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!

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!

vancouver [british columbia]

i was so excited to take b to vancouver this year.  we were going out for my brother's wedding anyways, so we stuck a few days on to do some exploring (only had 3 days in the city since we were in whistler for the wedding).

even though it rained every day (we arrived at the same time as a major storm), we still had a blast celebrating new family, birthdays, & catching up with old (university) friends.



vancouver is an amazing city, & 3 days was just not enough!  here are some of the things we ate, drank & did on this trip:

> vancouver aquarium. the two beluga whales, aurora & qila, are adorable!

> walking along the sea wall in stanley park. it's just beautiful.

> vancouver has a growing craft beer scene.  we did a self guided "beer hop" with an old university friend.  on her recommendations, & b's research, we started at tap & barrel, continued on to the steel toad brewery, & finally to 33 acres brewing company )which was so awesome we decided to spend the rest of our evening there).

> eating lots of taco's at la taqueria. this place needs to come to toronto, it's amazing.

> brunching at spot cafe - great eggs benedict!

> shopping along main street (between 2nd & 25th).  loads of cute, unique clothing, stationary & home decor shops.

> eating, drinking, shopping & antiquing in gastown.

> dipping fries in the coconut curry sauce (from the green beans dish) at chill winston. a restaurant with a focus local, sustainable & responsible dining, the food is really delicious.

> the greedy pig makes a mean whiskey sour.

> i did not know so many types of whiskey existed, until we had a drink at shebeen whiskey bar.

> ...and a few places that were on our list that we didn't get a chance to visit this trip: suspension bridge in lynn canyon, hiking up grouse mountain, checking out the public market & brewery on granville island, wreck beach, & commuting along the water with the false creek ferries.

any vancouver recommendations that i missed?  i'd love to hear!  comment below or send us an e-mail.  i always love a good recommendation.

thanks for letting me share our trip out west!

[d]