Road trip to London, Ontario

We spent 4 days and 3 nights in London, Ontario this summer with 3 kids in tow.  This blog post details what we did and some tips if you plan to make the same trip.

It was a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Markham.  We packed lots of snacks (the husband did a Costco trip a few days prior to get dry snacks and I picked up a Chinese buns TGTG bag) for the trip as our kids (ages 18 months to 5.5-years-old) like to snack often and especially in the car.

After about an hour in, we stopped at an OnRoute (the first one for the kids) to use the restroom, offload some garbage, and check out the shops.  They were happy to eat the snacks we brought and wear a free paper crown from the Burger King (lol).

Residence Inn by Marriott London Downtown at 383 Colborne St, London, ON

We drove into London later than we thought (because we set out late that day).  We checked into our hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott London Downtown, which was located in the heart of downtown London, around 7:30 p.m.  We picked this hotel because it was close to the attractions we wanted to go to and had a nice continental breakfast for our mornings.

We spent $786.17 for three nights for a suite for 3 adults and 3 kids.  There was a kitchen, a pull-out sofa, and plenty of space in the room for the kids to run around and to store our belongings.  In hindsight, we forgot to check that there was a cost to the overnight parking — $31.74 a night, which was steep!

We were serendipitously able to get out of the parking fees because they forgot to clean our room one day and they waived the parking fees to compensate.

It was a beautiful and clean hotel with very nice and friendly staff.  The continental breakfast buffet was fantastic (an instant pancake machine, rotating hot items, Greek yogurt, lots of healthy toppings for the cereals and oatmeal, oat milk, baked goods).  Breakfast was one of my favourite things all week.  I loved being able to customize my freshly made pancakes.

Crabby Joe’s Bar & Grill at 276 Dundas Street, London, ON

We ate a late dinner at Crabby Joe’s Bar & Grill.  The server gave us crayons and the kids coloured the menu and activity sheet.  It just happened to be Sunday which meant kids’ meals were free (for every adult entree purchased).  This was perfect.  The portion of the kids’ cheese pizza was generous!  There was a drink and a dessert too (milk and a kinder surprise egg [or ice cream]!).  The hotel had a 10% off coupon to dine here (which we neglected to use, sadly).

The next morning, we ventured to the main attraction of the London trip:  The London Children’s Museum!  You can purchase your tickets online ahead of time.  There are a limit of 1,000 tickets each day.  If you are going on a weekend or peak season, make sure to buy it early in case they sell out.  It costs $15.50 per person (free for 12 months and under).  There are 9 parking lots in the vicinity for lots of free parking.

London Children’s Museum at 100 Kellogg Ln, London, ON

The London Children’s Museum is located on the 4th floor of the 100 Kellogg Lane entertainment complex building.  You can take the elevator (or stairs).  You can bring snacks and pack a lunch.  There were plenty of tables for you to eat at (with high chairs too).  There was a microwave and a paid drinks machine (if you are running low on energy/caffeine).  I loved how the washrooms were clearly labelled in big letters.  They had individual rainbow-coloured stalls and child-friendly sinks with stools, low soap dispensers, and low paper towel dispensers so they could clean their hands independently.  They had lots of seating throughout the museum too for adults to rest in while their kids played nearby.

There were plenty of activities for the kids to do.  We were there from 12 p.m. until closing at 5 p.m.  My kids like to investigate and play everything thoroughly.  For some kids, half a day here might be enough.

I used a ChompSaw for the first time at the workshop!  We watched the Star Show and a bit of the Fossil Show.  Check the monitors on the wall for the schedule of when shows and workshops are.  You can play at the grocery store, serve desserts at the ice cream shop, write your name in magnetic letters at the school, listen to your heart at the doctor’s clinic, put out fires as a firefighter, collect and gather corn and process it (this was a two-storey process), fish at the water tables, dig up fossils in the pit, wear an astronaut helmet, climb up the treehouse and slides, build a house, milk a cow, collect a hen’s eggs, and so much more.  There were endless activities for children inside that place!

My kids played the entire time and didn’t even ask for a snack (usually, they start getting hungry two hours in).  But since there was so much to play with — and they knew it — they didn’t eat until we left at 5 p.m.  (The heavy continental breakfasts helped to fuel them too.)

Thuan Kieu Vietnamese Restaurant at 1275 Highbury Ave N #116, London, ON

For dinner, we dined at Thuan Kieu Vietnamese Restaurant (that two friends recommended to me).  They were very friendly here and offered crayons and colouring pages to our kids.  They unexpectedly gave us two Mr. Freezes at the end of the meal!  They also had free fortune cookies too.

Next to the restaurant, there was a Petsmart.  We did an after-dinner stroll here where the kids looked at lizards, fishes, hamsters, guinea pigs, and cats.

Merla-Mae Ice Cream at 1080 Adelaide St N, London, ON

Before we headed back to the hotel, we went to Merla-Mae Ice Cream for some ice cream at a 50s retro-style diner — another spot a friend recommended.  The soft serve ice cream here was divine!  So soft and tasty.  I regret not getting a bigger cone.  They had both indoor and outdoor patio seating.  They had kiddie size cones for $3.95 each.

Springbank Park at 1085 Commissioners Rd W, London, ON

On our second day in London, we again took it easy with breakfast at the hotel and then we visited Springbank Park (the biggest park in London) where there was a large playground and a wading pool next to it!  I had never seen anything like it (in Markham or GTA).  Make sure you bring a swimsuit and towel for your kids.  We rolled up the kids’ pants and changed them after they played in the water.  I liked that there were two lifeguards on duty who routinely tested the water and poured in chorine when necessary.  This was such a simple summer idea for everyone.  There were many kids splashing and having fun in this shallow pool.

Wading pool at Springbank Park

Storybook Gardens at 1958 Storybook Ln, London, ON

Next stop was to Storybook Gardens (just the road over/3 minutes away).  My friend told me that there was a Twilight admission fee (half off the regular) when you go at 3 p.m.  So after having a snack in the car, we arrived at Storybook Gardens at 3 p.m. and paid $6.20 per person (free for 23 months and under) and played there until it closed at 6 p.m.!

This was a nice idea to save on money.  The amusement park included storybook characters you could take photos with, a little village with houses and props to play with, bicycle track, splash pad, many large and intricate playgrounds, jumping pillows, a pollinator garden, and more.  This was a really cute and fun place for the kids to explore and have fun.  I’m sure if we arrived earlier in the day, we could have spent most of the day here too.  They had performances too, but we didn’t catch any of them.

(There was also a carousel and train outside of the park with separate fees, but we didn’t make it in time before 6 p.m. to check these out.)

Mandi Guys at 169 Wharncliffe Rd S, London, ON

For dinner, we tried Yemeni cuisine for the first time at Mandi Guys.  There was so much delicious rice that we could not finish.  The kids weren’t too interested in this so they just stuck to their snacks.

After dinner, we checked out La Diperie as I had bought a TGTG surprise bag there and I wanted more ice cream!  I tried the “Madeleine’s Oreo” signature dipped cone with toppings for the first time.  It was quite indulgent and I’m glad I got to try.

La Diperie at 609 Richmond St, London, ON

Clovermead Adventure Farm at 11302 Imperial Rd, Aylmer, ON

For our final day in London, we packed everything up and headed to Clovermead Adventure Farm which was in the direction home.  We arrived at 12:30 p.m. and left yet again at closing (5 p.m.).  This was an amazingly built and well-thought-out adventure amusement farm!  It had jumping pillows, splash pad, cedar maze, animals you could pet, sandpit, playgrounds, Tarzan swings, and more.  We did not finish exploring this place in time.  There is food you can buy onsite or just pack food there and eat at the ample picnic tables.

My kids loved the sandpit with all the kitchen utensils to play with, the splash pad, and the playgrounds.  We spent the most time at these three spots.

I LOVED the quirky and clever humorous signs that were seen all around the farm.  Whoever built and thought of the jokes was a playful and funny person!  The staff were all kind and nice.

This is definitely a spot we can return to in the future because there is lots to do there — tons of good, old-fashioned fun.  Admission was $22 per person (free for 23 months and under).  Buy your ticket online because it’s cheaper — it is $25 per person if you buy in person.

They have a shop where you can buy honey and other souvenirs.  You can sample their honey too!

One of their outhouses has an entire honeycomb wall with live bees right in front of the toilet!  This was a first for us, haha.

Arby’s at 4135 Fairview St, Burlington, ON

We drove home and the kids predictably passed out from all the fun they had at the adventure farm.  We stopped by Arby’s in Burlington on our way home to get a Beef ‘n Cheddar (because I love that burger chain and we don’t have it in the GTA).

We arrived home in darkness after the sun had already set.

It was a wonderful 4 days in London, Ontario.  There was so much for the kids to see and do.  We had plenty of time outdoors enjoying the sunshine too.  The hotel continental breakfasts were bomb.

Let me know if you plan to visit London, Ontario and have any questions or further tips for other young families who plan to make the trip too!

• Another spot we were thinking of visiting was Kustermans Adventure Farm.  I think it is similar to Clovermead but you can also pick your own fruits there.  It is located west of London, however, so Clovermead was the practical choice for us when heading east back home (they also had slightly higher reviews).
• Another attraction for older (and younger kids) is The Factory which is right next to the London’s Children’s Museum.  They are Canada’s largest indoor adventure park and entertainment centre with trampolines, ropes course, arcade, virtual reality, and a Slime Factory.