Why own when you can "Share"?

Who's have thought such a simple idea could
be so "smart"?

It seems strange to post this on a day when I actually wouldn't dream of driving, but I have a confession to make. There are times when having access to a car would make life so much easier, and is sometimes even necessary. Back in 2010, when we sold our family car, I knew there would be sacrifices, and I would have to get used to the idea of not being as spontaneous in our travels as we'd been accustomed to. We persevered, though, and have in turn had many new kinds of adventures because we could no longer rely on a personal automobile. My husband and I were acutely aware there would be times when we needed a car, though, and since day one, we have taken full advantage of the car-sharing programs in Vancouver. From Zipcar, to Modo and even Car2Go, we have discovered that life without car ownership is not as difficult as it seems, and would go so far as to say life now is actually easier!

Let me start off by saying this is in no way a sponsored post, but purely my opinions on car-sharing. And my opinion is that if you're wavering between buying a car or joining a car share, you should probably hold off on that big purchase. What I have discovered over the last three years, from being a member of all three of the major car share programs in Vancouver, is that it has given me freedom and flexibility. If it's nice out, I can easily go for a walk or a bike ride. If I'm going downtown, well public transit will generally be the fastest and easiest way to do that, and if the weather is less than desirable and I need to get somewhere not easily accessible by transit, then I can simply find an available car, and go. I don't have to stress about how to stay dry or warm, or worry about rising fuel and maintenance costs.

Let's take last Friday as an example. Here in Vancouver we were experiencing a severely cold spell. My husband and I were headed downtown for a lecture followed by a drink, but knew there would be times when we'd be outside for an extended period. So, we opted for warmth, and I quickly found a car using my Car2Go app, and we were downtown in no time for the same price as transit. We did that two more times throughout the evening, and were happy for the ease and convenience, and especially the warmth. Add to that the fact that the City of Vancouver has dedicated many parking spots throughout the city to car share programs, parking was a breeze, and cost us nothing.

Sure, owning a car would be "easier", in that we would always have a car readily available, because, yes, sometimes all the cars in our neighbourhood are being used by other members. However, it is definitely not easier on the wallet. We pay a measly $35-50 a year for membership in our respective car-share programs. On top of that, all we are responsible for is the per minute or hourly rate of the the car, which, since we usually only use them for quick trips, rarely costs us more than $10 a trip. That cost per trip and the annual fee covers everything - insurance, gas, permit parking, maintenance...EVERYTHING. So compared to the costs we used to have filling up the tank, paying for insurance, and all the maintenance that goes with it, I'll happily risk not having access to a car from time to time and put the money I save towards creating memories with my family.

At a time when we're seeing less and less young people saddling themselves with the debt of car ownership, car-sharing is certainly the way things are heading. The ease, the low cost and the accessibility make it an ideal compromise, without really sacrificing all that much. With companies like Car2Go and Modo (the programs we participate in) continually adding more vehicles to their program in wider reaching areas, it's clear the idea of sharing instead of owning a car is pretty appealing to a lot of people. For our family, we'll still try to get around without a car as much as possible, but it's nice to know we have options!

A Christmas Eve Winter Adventure

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrated yesterday. We at the Velo Family had a great, low key family day, which was much in order after the day we had Christmas Eve! Having spent the first 27 years of my life in a more snowy area of Canada, I tend to get a bit nostalgic for the snow this time of year. So, as a way to do something a bit different AND get to be in a Winter Wonderland, we hopped in a Zipcar and headed North to Whistler for a day in the snow. It was the perfect way to spend Christmas Eve, driving through the Coastal Mountains, with a stop in Brackendale to view the Bald Eagles currently nesting in the area. Here's a photo diary of our day, and what may just become a new family tradition!

Heading North on the Sea-to-Sky Highway at the crack of dawn,
snow capped mountains ahead

The sun just starting touch the mountain tops to the West

Quick walk in Brackendale. We saw two eagles...
the rest must have been sleeping

Snow covered branches lined the highway North of Squamish

Blue skies ahead, it was going to be a great day

Arrived safe and sound to this gorgeous backdrop

The kids got a nice sleigh ride care of Daddy

Gorgeous morning sun behind snow-covered trees

Snow angel time for the kids...they've been waiting so long for this!

The sun was encircled by several rainbows

Skating outdoors in the Olympic Plaza in Whistler Village

Exhausted, the kids had a nice nap on the ride home,
all ready for Santa's arrival the nest day

An outdoors kind of weekend Part One

This weekend was yet another jam packed couple of days, filled with all sorts of outdoor activities to keep us active and exploring. After a few gloomier days this week, it was nice to have such nice weather to great us on Saturday morning. Our initial plan was to spend the day at Wreck Beach, but seeing as it was still a little cool, we figured risking a day at the beach may not be as much fun as we hoped for. So we did something we haven't done in quite some time.


After the kids finished up their swimming lessons, we booked a Zipcar for a few hours to go hiking. We really don't take the time to do this often enough, so everyone was pretty excited. Only problem was, the nearest car to us at Commercial and Broadway was at Main and Broadway. So we hopped a ride on the B-Line, picked up out car, and headed downtown and over the Lions Gate Bridge and off to Cypress Mountain. 

Waiting for the B-Line bus in their car seats

The view as we head over the Lions Gate Bridge

We decided to do a hike that we had done in December, that took us up to Hollyburn Lodge. It's a really easy trail to take the kids on, and if you need proof, just know that my kids ran all the way up! Once we reached the top, which took considerably less time than we thought it would (again, the kids ran), we faced two questions; which trail to take next, and why wasn't Santa here serving breakfast?! Little note, if you go to Hollyburn Lodge before Christmas, you can have breakfast with Santa, but in July, Santa is not there. Imagine being three and a half and finding out that Santa doesn't actually live up the mountain.

I told you they ran

Our ride for the afternoon waiting for us after our hike

After our hike we squeezed a stop in at the viewpoint to take in the view of the city and the surrounding water. It's something we don't get to do very often being a carfree family, and every time we stop there it's a nice reminder of how pretty Vancouver is. Then it was back in the car, to bring it back to the lot and catch the B-Line home for some dinner.

The view from the Cypress Mountain Viewpoint...
Pretty spectacular

After that, what could possibly be better than joining some fellow cycling friends in a park for some Bike Bowling. For those unfamiliar, this is an extreme sport involving a small child's bike, several large garbage bins and a steep enough hill. For those feeling daring/foolish enough, they ride the small bike down the hill and into the bins stacked in a pyramid, trying to knock over as many as possible and get a strike. It's not something I have any interest in doing, but funny enough, my husband and kids love it! Don't worry, the kids were slowly rolled down the hill with Daddy who protected them from any of the bins hitting them, meaning he was a little banged up by the end of the night. The sacrifices we make for our kids.

My husband in proper form before he takes down some bins

So that was part one of our weekend. A bit of hiking, a bit of driving, and some extreme cycling...all I can think is it's good to keep it interesting!