Well, here we are, nine months into this pandemic, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to travel anywhere soon. Any adventures you may have will be limited to your back yard.
Langley is just under an hour’s drive from my house, and it has a surprising amount of fun things to do, see and eat, so let me outline a few of my adventures I’ve had in the past few months in the valley.
Fort Langley
Fort Langley Historical Site: Built in the late 1800s, Fort Langley was a trading outpost. Here trappers and indigenous people would trade for goods provided by the Hudson’s Bay Company. It’s a fun trip back in time to visit the Fort and see how things were a century ago. The last time I was there, none of the actual buildings were open, so there wasn’t much you could do that was interactive, other than walk around and look at things. I think they are open in a more normal capacity now.
Fort Langley: When you leave the Fort, don’t leave the town, there’s loads of great stuff there. Wander around the charming streets and up the block to take a gander at the town hall, and try to remember all the movies and TV shows you’ve seen that have used it as a location. They are shooting there pretty much all the time.
What to eat: I love Blacksmith Bakery for coffee or light snack/lunch. The food is beautiful, homemade, and so, so good. If you’re a bit more hungry, hit up Little Donkey for a big ol’ burrito. They have loads of vegan/vegetarian options. Fort Langley is also home to Veggie Bob’s kitchen, where the serve up plant-based comfort foods. And because I am a girl who cannot resist a good book store, I love to drop by Wendel’s Books. They have a great cafe as well.
Farms and Pies, Oh My!
It’s always so amazing to me that just a short drive from the big city takes you to the most wonderful farmland. There are loads of farms in the Fraser Valley, obviously, but Langley is home to a couple great ones.
Driediger’s Farm: in season, you can U-pick berries here; if you’re lazy, like me, you can just buy them from the farmstand. They also have a little farm market here, with locally-grown and produced goods.
Krause Berry Farm: a much bigger operation than Driedger’s, Krause includes not just a farm stand, but a winery and a drive-in waffle stand. Yeah, that’s right, I said waffles. By the way, they sell the most epic, legendary pies here. The winery is one of the most original I’ve been to; the tasting bar seats are made of saddles.
Aldor Acres: a fun spot to come with the kiddos, they have a petting zoo, pumpkins during pumpkin season, and Christmas trees later in the year. They also have a “Farmacy” where the sell local goods.
Wine Down Time
You don’t have to go to the Okanagan to visit a winery! There are quite a few in Langley. My favourite is Backyard Wines. They have an indoor tasting room, but also an outdoor picnic area where you can buy a glass or a bottle of wine, and a little charcuterie and hang out.
There’s also Township 7, Chamberton Estate Winery, and Vista D’Oro, where they make and sell the most delicious port, as well as preserves.
Vegan Tastiness
I just recently discovered Down 2 Earth Plant Parlour. This entirely plant-based cafe (which is super cute by the way) focuses on vegan comfort food. Try the poutine. Seriously.
Live your Top Chef Dream
You wanna be a gourmet? You gotta hit up Well Seasoned before you leave town. They not only have everything you need to make the perfect risotto, but they have loads of frozen gourmet treats you could bring home, defrost, cook and then proceed to take credit for. They also offer cooking classes in the back. The owner, Angie Quaale, literally wrote the book on where to eat in the Fraser Valley.
