Last weekend Dave and I hit the road for a little getaway in Prince Edward County, a wine region in south eastern Ontario that runs along the lake. We’d been meaning to visit the area for years and decided to take advantage of a rare free weekend. While in the county we wined and dined, explored the beautiful Sand Banks Beach, goofed around, toured the town and had ourselves a few tastings along the way.
We had a blast despite the gloomy weather (which is kind of ideal for day drinking anyway) and it was the perfect time to explore the area before the busy season. We did our best to unplug and savour the downtime but still took lots of photos and, as always, I made notes on everything I packed and wore. Today I’ll be sharing our trip with you!
This post will cover:
- Where we stayed & ate in Prince Edward County
- Wineries we visited & spots we explored
- What I packed & the outfits I wore
Let’s dive right in!
WHERE WE STAYED & ATE
There are lots of cute spots to stay in Wellington, which is a small town and sort of the central hub of Prince Edward County. The Drake Devonshire was our choice since we’d heard great things about it and happened to have a gift certificate. We lucked out in nabbing the last available room and the hotel was full of character and a great launching point for wine tours and other local exploration. The front desk went above and beyond to make our stay enjoyable and even got to know us by name. The restaurant was excellent and the views over the lake were beautiful!
There are lots of great Airbnb‘s in the area, The Drake Motor Inn will be open soon and another highly recommended spot was the June Motel in Picton (definitely a picturesque little place!).
Here’s a peek at The Drake Devonshire.
We had a dinner and a brunch at the Drake Devonshire and both meals were DELICIOUS (get the pancakes!). We also enjoyed some tasty snacks at Midtown Brewing Co and had a fabulous Mexican dinner and epic cocktails at the newly opened La Condesa. To cap off the culinary component of our weekend, we enjoyed a tasty breakfast at Enid Grace on Sunday morning. We would have liked to try Sand & Pearl Oyster Bar but it wasn’t open for the season yet.
You’ll have to forgive me as I definitely dropped the ball on food photos but I guess that’s a sign that we were both hungry (and perhaps a result of the wine!). You’ll just have to trust me that it was all very tasty indeed.
WINERIES WE VISITED
We opted for a guided wine tasting tour on the Friday we arrived and I’m so glad we did it. If you can swing a weekday tour it’s much more relaxed than on weekends. We booked the tour through The Drake and our guide Jeff was great. He zipped us around in a green Mini on back roads and had lots of insightful things to share about the area and the vineyards we visited. We learned about the grapes that thrive in the region (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), the wine making process and what makes each vineyard unique.
From the tour we enjoyed the tastings at Karlo Estates (not to mention the very cool dry laid stone bridge, shown below), The Grange (my personal favourite, women owned and operated) and Closson Chase (we picked up their Churchside and South Clos Pinot Noir). We also stopped into Sandbanks to get a sense for a more large scale winery and it was bustling with people but not really our scene.
On Saturday we explored a few wineries on our own and checked out Domaine Darius (a family run vineyard with a very cool old cellar) and Hinterland, which is a fun spot for groups and has a tasty selection of sparkling wines. Everyone we met along the way was super welcoming and truly passionate about the wine.
*All wineries linked to their Google Maps location.
SAND BANKS BEACH
After our tasty brunch on Saturday morning we headed out to explore the county and our first stop was the beautiful Sand Banks Beach and campgrounds. It was definitely too cold for any sort of swimming and the sun remained firmly tucked behind clouds but we had the beach almost entirely to ourselves and it was so dreamy and calm. We wandered the shore, goofed around and imagined how fun it would be on a hot summer day.
OTHER COUNTY FINDS
After the beach we stopped in to peruse MacCool’s Antiques on our way to the wineries and popped into Carson’s Market & Garden where there were thousands of fresh seedlings ready for planting. On our way out of town on Sunday I made sure we stopped into Parlour Studio to scope out lots of leafy goodness and of course, I couldn’t leave empty handed!
WHAT I PACKED & WORE
Now onto what I brought with me! I’ll admit it was a little chillier by the lake than I’d anticipated but for the most part my wardrobe was warm enough and we were indoors or well covered for much of the time. I packed my usual Away Carry-On suitcase and grabbed a range of options from comfy jeans and tees to a midi dress and heels. I brought more than I really needed but I wore everything and could have easily made lots of other looks with these items. I’m keeping this list in mind for future trips for sure!
Here’s what I packed:
DENIM JACKET | WIDE LEG CHINO | BLOCK HEEL SANDAL gifted | BLACK RIB TEE | SCARF old | BEADED BAG | SUNGLASSES similar| COTTON CARDIGAN gifted (more on this gem next week!) | WHITE DAY GLOVES | MID BLUE CIGARETTE JEANS | MIDI BUTTON DRESS gifted | BROWN BELT | STRIPED TEE similar | WHITE BLAZER | WRAP TOP gifted | SUEDE PUMPS similar | SLEEP SET | WHITE RIB TEE | TORTOISE HOOPS | FLORENCE LINEN PANT | LUMEN COIN NECKLACE not shown
WHAT I WORE
FRIDAY – TRAVEL & WINE TOUR
FRIDAY – COCKTAILS & DINNER
SATURDAY – EXPLORING & TASTINGS
SATURDAY – DINNER
SUNDAY – BRUNCH & TRAVEL
All items are linked below the packing list.
And there you have it, our little weekend getaway to Prince Edward County! Have you been? If so, what were your favourite spots?
I hope this post helps anyone planning to visit the area or looking for packing ideas for a long weekend or short trip!
THANKS FOR READING & HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!
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Loved your blog today & the great packing tips!! I’m going to use the packing tips on my next trip. What size did you get the dress in ?
Keep up the great inspiration you always provide!!
Thanks so much Linda! I have the dress in a Small and the fit is relaxed but the belt lets you cinch the waist if you want more shape. It’s a really fun piece to wear and would be great in Mexico!
Ooh, I really like the midi Vetta dress, though it’s not *exactly* what I’m looking for. Do any other recommendations come to mind for a midi-length, versatile sundress? I’m looking for something that is breathable for hot, humid days this summer. Buttons being used front and back would be an added bonus. (I found a reversible raw silk dress from Lacausa that’s almost perfect, too, though the button front is a bit too deep of a scoop neck for me.) Any suggestions would be welcome — thank you!
Hi Heather, That’s a good question! I love the midi-dress and the vintage feel is has to it. I haven’t seen anything super similar other than this dress from Free People. I just checked out the Lacausa dress you mentioned and it looks super versatile, you could have the shoulders taken up slightly to help the neckline. The armholes look quite deep so I think it’s doable! xo
These photos are lovely, Lee! It’s fun to see you guys goofing around :). I’m glad you got to take some time off.
xo
Thanks Kelli! We hadn’t travelled just the two of us for a while and was a really fun little escape. Hope your week is off to a good start! xo
I’ve been a lover of Prince Edward County for years, and we have a cozy Airstream there where we spend nearly every weekend during the summer. You did a great round-up of some fabulous spots, and I have a few more places to add to your list to check out the next time you visit – definitely Bloomfield Public House in Bloomfield, run by the lovely husband and wife duo Laura and Elliot – it’s my favourite restaurant in the county! Flame + Smith is another really great restaurant in Bloomfield, and yes, too bad you couldn’t experience Sand + Pearl, it really is delicious! It’s a great spot on a hot day to sip sparkling wine and slurp back a big platter of oysters. Hinterland’s sparkling wine is delightful, and next time you’ll have to make the trip to Lighthall Vineyards to try their sparkling wine, which is my absolute favourite, called Progression. They also make their own sheep’s milk cheese there to snack on. 🙂
Thank you so much for these recommendations Erin! Can’t wait to go back and check them all out 🙂 So cool you have an Airstream! Dave and I are always talking about how fun it would be to renovate and vacation in one of those. xo
This place looks lovely! I really want to explore more of Canada (I have relatives in Alberta), and I think I need to add Prince Edward County to the list!
Oh that’s great Hailey! So much to explore here that’s for sure. Hope you’ll get to visit soon 🙂 xo