Public Transit to the Rescue!

A couple of days ago, when biking home from the grocery store, our reliable trailer got a flat tire. No problem, we can fix it with a patch, or so we thought, until I tried filling it at a gas station to make the 5 minute trip home, and as fast as the power air filled it, it emptied. So it turned out we needed a replacement tube. Until then, I was stuck without a means to transport Etienne with my bike, and yesterday was forecast to be another roasting, sunny day. So what's a velo Mom to do? Well, knowing we needed to find a place to cool down, Etienne and I resorted to public transit to get us to the splash pad at Granville Island. Suited up and ready to go, we hopped on the B-Line and bussed it out to Granville Street. Etienne was actually really stoked to watch the world go by outside the bus window, shouting "I'm so excited" several times! I wish I had his enthusiasm when on the bus, I'm sure it would help quell some of the motion sickness I get.

Etienne riding at the back on the B-Line

After spending a good hour splashing around and going down the water slide, it was time to head home to get Coralie from daycamp. Now, sometimes I am known for having some forethought. Yesterday was one of those days. I knew Etienne would be exhausted, so I dusted off my baby sling from my earlier mom years, and got Etienne to slip in and have a snooze. I realize I am not an official form of public transit, but Etienne got to relax and sit in the sling as I transported him to the bus home.

Etienne snuggled up in his sling...I'll admit, I kind of miss this

Not wanting to walk all the way up to Broadway from Granville Island, I hopped on a bus downtown that picks up right at the entrance to the Island, but not before picking up that replacement tube. Once downtown, we switched to the Skytrain, which takes us just one block from our front door. We are really lucky to live in the location of Vancouver that we do. We're right by the Commercial/Broadway transportation hub, and numerous local bikeways. While we sometimes dream of moving to other neighbourhoods, the convenience of public transit so close to home makes life so much easier, when taking our bikes are not an option. And Vancouver doesn't disappoint for being as accessible as any other big city when you're a family without a car!

Etienne snoozin' for the Skytrain ride

Off the train and heading home