Fall In (Love) Chatham-Kent
If you’re looking for an easy Fall day trip, then you need to explore what Visit Chatham Kent has to offer – it’s only ~ 1h 30min from London, Ontario and ~ 1h 20min from Windsor, Ontario!
My Abuela (grandmother in Spanish) and I had a fantastic time exploring both the City and Farm activities Chatham-Kent had to offer! Discover everything we experienced below and use this as a guide for your trip to the area!
If you’re looking for more staycation ideas in Southwestern Ontario, check out My Travelling Backpack on Instagram and Southwestern Ontario Staycation blog post for inspiration.
City Experiences in Chatham-Kent
Coffee and treats at Big Ricky’s Little Bake Shoppe - 321 Queen St - Chatham, ON
We started our day with treats from Big Ricky’s Little Bake Shoppe – which is part of Chatham-Kent’s Bakery Trail. We shared a Banana Split Bread and an Apricot Swirl cookie which were super tasty. We sat in the shop for about 20 minutes and while we were there 5 people came in and specifically asked for pies. Even though we didn’t have one, I recommend you get a pie to try before they sell out; it’s on my list for next time!
The stand to get you in the spirit for Autumn - Sarah’s Farm Markets - 31 Sandys St - Chatham, ON
Whether you’re a local and are looking for some ingredients to cook a great meal or a tourist in awe with all of the decor, you need to make a stop at Sarah’s Farm Markets. It’s picturesque, pulls you in to browse, and their product looks great! We enjoyed our time looking at all the different kinds and sizes of pumpkins and also taking pictures! They have an inflatable turkey which was personally my highlight!
Travel the world while browsing Birdies Nest - 90 Park Ave E - Chatham, ON
If you’re looking for an escape from your day-to-day then stopping in at Birdies Nest will have you feel like you’re on a holiday – at least we felt that way. They carry products from Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, India, and Vietnam that are personally sourced from hundreds of expert makers. We were blown away by the different colours, textiles, textures, and craftsmanship that were evident in all the products there. This shop is perfect to visit if you’re on the hunt for a unique gift that someone can’t get at any other store!
Fall decor essentials at Glasshouse Nursery & Garden Centre - 56 Creek Rd - Chatham, ON
If I had a porch, I would be going to Glasshouse Nursery to pick up and get recommendations on how I can get the exterior of my house landscaped for Fall. They had EVERYTHING, from trees to wreathes, to fun signs, and plants to decorate the inside and outside of the home. We wandered through the store and were surprised that there is a whole boutique – Betula Boutique Fashion – and even a café called Rekindle! There is truly so much to see and explore you could easily spend an hour or more here!
Discovering the charm of Downtown Chatham - Multiple locations
We cannot believe it has taken us this long to visit Downtown Chatham. It’s a walkable stretch on King St W that spans from William St S to 3rd St. My Abuela and I took a leisurely stroll which let us take in the beautiful buildings, murals, local businesses and historic facades that comprises Downtown Chatham.
Art
One thing that struck us was how much art there was along King Street West. We checked out two art locations – Art Space (165 King St W, Chatham) and Art and Heirloom Shoppe (137 King St W, Chatham).
They both had amazing art on display. Art Space had a really cool exhibit on Pollinators and it even inspired my Abuela to take some pictures while we were there!
When we walked in the Art and Heirloom Shoppe, we were greeted with two artists that are on display. They let us know that they are part of the 58 artists that keep the shop up and running. I thought this was amazing to see a collective effort to bring art into the city center and at the same time help local artists get their work seen!
Bakeries, Coffee Shops, and Restaurants
There were a lot of spots along King St W that we enjoyed like The Garden on King (193 King St W - Chatham, ON). They had the sign that said they had the biggest patio in Downtown Chatham and we were instantly intrigued. We went in to check it out and they truly do! Their back patio was vast and it had vines growing all along the back facade of the building. It feels like you are sitting in a literal garden with a river running alongside it!
We made dinner reservations at Centro Wood Fire Kitchen (71 St Clair St - Chatham, ON) and it was an incredible experience. From the patio that welcomes you into the space, the instagram worthy ‘Chatham’ mural, the decor, to the amazing food – I strongly recommend making a reservation to experience Centro! I had a Chicken Souvlaki that was juicy and lemony and my Abuela had her favorite chicken wings but with a Centro twist which meant they were fire roasted. She was hesitant about them being fire roasted but then tried it and couldn’t stop raving about how they were deliciously crispy and full of flavour.
There are three bakeries on the Bakery Trail that are in the Downtown core that we’ve put on our list for next time we visit to sit and enjoy a couple treats on crisp fall day! If you get the chance, I recommend you visit Crow City Coffee, Taste, and Sweet C’s Cookie Creations!
Staying the night at the iconic Retro Suites Boutique Hotel
2 King St W - Chatham, ON
You can't talk about Downtown Chatham without talking about the Retro Suites Boutique Hotel. We had the incredible opportunity to stay here thanks to Visit Chatham-Kent and this was our first time visiting/staying in this hotel. We were blown away by all of the art from the moment we stepped into the lobby. If you love art, this is a must-see that’s right in the heart of Downtown Chatham. This hotel has forty five individually themed guest suites and we stayed in the “Urban Studio”. It was vast, spacious, thoughtfully designed, and did I mention it had a HUGE bathroom! My Abuela was so happy, she said this was the nicest hotel room she has ever stayed in!
Farm Experiences in Chatham-Kent
Getaway to the Snobelen Homestead - 12273 McKay's Line RR3 - Kent Bridge
If you're looking for an oasis of fresh crisp country air and farm ASMR then this Homestead is going to be your favorite place. As soon as we arrived at the Homestead, we were taken aback with how peaceful it was. I was so relaxed that as I was taking in all of the sounds, I ended up snoozing and taking a 20 minute nap! They have a stand that sells flower bouquets and pumpkins of all different sizes and colors. If you’re looking for a family photo opportunity, they have one that's full of pumpkins! The Snobelen Homestead is definitely a place to add if you're looking for a Fall day activity to pick up some fall essentials.
Enjoying savory and sweet at Bent Tin Baked Goods - 87 London Road - Thamesville, ON
I feel like people have been gatekeeping this bakery because I’ve stopped in Thamesville several times on my way up from Windsor to Grand Bend and this was the first time I ever visited. I’m officially a regular, because it’s now a MUST to stop in when we go to Thamesville. We got an assorted box of goodies that were both savory and sweet which were DIVINE – the pizza bun was my favourite and my Abuela loved the Butter Bomb! All I can say is you need to come and enjoy all of their treats! Note: this bakery is part of the Bakery Trail!
Fall break at Park’s Blueberries - 14815 Longwoods Road - Thamesville, ON
Park’s Blueberries is a location that I've known for years but this is the first time I've gone in the Fall. You can make an afternoon of visiting Park’s by stopping in to go shopping, picking up some pies or some frozen berries, and getting some food from their café to enjoy it in their dining hall or on the benches outside. As it is Fall, they’re entry is well decorated and you can even purchase some pumpkins there too! Note: Park’s is part of the Bakery Trail!
Fun for everyone at iMaze - 12768 Longwoods Rd - Thamesville, ON
As we pulled up to iMaze, we truly had no idea what to expect. Even though it was just my Abuela and I experiencing iMaze with no kiddos – we had a blast! I personally felt like a little kid running around and exploring all of the games they had to offer. We watched the Pumpkin Cannon go off, looked at all the different pumpkins they had for sale – did you know there is such thing as a BLUE pumpkin?! – sunk into the Corn Barn, got lost in the maze and rode the tractor to the pumpkin patch! If you’re in the mood for something tasty, they even have a concession stand where you can pick up supplies to make s'mores – the perfect treat for a Fall day! P.s. don’t forget to bring your camera because there are so many picture opportunities!
Corn Maze 🤝 Virtual Reality at UMILAND - 11972 New Scotland Line - Morpeth, ON
Have you ever heard of a corn maze with a virtual reality twist? No? Well it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Umiland – a place where the boundaries between real and virtual worlds come together. The corn maze was tough and had us hitting dead ends but we were so happy to have found many of the Umi’s and getting out of the maze at sunset – it was an incredible experience! Pro-tip: you will be using your phone a lot so I recommend bringing a battery pack to avoid having your phone die in the middle of the maze! Also, if you are looking for a picturesque scene I would recommend going around 4:00pm so you have enough time to finish the maze and leave while the sun is setting! Be sure to add this to your to-do list this fall – it’s an experience you don’t want to miss!
