Written By Alan Good
TRAVEL - A visit to Great Lakes Farms, a family-owned fruit farm in Elgin County near the shores of Lake Erie in Port Stanley, presents those making the short trip south with activities and attractions the kids might like. But it’s not cheap!
Besides strawberries, peaches, apples, and pumpkins, the owners of the 155-acre farm boast they are a family fun adventure farm. A family run farm since the 50’s, it has seen several generations help out with tasks such as thinning apples to serving in the cafeteria.
As you go through the main building the scent of tarts and cider abound. The children’s play area offers many treats as well. Kids can dig in a large sand pit, pilot their own pirate ship, slide down large, big-O pipes or scoot across on zip lines. The farm has one of the largest bouncy mats this writer has seen and in the afternoon a tractor will provide a tour through the farm.
For my granddaughter, it was a world of fun, capped off by a tasty tart. She came away with a stuffed kitten to boot! But for me, the cost seemed high. A family of four would need to pay close to fifty dollars just to enter (unless their kids are under two, then they are free).
Picking a bag of apples cost ten dollars and if you needed one of their bags, they charge $5 plus another fee for tying them. Add to that some cider or coffee, plus tarts, and it could cost as much as $100 for a few hours of fun. Was it worth it?
The faces on the children we saw seemed to say it was, however I did notice people stayed only about an hour. We stayed a little longer but that included sitting down for refreshments.
Want to take the family for a short time of clean, outdoor fun? Then I recommend Great Lakes. After all, it’s almost fall!
