Stratford, Ontario. Anyone go?

**REL** · July-22-10, 10:40 AM

I will be going to Stratford for a week to enjoy some of the shows there. Last time I went was in high school.

Does anyone else go, and have any tips for me [[besides holding my nose from the abundant smell of cow manure)? Any other places along the way I should stop?

**jcole** · July-22-10, 10:57 AM

London, Ont is pretty nice. At least last time I was there, it was

**GPCharles** · July-22-10, 11:24 AM

When in Stratford, be sure to stop in at the toy store. Very old-timey. Good ice cream store too. A lot of good restaurants, although I can't think of any names for you. Haven't been in 4-5 years.

Not too much shade in town, so be prepared. Much nicer out by the main theater.

**REL** · July-22-10, 12:13 PM

Ha... just found out about the Milky Whey cheese shop

**GOAT** · July-22-10, 03:34 PM

If you like London then you love white bread only. It is the most boring city on the place of the earth unless you are going to University.

REL, it really depends on what you would like to do. St. Mary's has Canada's baseball Hall of Fame, Moraviantown has a marker of where Chief Tecumseh is supposed to have been killed. Windsor has a nice nightlife.

Stratford still has a great downtown with unique shops. If "Elizagoth" is still there check it out. Some very interesting stuff; As is the Mad Hatter [[for hats of course).

You won't find better meals than in Stratford so I recommend asking locals where a nice place to eat is [[or ask the google).

Overall, Stratford is a very nice small city.

**windsor_shane** · July-22-10, 09:26 PM

ill second the comment on the toy store...

the best place to eat in town is an indian joint called Raja.. you will need to make reservations if you want to go there for dinner on a saturday night..

**Woodward22** · July-22-10, 10:16 PM

Stratford has an amazing costume warehouse that gives tours. it was very interesting and I recommend it. Also, there a backstage tour of one of the theaters.

**Vic_doucette** · July-23-10, 05:37 PM

Just gor back from there this afternoon. Saw "Evita" and "Kiss Me, Kate." Loved both, but both had understudies playing in several critical roles.

A very nice town. The Indian restaurant mentioned above is pretty good. We had breakfast at a place called "Features" that seemed pretty much locals only. A better choice that the Tim Horton's across the street from our hotel.

**Vic_doucette** · July-23-10, 06:56 PM

Another thing -- from the Detroit area, it's much faster to go through Port Huron/Sarnia/Strathroy/Alsia Craig/St. Marys than it is to go through Windsor. You'll save close to an hour.

For a change of pace -- especially if you don't like the Blue Water Bridge -- consider taking the ferry between Marine City and Sombra, Ontario. There was only a minimal wait when we returned this afternoon. We've learned that on Friday and Sunday, the bridge at Port Huron can be backed up quite a bit, and the crossing can be a real pain in the ass at those times. Customs at Marine City also seemed to be a more mellow experience, though that is a subjective judgment.

**CAQuail** · July-23-10, 08:00 PM

I would recommend, The Church Restaurant http://www.churchrestaurant.com/.
My family and I have dined there several times over the years, it has always been excellent.

**5speedz34** · July-31-10, 02:30 AM

For what it's worth: Geoff Fieger is a huge Stratford fan and goes every year. Maybe you'll run into him!

**REL** · August-02-10, 08:28 PM

Update: I am back. Thanks for the advice, everybody.

I saw:
For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again [[moving)
Peter Pan [[very fun)
Kiss Me, Kate [[done very well)
The Tempest [[WOW, Christopher Plummer)
King of Thieves [[commissioned for Stratford)
Jaques Brel is Alive and Well in Paris [[hilarious & entertaining)
As You Like It [[walked out)

I dined four nights in a row at the Keystone Alley Cafe, which was wonderful. Some of the shops were very unique and I ended up in some of the wonderful galleries. I even found time for the Wild Swan Spa, which I would recommend.

So, so, so sad I didn't run into Geoff

But I did run into 6 people I knew from Detroit, and there was a Hansen Clark bumper sticker in the parking lot.

**Vic_doucette** · August-03-10, 06:35 AM

Any trouble at the border? A friend send FB messages Saturday saying it took 2.5 hours to cross the bridge from Port Huron to Sarnia!

**Sandhouse** · August-03-10, 12:04 PM

For the advertising they do in the Detroit papers, Stratford might as well be a suburb of Detroit. I don't remember the restaurants, but I do remember the unusual museums we saw in that territory en route to the plays. I believe the whiskey museum is at Kitchener - a fascinating exhibition in an old whisky-aging warehouse. I think it was at St. Mary's where we found an interesting local museum in a dramatic railroad station. Sorry for the vague locations - memory fading. Goderich is a bit out of the way on the trip, but worth it for Great Lakes scenes and history. The Oil Museum of Canada at Oil City is very interesting for technology fans. When we were there, there was still a 19th-century-style oil field working across the street from the museum with tiny pumps operating by a linkage to a central pumping engine. And I absolutely second the Marine City ferry.

The play prices are getting steep, though.

**texorama** · August-03-10, 05:31 PM

Second on the Church restaurant [[can't miss it, it's in an old church building). Last time I was there it was tops.

**REL** · August-04-10, 08:34 AM

Vic, traffic was ridiculous getting back, but we were whisked through the line because of special circumstances. Took us 3 minutes to get over the bridge and through the line. You should have seen the glares from the other travelers in line. It was backed up for hours, we heard.

I really wanted to go to the Church Restaurant, but didn't have the chance.