By Tia Wayling, recreation services co-ordinator with the Regional District of Central Kootenay
To keep things light and airy, despite the closing of the proverbial “light at the end of the pandemic tunnel” here in the Interior, I thought I would share some of my recent adventures to the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast. We arrived home this past Sunday after a great, two-week long trip to visit family and get away from work and the smoke. Although my twin toddlers were great fun, they are not the best travelling companions in the vehicle, nor are they very helpful in carrying their share of the load. They were also always hungry for the food that we did not have. Rest and relaxation were not on the itinerary this trip but I did manage to stay in tip top shape in the most unusual ways.
Long car rides are usually tough on the body due to extended amounts of time seated. However, my glutes were repeatedly engaged pushing off the floor as I reached to the far corners of the truck. My spine also kept quite limber stretching and rotating every few minutes to pick up beloved stuffed bunnies, toys, handing out pouches of apple sauce and actively participating in the singing of the Alphabet Song. The bonus point was the full body stretch to the backseat to unlock the perpetually jammed lock from the inside of the truck. I think that was on my list to get fixed before we left.
Ferry rides are another place I kept active. For my full body workout, we climbed the steep stairs, sometimes carrying a child, and walked/ran the upper deck in circles with intervals of rest to survey the water for whales and dolphins. The mini-workout ended with a dynamic version of a sandbag carry back to the truck as one of my boys refused to go and proceeded to kick and scream the whole way back to the vehicle. The variable loads and changing positions from front to under one arm certainly took some effort. Did I mention there are two ferry rides to the Sunshine Coast?
Once we arrived to the beautiful, sunny, sandy, Savary Island, we were within walking distance of a few beaches. But, there were no lack of hills to get to any of them. The days of packing a single towel and a few snacks are over. With sand toys, beach chairs, drinks, snacks, shade tent, towels, change of clothes, and wipes for the odd accident, who needs to invest in a weighted vest? We were properly weighed down for a day at the beach. More bonus points for having to carry a child up the sketchy, sandy, single-track hillside afterwards. You were the lucky one if you had the boy that trudged up the hill slowly instead of the other one that is so light on his toes that he ran all the way up.
If sanity was to be kept, it was important to get out after dinner for a nice, digestive walk. Exploring new areas and walking paths, picking blackberries, and watching the sunset on the beach kept us busy chasing through the woods, reaching through the thorns for the best berry, and repeatedly squatting down to find shells, sand dollars, and crabs.
My husband and I came home exhausted but happy we could get away. It gave our boys an amazing experience to escape the grind and visit with family we do not see often. Even though I came home needing a vacation from my vacation, we will do this again next year. Hopefully by then, we will have mastered the art of bunny tie-downs.
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