Heather Genik

Las Vegas probably isn’t the first place people think of when planning a trip with kids, but it’s actually one of the places that surprised me the most as a family destination. I like seeing the big tourist attractions when I travel, but I also like figuring out how to experience a place in a more practical way—what things cost, where to park, where to eat, and what families can realistically do without spending a fortune. On our trip to Vegas, we discovered that with a bit of planning, there are plenty of things for kids to do, and many of them are free or surprisingly affordable.

This itinerary is personal for me because it connects so many places that are already part of my life. I live in Thunder Bay, travel regularly to Duluth, and have spent time in Sault Ste. Marie, Toronto, Detroit, Niagara Falls, and Silver Islet. This isn’t just a cruise route to me. It’s a collection of places I genuinely know and care about. There’s something different about seeing the world from the water. It slows you down. It feels calm and steady, and you notice shoreline details and wild spaces you simply can’t reach by car. The Great Lakes feel bigger and more powerful when you approach them this way—and that perspective is what makes this sailing so special to me.

Thunder Bay is home. It’s where we’re raising our family and building our life. I love that we can go sailing on Lake Superior, drive a few minutes and be on a trail, or head out on the town for good coffee and great food. It’s affordable, easy to get around (you can cross the city in about 20 minutes, even in rush hour), and gives you that mix of city life and wide-open space that’s hard to find. Just make sure you look both ways before you hit the gas on a green light—the red light runners here are no joke.

After years of struggling with infertility, we became parents with the assistance of the Victoria Fertility Clinic in Saanich, BC on Vancouver Island. I fell in love with the whole area. From being close to the ocean, getting to see the seals up close and personal at Oak Bay Marina, to witnessing random wildlife come out of a majestic forest right in the middle of what was meant to be an urban area. Vancouver Island quickly felt like home, and became a top contender when we were deciding where to move our lives.

Winnipeg was once a place I proudly called home. Growing up in a small town nearby, our monthly trips into the city—usually to the Unicity area—felt exciting and full of possibility. When I moved there on my own at 17, I found myself drawn to downtown, celebrating Canada Day at The Forks, taking photography lessons in the Exchange District, and eventually launching my own training company from Fort Garry Place, connected to The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa & Conference Centre. Now home to the Winnipeg Jets, Canada Life Centre will always hold special meaning for me, as it’s where I became engaged when the Manitoba Moose played there.