Celebrations for loved ones are one of the many things we have had to adapt over the past year and a bit. Whether it be a for a birthday, anniversary, or upcoming Father’s Day — Prince George has many options worth checking out.
Trail rides – El Shaddai Ranch
Situated on 94 acres of beautiful forest and meadows, El Shaddai Ranch offers trail rides for all ages. Children ten and older can ride like adults, and those aged six to nine can ride their own horse, but are led by a guide. Pony rides for children three and older are also available and involve a guide leading the pony around a trail for up to an hour. We went in the fall for my daughter’s birthday and she had an amazing time. The ranch owner Sean was a fantastic host, and I look forward to visiting again.
Mini mountain bikers
Looking for another fun outdoor activity? Check out one of the bike tracks around town designed for the smaller humans! Duchess Park in the downtown area has a great little track for kids and a fantastic playground next to it. While Pidherny has a ton of great trails for mountain bikers, it also offers a pump track adjacent the parking lot suitable for kiddos. The newest bike park I visited last year with my little ones is the Blackburn bike/skate park. It features a dirt bike track, ramps, rails, and public washroom facilities. Blackburn Elementary School next to the park has a great playground as well.
Patio party
The city has a great selection of restaurants and cafes that offer patio dining. Check out this blog post from Move Up PG, which highlights some of the delicious options. Celebrate an occasion with breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner at one of the many locations around town, or pickup a meal to go and enjoy at a local park.
Spa date
Celebrate you, or someone special, with a spa/beauty treatment. Many local salons offer mini-manis/pedis for the little princess in your life too! Prince George has a large number of spas and individual aestheticians throughout the city, ranging in prices and services. A fellow blogger shares first hand some experiences and businesses she’s visited here. Supporting smaller, local business owners as much as possible is more important now than ever. My go to for manicures is Courtney’s Nails & Esthetics.
Birthday parades
I noticed this was a big trend in and around the city starting last spring when restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 first started ramping up. I attended one for my daughter’s friend, and it was so great to see how many people participated. Decorated vehicles paraded her street with balloons, streamers, and a few people dropped off gifts in the driveway.
Outdoor BBQ
Pending what current guidelines are in place, meeting with a small group that keeps their distance from each other or immediate household members for a BBQ is a nice way to celebrate outdoors. One of my favourite places for a BBQ is Forests for the World/Shane Lake where there’s a couple of fire pits, pit toilets and a picnic shelter. My kiddos love packing in hot dogs and marshmallows and having a fire by the lake. Another beautiful location is Eskers Park. There’s a large covered picnic shelter with a wood stove and pit toilets right close to the parking lot — ideal for little ones who don’t want to walk too far!
The time can’t come soon enough where I am able to reunite with my family who lives too far away and celebrate all the things we haven’t been able to in person over the past while. For now, I’ll continue to enjoy all the city has to offer during these strange times. I’m yet to run out of places to see or things to do in my two-ish years living here.
Whatever you choose to do safely, remember to support local, shop local, and celebrate local!
