Excellent Adventures: Prince Edward County
Prince Edward County is a small, rural community tucked away on the north shores of eastern Ontario, right in the centre of Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Surrounded by 800 kilometres of coastline, Prince Edward County is famous for its beautiful beaches, nature trails, and wineries. And only a two-hour drive from Downtown Toronto, you'll be able to feel like you've traveled to a completely different country and escape the busyness of the city.
Last week, we took our own little Excellent Adventure to the County to explore its hidden treasures/go to the beach. After arriving in PEC, we drove through Picton, Ontario. On the main strip, you've got a bunch of pretty solid food options like The Vic Cafe for a healthy brunch, or the Lighthouse Restaurant for a not-so-healthy brunch. About 10 minutes off the main strip, where we landed, is the Miller House. Cheese boards for days and a patio that looks over the entire city — not to mention it's in a stone house that was built around 1796.
After lunch, we did what any level-headed person would do and headed to the beach. Yup that's right. A beach. A real beach. In a National Park full of flowing sand dunes. You heard correctly — a beach with SAND DUNES, two hours from Toronto. Sandbanks Provincial Park is (yet another) little oasis just outside of Toronto. One of our favourite Canadian beaches, Sandbanks, stretches as far as the eye can see. A perfect spot to spend the afternoon lounging or exploring the dunes. Even in mid-September, the weather in PEC showed no signs of a cool Autumn! Here's a shot of a new algae pattern we'll be releasing for Resort. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter to be among the first to find out when they launch.
The fun doesn't stop at the beach in PEC. Aside from the food and beaches, the antiquing is definitely our next favorite thing about the County. There are perfectly curated barns full of old treasures on almost every county road.
Like Dead Peoples Stuff — a picker's dream with a name to match. If antiques aren't your thing, you've still got the County's most notorious asset — grapes. Mmmm, grapes. That's code for wine. Some of Ontario's best wineries. 'Some' may be an understatement. PEC is home to 40 wineries and they're well worth the flat-rate taste testers most of them offer.
Need a place for the night? We recommend the June Motel or the Drake Devonshire Inn. The June Motel opened this summer and is reminiscent of a classic Palm Springs two-floor motel. The Drake Devonshire Inn, an arm of Toronto's Drake Hotel, is another great spot to crash. It's also right on the water and, surprisingly, has a half decent surf season in the Fall.
Thinking of heading out to Prince Edward County for an Excellent Adventure? Here are our recommendations:
To eat
The Vic Café in Picton, Ontario
The Miller House in Picton, Ontario
To explore
Dead People's Stuff Antiques Shop
Andrew Csafordi Studio Gallery
The Parlour Studio Botanical Boutique
To stay
Are you traveling? Interested in sharing your #ExcellentAdventure? Email us at info@bather.com!
