Castle Bojnice - The Most Beautiful Castle in Slovakia

I have always been fascinated by old architecture and the past. One of my passions is visiting old castles, ruins and forgotten cities.

Castle Bojnice

There is something very powerful and exciting about entering through the gates of an old castle. They are so magnificent and just to imagine the stories they are trying to tell.

I like to walk through old castles and chateau and pretend that I lived in the old world of kings, queens and knights in Shining armour. There is something romantic and mysterious about it.

I was born in Slovakia a small country in size, but country with the most castles, chateau and mansion houses in all of Europe. There is some 425 mansion houses, 180 castles and chateau including some ruins.

Thanks to my parents who love the culture as much as I do I had the pleasure to visit almost all of them.

The castles in Slovakia stand as testament to the colonization that happened in the country during the centuries.

One of the most popular and my personal favorite Slovakia's castles is Castle Bojnice.

Castle Bojnice was build around year 1113 on a hill above town Bojnice. Presently it is next door to the Zoo and world famous Spa.
Bojnice castle is one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia, standing on a travertine hill above the town.

The first written mention of the castle existence is from 1113 and comes from the Zobor Abbey. It used to be a wooden fortress that was rebuild into a stone castle during the 13th century. Originally renaissance and Gothic style, has been rebuilt in Romanism style in 19th century.

At the end of the 13th century Bojnice was seized by the magnate Matus Cak Trenciansky and the castle Bojnice remained in his possession until year 1321.

During the 14th and 15th centuries the castle changed owners few times.

In 1489 King Matej Korvin gave the castle and its surroundings as a present to his illegitimate son Jan Korvin.

The story has it that King Matej often visiting Bojnice and he enjoyed sitting under the Lime tree opposite the castle's entrance, which was named the King Matej Lime tree. He would dictate official documents in its shade, which would begin : ' Sub nostris dilectis tillis Bojniciensibus' - Under Our Nice Bojnice Lime Tree".

The Famous Lime Tree

After the death of King Matej the castle Bojnice was seized by the Zapolsky troops, who inhabited it till 1526. During this time the large walls and towers were build which were preserved till this day.

In 1527 King Ferdinand I. presented the fortress to Alexej Thurzo. The Thurzos renovated the fortress and transformed it into a renaissance castle. The original Gothic fortress was given high living quarters arranged around the internal courtyard.

After the Thurzo family died out, the fortress once more fell to the crown and Emperor Ferdinand III. sold it to Pavol Palfi in 1643 for 200 000 in gold.
The castle was being rebuild again. This time it received baroque resemblance.

After a long period of stagnation and deterioration castle Bojnice together with its surroundings were obtained by its last owner Count Jan Frantisek Palfi in 1852 a renowned private collector.

The extensive renovations from 1889 to 1910 completely changed the onetime mighty fortress into an enchanting castle. Count Palfi did not live to see its completion as he died in Vienna on the 2nd of June 1908.

In 1950 the castle was open to the public and ran by Nitrianske County Museum. In 1970 the castle was declared as a National cultural monument.

I visited castle Bojnice several times as a child and as an adult. Every time I entered through the gates I was transported in a different era full enchantment and magic.

I enjoyed the priceless art collection, beautifully decorated rooms, stories about the colorful history, the underground cave and the beautiful gardens.

If you ever find yourself traveling through Slovakia castle Bojnice should be on yours Must Do list. The castle is open daily to the public.

The best time to visit this beautiful castle is in a Spring or Summer so you can enjoy the gardens as well as the castle. Stroll through the gardens, sit under the famous Lime tree and dream.

Don't forget to check out the natural underground travertine cave that is located under the castle.

I am planning on going back in Summer 2010 with my children and share with them my past and my passion.

Our Adventure At The Rock Creek Country Fair

Few weekends ago we decided to visit 64th annual Rock Creek Country Fair.

Rock Creek is a very little town located in beautiful Kettle River Valley. It is about 45 minute drive from our house and last time we went to the Fair was 7 years ago. It was time to check it out again.

Since we couldn't go for our annual September Family Vacation due to non-existent funds this year we decided to become tourists in our town.

Rock Creek Fair it's also called the Biggest Little Country Fair Around. There is so much to do and so much to see.

I personally am not a big country fair goer, but promise me Whale Tail/Beaver Tail/Elephant Ear or whatever they're called in your neck of the woods I'll be there.
Just the thought of the yummy, greasy, cinnamon-sugar goodness makes me slobber like a Pavlov's dog.

Anyway, the first thing we did after finding a parking spot we went for the famous country fair food (it was lunchtime). My kids and hubby chose Beef&Been burritos. Of course I had to be different and I went for the fully loaded German Schnitzel. What a dissapointment. It was to a point that I almost swore of schnitzels for life (I love,love,love schnitzels).

Lunch was over and next stop was the barn.

(To understand what happened next I must tell you that we live on the outskirts of little town with lots of fields with live stock around us.)

We walk to the barn, cows and bulls everywhere. My 7 year old looks around and very loudly proclaims: "So, this is what a cow looks like, interesting". I stopped, turned around and realized that he's being serious. You never know what comes out of that kid's mouth, seriously.

Next stop, chickens and turkeys. My kids spent half an hour looking at them. You would think I never let them out of the house. At this point my allergies were killing me. Time to move on - "....but mom we didn't see the pigs yet".

We walk by the 4-H cattle competition. See all the 4-H kids in their matching Beef Club shirt.My older one decides that maybe I should get him a domestic animal that he can take care of and compete with. Seriously...I think I should not let my kids out of the house again.

Time to view the pavilions full of displays with prize winning vegetables, fruit, cookies, breads, flowers, pies, pickles, canning, home made clothes and the list goes on. It was interesting. I just wish there wasn't so much of it cramped into small space with tons of people walking by.

My sons suggested that I should enter my cakes next year and I would win the best decorated for sure (bless, their little hearts).

After the displays I wanted to check out the market. Suddenly I stopped and right in front of me...am I dreaming...somebody pinch...yes, it is true...WHALE TAILS. The world stopped for a minute right then and there till I had the yummy, greasy, cinnamon sugar goodness in my hand.

I can enjoy the fair now.My boys found a booth with Hawaiian shaved ice and to add to their excitment they had some sugar-free flavors.To tell the truth I was actually excited for my son. Not often when we go out they offer sugar free treats never mind at country fairs.

My boys and hubby spotted a huge display section full of big tractors, loaders and heavy equipment.Of course we had to stop to check them out one by one, sit in it, pose in front of it and ask questions about it (no, we are not in a market for a new heavy equipment). "Mommy, mommy come and sit in it, isn't it awesome, we should get one". "Take a picture, take a picture".

I must admit I loved the golf carts. I could go for one of them.

Our day was coming to an end, but before we go another Whale Tail was a must.

All I have to say: "I hope next September we will have enough funds in the piggy
bank to go for our usual family vacation".

Historic Old Sacramento Offers Fun and Educational Family Vacation .

When we decided to visit Sacramento we didn’t have any idea that we are entering into the 1800s. We found ourselves right in the middle of the Gold Rush Days - an annual celebration.


The streets of the old Sacramento were transformed into the Wild West. The streets were covered with dirt. Bails of hay placed on the corners of the streets. Horses and horse drawn carriages were the only means of transportation.


If you are planning a fun and educational family vacation you must visit Old Sacramento during the Gold Rush Days.


You will feel like you are back in 1800s. Streets are filled with cowboys, ladies in fancy dresses with big, beautiful hats. You will witness Wild West gunfights, enjoy some Gold Rush era music and dancing.
Sample some interesting food.


The never-ending fun and festivities start Labor Day Weekend Friday and last for 4 days.


If you miss it the Old Sacramento has it’s charm even without the Gold Rush Days. The Old Sacramento is a National Historic Landmark District and all of the 53 historic buildings were build in 1800s when the pioneers settled along the Sacramento River. The wooden sidewalks and little old- fashioned shops add to it’s charm.


My favorite part are the Mississippi - style riverboats down on the Sacramento River. That is what brought us down to Sacramento in a first place just to discover lots of history and unforgettable vacation.


If you want to make your stay in Old Sacramento even more historic or very romantic stay at the historic Delta King - 1920s completely restored paddle wheeler. The Delta King offers first class accommodation, restaurant, lounge and even a theatre. You will be blown away with all the little details.


The rooms are full of character. You can choose from cozy staterooms or large staterooms depends on your budget and the view choice. The Delta King has 5 decks so I recommend you request a room on the 4th or
5th deck for the best view.


The Delta King’s own Pilothouse restaurant offers a fine dining with an unbelievable view. You must try their Dungeness Crab Cakes or Risotto. Their Sunday Brunch is one of the best I ever tasted.


While visiting Old Sacramento take an advantage of many river cruises. Explore the Sacramento River on board of the Spirit of Sacramento - another beautiful Victorian paddle wheeler. You will find it right beside the Delta King.


Explore the little shops, taste some homemade fudge and hand-dipped chocolate at the Sacramento Sweets Co.. Stop by Evangeline’s for some unusual gifts and toys (Evangeline’s is a prankster’s paradise).


We spend only couple of days on board of the Delta King in Old Sacramento, but we had family vacation to remember. Can’t wait to go back. This time maybe for a romantic get-away.

Top 10 Las Vegas Family Shows That Won't Break Your Budget

Every year many people visit Las Vegas just to experience the first class entertainment. Vegas offers top headliners and quality ongoing shows.

Most of the shows are geared toward the adult crowd. If you are visiting Las Vegas with your children you don't have to worry that you will miss out on anything or that you won't able afford it.

That is why Las Vegas is so great. Amongst all the high priced adult shows you will find reasonable priced high quality shows that are family friendly.

My family helped me to create our top 10 family shows in Vegas and we hope you will enjoy them as much as we did.


#1 V - THE ULTIMATE VARIETY SHOW at the Planet Hollywood

Wonderful show that offers magic, comedy, balance acts, juggling, acrobatics and more. Wally Eastwood is hilarious and very charming host that will have you laughing aloud. This shows gets the best family show on the Strip award from my family.

Two shows nightly and tickets start at $65.99 (we used our 2 for 1 coupon from the Entertainment Book).


#2 GREGORY POPOVICH’S COMEDY PET THEATER at the Planet Hollywood

One of the furriest afternoon shows on the Strip. Trained Russian circus performer Gregory Popovich and his family will introduce you to their little army of well trained and funny dogs and cats. It this very cute and children absolutely love it.

Every day except Wednesdays. Child ticket is only $16.49 and adult ticket is $38.49


#3 NATHAN BURTON COMEDY MAGIC at the Flamingo

Spend an afternoon with magic and music. Nathan Burton knows how to entertain his audience. You will be impressed with his magic tricks combined with performance from his beautiful showgirls. Amongst his cool props you’ll find the biggest hair dryer you ever saw.

Every day except Monday and Thrusday. Child ticket is $21.57 and adult ticket is $38.57


#4 THE TOURNAMENT OF KINGS at the Excalibur

Enjoy a great show while feasting on a dinner fit for a king Arthur. Become part of the show as you cheering for your knight and boo the competision. And who doesn't love to eat their dinner with their bare hands? I know my kids do.

Every night except Tuesday. Kids under 3 are free if sitting on parent lap. Dinner & Show tickets are $61.21


#5 FAB FOUR LIVE at the Planet Hollywood


Take you children to meet the Beatles or at least introduce them to their music. The impersonators are pretty close to the real thing. Great show and the tribute to John Lennon guarantees to make you shed a tear or two (even my 12 year old cried).

Every day except Thursday. General admission is $54.99 and children under 5 are not allowed.

Tip:We saw the V-Variety Show first and after the show we were offered discount tickets to the Fab Four. It was almost half price.


#6 SHOW BUS OF THE STARS at the Planet Hollywood

Get on the double-decker bus and let celebrity impersonators to be your guide while you explore Las Vegas Strip. The impersonators change so you won’t know who will be your guide. It could be Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe or perhaps Madonna? You have to go to find out.

You can catch the bus every day. Tickets start @ $39.95


#7 LANCE BURTON at the Monte Carlo

Classic magic show. Lance Burton is an honorary member of The Royal Dynasty of Magic and he’s been amazing audience in Vegas since 1981. Your child might be given the opportunity to come up on the stage and be a part of the magic show. Very family friendly and classy show.

Ongoing Tuesday through Saturday. Tickets start at $66.50. Children under 3 are not allowed.


#8 ICE: DIRECT FROM RUSSIA at the Riviera

Outstanding ice show. The heart-stopping acrobatics and gymnastics combined with beautiful music and unique costumes. Colors, movements, music. Everything and more you want in an ice skating show.

Every day except Friday. Tickets start at $89.95. Children under 6 are not allowed.


#9 MYSTERE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL at the Treasure Island

You must see the Cirque Du Soleil at least once while you're in Vegas and this is a good place to start. Mystere is the most affordable Cirque Du Soleil performance in Las Vegas and absolutely perfect for any age. Acrobats, clown, high energy, beautiful costumes, music. It all comes together as one unforgettable show.

Ongoing Saturday through Wednesday. Tickets start at $90.40


#10 XTREME MAGIC STARRING DIRK ARTHUR at the Tropicana

Another great family afternoon show. This magic show is full of large scale illusions that will amaze and entertain you. The part of the show are Dirk Arthur's 3 large cats: TJ the white tiger, Oscar the spotted leopard and Diamond the black leopard.

Ongoing Saturday through Thursday. General admission is $25.00 (some hotels and magazines offer free or 2 for1 tickets to this show).

Top 10 Attraction To See in Las Vegas with Children

Traveling to Las Vegas with children and wondering what to do once you get there?

Well, there is plenty to do in Vegas with kids. Lots of attractions are free. If you're craving for little more and are on a budget my top 10 list of affordable family attractions might help.

#1 SHARK REEF at the Mandalay Bay

An underwater adventure awaits you and you family. You will come face to face with dangerous sharks, piranhas, jelly fish, sea turtles, giant stingrays and other underwater animals.

They are open everyday from 10am. Tickets are: adults $16.95, children 12 and under $10.95 and children under 4 get in free.


#2 THE EIFFEL TOWER EXPERIENCE at the Paris Hotel

Take a glass elevator up to the observation deck almost 50 stories above the ground. The best view of the Las Vegas strip and the whole valley is right in front of you.

Open daily. You need to purchase your tickets in the ticket office before you enter the elevator.
Tickets are: adults $10.00, senior and kids 6-12 $7.00, children under 5 are free. You can also purchase family package for $30.00 (2 adults + 2 children).
After 7:30pm the tickets are more expensive: $12.00/$10.00 (no family discount available).


#3 THE ADVENTUREDOME at the Circus Circus
Fun is what comes to mind when you enter the Adventuredome. Rides and more rides, midway games, miniature golf, climbing wall, 4D rides. You can spend hours inside and if you get an all-day pass you can come back for more. The Adventuredome is a great place for any age.

They are open daily from 10am. The rides cost $4.00-7.00 per ride so the best deal is the All-Day Pass. Adults and children over 47" are $24.95, children 33"-47" are $14.95 and it's free for toddlers under 33" with a paying adult (you need to accompany toddlers on the rides).

Every time we visit Las Vegas with our kids we purchase Las Vegas Entertainment Book and they have 2 - 2 for1 coupons to the Adventuredome which saves us $50.00. If you don't have the book check out the Las Vegas magazine in your hotel room for coupons. They not as good, but every little helps.


#4 DOLPHIN HABITAT and SECRET GARDEN at the Mirage

An oasis in the middle of busy Las Vegas strip. Wondeful family attraction that will educate while having fun. Observe the spanky dolphins, grab a quick snack or a cold drink at the snack bar and continue towards the Segried and Roy's Secret Garden. Once inside the garden enjoy the peaceful surroundings and take time to watch the endangered white lions, tigers and panthers.

Open daily from 11am. Tickets are: adults $15.00, children 4-12 are $10.00 and toddlers under 3 are free.


#5 GAMEWORKS inside the Showcase Mall

Enter the world of state of the art gaming. Play arcade games, challenge your family to game of air hockey or virtual bowling. Try your skills at virtual shooting games or practice your moves on the dance station. If you get hungry or thirsty don't worry. Just take a break and have a great meal at the GameWorks Grill.

GameWorks has many specials every day. Right now you can play All-Day and All-Night for only $35.00.



#6 LIED DISCOVERY CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

Discover more then 100 interactive exhibits. Learn while having fun. Toddlers will have fun inside the large jungle gym called the Toddler Tower. Older kids will have fun pretending to be miners, bank tellers or pretend to shop in a grocery store. Your teens and pre-teens will love the music station. There is so much to do and to see.

Open Tuesday-Friday from 9am, Saturday from10am and Sunday from noon. The tickets are: adults $8.00 and children 1-17, seniors and military $7.00. They are located at the north end of the Strip.


#7 MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM at the Venetian

Rub the shoulders with the rich and famous or at least pretend like you are. You allowed to touch the life-like figures, pose for pictures, act out your fantasies. Take pictures of your kids pretending they are part of the Jolie-Pitt family, give a Shaq a great big hug.

Open daily from 10am. The tickets are: Adults (13-59) $25.00, seniors $18.00, children (7-12) $15.00 and children under 6 get in for free.

Look for 2 for1 coupons to save money. We usually get our from the Las Vegas Entertainment Book.


#8 THE AUTO COLLECTION at the Imperial Palace

The largest showroom of classic cars you ever saw. Since most of the cars are for sale the collection is always changing. If you a car lover this is the place to be. Your kids will enjoy seeing a Formula 1 , famous celebrities cars, famous movie cars up close. Take pictures in front of an antique cars with $12,000,000.00 price tags and dare to dream.

Open daily from 10am. The tickets are: adults (13 & up) $8.95, seniors and children (4 -12) $5.00, under 3 are free.


#9 LAS VEGAS CYBER SPEEDWAY and SPEED THE RIDE at the Sahara

If you like speed and fast cars this attraction is for you. Pretend to be a Nascar driver in one of 7 simulators. Try what it feels like racing at 220mhp. Chose from stick shift or automatic. This attraction is for older kids and adults as the riders must be 54' tall.

Open daily from 10am. Each ride costs $10.00 or $17.95 for both (Speedway or Speed the ride). The best deal is $22.95 for all-day pass to both rides. Look for coupons before you go.


#10 GONDOLA RIDE at the Venetian

Always wanted to visit Venice and ride the gondolas. Now you can do it right in Vegas.

You can choose from indoor or outdoor gondola rides. The outdoor one is 2 minutes shorter. Travel down the canal while listening to your gondolier sing. This is one of the romantic attractions, but children especially smaller ones enjoy it as well.

Open daily from 10am. Tickets are $16.00 per person and children under 2 are free.

Adventure in Disneyland on a budget and with diabetic child

Last summer we decided to visit the Happiest Place on Earth - Disneyland. Last time we visited the Magic Kingdom our boys were 6 and 1. We decided to wait till our youngest is old enough to ride most of the rides before we return. So 5 years later here we are again.

This time around the trip was little different because our older son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 3 years ago. The vacation required more planning.


We live in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in province of British Columbia. Our journey started at the Spokane International Airport. I prefer to fly early in the morning. Usually we drive through the night to be there couple hours before the flight. This time we decided to stay overnight at the Airport Ramada Inn so we can have a good night sleep and also because they offer Park‘n‘Fly (free parking for up to 14 days). Since we were combining our Disneyland trip with our annual Las Vegas family vacation it was a great deal. The Ramada Inn is directly across from the terminal and they also offer a complimentary shuttle. From the time we left our room , checked out and arrived at the terminal it took less then 15 minutes.


We arrived at the John Wayne airport in Orange County around 10am. Since we didn’t have arranged transportation we decided to take a taxi to our hotel.
I love a good bargain so overpaying for a hotel room where you don’t spend much time in doesn’t make a sense to me. I think the Disneyland Resort are very overpriced for what they offer. The extra hour before the park opening doesn’t make much difference.

We stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn. The hotel was located directly across the entrance to Disneyland and California Adventure. It took us less then 5 minutes to get to the ticket booth. The hotel room was very roomy, clean and comfortable. Every room has a mini fridge and microwave. This comes very handy for snacks and drinks. Snacks and drinks inside Disneyland are very overpriced so we bought ours in the corner store and brought them with us since our diabetic son needs lots of snacks and drinks on a hot day. We also need to store our son’s insulin in cool place so this was just perfect for us. The hotel also offers a free deluxe continental breakfast next door at Captain Kid’s restaurant. Staff was very friendly and helpful.
We arrived at the hotel around 11am so we decided to spend half a day at the Disneyland.


After very reasonable buffet lunch at Captain Kid’s we ventured across the crosswalk toward the Magic Kingdom.

Purchase your tickets online to save money.

After entering the Disneyland we visited the Guest Services to inquire about special assistance pass for our diabetic son. Our son received Guest Assistance Card which allowed him and up to 5 members of his party to use the disability entrances for the various rides and attraction. This was such a treat for all of us. My son felt very special and we were able to enjoy Disneyland and take care of his diabetes at the same time. It was middle of September , but the crowds were still quite large and the weather was hot. We had to stop many times to check his Blood Glucose and give him snacks and drink. Thanks to his pass we didn’t miss out on anything.


After an exhausting afternoon in Disneyland we went back to the hotel and decided to have dinner at Tony Roma’s which was about 3 minutes walking distance. Wonderful food, great service and reasonable priced.


The next morning we decided to rent a car and spend the day at the Universal Studios and the City Walk. After arriving at the Universal Studios the best choice for parking was the Valet parking. Very reasonable and close to everything. We purchased our Universal Studios tickets at the ticket booth with a coupon from Entertainment Book (I think every Entertainment Book has the coupon). The ticket agent talked us into buying the All-You-Can eat meal plan, but it wasn’t worth it. It was good only for the fast food cafeteria style places and we didn’t really enjoy it. The worse food was at Mel’s Diner. Not only the food was bad, but the service was very slow and our server had a terrible attitude.


The first ride on our agenda was The Simpson’s ride. My older son loved it, my younger son hated it and I felt sick to my stomach for hours to come. Our family favorite ride is the Jurassic Park ride. For the weak at heart or small children don’t try the Revenge of the Mummy ride or the House of Horrors. The only brave member of our family was my husband.
If you have small children and are visiting during the warm months bring swim trunks and a towels. The Curious George waterpark and adventure playground is wonderful and you’re kids will never want to leave. Especially when Curious George or Sponge Bob show up.


Dinner time was approaching and we decided to leave the park and have a small dinner on the City Walk. Since we weren’t very hungry after eating all that fast food at the Universal Studios we opted out for crepes at The Crepe Café. Good price, fantastic crepes, fast service. After dinner I wanted to do little shopping. There are many cute little shops on the City Walk. I loved the LA Sock Market. I could spend hundreds of dollars on variety of socks. They had the coolest and cutest socks for the whole family. My kids loved the GameStop beside the Hard Rock Café Hollywood.


If you have time and find yourself discovering the City Walk you must try the iFLY Hollywood vertical wind tunnel indoor skydiving. It is great fun for the whole family. It is perfectly safe for kids 3 years and up. Your kids will have an experience of a lifetime without breaking a bank.
After and exhausting day we were ready for a good night sleep. Our last day of our California adventure we spent in Disneyland and California Adventure. There is so many rides and all of them are fun. My favorite is still the Pirates of the Caribbeans and the Grizzly River Run. My older son’s favorite is the Matterhorn and the Space Mountain. My little boy’s favorite was Toy Story and Autopia.


And so ends our Disneyland trip. We had fun, few meltdowns and lots of memories….we’re off to Las Vegas.


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Memories of Summer - Kettle Valley Provincial Park and Campground

So I decided to take my boys ages 6 and 11 camping…..for two weeks….what was I thinking you say ? You might be right, but I had an experience of a lifetime. Not only I bonded with my kids on much deeper level, but I got to observe people…lots of people…lots of strange people.
We stayed at a The Kettle Valley Provincial Park and Campground about an hour from our home. Not too far , but not too close either. The provincial park itself was beautiful. Campground sites were large and spread out. The Kettle Valley is a tent campground as well as RV campground with no hook ups. The main washrooms had running water (cold only), but in the heat of the summer that is all I need. Every campground site had it's own fire pit (wood was provided for a fee and delivered nightly) and a good sturdy picnic table. Tons of hiking, biking, exploring down the old Kettle Valley Railway and peeking into the old gold mines , river rafting and watching your kids playing in the river while suntanning on the beautiful sandy beach.
We stayed at the corner site right across from the large playground and close to the main washrooms. The only problem in the middle of the summer is that unless you come early in the morning around 7am and physically stand at the spot that people are ready to vacate you won't get in.It is a very popular family campground. We had to stay one night in a private campground in Rock Creek and come back bright and early. This provincial campground has about 80 camping sites, but half of it is for online campground reservations only. If you want to reserve a spot make sure you reserve it 3 months ahead. The reserved sites are closer to the river and the beach and most of them have more privacy, but they are much smaller and full of mosquitoes. I noticed that lots of people reserve for one night and then move to the first come first serve camping sites which makes it even harder to find a site without a reservation, because they all do their rounds the night before and make deals with people leaving in the morning. Some mornings all you can see are empty campground sites with camping chairs in them which I don't agree with...
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to get a good site since there are some open spots available at noon.
I love provincial BC campgrounds…they are reasonable priced, most of them are clean and pretty safe family environment. They do have their little rules to be followed, not a deal breaker.
One rule that I like is quiet time after 10 pm. No loud music , talking or generators…fair enough. Everybody needs quiet time and good night sleep after busy and active day, I know I do. The Kettle Valley Provincial Campground was no exception. The Park Ranger was strict and rules were followed.
Anyway, generators…we camp with our 31’ travel trailer, yes, we are roughing it. So now and then I need to recharge batteries and all of the equipment. We are here for two weeks people, give me a break.
I myself am not a big fan of generators, I think they are loud and somebody needs to come up with a silent generator….if you do give me a call.
In Provincial Parks you are allowed to use generators from 7am to 10pm. So as a good camping neighbour and nature lover I run mine 3 hours a day in the early afternoon when everybody should be busy doing something. So I go out, turn my generator on (mine is the quieter one made by Honda) and I go inside my trailer to make sure we have everything that needs charging plugged in. Just minutes later there is a knock on the door and one of my camping neighbours…not a next door one, but the one two spaces down divided by a little forest tells me that they are trying to chill and my generator is preventing them from doing so and he offered to put a piece of a board (that he provided) against it to block the noise. Of course, me being the caring person that I am I allow him to do that not thinking nothing of it. Few minutes later he was back at his site playing his guitar and chilling. After listening to his noise that he called music I decided that he should have used that board to block off his talent before the whole campground turns on him.
An hour later we shut the beast off and go about our business. Evening comes , time to retire to the trailer and get ready for bed. I notice that our lights are very dim and can’t figure out why.
In the morning I get up early just to find out that our fridge and water pump are dead. I am not a great technical person and being here without my husband and relying on his instructions was scary enough…I was hoping nothing like this would happen. So as per instructions I go outside and switch the propane tank (hah, I bet you didn’t think I can do that?) and nothing. The fridge is still dead and no water. Now it’s time to panic, my son is a and all of his insulin and other diabetic supplies are in the fridge. My hubby is not due to come up for the next 2 days. No cell phone signal only a public phone across the campsite. I jump on my bike in my PJ’’s with credit card in my hand…what a site. Of course my dear husband decides that today is the day that he won’t answer his cell phone. Luckily someone answered the phone at his work and is looking for him….five minutes later he comes on. Of course he has no idea what could have happened. I charged the batteries , I switched the propane tanks. So with simple instructions like don’t open the fridge and shut the propane tank he promises to come up after work and fix the problem.
I peddle back to the campsite little relieved, but upset. I go around and check the generator that let me down. My wonderful neighbour blocked the sound with his board, but in the process he unplugged my main cord so the generator was running , but not charging. Oh, I was fuming. I felt like taking the board and beating him senseless with it. I plugged my cord in, move the board and let the generator do it’s work.
Few hours later we were up and running again. All was good with the world for a bit.

Little things happened, but nothing to ruin our vacation. We all enjoyed our camping at the Kettle Valley Provincial Campground and we can't wait to go again. I highly recommend this campground for everybody especially families with active children like ours.

Don't forget your bikes and water rafts... HAVE A GREAT TIME

If you would like to know how our family copes with type 1 diabetes visit my other blog.