My Husband and I Redid Our Honeymoon With Our Toddler in Tow — This Is What Happened

I can't remember how we chose Canada for our honeymoon, but I'm glad we did. It's one of the most kid-friendly, outdoor-focused places I've ever encountered. Vancouver boasts a variety of lively influences — Asian, European, and Native — and the laid back Pacific Northwest vibe we love.

With a toddler in tow, our sightseeing and bar-hopping were replaced with a bike ride through Stanley Park, a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium, and a trip to the Public Market on Granville Island to sample their famous gelato. We were quickly reminded that life — and travel — are drastically different now. Our ideas of fun have definitely shifted since our daughter was born. Now, family attractions like Science World were actually really enjoyable.

As an habitual planner, I mapped out as many activities as possible, and that was really helpful when things ran smoothly, but I was also emotionally prepared to let all of it go when necessary. We missed our dinner reservations one night because my daughter stripped and ran naked through a fountain along Vancouver's Harbour Green Park. But it was OK because we ate pizza instead and reveled in observing the joys of what it's like to be three. This is something 10 years of marriage and three years of parenthood have taught me: be both hyper-organized and hyper-flexible.

Some of our fondest honeymoon memories were in Tofino, a tranquil surf town on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It isn't the easiest place to get to, but once you're there, you can be nothing but happy. We landed at the Pacific Sands Resort, set on the shores of the breathtaking Cox Bay. We had plans to explore the town and the local food scene, but ended up taking off our shoes when we arrived and only put them back on once to have dinner at the famed Wickaninnish Inn down the road. All other meals were had at the delicious Surfside Grill on site at the resort.

It's casual dining in every sense of the word (no shoes required), but the food was so fresh that our little girl, a picky if not stubborn eater, wolfed down every bite. My husband and daughter rented wetsuits and surfboards at the Surf Shack, and I rolled up in a blanket and relaxed on the beach. It was nice to make a seashell garden in the sand with my daughter and later have a beer with my husband on the balcony after she went to bed. Despite all the activities available, we best enjoyed just being together and fully present in the moment. This is what we loved the first time around in Tofino, and what we can now treasure again.

We ended this Canadian adventure in Whistler, just like we did 10 years ago. Though Whistler is synonymous with Winter sports, it's actually the perfect place to visit in the warmer "off season" months. There's plenty in the way of adventure sports — kayaking, zip-lining, hiking on a TreeTrek EcoTour, and mountain biking at Whistler Mountain Bike Park. But while the activities were fun, we most wanted to recreate the time we spent holed up at the Four Seasons Whistler.

Of course, with a toddler, we knew the experience would have a completely different tone, but we were pleasantly surprised by how well the hotel combined a kid-friendly atmosphere (think snow cones by the pool and a mini putting green) with the renowned luxury of the Four Seasons. For our last dinner we ate at the hotel's SIDECUT, and ordered extravagant drinks and ate crab legs and steak while our daughter played around and colored. It was the perfect way to end a perfect trip.

So did we recreate the magic of our honeymoon? Yes and no. Yes, the trip was magical. We were able to explore one of our favorite places and share it with our daughter. We saw things through her eyes, learned that she is a lot more adaptable than we had given her credit for, and found the sweet spot of melding fun adult time with family time. The trip expanded her culinary palate and expanded our patience palate.

It was an incredible family adventure, but the honeymoon is definitely over. The closest thing we got to romance was when my husband would kiss both his girls goodnight, then go sleep on the pull-out couch in the other room, while we girls peacefully snuggled in the king sized bed. Our daughter will be 13 when our 20th wedding anniversary rolls around, and we've decided if it's relaxation and romance we're after, we may leave Little Miss with grandma and grandpa. But if it's another family adventure we want, we know she'll be up to the task and Canada will have plenty for us to conquer.