With BC starting to go into Phase 3 of COVID19 response, a lot more people are taking this time to get out of their houses/apartment-units and looking for places to go. With Summer having arrived, a lot of people are heading to the beach. Having been inside since March, that was definitely where we wanted to go. We wanted a beach that was far enough away to (possibly) get away from the busy beaches… so we found ourselves at Centennial Beach.
Born out of the COVID19 Pandemic, this guide is here to serve as information of some places to consider going if you’ve binged all your Netflix, played all your games, baked all that sourdough bread and maybe just want to get out (or find things to do to stay in). As a family man myself and also a photographer who likes to explore, I found it difficult to find things to do to keep myself and my little one busy at home (there’s only so many times you can listen to "Baby Shark") so I thought that as I discover some of these experiences and places and shared them through my photography, it would help you generate some ideas to get out of the house and (following the proper social distancing and health protocols) get some fresh air.
You, of course, are responsible for taking the proper precautions and doing your part in social distancing and self-isolating if you aren’t feeling well. Always follow the BC Health Guidelines and do your part in keeping yourself and others safe. You can find the info here.
With all that being said, if you’ve baked way too much sourdough bread and have stored up enough toilet paper to last a life time (grrr…) and want to take you and your child to someplace that will allow them to get outside with enough space to avoid getting close to others… the beach might be your best bet.
I guess we’re here.
The last time we drove to Delta was just prior to the Pandemic lockdown and we were on a “treasure hunt” to find some interesting and elusive goods at the Thrift Stores in Delta and Tsawwassen. It was a lot of fun and we were planning to go back again later on when things changed and we had to amend our plans. This was back in early March.
Come July, Summer had arrived and this brought the sun (most days…although in BC it still rains every now and then even in the Summer) and this prompted us to look at ways to get out of the house since we had been in lockdown since July. With restrictions lifting, we still wanted to play it safe but also allow our little one the experience of the beach. Kinetic Sand just wasn’t cutting it.
As we drove through Centennial Beach, I saw some of the Thrift Stores that we had shopped at a few months earlier. They were closed. It may have been partly due to it being a Sunday, or it may have possibly been due to COVID.
We made a point to get to the beach early so as to avoid the larger crowds. We arrived at approximately 10am or so and while it was busy, it wasn’t super crowded and we were able to find some well-socially-distanced space off to the left side of the beach.
Centennial Beach has a variety of amenities, including a bathroom (this is super important to me) and a concession stand which is open later on. There is a playground available as well and a blue walkway leading from the amenities pavilion to the beach.
From Centennial Beach, you’ll get a distant view of both White Rock, BC and possibly Blaine, WA (in the USA) on a clear day. The day for us was overcast but the sun peaked out occasionally.
It was nice to get out to the beach. We made sure to socially distance and wear masks if appropriate (if we could not maintain a 6ft distance or if we had to go indoors in enclosed spaces). For the most part, since we stayed away from people, we found ourselves to be OK.
Random fellow walking by.
I can’t recall why this area was roped off but we made sure not to step into it. May have been to protect a certain plant species growing in this area.
Ah, outdoors. It’s good to see you again.
Why, hello there little guy. How’s your day going?
The sun started to peak out just as we left. It started to get really busy just prior to noon so we were glad to have made our exit at that time.