When I was told that we would be going to Sudbury, I was not
so excited about it. I checked the
website and it looks like I could easily find similar activities in Toronto. Anyway, We’ve picked some activities and mapped out
our schedule, mostly age appropriate for our 13 years old. Since my sister's family would be in town, I invited them to go together.
We arrived the Hampton
Inn in the afternoon after a 4 hours drive. Staff were very friendly and
helpful. They provided us some brief information
about the complimentary breakfast as well as the free coffee/tea/chocolate
station. As soon as we entered the room,
we found that there is a complimentary welcome package: 2 bottles of water and
2 snacks. Also, a welcome card with my
name on it. What a good gesture to show
hospitality. The only thing is that my
daughter has peanut allergy and both snack contain nuts…… I also love the little note in the washroom
reminding us that they would provide some toiletry if we forget to bring
ours. This looks like something minor
but it put me at ease as I forgot to bring shower cap.
We went to Imax for the SuperPower
Dog show. I thought it’s something for
kids but it actually is a 3D documentary about rescue dogs and their
training. It is very informative and yet
entertaining. What a good choice!!!
By the time we finished watching the show, it’s dinner
time. We decided to try the local
Italian restaurant Di
Gusto. From the outside, the
restaurant looks a bit dated. As soon as
we walked in, it’s totally different. We
were greeted by friendly faces. Interior
is causal yet cozy. And it looks very clean and comfortable. From the menu, we learned that all the pasta
and pizza are made in-house. Hmmm, lt looked very promising. We ordered a Caesar Salad and a calamari to
share. My husband ordered the Spicy
sausage linguini, my daughter ordered their signature lasagne and I had the
Yellow fin tuna. I have to say the
calamari is excellent! So was the other
dishes! The texture of the linguini is
chewy and oh, my goodness! Every dish
tastes so good!!! Price is very
reasonable. This is the restaurant that
I will go back again and again if there’s one near home!!!
The next morning, we had a very delicious breakfast at the
hotel, then headed to Kivi Park for biking
and hiking. It was a cloudy day so it’s
perfect for outdoor activities. I was
amazed that there is such a big park around with different biking/hiking
trails. The level of difficulties is
determined by the color. Whether you do biking or hiking, it's the same trail. My hubby and brother-in-law took the girls to do biking while my sister and I picked a hiking trail. The trail is wide and easy to walk. There are 2 parks for younger children. But to me, I like it that the park is huge and
quiet. It feels so relaxing to stroll
around.
After a quick lunch (we picked up pizza from Di Gusto.
That’s how much we love the food there), we headed out to Dynamic Earth, the big nickel. While the underground tour is the main
attraction, there are so many interactive educational games we could explore. The ground floor has exhibits of different stones/gems with many information. The lower level has a lot of interactive games for younger children. The playground at the back of the building is
a pleasant surprise. My daughter paired
up with her cousin to participate in the quiz and they both won some gem
stones. I learned that Canada is actually onf of the top 5 diamond-producing countries. Wow!!!
The underground guided tour is slightly over an
hour long. It took us back to 1800 up to
the modern and post modern mining in the region. It is very informative. Everyone has to wear hamlet and they have size for all ages, including babies. We have already known that the underground temperature is around 13C, therefore, we brought a light jacket.
We stopped by the Bell Park at
the evening where it hosted the Northern Light
Festival during our visit. We went there to just meet our other families from our group and didn’t spend too much time there as my
daughter and niece wanted to go back to the Imax for the Marvel movie. My accountant sister requested us to drive to
Revenue Canada office to take a picture while the girls were at the movie.
Before we headed back home, we spent our morning at Science North. Science North offers a lot of hands on experience. There are 4 levels. There are many educational 3D shows on the ground level which unfortunately we have to skip due to our limited time. We didn't stop at the 2nd floor as it's for toddlers. We stopped at the 3rd floor to check out the different types of insects. The staff were very knowledgeable
and patience. They showed us different
types of live insects and not just offered but encouraged us to hold them,
touch them. We spent quite a while at
the butterfly gallery trying to take a picture of the blue butterflies even it
is very warm inside. We failed as the
butterflies were flying very fast. Then the girls ran up to 4th floor and vanished, not really, but they were busy in trying different things: racetrack, fitness lab, human gyroscope...... It is
our best experience at a science centre.
How can we conclude our trip without a sweet treat? We ventured to Tuscos Tacos for a vegan lunch, then
hopped across to pick up some vegan cookies at Beards Coffee Bar and Bakery,
lined up for vegan ice cream next door at Fluples.
The weekend at Sudbury is amazingly eventful! Sudbury offers more than what I expected. There are activities for all ages. It is also a very relaxing place. We also love the location of the Hampton
Inn. Everywhere we go is just about 10
to 15 minutes drive. Surely it will be
one of our memorable trip!