My husband and I vowed never to travel abroad during the summer since we have nice weather in Canada; why go anywhere? We had planned a weeklong trip later in the summer, but we wanted something to start off the summer with a big bang. Opportunity struck, so let’s drive up to Sudbury! My kids are 5 and 2, for reference. 

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Morning		Science North	Dynamite Earth
Lunch	Left after lunch Costco at Barrie (fuel up)	Element (café within)	Deluxe – Burger join
Afternoon	Drive	Deluxe – Burger joint	Drive
Late Lunch		Tucos Taco Lounge Beards Coffee Bar & Bakery	Costco at Barrie (fuel up)
Dinner	Ripe – Italian	Di Gusto – Italian	Back in town
Evening	KUPP (Indoor playground)	Bell Park & Boardwalk

Day 1

5 hours drive up with a stop at Costco for fuel and a quick lunch. Also, a break for the kids and back on our new Odyssey minivan. They have this “Are We There Yet?” app, a lifesaver since kids don’t have a concept of time. 

We checked into Travelway Inn and were surprised by the view from the window. “Why are there rocks outside?” Our only complaint is that there’s no swimming pool. 

TIP: Invert the recycling bin as a stepping stool for younger children

PRO: Fold away the bed so the kids can all sleep in the corner, and I don’t have to rearrange furniture or worry about someone rolling off the bed. Night light from the hair dryer in case of nighttime peeing. 5-15 minutes from everything around town, a central and convenient location. The water pressure is good; bonus for providing a shower cap, LOL

We went to Ripe for early dinner and loved their fresh pasta. Kids of coz were happy with kids menu! I’ll let the pictures speak for itself!
TIP: Grab an early dinner to skip the crowd; sometimes, places have happy hour specials.
PRO: The staff were brilliant and offered to bring the kids’ food out without our prompt. 

After dinner, we headed to KUPP and let the kids burn their energy since they hadn’t done anything but sit in the car. The kids ran around like crazy and kept going down the steep slide that even I was screaming! Laser tag is also available, but we didn’t have time to check it out.

TIP: Bring socks!!! Of course, my girl and I were wearing sandals and forgot we needed socks for the indoor playground. Luckily, they have them there for $2, and the kids ask for those socks long after the trip.
PRO: A toddler/ baby area is separated from the bigger kids’ area. There are chairs and tables for adults. The washroom has a change table and stepping stool, and everything is clean!

Day 2 

My kids were up at 6am despite being in bed late last night. This is when the pool will come in handy. We got our continental breakfast from hotel but I forgot to take pictures.
PRO: There is no plastic in sight! The staff told me there were crayons and colouring pages by the kitchen exit. 

We walked along Bell Park and Boardwalk before Science North opened. The people in town are SUPER friendly! It’s a perfect location for jogging or biking.

Science North!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I lived closer!
Imagine Ontario Science Center without the crowds! There are lots of hands-on experiences. Scientists are everywhere and very knowledgeable. I love how they approach the kids to start a conversation, and I’m already in science class!

TIP: Take the elevator to level 4 and work your way DOWN! Easier to push a stroller down the ramp than up! Check the time for the Planetarium in the center of the building, accessible on all floors! You don’t want to miss that show. Also, Attractions Ontario (https://attractionsontario.ca/coupons/) have Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF dynamic duo passport!
PRO: There are ramps instead of stairs in the building! I don’t remember seeing any stairs. Washing stations and stepping stools are everywhere! There’s a baby and toddler area on the first floor. There’s a nursing area and a microwave to warm up milk for the baby.

We had a quick snack/lunch at Element and then went off to catch the William Ramsey Cruise. There’s not much to do on the boat, but it’s nice to wind down from all the excitement and just be near the water.
TIP: Bring snacks for the kids. It’s about an hour’s ride. There’s a washroom onboard.
PRO: The captain let the children take turns driving the boat and a button as a souvenir. 

I had planned to eat at Tucos Taco Lounge because we love patios! Unfortunately, the kids fell asleep in the car, so hubby and I ate in the parking lot. # LifeWithKids, how # romantic! While waiting for our takeout, I picked up some cookies and cupcakes from Beards Coffee Bar & Bakery. The cupcake was super soft and fluffy, and the sweetness was just the right amount.
TIP: Flurples Ice Cream is also across from Tucos Taco. I suggest dining at Tucos, eating dessert at Flurples, and saving the cupcakes and cookies from Beards for a late-night snack or even on the drive home.
PRO: Cupcakes are perfect size that allow foodies to eat more variety 

By the time the kids woke up, we had decided to just have an early dinner. Di Gusto is super-duper delicious with great services. Again I’ll let the pictures speak for itself.
TIP: Save room for dessert!!!!!!!!!!!!
PRO: Open kitchen concept allowed the kids to watch the chef flipping pizza

The summer evening temperature was perfect. We let the kids loose at the playground by Bell Park before heading back to hotel.

Day 3

Again, bright and early, my kids are up asking, “What are we doing today?!” We are heading to Dynamic Earth to see a big nickel! At first, I was worried my kids would be scared of the dark, but there was no drama, and no one cried. 

Tip: Bring a thicker sweater for the underground tour; it’s only 13 degrees. Make sure your kids go to the washroom first; it’s an hour-long tour. Wearing a hard hat is mandatory! Pick up a postcard at the admission before heading down. There’s an underground mailbox! To get the best picture, head out to the outdoor playground. Go up on the slide, and you can get really close to the nickel. 

PRO: The indoor and outdoor play areas for the kids (and my grown-up kid) are full of learning and hands-on experiences, just like Science North!

We grabbed a quick lunch at Deluxe Hamburger (a Sudbury favorite) so the kids could nap while we drove back to town. The weekend is too short!!! 

Don’t forget we only have 18 summers with them, so make memories and cherish each of them!
More photos, videos, and DIFFERENT activities to do in Sudbury can be found on social media #LWABSudbury

Guest post by Shirley,
This is was part of the Life With A Baby Community Retreat