After a summer full of family fun, you would think my kids would show their undying gratitude for all of the amazing experiences made possible thanks to my husband and I. From an afternoon at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and a day at Canada's Wonderland to a trip to Ripley's Aquarium and not one, but two afternoons at Medieval Times, we managed to sneak in lots of memorable outings. And this doesn't include our last-minute weekend getaway up north or our staycation at the Eaton Chelsea hotel. So can someone please tell me why, oh why do my darling children manage to drive me up the wall with their constant bickering and arguing? Can't they just get along, for crying out loud? It was the least I could do to salvage my sanity by taking up an offer to escape get out of the house and try out some real wall climbing. You know, the kind that requires special safety gear while dangling 20 feet above ground amidst the peace and quiet of Mother Nature's backyard.

The extent of my wall climbing experience to date can be summed up by a handful of attempts on a mobile wall-climbing apparatus with conveniently placed grips to guide your way to the top. My first attempt was nearly 12 years ago and it was an adequate intro to the sport. But it left me wanting a more difficult challenge, a true outdoor climbing experience that would require strength of mind and body. And so I made the hour-long trek to the limestone cliffs of Halton's Rattlesnake Point where I had participated in the 5 Peaks Trail Race earlier this summer. It was here that I could finally cross one off my bucket list. My fear of heights would have to take a back seat as I learned how to properly knot my ropes and how to belay from a wall climbing expert from One Axe Pursuits.

With Jay from Mississauga Life as my climbing partner, I took on the four easier courses without too much difficulty. Thanks for not letting me plummet to my death, Jay!

These first four courses had their own little challenges but we were welcome to attempt them more than once to find different or easier routes.

Now, I already showed that wall who's the boss so I decided to give the wall a break and re-energize with a banana and some nuts. And it's a good thing I did. The next set of courses were... well, just have a look for yourself:

Delve into the past and learn about Canadian military aviation history at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Located in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario right at Hamilton International Airport, the museum has as its mandate the goal of acquiring, documenting, preserving and maintaining a complete collection of aircraft that were flown by Canadians and the Canadian military services from the beginning of World War II to the present. This collection also includes other related aviation artifacts and memorabilia of historic importance to this time period, such as air plane models, helmets and other gear.

Within the museum you can roam through a gallery containing other various memorabilia, scene replicas and displays. This is an excellent place for students who need to research more about D-Day, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, or the Ninety-Nines. Or step into the Rolls-Royce Theatre and watch James Cagney in "Captains of the Clouds." In technicolor, of course.

Next, you can make your way into the airplane hangar where you will find a myriad of historic aircraft. The word 'impressive' seems inadequate to describe the sight. We're talking Beechcraft Musketeers, Boeing Stearmans, Westland Lysanders and Avro Lancasters.

There are select aircraft that you can actually board by climbing into the cockpit. This was a really neat experience for the kids.

Along the way, the kids can pose behind some fun photo stands. This picture was my favourite one of all.

Lately I've been feeling nostalgia over summers past so I thought I would share this photo I posted on Instagram 12 months ago. It was taken while out paddling with my pal on our complimentary guided tour of the Grand River with the Grand River Rafting Company. We were taking a peek at an old gypsum mine from the 1830's. Ah, such fond memories!

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Now that "busy season" at my office has reached its conclusion, I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you one of my favourite subjects to photograph: birds.

Living in the Hamilton area, there are many excellent places to go birding. These include:

While Hamilton is easily dismissed as an industrial town, there are many green spaces to enjoy with your family. On a suggestion from a friend, I moved slightly out of the boundaries of Hamilton to attend a "Raptors in Focus" event at the Mountsberg Conservation Area.

The Mountsberg Conservation Area is located in Campbellville and is easily accessible from Highway 401 (if you are coming from the GTA) or Highway 6. One of the main features of Mountsberg is the Raptor Centre. At the Raptor Centre, employees and volunteers of the Halton Conservation Authority care for various raptors that are no longer able to be released back into the wild. Many raptors are in care at the Centre and include owls, hawks, eagles, and falcons.

One of the more frequently appearing raptors, is a Great Horned Owl named Octavius.

The Raptor Centre holds various events to promote awareness and education of various birds of prey. Available with general admission to the park is access to the Birds of Prey shows. These occur regularly on the weekends at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and at varying times during the week (depending on whether school is in session).

For those that are a bit more brave and have a few extra bucks, you can have a more private show by booking a Raptor Encounter. The Raptor Encounter allows you to have a personal introduction to some of the birds at the Centre. You may be able to experience some training or even hold one of the raptors!

On a monthly basis, the Centre holds a Raptors in Focus event. For a small fee, up to fifteen photographers can engage in a private photo shoot. During the hour-long event, four raptors are brought out and perched in a easy to photograph position. I attended two of these events this year. The first on March 29 and the second on May 31. It was a great experience and I believe that the results speak for themselves.

While it was quite cool (okay, freezing) in March, the surroundings were quite picturesque and allowed for great contrast between the bird and the background. The weather was much more friendly on May 31 and allowed for some more exploration of the park after the event concluded.

If you ever wish to attend a Raptors in Focus event, I recommend bringing a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens of around 200mm or more. A tripod is not necessary but may be advisable if you use a heavier lens. A shameless plug, but you can see more of my Mountsberg photos on my Flickr page.

There are plenty of other activities to enjoy at Mountsberg which include observing the bison, watching the nesting birds from the blind at the reservoir, attending the maple syrup event, enjoying the surroundings, etc.

I hope that in reading this post, you feel a bit more inclined go out and enjoy more of what nature has to offer. Don't forget to share some of your photos, too! Feel free to use the linky below.

After a lovely lunch at The Bell Homestead Cafe in Brantford, my friend and I headed over to the next location on our itinerary - Paris, Ontario for a complimentary guided tour of the Grand River with the Grand River Rafting Company. Initially, we had been looking forward to a canoe trip but when we arrived, we noticed they had brought rafts instead. I was a little disappointed at first but ten minutes into the tour with our amazing guide, I realized how much more fun it was to share a raft with my friend and learn so much about the area from Garth Pottruff, the owner of Grand River Rafting Co. and the recently acquired Heritage River Canoe and Kayak Co.

Wearing my Paris cap (from my honeymoon in France) and a life jacket supplied by Grand River Rafting Co., we loaded up our paddles, cooler and personal belongings onto a hefty and virtually unflippable (is that even word?) raft. Initially, I wanted to bring the kids with me but wasn't sure how safe it would be seeing as none of us are very strong swimmers. Being in the raft it became clear that this was the perfect trip for families with kids both young and old. Garth told us that he's even taken children as young as two on rafting trips. Given that the water throughout most of this trip is quite shallow with a few gentle rapids, I felt more assured that I could bring my kids on a future trip and not have to worry so much about their safety. 

I have to say that, from a teacher's standpoint, this guided tour along the Grand River is so worth it simply for its educational value alone. Garth, who happens to be an arborist and an outdoor education teacher for First Nations, is a wealth of information and taught us about the local wildlife and aboriginal history. It had rained most of the day and my friend and I worried that it would rain during our trip, too, but after speaking to Garth, he reassured us that it would be the perfect afternoon for a rafting trip. And he was right! Of course, his weather predictions have only be incorrect twice in the past several years so clearly the man knows what he's talking about.

At one point, we stopped off at a natural spring, emptied our water bottles and filled them up with refreshing water straight from Mother Nature's tap.

While discovering Canadian heritage throughout Hamilton Halton Brant, our customized itinerary lead us to some quaint dining locations worthy of royalty. After visiting the HMCS Haida National Historic Site with my daughter, I picked up my friend in the new 2013 Infiniti JX35 as part of a VIP guest drive and made our way over to Brantford, Ontario. Our first stop: The Bell Homestead Cafe for a complimentary lunch.

Nestled within the picturesque Bell Homestead National Historic Site, the Homestead Cafe is like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. The restaurant is located in a cozy historic home amidst ten acres of land adorned with period-style rural perennials and herb gardens, overlooking the Grand River. This historic site is well-known for being the "dreaming place" of Alexander Graham Bell, the innovator who invented the telephone.

Once inside the Homestead Cafe, guests will delight in the warm ambiance of the Victorian tea room setting. A respectable menu coupled with friendly service made for a truly enjoyable lunch shared by friends of old.

Located in my hometown of Hamilton in the Heart of Ontario, HMCS Haida National Historic Site is home to a distinct class of destroyer. HMCS Haida is a Tribal Class ship which served during the Second World War, Korean War and Cold War. Only 27 such ships were built, eight of which were built for Canada. Thirteen were sunk, thirteen were scrapped and only Haida remains. When our family was invited to take a tour of the site, it felt like an honour to be able to witness first-hand a piece of remarkable Canadian history. 

Upon boarding the massive ship, guests are given a station card, similar to what the sailors would receive. We were greeted by our lovely tour guide as well as Jim the ship-keeper.

There are about 26 stops on the tour where you can learn about where the sailors ate, slept and spent their time off duty, visit command centres, discover the inner workings of the ship and see the armament up close.

And we were graciously given an opportunity to hang out in the Radio Room, which is generally not open to the public. All the equipment in this wood-panelled room is fully functional and my daughter was given a chance to transmit a coded message using one of the original typewriters. Yeah, typewriters. Remember those?

Family Day is around the corner and for families living in Hamilton Halton Brant, there are plenty of fun activities to enjoy both indoors and outdoors as well. With a wide range of programming, families can enjoy easy and affordable Family Day fun that will surely keep everyone happy. Here are three itineraries costing $100 or less to give you an idea of some of the activities waiting for you and your family in Hamilton Halton Brant during the long weekend.

The Royal Botanical Gardens’ Battle of the Titans exhibit - Dinosaur lovers rejoice! See Tyrannosaurus Rex take on Triceratops and learn about the ecology and the environment that these majestic creatures lived through. On February 17 and 18, join in on a Q&A period with Dr. Phil Manning, internationally renowned dinosaur hunter from the University of Manchester. 

Admission for a family of four: $30.

Next, bring your appetite and your little ones to downtown Burlington to explore the city’s delectable Chocolate Trail. Enjoy a self-guided trail along with samples of decadent treats and special offers at 13 different retailers.

Finally, stop by the Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s Sing-a-long Sound of Music extravaganza on February 18th for a fun-filled interactive screening of the classic movie. 

Admission for a family of four: $70 

Grand total: $100 for a family of four (excludes taxes).