How to vacation in Bonavista with 4 Kids

Having never been there, we knew we wanted to check out the Bonavista Peninsula’s beauty. This is how to vacation in Bonavista with 4 Kids. We were two moms planning our trip with four kids ages 7, 3, 1 and 1. We plan ahead and also leave some plans to be determined based on how the day goes.

As moms, we always have a list of itineraries we would like to do and a list of groceries and snacks to take. I make sure to have an ultimate list of everything we may need. I try to find a healthy balance between preparing for every scenario and not packing so much that we can’t see out the rear window. We hope this blog can give you ideas on what to do and pack, especially when travelling with small kids.

Where to Stay in Bonavista

First, we decided on the place we would call home for our 4-day staycation. We agreed on Snow Lodge, located in Summerville, NL (This was a private rental). This one seemed the perfect selection as it had four bedrooms and slept eight people. Hence, it accommodated us, and the kids comfortably had a beautiful fire pit which we knew would be an excellent hit for roasted marshmallows for the kids. We included Wi-Fi and Netflix, which were great for downtime between activities!

The place was fantastic and had everything you could imagine. It was a fully stocked house. We recommend a pressure-mounted baby gate if you travel with toddlers or small children. It’s one thing we decided perhaps we didn’t need, and then we wished we had one as there are several stairs in the house. However, we were more than happy with our stay!

For those who always feel like they forget something on their list of things to take on a getaway with kids, here is a list of things we came up with:

• Portable high chair
• Baby wipes
• Spare Pacifiers
• Toddler and Child travel-friendly snacks (applesauce pouches, granola bars, Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars, Puffs, Crackers, freeze-dried yogurt snacks, fruits, trail mixes, pretzels, etc.)
• Reusable containers for snacks
• Sunscreen
• Baby gate (depending on the layout of your accommodations)
• Fly Spray
• Sun Hats
• Spare sandals and sneakers
• Fever and Illness medications like Advil and Tylenol, and Benadryl
• After Bite
• First Aid Kit
• Comfort Items for the kids (blankie, snuggly or stuffy, etc.)

Next, we researched and decided on things we wanted to squeeze into three days. Side note: We don’t think there is ever enough time to do everything on your staycation bucket list when travelling with four kids, but when that happens, it’s a great reason to plan another visit back and visit everything you missed the first time. On our first night of arriving, we arrived much later than planned, as it took us a lot longer to figure out how to stuff everything for six people in one minivan!

So we practically brought our things into the house, unpacked and went straight to bed as it was a long day, and we wanted to rest for the next day’s adventure. The next morning we woke to get the kids breakfast. Then, we cooked a wonderful meal, packed our day bags with all our necessities, got everyone covered in sunblock, and hit the road! We left Summerville and started our drive to Bonavista. The total driving time one way was approximately one hour.

The lighthouse was the first thing we checked out. It was so beautiful! After that, we stopped at the Little Dairy King’s takeout along the lighthouse route. They had delicious takeout food and even better ice cream. Seriously, there are so many options to pick from they will make your mouth drool! There are also little picnic benches and a fenced area to sit and enjoy your food or ice cream outdoors. It was so convenient, and the kids had a great time running around the grass and stretching their legs after the drive. A perfect pit stop!

Another stop along our way through the town was Sweet Rock Ice Cream, located at 102 Church Street. This place offers handmade unique ice cream made with local ingredients where possible, and this is what makes it a must-stop! The adults and the kids were practically drooling over these!

Newfoundland Salt Company has a location nearby the Sweet Rock Ice Cream shop. They sell a wide variety of local Bonavista sea salt. Some are beautifully flavoured with various flavours, and some are just regular and unflavored. Of course, I needed to get some to take home with me. The quality was unreal, and it was a beautiful addition to add to any meal! These guys also ship their products to you from their website, and their local sea salt sells at many local distributors throughout the province.

Mifflin’s Tea Room is an adorable little restaurant in Bonavista. Filled with charm and an older style décor, we were in love as soon as we walked in. The menu had many selections, and the food did not disappoint. They had lots of yummy choices for the little ones as well. Look no further if you are looking for traditional, home-style Newfoundland dishes. Dare I say it’s as good as Nan’s home cooking? I’d drive out from the Avalon to grab lunch. We stocked up on some tea buns (the most enormous, most delicious tea buns I’ve tried to date) to have for snacks for later and take back home.

Besides stopping into shops and restaurants, there was so much beauty around the community. We parked our van, explored many of the roads on foot, and took many stunning pictures. The scenery of Bonavista looks like something that just jumped right out of an NL tourism ad. Incredible to see it up close and
personal.

We had many other things and places we would have liked to see, but with a lack of time and tired kids, we decided to head back, but only after we briefly stopped to check out Dungeon Provincial Park. We also would have loved to check out the Elliston Puffins, but time did not allow it.
Once we had four tired kiddos, we headed back to our Air BNB for the evening to get ready to make supper. There was a nice BBQ supplied, and we enjoyed using it. After supper, we made it down to the lower end of the property, where there was a beautiful fire pit and chairs to sit circling the fire. We roasted marshmallows and relaxed while we winded down for the night.

The next day we opted for a more relaxing day. There was a little stream right next to the house, so we took the kids down there to get our feet wet and cool down. In the afternoon, after some downtime, we took a little road trip to see some nearby communities like Catalina, Port Union, and Champney’s West (We stopped by the aquarium here, and the kids loved it!!) Port Rexton and Trinity. In the afternoon, we picked up some supper on the way back to continue our easy day!
The following day we all took off for home. We mapped out rest stops and restaurants along the way, so we were prepared. We plan to check out everything we didn’t see last summer on another trip to Bonavista! And to say we are excited is an understatement.