A fun-filled weekend in Abbotsford!
The perfect fall activities in Abbotsford, B.C. for family with kids!
Growing up in Canada, I have not truly taken advantage of all that is around me, and domestic travels was never a top priority. But since we’ve shifted back to Canada, and now with two young kids, we’ve started to look into nearby destinations to take family trips to. And so when Tourism Abbotsford reached out for a weekend getaway, we jumped onboard immediately!
- Taking a stroll in Downtown Abbotsford
Having grown up in Montreal, I am a big fan of “old towns”. Whether it be Old Montreal in Quebec, Stonetown in Zanzibar, Firenze in Italy… the list goes on. So when we got the chance to explore Downtown Abbotsford, I knew that this was going to be one of the major highlights of our trip, and I was right! We stopped by numerous pastry shops and cafes, all super welcoming, with the space always buzzing with excitement. The Pastry Portal is a personal favorite, with their generously-sized and mouth-watering desserts, and I am still dreaming of their Lemon Meringue.
Other shops we visited are the Shops Bureau Modern Mercantile for the cutest collection of children’s toys, books and clothing, Yes Chef for kitchen goods and home décor, and Confetti Floral for the beautiful flowers and plants. The kids even got gifted each a flower that they carried around for the rest of the morning.
2. Apple-picking, pumpkin patch, and unforgettable treats!
With the blueberry picking season over, we were on the hunt for the next fruit picking activity to come around… and we were so delighted when we found out that we can do U-pick at Taves’ Farm! As we arrived at Taves Farm close to lunchtime, we took a quick look around, and immediately went to grab lunch. Sam and I got the pulled pork sandwich, while the kids got to enjoy hot dog and fries, paired with their Magical Merlin drink, which is purple cider slush colored with blue sweet pea flower powder, ice cream, and a multi-colored candy straw… Needless to say, the kids were instantly smitten with this place.
After filling up our bellies (because no family trip is ever sustainable with hangry children), we went straight to the orchards for apple picking. Taves Farms had wagons that came in super handy, especially as the kids didn’t always want to walk from place to place (surprise, surprise). We chose to pick Fuji apples, and we were so thrilled with our decision, because these were the juiciest, freshest apples I tasted this YEAR!
As we stopped by during the long weekend, the pumpkin patch was pretty packed, but the area was large enough that we could take photos from different angles, so we didn’t always have crowds in the background. Taves Farm made taking beautiful photos so easy!
The next stop was Maan Farms, where we were immediately taken by their cool Halloween and pumpkin display, and well, the kids obviously gravitated to where all the food and treats were. This is where we got the best ice cream I’ve had in a very long time, “Spice Cream”. I ordered one for Liam, but had to go back in line to get one for myself, because it was simply too good to share. As we browsed around the store, we were also delighted at the creative Halloween drinks, and we grabbed a few to surprise our friends with!
3. Wine Tasting
Not exactly wine experts, but Sam and I do enjoy a glass of good wine every so often, so when the opportunity to visit The Cannon Estate Winery, we simply couldn’t pass it up. We were greeted by an incredibly friendly and knowledgeable team at the winery, who took us on a wine tasting journey, where we tried 6 different bottles of local wine. Surprisingly, Sam and I both loved the Rose, as it has just the right amount of sweetness, and we were left with wanting more! It was a little challenging at first to enjoy our wine tasting with the kids, but fortunately for us, the Cannon Estate Winery had beautiful grounds with some fun outdoor games, and we let them run around outside while we enjoyed our wine, somewhat undisturbed.
4. Stay and Dinner
For our stay, we were at the Sandman Hotel Abbotsford, located at 3010 Mt Lehman Road, which was the perfect centralized location, with all the spots within a 10 – 20 minutes-drive radius. Our favorite part about the hotel was its indoor pool and hot tub, where we enjoyed some down time, and the kids absolutely loved this feature. We were also super close to all the major shopping area, and breakfast was easily taken care of with cinnamon rolls, coffee, and treats from local cafes. For dinner, we tried out Field Brewing House, which had a massive outdoor patio, where we chose to sit. The atmosphere was very relaxed, casual, and the kids were super pleased with tortilla chips and dip as starter. We ordered a vegetarian pizza, along with a burrito bowl and beef tacos. This was the perfect way to unwind after a busy day filled with activities and lots of transit, and by the end of the night, we were so full that we didn’t even have room for dessert (well, there’s always next time!).
Thank you Tourism Abbotsford for such an eventful, unforgettable weekend!
