Summer Fun for the Family in Parksville, BC!
This summer we’ve been staying closer to home as the last few years we’ve travelled to places where we had to be on a plane for a few hours so this time it was more of a local vacation theme. We’ve been going to Vancouver Island and our latest jaunt this month was to the lovely area of Parksville, BC which is about a 40 minute drive from the Duke Point Ferry Terminal near Nanaimo. It’s a great place to go for summer fun!
While my whole family is used to travelling by car and ferry I always like to be prepared so I make sure that we always have a travel first aid kit with us that always includes the essentials, band-aids, anti-bacterial spray, Gravol, wet wipes, Aspirin or Tylenol and other essentials. For the Gravol™ I like the Natural Source™ Ginger Lozenges that require no water to take, and most importantly, are non-drowsy & for my daughter I give her the Gravol™ Quick Dissolve Chewables for kids. It has come in handy in the past and I always take the kit hoping we never need it, which we don’t most of the time but appreciate it when we do need it. I adjust this kit depending if we’re travelling by plane, train, boat or car. However it always contains, band-aids and Gravol as you never know when you might feel queasy or need to cover up a minor cut.
With our essentials in hand we can enjoy our trip and let me tell you Parksville is a beautiful town which is on the ocean and for us it’s a great destination. With only a two hour ferry ride and then short drive to Parksville it makes for a short travel day so that we could get to our destination and start enjoying some sites and settle into our accommodations.
It’s also nice to have such a short travel time when our stay was only for three nights so we truly got to enjoy more of our surroundings rather than having spend most of our time travelling.
Einstein from the Parksville Sand Sculpting Competition (read more below)
We love Parksville and the surrounding area as scenery wise it’s beautiful and it’s a short drive to other spots that are worth checking out like the town of Coombs known for it’s Goats on the Roof. Yes, if you go at the right time the town of Coombs will have goats on the roofs which are covered in grass and the goats feed on it. It’s quite the site to see but Coombs is worth a stop even of the goats are up high as it has a great market which is quite well known, has organic foods, artisan and gourmet items and more. One of my favourite restaurants Cuckoo in Coombs in there as well, such yummy food!
Parksville itself is a nice size town but not too big and the beaches stretch out down the coast making it feel like it’s never busy, I was worried it would feel busy but it wasn’t, there’s lots of summer fun to be had at the beach. One of the highlights of the trip into Parksville was stopping by the Sandcastle competition. The sheer talent, skills and work that went into these works of art are amazing! Needless to say we had a ton of fun looking at the sandcastles, taking strolls along the beach and checking out all the local spots of interest.
If you go it’s always worth a stop to walk around the town of Parksville, stop at Chesterman’s Beach Provincial Park, drive over to Coombs, see the goats and eat at one of the many local restaurants. There’s a lot you can see that’s fairly close together and it makes for a nice short getaway although we could easily stay for longer and still have a wonderful time and still not get to see everything the town has to offer!
The Hulk was one of our favourites!
We love these short getaways close to home as the short travel times make it easy to go and visit all the treasures that the Vancouver area and Vancouver Island have to offer! We can’t wait for our next adventure.
Where do you like to go to visit that’s closer to home but is still some summer fun for the whole family.
Nancy Burgess says
Looks like a fun place to go.
Theresa Little says
Looks beautiful! We’re doing a close to home vacation this year too.
michele soyer says
What a great place to visit. We have never been to Canada on any of our vacations and this gives me food fore thought.. thank you for the idea…
clojo9372 says
I am in awe of sand sculpting. I think it’s so creative. I wish I had the ability to be creative like that but I can only draw stick figures. LOL! I love the Hulk one the best. 🙂
Travelbuds says
I grew up on Vancouver Island so I know Parksville well. I used to go camping and the Provincial campground right there. So much fun and such a beautiful place to get away and unwind.
denise smith says
my mom was born and raised in canada i havent been in B.C for a long time but i have to remember this place for net time
Rosie says
This looks like such a nice and low key place to unwind and have a great time, everyone will enjoy, not just the kids, not some places that only the parents like, but everyone. I’d love to take a vacation here and just leisurely explore!
Brian T says
Our family enjoyed visiting BC a couple of years ago. We sometimes plan our trips around food and discovered the Nanaimo bars – what a great treat!
Barrie says
I love the sand sculptures! I’ve never heard of Parksville in BC but it looks like a great place to vacation.
Darlene Demell says
This looks like a real fun place to visit. Hubby always said he would take me out west but so far it hasn’t happened. Maybe someday.
Jeffrey says
This looks like a nice place to visit.
Tamra Phelps says
I’ve always wanted to see British Columbia, but I admit beach sand sculptures were not what first came to mind, lol. I love these! especially, the Hulk SMASH!
David Fultner says
This sounds a place. The sand castles are awesome.
lisa says
People are so creative. It must take quite a while to plan and erect the sand sculptures.
Laura S. says
We’ll have to head north next summer. Parksville looks lovely.
We spent most of our summer exploring the Oregon Coast. Such beauty and just a few hours away.
Hannah C says
These are beautiful photos and those are some awesome sculptures! Some people are so talented, it amazes me. I have always wanted to go to Canada! Someday.
Kelly O says
WOW! Amazing sand sculptures. What a fun thing to watch as these start from sand, and into such masterpieces!
Jeanine says
I didn’t realize there was a sand competition there. Maybe we’ll have to plan a trip there next summer.
Sandra Watts says
The sky in your photos is gorgeous. Such a beautiful blue.
Leslie Fantauzzi says
What a great vacation you guys had! The pictures are amazing, and the review you wrote, made it sound really fun. I live in Alaska, so I would go to Denali Park for somewhere close. But I really love the ocean, so this would have been ideal for me as well. Thanks for sharing!
Lauryn R says
I have always known Canada was a beautful place, but your pictures really do it justice! I would love to visit this gorgeous country with my family!
Karen Ung (@playoutsidegal) says
We spent 5 days in Parksville this summer! I agree it’s so much fun and Rathtrevor Beach is the ultimate family beach. Still can’t believe how warm the water was. Will have to go back in time for the sand castles/sculptures next time!
Powered by Mom says
I know it’s such a great spot isn’t it Karen? I love it I’ve been there 3 times since last October it’s great all year long but yeah summer is nice since the water is warm especially when the tide is out and all those puddles and mini pools 🙂
Mandy says
I live in BC but never heard of Parksville before this. Thanks for intro-ing it to me and what they have to offer.
Mary Hoffman says
Oh how I miss BC..It’s on my bucket list to go back one day! I want to do “All of The Above!”
loriag says
Oh made me homesick for the Island. Parksville is beautiful as is so much of the Island.
Kelly O says
Looks like you had a blast. I love the ocean. I could sit there all day and just play in the sand and watch the waves. So peaceful.
Jerry Marquardt says
THis place looks wonderful! I would so like to come out there and vacation. I enjoyed the beautiful photos and thank you for lifting my day with these cheerful pictures.
Powered by Mom says
awww you’re welcome Jerry 🙂
Elizabeth H. says
Seems like a cool place to go. Would be amazing to visit Chesterman’s Beach Provincial Park. Thanks a bunch for posting.
Jayne says
The Robin Hood sand sculpture is my favorite. I can’t stack two bricks together to make a sand castle.
Canada is on my travel bucket list.
Dorothy Boucher says
Right now we head on over to the local beach, there is 4 beaches, 2 are pretty much walking distance from me, we also have a water slide park not to far about 15 minute drive.. but mostly we head on over to the local zoo, ButtonWood Park Zoo in New Bedford, MA 🙂
lisa says
It really looks like a lovely area. Very peaceful. If I lived in the area, that would be my choice for a vacation too.
laura rubenstein says
This place looks great! I would love to make a visit!
Pauline says
looks beautidful and sound amazing. would love to visit
V33JG says
Looks like a really fun place to take the family for the day! Those sand sculptures are awesome!
Fee Roberts says
his looks like so much fun. I love sand art. It’s so amazing to me how they get so much detail in the pieces.
Fee Roberts says
*This
Sarah L says
Great sand sculptures. We just go up in the Rocky Mountain for day trips or overnight.
RANDY FULGHAM says
if i ever get a chance to go here-i will biuld something in the sand-looks like real fun….
Sophia,M.,McConnery says
This looks amazing.Glad you had such a good time!
April says
Wow the sand castle competition looks fierce. How do you judge the winner when all look so amazing!! =D My boys would have gone nuts over the hulk smash one. ^-^ Sounds like you had a fun time! I would have loved to see a pic of the goats on the roof =D
Lori Pouncey says
Such a great family adventure! Looks like everyone had a super great time! Very nice place to visit, I love the beach, my absolute favorite place in the world. Thank you for sharing your family with us 🙂
M.Clark says
It sounds like you had a great time. Goats on the roof? That’s something I need to see. For me the best place to visit that’s close to home is always the beach. Thank you for sharing this post.
lisa says
I have never been there. It sounds like you had a good time. I love seeing how creative people are. Be it art, cooking, whatever.
Laurie P says
Haven’t been to B.C in years….but I love knowing all the fun things to do there with kids. Hubby has been wanting to head there for a long time now, I know our time is coming 🙂
Linda Manns Linneman says
This sounds like such a neat place to visit. I love the sand sculptures. They are awesome. We have a contest like this on Siesta Beach in Florida every year. It is amazing what some of these talented people do. Thank you so much for sharing