London - Thamesford - St Marys - Stratford

by Barb (your Webmistress)
(www.discover-southern-ontario.com)

This is a nice drive to take on a Saturday or Sunday - leave London going east along Dundas Street, stopping at the Trails End market if you like.

Continue along Dundas Street until you come to Thamesford, where you will turn left at the traffic lights, driving beside the river and following the curving road as it leaves town. Head north on this road (#119).

(If you wanted to visit Embro, home of the Canada Day Highland Games, take a right turn at Road 78 which will take you there. After you have taken a look around, go back the way you came and head north on #119)

Continue on up #119 through the tiny communities of Kintore, Medina & Uniondale, cross hwy 7 and continue on this road, but turn left at highway 9 into St Marys.

The main street of town has some lovely stores and restaurants, including the Darjeeling Tea Room on 83 Queen St East, which is open from 10 - 5 every day, except Sundays. We enjoyed the The Darjeeling Tray, which featured a delicious assortment of very English finger sandwiches (egg salad, salmon salad and cream cheese with cucumber) accompanied by a relish assortment and dessert - all for $6.77!

Did you know that St Marys has the biggest outdoor swimming pool in Canada - it is the old quarry on Water Street South.

Here also is the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame 386 Church Street South, which is worth checking out.

If you like old Ontario architecture, there are also some interesting Heritage Properties in the town, and you can read or print the list before you leave home.

From here you can drive north to Stratford if you have time - go back along highway 9 (Queen St East) and turn north onto 7 which will take you right into Stratford.

There are boat rides on the River Avon, restaurants galore, and you can return to London by highway 7, and turn south along either Highbury Avenue North, Adelaide Street or Richmond Street - depending where in London you are returning to.

We usually take this Sunday Drive from our home in St Thomas, and it can take most of the day when we leave home mid-morning, stopping for lunch and afternoon tea - what a great way to spend an Autumn day!