VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

My kids are now 12 and 14. We have been camping there since the oldest was 3 months old and they still love going there. no bad memories, only good ones.

Can't wait to get back to Nitinat with our kids, 3 and 7. They have been camping there with us since our oldest was 2. Our son, 3, can't wait to see the dogs again.

Agree with the swing. Absolutely. Bikes, too. Our daughter was really bothered by the endless wind when she was 3 or so - having some wind shelter and activities goes a long way - paint/markers/games.

We discovered melatonin was our friend after our son would not go to sleep as he wanted to see every person/car that crunched by our campsite. He would be awake and jumping til 10. But we fixed that! Having your own toilet setup is priceless if your kids are still in that stage...Costco had a bivvy with privacy tent!

Be prepared for it to be freaking cold and have way more warm clothes than you think you need. Our daughter usually ended up sleeping in her long johns and fleece when we were tenting. And toque. And mitts. Hot chocolate and marshmallows can go a very long way. So can pancakes in the morning. Premeasure in a mason jar, add milk/egg in the am and shake and then pour....

Agree to staying away from windfest, and long weekends if you are light sleepers/sensitive to yelling til 4am.

Don't be shy to visit with other families...other kids will entertain yours better than anything else!

No bad memories. Only slightly grumpy that I have not made it on the water much after all of those trips....

Thanks for all the great tips. Got the vehicle all loaded up with swing set materials, marshmellows, kiddie bike, coloring books and all the other critical materials. Will be a miracle if my little trailer doesn't blow it's springs on the way to the lake tomorrow!

I'll try to set up the family at the 'eastern' end as recommended. Anybody planning to come out in the next seven to ten days with young kids feel free to come on by (ours are 1 and 3... we'll be up at 6 a.m together, yeah...). We have a little white trailer with 'JP' on the back which stands out pretty well.

See you at the lake.

I'm reviving this thread from last year... We're planning to be back at the lake with the rug rats July 18-29th. Our kids are 4 and 2 now. Gotta be easier then last year right?!? They can almost fend for themselves now...

Once again this thread is about two things:

1)Those with mucho experience in this department, please post the things you've learned over the years that have made family time at the Nat a good time. Any secret tips etc...

2)An invitation for all those from the BWD community who will be out there when we are and packing munchkins to come by and share the toys, the good times, and the laughs. More fun for the kids that way, and more wind time for the parents.

Like last year we'll try to set up in 'the family zone' at the downwind end of the campground. Look for the little white fiberglass trailer. Got young kids who like to scream their heads off all evening? Perfect come on out. Kids like to get up ridiculously early for 'breakfast', awesome, we love that stuff. We can all munch on cheerios at 5 am together....

Based on tips last year we set up swings for the kids on the beach, packed plenty of art supplies, costumes, bikes, marshmellows, boogie boards etc... and it was great. This year we're evening bringing an inflatable pool for the kids that could fit 3-4 toddlers. Come on out and join the fun.

I wish my parents took me someplace like Nitnaht when I was a kid!...