Olympics with Kids... We did it, so can you!

We spent the day in Vancouver on Saturday, and it was a "hoot!" A friend with 5 kids asked how we did it, so here's what I said to her--

If you have tickets to any events, the best way to travel is West Coast Express because it's also your transit pass for the day. If you go, plan to get there by 10 as that's when the pavilions open. We took skytrain from New West, because we parked at a friend's house. With a whole crew, I would start at the "Live Surrey" site, park the car, and get on the skytrain. Be sure to take a stroller or two as there is plenty of walking. Kids 5 and under ride transit for free. I found the hardest part of the day was driving home from New West-- if the ride was even 20 minutes shorter it would have been better.

However, another option is to park in Richmond and take Canada line in the Richmond O-zone. Or, just risk it, take the Cambie Bridge downtown and park somewhere near St. Paul's hospital-- this avoids transit all together, but you may have an issue with the truck in a parking garage. If you do this, you could bring your ice skates and skate at the Robson skating rink.

Free things to see-- Robson square, Science world (Sochi world), Ontario (4-D movie-- kids loved it!!), Granville Street (buskers, street performers, interactive art displays), Live City Yaletown (Live City Downtown is too busy), Aboriginal pavillion... so much more, just start walking!! Don't bother with the torch/cauldron-- too far to walk, and it's behind a fence. We haven't taken it yet, but there is a free streetcar that goes from Science World to Granville Island, and there's a lot to do on Granville Island, too. We ate hotdogs at Costco ($1.99!!) Best deal in town and it's right by the elevator to get to the Dunsmuir Viaduct between GM Place and BC Place. The Art Gallery has been transformed to a BC pavilion with interactive displays. The post office has trampoline stunts everywhere. The best place to pee is Costco or the Library, but there are a lot of portapotties near Robson. Avoid the CTV area-- too busy-- and find the live broadcasts by CBC. They have a great sock puppet display on the second floor. Plus, you may be able to collect a cool toque during their Radio 3 "toque sessions" (It was also my way of boycotting Pamela Martin... blech).

Wear one colour to stick out from the crowd-- we all wore orange-- it's easy to spot because everyone else is wearing red and white. Or, tie a balloon to your kids' belt!

Have fun!

So, the key to "doing this with kids" is-- keep them full of treats, eats, and time to rest! Make sure you have an extra pair of socks for the child who is drawn to puddles... believe me, you'll thank me later.

Cities, Crowds, and Ceremonies.. oh my....

We went to the dress rehearsal tonight. One word-- Fantastic. We were asked to keep things a little under wraps, so I'll honor that and not blab. Gotta say, though, it honored Canada-- our heritage, our history, our land, our people. You will be blown away! I'll discuss this after the big unveil on Friday.

However, I did not appreciate being herded like a lost cow through the infinite kilometers of blue fencing. With all the volunteers wearing their blue jackets and identical toques, it was very difficult to negotiate the crowds. Thankfully my dad came along. I call him a professional "crowd weaver". He can get through the tightest of jams. Plus, he was wearing a black jacket. Under normal circumstances this is hard to spot. But, in a sea of peacock blue-- easy. We were forced to make our way through Yaletown on our way to get to the sky train. I'm sure hoping Vanoc has thought this through, because after sitting on your butt for 3 hours, it's tough to find your way in the dark and in the rain.

On another note, the city is buzzing! People are everywhere, taking video and pictures (I make it my mission to get in as many backgrounds and videos as possible-- I can't wait for my sister to get here so we can do this together. We're pros). I saw some athletes looking "important", a couple of torchbearers, some poor guy trying to explain how to get to some place with very broken English, and of course, the busker at the skytrain station wearing his regalia and carrying a drum. Ahh. Vancouver. You are quite something. I loved the lantern fesitval on Granville and the light display at English Bay (which reflects nicely on the cloud cover). Again, the theme is free. I hope things are waterproof, too, because the weather forecast looks grim.

One tip-- find a police officer from Vancouver if you need to ask for directions. Since this is "Canada's olympics" the powers that be thought it would be good to show their support for all the police across our land. But, when you are from Nowhere, Saskatchewan, you do not know how to get to the skytrain.

More on Friday. We hope to take the kids to the city on Saturday-- I'll bring my camera!