Tanabata Japanese Market Festival

Free outdoor festivals with shopping, food, even kids activities, this is what Summer is about! The Tanabata or "Japanese Star Festival" Market took place in Burnaby recently and we enjoyed our experience. 

The Family-friendly Japanese Market was located over the lawn and inside the Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre. 

We enjoyed checking out the various vendors. The Craft market and Flea market area indoors had everything from second hand items, soap, candles, traditional Japanese formal wear and jewelry.

The market featured a number of Food vendors too. Most of them were Japanese small local businesses offering delicious Japanese food and desserts, like Secret Ice Cream, Wa-Bagel, Rice Bowl Association and eF & Be Bakery. We enjoyed discovering new local and indie places!

It wasn't possible to try just one thing! We appreciated that there was an indoor eating area for older people or kids. Festival goers could sit inside to take a break from the heat at the tables and chairs. 

The Kids Corner offered some Origami crafts like making ninja stars. The staff at the kids tent were very patient with the kids! 

There were also some performances at the stage indoors!

We enjoyed our visit to the Tanabata Market which celebrated its 25th year this year! We are looking forward to the next one.

Don't forget your snacks!

Tanabata Market 

Check out their website for more info.

Crayfish Season in Sweden

August and September means it's the time for Crayfish season in Sweden! Crayfish or "Kräftor" in Swedish can be described as mini lobsters. The name "crawfish" refers to the same animal but is a term mostly used in North America.

During the crayfish season, many Swedes gather for Crayfish parties! 🥳 

Everyone brings their own food & drink and there might be a grill setup for those who prefer BBQ. Maybe some decorations like red ribbons or Crayfish are hung around the party area.

It is also traditional to see Swedish snaps as one of the main drinks at the party.

Swedish cheese pies are also eaten - made with "Västerbotten" Swedish cheese.

Singing Swedish drinking songs before everyone does a cheers or skål! (in Swedish) is also a part of the celebration!

If you're in Sweden, maybe you have already attended a Crayfish party in summer? If you haven't yet, Crayfish season is coming up!

You can also find Crayfish at seafood restaurants in Sweden or when you are exploring the archipelago.

Don't forget your snacks!

Check out a previous blog post on the Gothenburg Archipelago.

Sea to Sky Gondola Squamish

We visited the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) which is located about an hour from Vancouver! It was our first visit and a really great day trip to do with the kids.

If you're visiting on very hot summer day, remember to stay hydrated and stay in the shade when possible. 

The Sea to Sky Gondola is about a 12min ride up 885m above sea level with incredible views of Howe Sound and the coastal mountains. 

Tickets for the gondola aren't cheap. We went with a one day family ticket that's good for 2 adults and 2 kids. Kids 5 and under are free of charge. If you're local, you can even get a year pass. 

At the bottom, before you take the gondola, there's a gift shop, bathroom and a little kids play area. 

Kids played while we sat and watched the gondola!

When we went, there was also a food truck with drinks and ice cream called "Praguery". Unfortunately, the ice cream wasn't dairy-free but the chimney cones were vegan! The toddler loved the cinnamon sugar soft chimney cones which were warm and fresh from the oven! 

 

You can refill your water bottles or buy a cold drink at the Restaurant/Cafe at the top of the mountain! The kids loved that we could get ice from the ice machine! 

You can sit outdoors on the deck and take in the views or indoors. There is a small kids "busy" corner in the indoor seating area.

At the top of the mountain, when you get off the Gondola ride, there's a summit lodge and kids play area. 

There are many different trails you can also walk around and see the views.

We also stopped by Shannon Falls which is a short walk from the parking lot of Sea to Sky Gondola or park at the Shannon falls parking lot and walk about 10min to see the falls.

If you're looking for a great day trip from Vancouver, check out the Sea to Sky Gobdola in Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh).

Don't forget your snacks!

Sea to Sky Gondola

36800 BC-99, Squamish, BC V8B 0B6

For more info check out their website

Praguery Ice Cream Truck 

Check out their website for more info

Carnaval del Sol Vancouver 2023

This year, Carnaval del Sol took place in the neighborhood of Yaletown in Vancouver, Canada. It was a fun Summer festival right in the city!!

For kids and grandparents, they had a kids plaza and even a tented seating area for Seniors. It was lacking in seating for others needing a place to sit and eat however. Hopefully, this can be improved for next year!

Some of the delicious Latin foods we tried  included, empanadas, tacos and egg tarts!

It was a very hot day in the sun, with not much shade so it made it harder for kids. An umbrella, staying in the tented areas and the free water filling stations helped a bit but one could only last so long in the sun! 

We watched some dance performances from Mexico Vivo Dance company. Beautiful traditional costumes were worn.

There were a variety of items to buy at the festival, everything from snacks to jewelry and tshirts.

The first 300 attendees of the day were able to enter free, after that there were tickets that you needed to purchase to enter. No time limit after entering.

It was our first time attending Carnaval del Sol and we left happy and full. We really enjoyed it! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Carnaval del Sol 2023

For more info on this Summer festival check out their website.

Elite Grand Hotel Norrköping Sweden

On our road trip, we stopped for a night in the city of Norrköping. The city, which is south of Stockholm, used to be considered a major hub for Sweden's textile industry before textile production became irrelevant (in Sweden).

We really enjoyed our stay at the kid-friendly hotel, the Elite Grand Hotel. Located next to the Motala River, this elegant hotel is centrally located and the customer service was pretty great!

It's always nice when hotels offer tea and coffee all day for their guests and Elite Grand Hotel did just that :)

While the grown-ups check into the hotel, the kids can sign themselves in by standing on a stool and writing their name on a notepad at reception. 

Kids received a bag with some playing cards, stuffies and coupon for ice cream which was a popsicle in case kids have a dairy allergy. 

The room had one sofa bed for the kids to share which worked out perfectly for us. The complimentary breakfast buffet included various kid friendly items and even Vegan waffle mix to use to make Heart Waffles!

We had a lovely stay and the hotel staff were very helpful with ideas for which places to stop in the area as we continued our roadtrip.

If you're looking for a family friendly hotel in Norrköping, check out the Elite Grand Hotel! We would definitely stay again!

Don't forget your snacks!

Elite Grand Hotel Norrköping 

TYSKA TORGET 2, 600 41 Norrköping

Check out their website for more info

Gamleby Swedish cabins and campground

We decided to do a short cabin stay as a "getaway" this past Summer in the Swedish town of Gamleby. We found Kustcamp Gamleby online. It wasn't on booking.com, instead you can book your stay directly on their website.

We booked 2 nights and decided if we liked it after checking in, we would extend our stay for 2 more nights.

After arriving, we checked in at the reception, which was the location of the store and restaurant as well. The campground is located next to the water and from reception you have a beautiful view of the beach.

After we got to our little cabin (standard size with 4 beds, 1 bedroom, private bathroom, kitchenette and living room area), we decided we liked the location and relaxing here for a few days would be just perfect.

It's always nice to stay in a place more than one night so you can unpack and settle in. Note: Go through cabin checklist to see if anything is missing before unpacking.

Our cabin was in a row of cabins and faced the RV parking. They blocked our view a bit so that, and having to be aware of when RVs or vehicles drove by because kids were out playing were the only downsides of our cabin location.

There was also a row of cabins next to another RV parking area down the hill. This area had it's own shared kitchen and another playground. The kids enjoyed the playarea and trampoline! 

The campground has a garbage/recycling station for your glass, paper and plastics. 

We stocked our fridge after a visit to the grocery store and meals were also available at the campground restaurant.  

It was great to be able to walk down to a beach as opposed to driving over there. This meant, it was pretty easy to take the kids (especially downhill) to the swimming spot and playground.

We really enjoyed our stay here!! It's also an hour from Astrid Lindgren's Värld, which we visited during our stay. Check out my previous blog post about Astrid Lingren's World. 

If you're looking for a nice family cabin getaway near a beach and near Astrid Lindgren's Värld, definitely consider Gamleby Campground and cabins! 

Don't forget your snacks! Especially for road trips and cabin stays!

Kustcamp Gamleby

Bookings can be made on their website

We called to confirm our booking and the staff were very helpful.

Astrid Lindgrens Värld

Past Blog post 

(Open from May to August)

A Visit to Astrid Lindgren's Värld

 

Located in Vimmerby, Sweden, Astrid Lindgrens Värld (Astrid Lindgren's World  in English) is a Theme Park based on characters and little houses from the Swedish Author's stories.

The idea of Astrid Lindgren's World was to create a 'Fairy tale village' and the first houses started in 1981. 

About a 4h drive south from Stockholm, we visited this magical theme park during our Summer vacation and it was actually better and bigger than we expected. 

There were theater performances all around the park with singalongs and different areas from the books to discover! Areas one has only read or heard about from the stories really come to life in this park!

Despite it being a warm summer day, the kids enjoyed the play areas! The little houses to enter even had little details like indoor furnishings and school desks so they could pretend-play to their heart's content. It's wonderful to have so many different park areas to walk through and visit. Even just spending time relaxing in one area in the shade was great. 

Of course, one has to see the most famous character from Astrid Lindgren's stories, Pippi Longstocking, and the Pippi Longstocking performance at the main stage. 

The kids rushed in to check out Pippi's house after the show and even went down the slide from the second floor. However, it was a bit chaotic as they just let everyone in at the same time. 

After one of the Pippi performances, you can get a chance to say hello to the characters, including Pippi, from the show!

There are more than few different eating places throughout the park. We stopped for hot dogs on the way to a show then fika in one of the cute little cafes in the afternoon. It was too hot to sit in, so we grabbed takeaway and sat outside.

A visit to the park wouldn't be complete without stopping for a souvenir or a gift for others who also enjoy Astrid Lindgren's characters and stories.

There are some cabins you could stay during your visit. Tickets to enter the park can be single day or multi-day tickets as well. We visited from the cabins we stayed at in Gamleby (blog post on our cabin stay).

Some of the gifts we picked up at the Pippi store!

Enjoy your visit and remember, kids are hungry for snacks all the time, so don't forget your snacks!

Astrid Lindgrens Värld

598 85 Vimmerby, Sweden  

Check out their website to plan your visit!

(The park is open from May to August)

SkiStar Hammarbybacken - Summer Activities

A ski hill just a short commute from Stockholm city, SkiStar Hammarbybacken, has opened for Summer activities!

If you're looking for a great family activity, why not try a tube ride, trampoline or maybe the downhill Mountain Coaster! Note: Only kids ages 3 and up can go on these rides.

For the Mountain Coaster, Kids 3-7 must ride with an adult. You can buy single ticket or a 3 or 5 pack of tickets. Parents need their own ticket even when riding with a child. 

The tube ride ticket gives you 30min of tubing fun on 3 different tracks! A parent can ride with a child and there is no charge for the parent. 

Buy your tickets on the SkiStar app or onsite! We found it easier to use the app because then you don't need to worry about losing the paper ticket with your QR code.

You can also buy a 3 hour pass and ride as much as you want during those 3 hours!

Note: The physical cars cost an extra 55kr.

There is also an obstacle climbing park and "Summer ski" area at Hammarbybacken. 

We've tried both the Mountain Coaster and the tubing, and they were awesome! It's such a cool idea, a lot of fun and so close to the city. Definitely fun for kids over 3 years old, especially since the kids are now off for Summer vacation!

The Mountain coaster and tubing area are located at the bottom of the ski hill. For the climbing area, you need to hike up the hill to get to it.

In need of snacks? There's a cafe at the bottom of the ski hill where you can find food like hot dogs or Swedish pastries and hot and cold drinks. There's also indoor seating. Of course, you can bring your own snacks to have in-between rides. 

Rock-climbing and trampoline are new additions to Hammarbybacken!

They've also added their mascot, Valle and some small playgrounds as you walk up the ski hill. It's especially exciting for the kids!

If you're looking for some outdoor summer activities for your family, check out Hammarbybacken in Stockholm!

Don't forget your snacks! 

SkiStar Hammarbybacken 

Hammarby Fabriksväg 111, 120 66

Stockholm, Sweden 

Check out their website for prices and booking information!

Långbergets Sporthotell in the Summer

 

This year, we decided to do a Family Staycation for our Summer vacation. We did a road trip North of Gothenburg and one of the main destinations was Långbergets Sporthotell in Värmland, Sweden. Långberget is located in the mountains, in the middle of the North Värmland. We stayed at one of the private cabins for a few days and had a really lovely time!

This was our first visit to the Sporthotell. This Sporthotell was one of summer places suggested by a Swedish friend. When we booked it, Summer had already started and it was proving hard to find availability at other places because of course, almost everyone was doing a Staycation this summer.

 Långbbergets Sporthotell was better than we expected - It's a popular place to stay in the winter for winter sports so we had no idea how busy or quiet it would be in the summer. Luckily, it was the latter, so we were able to keep distance and stay Covid-safe during our trip.

Our private cabin had 2 bedrooms, one with bunk beds, the other with 2 single beds. The kitchen was open to the living room and there was even a small deck to sit out on to watch the sunset (very late sunsets in the summer!). 

Modern renovated kitchen with a stove and oven. It also included basics like Utensils, pans and a kettle. The toaster was broken, but we asked reception for a replacement 

and they actually dropped off another toaster right away.

There were other private cabins along the road and some are located closer to the main hotel reception. For our cabin, you could walk up the ski hill to get to the main reception in about 10min. 

My absolute favorite part of our private cabin had to be the sauna! The sauna was not to be used at the same time as the stove. So I waited until we were done with dinner before I turned the sauna on to heat it up for my sauna evening time. Really great for sore muscles after hiking/carrying kids around.

Our activities at the Långbergets Sporthotell included hiking, swimming at the pool, caneoing and just relaxing in our cabin which surprisingly even had a TV. 

For the canoe ride, we rented a canoe from the hotel and canoed at the nearby lake. 
The staff was very helpful with finding some lifejackets for our 4-year old (we brought one for the 1.5 year old). They also included a dry bag with the canoe rental.
Checkout my blog entry about Canoeing with Kids

Here's our hike to the main hotel building. There is breakfast buffet offered every morning (it wasn't included in our booking but we tried it one morning) and the pool is located right by the hotel reception. 

Beautiful views from the pool at Långbergets Sporthotell. The pool was 'heated' but actually still really cold when the sun wasn't out. Showers are located inside the hotel.

Cabin cleaning isn't included so on our last day we followed the checklist and cleaned up all areas in the cabin. This was a little tricky with kids but manageable. One parent kept both kids outside while the other organized and cleaned. Note: You can also pay to have a cleaning service done for you.

We really enjoyed our stay at Långbergets Sporthotell. If you're looking for a nice family Staycation at a private cabin in the mountains with a few outdoor activities, I would definitely recommend it.

Långbergets Sporthotell AB
Hotellvägen 1, 680 60 Sysslebäck

Check out their website for availability