Places to See: Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge

Sometimes you just get the urge to go explore, so that is exactly what we did. We loaded the girls into the car one morning, made sure the diaper bag was loaded with everything we might need, and we hit the road. We ended up driving over the Golden Ears Bridge and checking out some places in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge. 

Since the bridge is a toll bridge we knew we wanted to spend as long as possible on that side of the bridge. We put out a plea for recommendations for where to go on our Facebook account, and our friends came to the rescue with lots of suggestions. 

One place Jason had already been to, and knew he wanted to go back to. He had an amazing latte at a place called the Stomping Grounds in Osprey Village. That was our first stop when we got there after a 20-minute drive.

On the weekends there are lots of breakfast options, but we went on a weekday. There was a great selection of baked goods, and wraps. After Evie’s enthusiastic request, we decided to share a cinnamon bun.

We grabbed a seat by the large garage style door that was open for seating space and enjoyed our coffee, iced mocha, and cinnamon bun. One of the great things about this little place was that there were toys in the corner, and books for kids to play with. This helped to keep both of the girls occupied.

The drinks were fabulous just like Jason told me they would be. Addie turned into the baby hulk and was not happy about the fact that we were not sharing our drinks with her. She ended up trying a sip of my ice mocha. I fear the coffee addiction may have started young because she kept signaling she wanted more. 

Osprey Village is right across from Waterfront Commons Park and a section of the Trans Canada Trail. We headed across the street and went for a little walk down the trail by the Fraser River. It’s a nice gravel path which made it not too bumpy for the stroller. This was something I was very thankful for since we didn’t bring our jogging stroller with us that day.

There was a lookout point we were able to walk out at and see more of the bridge and river. On the waters edge, you could see people fishing and the odd fish jumping in the water. It was wonderful, little stroll.

We eventually got to a little spot that had benches, so we sat and relaxed for a bit while Addie was topped up with a bottle. Evie was all about climbing the fence that was there. One thing I do wish was that there were signs with information about the area put up to read. I don’t know much about the area and would have found this very helpful.

We ended up doing a little bit of driving around and daydreaming about houses in that area, soon enough though we knew we needed to find a place to stop and have some lunch. A friend of ours highly recommended Big Feast Bistro to us and thankfully it was only a short drive away into Maple Ridge.

Now this place could definitely use a bigger location, but it became very obvious why it was busy and why it was recommended to us. We love any cafe or restaurant that has a play space for kids. This always helps keep Evie busy while we wait for food to arrive to the table. What topped it off for us though was how incredible the food was.

We felt like absolute foodies while there. We even noticed that there was a certificate indicating that this place was featured on You Gotta Eat Here! Jason ordered the Crab Benny (and yes it had an oceanwise symbol beside it on the menu) which had fresh avocado, chipotle crema, crispy capers and fresh hollandaise on organic corn flake crusted sourdough.

I ordered the Grown-Up Grilled Cheese which had double cream brie from golden ears cheesecrafters, aged reggiano, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, all on organic sourdough. Both of items we selected came with our choice of a side. There are over 10 items you can select from for your side item.

Evie and I shared what I ordered, which is something we’ve started to do if we go and eat out as a family. She does not eat enough, unless she is in the middle of a growth spurt, to really make it worthwile to order here a kids meal. The portions wgenerousgous so this plan worked perfectly here.

The food was just beyond yummy! If we are ever out that way again we will definitely be stopping there to eat. While Evie may not have appeared impressed, she did thoroughly enjoy her grilled cheese sandwich. She just does not like getting her hands dirty. Even Addie enjoyed the food we had for lunch.

It always amazes me just how many places there are to discover right in your own area. The Lower Mainland is connected so well if you are willing to spend a bit of time traveling you just never know what you might discover. 

Are you from Pitt Meadows, or Maple Ridge… any other places we should check out?