winter in PEC

2020 definitely isn't the year i had planned (i am sure most people can agree with this!) this year we had been planning a few adventures to make up for the lack of travel last year.  but 2020 had other things in store.

after w was born, i really wanted to have a family holiday over new years. an opportunity to relax and recharge after a busy christmas. lucky, this was pre-covid, so we were able to head out for a few nights.  

we decided on prince edward county. just a few hours east of us, it was far enough away to feel like a holiday but close enough that we could easily drive there after work. and to be honest, it was the perfect way to start a new year.

day 1

we started our first day in PEC with brunch at the Vic, a colourful cafe with a lot of brunch options (note: it has been updated to a drive-in diner now) and explored some of the shops open along the main street. 

next up, we conducted a small scale, self-guided brewery tour. whenever we travel we try to check out a few local breweries, and PEC has some good ones.  first, we drove over to bloomfield to matron fine beer.  located in an old barn, it was complete with some adorable barn cats. after matron, we went to parsons brewing for some samples and pretzels.  they have a beer called the westie pale ale that we just had to try (in honour of wes!). unfortunately, it was too dark to take a photo with their infamous Westfalia van.  finally, we completed our tour with some fresh pizza from 555 brewing co.    

 

someone was getting a little hangry at this point.  he had been such a good baby the whole day, napping most of the time. these outings were a perfect way for me to ease into feeding him in public.  

day 2

i am someone who loves the beach in the winter. there is something about how quiet and undisturbed it is.  PEC has one of the more well-known ones in ontario - Sandbanks. so we bundled up and went to check it out.

when in PEC, you have to visit some wineries! so that's just what we did. not all wineries were open, but the ones that were had excellent wines. we started with one of the better-known wineries in the area, sandbanks.. next up was hinterland wine company, which had some lovely sparkling wines and an excellent cherry cider. 

after hinterland, we continued on our way through the countryside to one of the prettiest wineries i have been to - the grange of prince edward. the property was stunning, their spiced white wine was delicious, and they had hot soup that was the perfect lunch for a cold snowy day. 

and last but not least, we stopped in at karlo estates winery. a fully vegan winery, each sample came with a complimenting bite of a snack. the area we sat in was dark and cozy, with lots of comfy couches and big chairs.

then we headed back to wellington for some dinner at midtown brewery company. it was the perfect end to a lovely day exploring PEC.

after all of this adventuring, we headed back to our air bnb to ring in the new year with a nice early bed time.  the perfect end to a perfect little holiday.

camping: rondeau provincial park

after a quick 2 nights at home, we were off 2 hours in the other direction for 3 more nights of camping. this time at rondeau provincial park with my parents. they have an RV they like to use, and we tented.

located on the beautiful attiwonderonk lands, the park sits on a crescent sand spit extending into lake erie. fun fact, this park is actually the second oldest provincial park in ontario.

i enjoyed this park quite a bit. not nearly as big as sandbanks, it had nice large sites, quiet roads, a playground, and lots of beaches. my only "qualm" would be that the dog beach was so far away (over 6 km down the road) and that it was rocky. but we were still able to spend a fun afternoon at the beach in the cooler waters of lake erie.

it was nice to get to spend a few days relaxing with my parents. almost like the old days at the cottage!

camping: sandbanks provincial park

the other week we took wes camping for the first time.  one of my oldest friends invited us to camp with her family at sandbanks provincial park.  if you have ever tried to book a site at sandbanks, you'll know how tough it can be.  so we jumped at the opportunity!  plus she has 3 kids, with her youngest just a few months younger than wes.  having her there, a seasoned camper with kids, was perfect at calming my nerves for our first camping trip with a baby.  while we hit a few bumps, overall we had a great time.

years ago b and i had rented one of the cabins in sandbanks with friends, but this was our first time tent camping. i see why it is so popular. while the sites are nothing special (at least where we were) the park itself is beautiful. located on haudenosaunee lands, the sandy beaches and warm shallow waters were perfect for a day at the beach. the park itself is quite large and great for biking and exploring. and the park store has anything you think you might need (in our case, bug spray).  if it wasn't so darn hot (felt like 40 degrees with the humidity) we would have done one of the hikes in the park as well.

and, one of the best parts, is it's location - in prince edward county, directly on lake ontario, the park is not far from the adorable towns of bloomfield, wellington and picton. just another reason why i am fast loving PEC.

a weekend at lake simcoe

at the beginning of july we got to spend a few days up north. we stayed with a close friend in her adorable little house on the shores of lake simcoe.    

going up to this particular friend's house is always such a nice little break from city living.  we relax, eat delicious food, spend some time out on the water, and just hang out. 

this weekend also marked w's first time in a lake. he was a little unsure at first, but as long as he was held he was okay. we joke that next year we won't be able to get him out of the water.

we are already discussing our next visit, and i cannot wait!

hello again!

hello again!

it has been quite a while. a lot has changed in the 4 years since my last post. since 2016 we have: renovated, then sold the condo; bought a house out in hamilton; rescued a puppy; and, had a baby! 

life these days is completely different, in the very best way.

i wanted to revive this little corner of the internet, and use it as an online journal of sorts. i have left some of my favourite posts up, but plan to use this space these days to document simple things about our new life in hamilton. i'm not really sure what it will look like - but i hope you will join me for the ride.

d