2014.08 Prince Edward County (Day 2)

Day two started with the Picton Sunday Market where I was was able to score some homemade black currant jam. Life is good when you have it on toasted ciabatta bread. Black currant jam (and cinnamon creamed honey) is just that magical. 

Our little group split up in Bloomfield - half went to pick up rental bikes at the Bloomfield Bicycle Company while the other half proceeded via car. I was of the latter group.

One thing of note about the Bloomfield Bicycle Company is the very laidback atmosphere as demonstrated by the various signs (see an example below). And it would seem that their washroom is not for the faint of heart, but is, assured by one employee, "completely up to code".

Awesome.

The Reynolds House

One of the oldest stone houses in Ontario.

Not too shabby for a 215 year old.

Karlo Estates Winery

We roundezvous-ed with the bike riders here. None of us were up for a tasting so we just did a short stroll on the grounds. This winery boasts the largest dry stone bridge in North America.

The bridge was actually quite modest in size, which made running up and down it much easier. It's charming, in its Hobbit-y way.

I couldn't help myself.

Lunch was had at the Tall Poppy Cafe. Their sicilian meatball sandwich and spanakopita were most excellent.

After lunch, I stepped in for one of the cyclists for the ~10 km return trip to Bloomfield. We took the Millennium Trail, which was really enjoyable (gravelly, but traffic-free). Hopefully, I'll be able to return with my own bike at some point and explore the rest of the trail, which actually extends across almost the entire length of the county. Wildlife sighting of note: one eagle (or so I would like to believe).

The remainder of the afternoon was supposed to be spent at the renown Sandbanks Provincial Park. Once again, the plan was not to be. The park was closed due to overcrowding, which, I should note, was ridiculous because the weather was downcast and rainy. Only insane people (such as myself) would go to a beach on such a day. Apparently, there were a lot (too many, in fact) of people not in their right minds that afternoon.

The police officer suggested we either wait a couple of hours (umm... heck no) or try North Beach Provincial Park, which he promised was really nice as well.

So North Beach we went.

And as promised, it was nice. Quieter than Sandbanks, I'd imagine, the water was clear and shallow for a good outward stretch. I felt somewhat silly holding an umbrella while getting my feet wet, but the water bickoned.

On a lurk, we stopped by two wineries on the way to dinner - Hillier Creek Estates and Sandbanks Estates. Nothing much to say except after trying a good number of wines throughout the trip, I still haven't developed a taste for it.

Pomodoro for dinner. My risotto was bland and undercooked. Blah. But the servers were really nice.

Overall, we have had better luck with lunch venues on this trip. 

Wellington Beach - our last stop for the day. It's really an extension of the Sandbanks Beach across the canal. We came across a film crew using the beach for a low-budget commercial starring a blonde bombshell. A nice way to end the day.

2014.08 Prince Edward County (Day 1)

I was fortunate enough to tag along on a weekend trip to Prince Edward County in exchange for planning the itinerary. Free trip+we get to do what I want? Yes PLEASE.

Once again, the trip was courtesy of my awesome brother (Bro, you're the best!)

Prince Edward County is well known for its wine production, so wine tastings seemed like a natural inclusion.

Full confession: I am a complete heathen when it comes to wine (or alcoholic beverages in general). Also, any alcohol/caffeine-processing capabilities my liver might have once had have been almost completely diverted to process fat and high fructose corn syrup.

First stop: Huff Estate Winery

We made it just in time for the morning tour. Since the grapes won't be ready for harvest until September, the production floor was quiet. Still, the guide introduced the different wine regions of PEC and went through the general wine production steps. Although, if like me, you don't know the first thing about wine (e.g. difference between a Pinot Noir and a Merlot. Ummm... what now?), you might be a little confused at times.

Then on to the tasting. FYI: "splash sample" is no splash. It's a good 4-5 sips so unless you are A) comfortable doing the "sip and spit" or B) leaving a wasteful amount of wine in the glass, you can get flushed pretty quickly. I certainly felt my cheeks start to burn after the third tasting. And that was only with a small sip per glass.

The good thing is that the winery provided a small description of what you're supposed to be smelling/tasting so instead of guessing blindly, you can at least pretend somewhat and affirm that yes indeed there was a note of berries with a peppery aftertaste.

Also on site was an inn, an art gallery, and sculpture garden, which had succulent plants (!)

I couldn't resist.

Kind of creepy. But maybe that's the point.

Egyptian revival is coming back, people.

Giant metal pinecones. Because why not?

After reading rave reviews about Imperial Submarine Sandwiches and their fantastic chicken+bacon sandwich in Picton, I had to try it. And while the sub was pretty good, it wasn't particularly memorable. I can see why it's a local favourite though. In the end, it was no match for my favourite sandwich, which is still the pate sandwich from The Golden Rooster deli in Kingston. 

Lunch was enjoyed at Portabella. No photos because I felt somewhat self-conscious photographing my food...

And that was an outright lie. I completely forgot about taking photos because I was too busy eating, okay? The food was delicious. Portabella's fries. Wow. I might not know about wine, but I know my fries. They were like extra crispy McDonald's fries, but even better. Apparently, the trick is to freeze, blanch, then freeze the fries again before frying.

Lake on the Mountain Provincial Park
This freshwater lake is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. No one is sure how it was formed or where the water comes from. The Aboriginals believed gods lived in this lake.

I had planned for a solid 2-3 hours at this park exploring its 7.4km waterfront trail.

Well guess what? We stayed for 30 minutes.

Because that "7.4km trail" as advertised on prince-edward-county.com is a complete fabrication. Which I probably should have realized when I couldn't find a trail map online.

Why the lie? WHY???

 

Despite my somewhat disappointment, it's not every day you can see two different lakes just by crossing a parking lot. 

View of the Bay of Quinte with the Glenora ferry (north of the parking lot)

Views of the Lake on the Mountain (south of the parking lot)

With 2+ hours to kill, it was time to improvise.

Well, not really, I had a backup list of places to visit just in case.

County Cider Company 

Where we saw this little European beauty.

We tried the original hard cider and newer, flavoured ciders. It wasn't to my taste. One of them even tasted a little like cough syrup.

 

I guess I'll be sticking with apple juice+ginger ale.

The view was really nice though.

 

Fifth Town Artisan Cheese
For a small tasting room, there were a lot of people. It was so busy that no one was available to tell us what we were tasting. A goat/sheep mozzarella? And a chalky cheese... we were pretty much carried out by the crowd.

Black River Cheese
Unlike Fifth Town, Black River is a little more mainstream and less "hipstery". Which makes sense since it started as a dairyfarmers' coop. No tasting room but self-serve samples. I liked their maple cheddar. They also had a little ice cream shop on the side, which was a nice treat.

Across the road is the cheesehouse where the company got its start.

Little Bluff Conservation Area
This was a risk - the reviews/details were scarce and it was out of the way. I only found out about this place via a photo on one of the PEC websites. 

But it turned out to be quite a gem.

Pebble beach and crystal clear water. We had the place almost all to ourselves. Very very relaxing.

People were skipping rocks on the water (which takes a bit of skill to do well). I had my fun stacking rocks.

My original plan was to have dinner at the Blumens Garden Bistro (#1 in the county). Alas, they were booked solid for the entire weekend. 

I'm sure I should have known better and reserved ahead, but if there's one thing I don't like to do on trips, it's restaurant reservations. I hate having to cancel reservations when schedules go awry (which they often do). Or maybe no one is in the mood for a fancy meal on that particular day.

Sure, we were disappointed but I don't feel too badly about it. Instead, we had a nice meal at the Painted Peppercorn where I had bison burger for the first time. Mmmmh... meaty.

2014.05 Huntsville+Bracebridge, Ontario (Day 2)

Day two started off bright and early with a couple local rummage sales. [Brain: what are you doing? you know you should be curbing expenses. Me: shut up Brain. The money is going towards good causes! Plus, look how pretty! Have a cookie.]

Needless to say, money was spent at the sales.

To lessen the guilt, we went for a short hike up Lions Lookout. The trail partially follows a railroad track, which I later found out was still functional and a steam engine train - the Portage Flyer - runs during the warmer seasons as a tourist attraction. It's going on my list for next time.

That's a fail, Tripadvisor, for not featuring this prominently on the List of Huntsville Attractions. Instead, you had four golf courses in the top 10 attractions. Golf>Train? Seriously?

Pretty view along the trail.

And chipmunks... just because.

The trail crosses through a track field in a forest. Just a track field, no adjacent buildings, surrounded by trees. Am I the only one who finds this bizarre? 

A steep hill later, a nice gazebo awaited at the final destination.

Initially, I thought Lions Lookout had something to do with a lion-shaped natural formation nearby. Alas, it's so named because the gazebo was donated by the local Lions Club, which was a little disappointing.

But the views did not disappoint. The whole town can be seen from this vantage point.

The view would have been even better without the wire fences - safety is overrated.

And yes, we could have driven right up to the gazebo instead of the hike. What can I say other than that I'm glutton for punishment.

My obsession with waterfalls compelled a visit to the nearby town of Bracebridge, known for its many waterfalls. I've been to Bracebridge before to check out its eponymous falls right in the town centre and High Falls. This time I was back for another waterfalls - Wilson's Falls.

Sidebar: the name Bracebridge always reminds me of the Gilmore Girls episode "The Bracebridge Dinner" A little Googling reveals that it's actually a real thing. But at seven courses and $400 a pop, it's not for those with weak stomachs or short of cash. 

Half an hour of trudging through the Wilson's Falls trail and being eaten alive by mosquitoes later, we came to the sad realization that the best view of the falls was not on the trail but next to the electrical generator building, a mere twenty meters from the parking lot.

A lovely lunch at the #1 restaurant in Huntsville - "The Little Place by the Lights" - surprisingly affordable and delicious Italian food.

We also managed to pick up a couple of apple varieties I've never tried before: Braeburn (sweet, semi-crisp) and Jonagold (tart, crisp) on this trip, which just about wraps everything up.

2014.05 Huntsville, Ontario (Day 1)

The great Muskoka, Toronto's "Hamptons." Since I'm perpetually broke, this trip was courtesy of my awesome brother(again!) who went up there for Spin the Lake - cycling 96km (!) around one/two of the many lakes in the region.

Free accommodation+transportation? I'm there.

The drive up was relatively uneventful, save for the barrage of rain assaulted on us on and off for a good portion of an hour.

Go faster, windshield wiper!

Being in the suburbs for so long, it was nice to see lakes and natural forests with more than two tree species (instead of the standard maple trees that comes with suburban houses - they look like giant fuzzy apple-flavoured lollipops).

We stayed at the Hidden Valley Resort whose logo looks like an homage to the LV brand. I wouldn't mind returning in the winter season judging by the number of ski lifts right next door. And I hear that the nearby Arrowhead Provincial Park has a great ice skating trail. 

By the time we settled in at the hotel, there wasn't much daylight left for exploration. We headed into Huntsville's town centre, grabbed a quick bite at Louis's II - a Greek-Canadian diner (excellent greek salad and pan-fried tilapia), and called it a night.