This week our whip was the Hyundai Sonata Preferred AWD. Hyundai’s mid range and affordable sedan, that has seen a facelift for 2024. This is a refresh that includes a sportier look and a new tail lamp design. Plus a couple of premium features in the cabin, to have you reassessing what you know about the Sonata.
This would be our mode of transportation as we took the drive out to Abbotsford to celebrate the tail end of Taste of Abby. This is the city of Abbotsford’s annual agricultural and culinary festival, centred around the harvest. It features local farms and the crops they produce and also includes a wide array of activities from movie drive-ins to Pickle-ball tournaments. All of which us meant to showcase the diversity that Abbotsford has to offer. I recall attending one of the inaugural events, and can confirm that they have come along way in the 2 years since.
Our 2024 Sonata handled the drive well. It was quick and agile, dodging cars on the highway and taking the many roundabouts of Abbotsford. It was also a comfortable ride when transitioning from paved roads on to gravel and uneven farmland. More so for the driver with electronic lumbar support. As the front passenger without it, I did still feel adequately cushioned by the plush seat.
We drove out late afternoon to check into our accommodations for the night. We would be staying at the Clarion Hotel, located by Whatcom Road. Given the stench driving off the exit, you can tell it is high harvest season in Abbotsford. There is no hiding the strong scent of manure. It easily permiated the car and left us wishing for an air purifying system, that other brands and vehicles have to persevere air quality within the cabin.
Sadly, there was no escaping it, and I found myself breathing into the shirt on my chest. It followed us to the hotel, waited as we parked, and even walked us into the foyer. It then carried forward as we checked in and grab our key card.
The hotel doubles as a conference centre and we were located on the fourth floor, adjacent to said meeting rooms. There isn’t much of a view, with either the backside of the property and greenery for some privacy; or the front side, facing the highway. Just as well, there is no balcony to perch on, and given what linger in the air tonight, we wouldn’t want to be out there anyways.
Our room was thankfully void of the smell. It was a very economic suite with a king size bed facing a flat screen television. There was a single sofa seat and a side table in the corner to rest on. We noted the great quality that this and all the other furnishings were in. There was nothing loose or shaky, each item well-maintained, well cleaned, and well looked after. Almost new, like no one has used it before.
This continued on to the bed frame with a large wooden board behind it that included outlet plugs and USB ports. There were eight in total across both side, plus were two more on the base of the lamps located on either ends of the night stands. It looked excessive, but was also reassuring for this day and age’s electronic needs.
The bed frame was given a modern look with an additional headboard draped in a bright teal cloth. The bold colour matched the pop art pieces hanging on the walls.
The washroom had individual jars of shampoo and conditioner, body lotion, and 2 body bars. We only used the latter, as we found the fragrance not to our preference of the former.
The tub was fairly shallow and narrow with a sloping dip. Not the kind of tub you would sit and soak in, but as a shower with fairly decent water pressure. There were enough fluffy towels to keep you feeling fresh and dry. Although I wish there were also a couple of robes to use, considering the hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub for all season/ play.
We would however not engage in either, considering the amount of children and families there were gathered in the smaller, windowless space. It felt very intimate and members only when we took a peek in. This space too is void of the farm smell.
Worth mentioning is that White Spot is the hotel’s in-house restaurant. It is not too noticeable from the road side, beside the towering sign post when you turn into the parking lot. It is also hard to spot its entrance from the exterior, if you are a regular customer looking for a burger. Although it is very convenient for any hotel guest, without the need to exit the property itself. There are also certain times for hotel guests to get between 10 to 25% off your meal. However, we were in Abbotsford to eat, so would not take advantage of this.
There is also a help yourself coffee station in the foyer for everyone’s use, centred around a comfortable seating area. However, each room is equipped with its own coffee maker and the same options for that and tea, plus is scent-free.
Given that this is a Conference Hotel, suites are equipped with a few more household appliances. The kitchenette includes a mini fridge and a microwave. The latter not common, but a welcome site for our visit. There is also an iron and board, should you need to look pressed and presentable. As well as a mini hairdryer attached to the wall for easy use and clean up in the washroom.
After getting acquainted with our overnight venue, we were back in our Hyundai headed out for dinner.
One of the many experiences available through Taste or Abby is tonight’s harvest long table dinner, held within the vineyards of Singletree Winery.
These are acres that I have visited many times before, not only to sample their wines in the tasting room, but to also enjoy a nibble on their newer outdoor patio with cabanas. I have even done a grape stomping or two here, which was also made available this evening.
For the full review of this family style feast, in a setting like no other, stay tuned for its own separate, featured post.
Our dinner had us capturing the sunset past the grapevines, sipping on the same wines where their grapes are grown, all while keeping warm under heavy blankets. Eating and chatting across 5 courses, accompanied by live music.
As dinner wrapped up, we stopped to take a peak at their grape juicing operations. We saw a batch of ziggy being made with their orange method, where it is punched down twice a day to naturally ferment. This is done with a long handled tool that is flat at the end with holes cut out of it. This ziggy is a white wine treated like a red, and as a result has a lower alcohol and sugar content.
We then made our way back to the car, walking through the dark fields. We would retreat back to our hotel room for the night, but not before stopping at a nearby Donair Affair for a lamb Shawarma platter.
The need to save and share dishes left us a little peckish before bed, so we were thankful to have our take out to graze on as we watched television in our room. It was delicious, there was so much garlic and seasoning that between the salad, hummus, and hot sauce. I thought this the tastiest version of this Middle Eastern street dish that I have had to date. I also chalked it up to being in Abbotsford and the quality of meat and produce is just better here. We didn’t finish it all that night, and I was determined to do so with the few bites we had left, the morning after.
Our firm bed and fluffy comforters offered a nice sleep, but the older model air conditioner and heater combo kept waking us up throughout the night. Attached to the window, it struggled to heat and was constantly rumbling. Even after we shut it off did it still creek and fuss. And during the wee hours of the morning we were officially awoken by the smell of manure in our room. A faint, but unmistakable scent.
With that we cleaned up, packed up, and checked out. We headed into downtown Abbotsford to grab breakfast and some snacks for the drive home later. There are so many great local cafes in Downtown Abbotsford to choose from.
Today we would try the newer Aurora Roasters. An easy to spot cafe with a mural of Sasquatch in a spacesuit, painted on the side of the building.
We took in some coffee beans being roasted by the door, grabbed a couple of cups of coffee, and got some savoury bites to enjoy on their patio. We also packed a handful of sweet bites to have later. And just like the donair, we found their and these croissants better than what we have had in Vancouver or Burnaby. Although? concluded we cannot drive all the way down to Abbotsford just for Shawarma and croissants.
The full review of their delicious coffee (and I don’t even like coffee) and their large collection of baked goods, in a separate glowing post.
We then drove out to Silverbrook Farms, offering a u-catch rainbow trout fishing experience for all ages. I didn’t know such a thing existed. The farm is open throughout the year, but for Taste of Abby you have the ability to catch and eat your fish right on the spot. Each serving coupled with local corn and cider for a full meal.
This was such a unique experience and I cannot wait to see where the new owners take things. There is a lot of work that needs to be done to rival the more popular Abbotsford farms, but also so much potential as it is the only to offer an easy way to teach kids how to fish, unlike the others.
Stay tuned for this full review to come.
Having eaten half our catch each, with the other half on ice in a baggie, we made the drive back home to Burnaby.
We would later have more rainbow trout for dinner, knowing that if we were to freeze our catch it we would never get to cooking it.
My partner descaled and craved up our fillets, taking the time to tweeze our the tiny bones. We allowed it to marinade in mix of fresh lemon juice, zatar, and salt and pepper to taste. This, we grilled on our portable bbq, along side baked potatoes and roasted eggplant.
Both of which offered hearty and healthy sides done up baked with sour cream and bacon bites, and as an omelet of sorts with egg, red onion, and ketchup.
This was a delicious dinner and the perfect close to our weekend of farmland fun in Abbotsford, getting a true “Taste of Abby”.
