Recently my family and I decided to spend the day in Steveston, the very quaint and charming village at the south end of Richmond. We started the day by visiting the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. In all my years of visiting Steveston I had never popped inside. The Cannery is definitely worth a visit. The site provides oodles of information about the fishing and canning industries. Tools from bygone eras are on display and available for touching. There is a little children’s corner which provides puppets, colouring activities, a construction site and more. I recommend dressing warmly for the Cannery, even if it is sunny outside, the Cannery is right over the water and completely shadowed; it is chilly in there.
We headed outdoors to warm up and take our young sons down to the pier. Once they had seen the theoretical history of fishing, I wanted them to see what 21st century fishing looks like. We peered at all the fish and shellfish for sale. I recommend bringing a cooler and ice the next time you visit Steveston. There are wonderful seafood delights ready to come home and a very good price.
After the pier we wandered the network of alleys and streets that meander through Steveston. We happened upon a fantastic toy store, Splash Toys. I have a soft-spot for non-chain toy stores. I love the creativity toy store owners show when they have the freedom to bring in non-traditional brands. We spent at least an hour in Splash and could have happily spent many more, but we had a reservation.
Adorabelle Tea Room was the icing on the cake of our wonderful day in Steveston. I can’t sing the praises of Adorabelle enough. From the charming decor to the divine food, Adorabelle is not to be missed. I was in awe of the attention to detail…we were asked whether we were right or left-handed so the teapot handle could be spun the correct way. Now, don’t think Adorabelle is too fancy for children. Not only does the owner have two little ones of her own, there is a menu dedicated to the littlest of guests. My boys LOVED the fairy sandwiches and the pink cake lollipops.
The food at Adorabelle is perfection. Each bite was savoured and I kept wanting more despite a more than full tummy. I also must sing the praises of the tea. The Earl Grey is nothing like any Early Grey I’ve ever had before. It was so delightful I had to bring a bag home (along with 2 bags of the asiago wafers and the earl grey cookies). If you are visiting Steveston, or heck just make a special trip out there, you really need to experience Adorabelle.
We will certainly be returning to Steveston in the not too distant future. We need to fly kites in the field, eat at Pajo’s or Dave’s, try the pizza place I’ve heard so much about…so many delights tucked into the charming village of Steveston.
