just as beautiful

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Ossoyos is a really nice spot...uber hot.

We stayed at some condos at Spirit Ridge that were on for dirt cheap through TravelZoo

It was around $100 per night for a sweet condo in a vinyard with a couple of great pools with waterslides etc for the kids.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Thanks all, some great ideas.

I had considered Montana but not Saskatchewan. The place in Osoyoos looks amazing. Will definitely check it out

[Temporary_User]

Drive them to the grandparents and then go do something awesome.

[IceMan]

Kelowna. Went there last year and stayed in a villa for 10 days and it was awesome. Very reasonably priced, tons of room for yourself and your kids and it's close to everything you need. It backs right onto a golf course and is only about a 15 minute drive to the water. As a person who's vacationed all over the world, Kelowna ranks way up there as a great vacation spot that isn't going to hurt your wallet.

Here's a link if you want to check out the villa.

http://www.bellasera.ca/

[Berger_4_]

To be honest, there are some really nice lakes up in norther Saskabush, but since you don't seem too excited about the prospect of camping, I'd recommend heading to Panorama or out to Tofino. Both are great.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by thesmugger

Check out Invermere. Great spot in the summer.

+1 for Invermere.

Awesome place.