Overnight stop in Southern Ontario?
 

Hi all,

my family (husband, 2 yr old son, and dog) will be taking our first long road trip from Boston to Holland, MI this summer, and want to break up our trip into two days. I've been looking at Sarnia and London, and wondered if anyone had any thoughts on a.) which would be more appealing/interesting for a one-night stopover, b.) what would be some interesting things to do if we had limited time, and c.) any recommendations for places to stay. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

My quick reaction is that both are a long way from Boston, and perhaps you might want to stop earlier than that.

I don't know where Holland is, though, and maybe those are half-way points.

Of the two -- considering you can't leave the little guy, Sarnia has some nice waterfront parks you could go for a walk in, with the child in a stroller, already asleep.

BAK

Having driven from Boston to Sarnia with a child I agree that you must find some interesting things to do along the way. It took us about 11 hours. Sarnia to Holland is about 3 hours. You can check this on mapquest but I would be tempted to stop for the night before Sarnia or London - like perhaps Rochester NY or Niagara Falls. That being said, there are lots of fun things to do in Sarnia and London with a 2 year old. London has Storybook Gardens which is located within Springbank Park. Sarnia has Canatara Park with a beautiful beach and an animal farm. Search the Sarnia post from June 11 for some hotels and places to eat. London has all of the major hotel chains, several near the 401 such as the Ramada, and a nice one downtown, Station Park Suites. I would also advise you to pack a cooler with some healthy snacks as the food along the I-90 and 401 is not that great.

If you haven't left yet, be sure to obtain a certificate from your vet that your pooch's vaccinations are all up to date, esp. rabies. The US is not a rabies-free country and hence Canada requires verification that Spot won't start a rabies conflagration in the country.

Niagara Falls Canada has lots of stuff for families (Butterfly Conservatory, Marineland, souvenir shops, family restaurants, picnic parks, gardens and views of the falls). Very busy in summer though, you might want to book ahead, especially for a weekend. Nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake is a lovely historic town, great for evening strolling with lots of little specialty shops and restaurants. Not much appeal for a 2 year old though. But 1 night won't allow much time to target many family-specific attractions anywhere.

Toronto, with lots to see and do, is maybe 45 minutes out of your way - although one night may not make it worthwhile, 2 nights would allow you to visit a few attractions.

The dog will also limit your accommodation choices, unfortunately, but you probably are aware of that.

I realize this was posted last summer, but if anyone is looking for an interesting overnight stop in Southwestern Ontario a great suggestion might be this
http://www.forestglenherbfarm.com/m_shop.html

I was lucky enough to attend a cooking class there last week and the food prepared by Cynthia was amazing.
The property is a dream and she also has a B&B.

It is located between Sarnia and Grand Bend, about 1/2 from Port Huron Michigan.

I would heartily endorse the herb farm idea. It's really interesting. She does craft classes as well.