For many us, we're still working the 9-5 grind during these warmer months instead of drinking wine in an Italian villa or surfing the waves of Hawaii. However, it can still feel like summer right here in Vancouver! Our favourite thing to do right now is to grab the kids from summer camp after work, and hightail it to the beach with a couple of blankets for an evening dinner picnic. Us parents get to decompress in the shade while the kids happily run around on the sand and in the water. Everybody wins!
Here are a few of Peaks & Harbours' favourite spots:
This is one of Bree's go-to places that she'll bike to with her two boys. It's "just west of Kits pool along Point Grey Road". You'll recognize it because there's a giant rope swing begging to be hopped on. Pretty much anywhere along this beach will be magical though, so don't worry if you need to shuffle down the beach to a quieter spot.
This is one of my favourite places. It feels like you're away from the city, but it's only a 10-15 minute drive from Mount Pleasant (my neighbourhood). You can bring kites, a volleyball, or just run into the water for a swim. If you're exhausted from a day's work and don't have the energy to make food, you can treat yourself to fish and chips from one of two concession stands along the beach. There's plenty of space, so you can choose whether to hang out by the beach ball action, or chill on your blanket and make some sandcastles. Keep an eye out for those seagulls and crows, they love it when you leave your food unattended.
Ambleside is a spot that comes up for us a lot, because you can do such a variety of activities there. We have a secret spot that's a little ways down from the main beach, where fewer people decide to lay down their blankets. You can practice your fly fishing cast, play in the sand, go paddleboarding, or grab a bite from one of the many shops along the main street. You can even bring your dog - Ambleside is dog-friendly!
This is another beach that has it all. If it’s still too sunny for the kids out on the sand, you can lay your blanket and food out on the grass in the shade of the enormous trees that surround the kids’ park. If you haven’t packed a picnic, there’s a concession stand here too, so you can make it as easy breezy of an evening as you’d like it to be. There are plenty of little crabs hanging out in the pools of water on the beach that will delight your kids – be careful with these little guys, they’ll pinch you! Just be sure to put them back in their wet homes and don’t leave them out in the hot sun.
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What are your favourite local beaches to escape to in the evenings? What kind of food do you pack to take along on picnics? We'd love to hear!
Carina-Marie Nilsson is the co-founder of Peaks and Harbours, a Vancouver “not just for moms” blog that showcases everything our city has to offer the younger crowd. @carinamarienilsson
