Family Trip to Prince Edward County

Recently, we took a family trip to Prince Edward County. Aaron and I have been to PEC a couple of times but this time, we had to adjust our trip a little due to travelling with two infants, a dog and a person with limited mobility (i.e. me with broken ankle in a cast). It was definitely not as easy as before but I believe we made the most out of it, if I may say so myself. So if I’ve caught your attention, please join me as we’re in for quite a ride. 

Day 1 (Ottawa – Perth – PEC)

We are off with our fully-loaded van towards Prince Edward County. Instead of going directly there, like we did in the past, we made a stop in Perth to stretch out our legs and tend to the littles. Here, we stopped by the Perth Cheese Shop to pick up some cheese and charcuterie. We also enjoyed some coffee and pastries from Coutts Coffee Roastery & Café. With one more quick stop at the Perth Brewery to pick up some local brews, we’re off again.

Finally, we arrived at our waterfront Airbnb cottage. The cottage itself was cozy with 3 bedrooms and small kitchen and living room but the land itself was huge with plenty of outdoor seating including a waterfront fire pit and trampoline. They are also pet and baby friendly with a doggie bed, playpen, highchair and baby bathtub available. 

We winded down after a long day of travelling with a lovely home-cooked meal before ending the night relaxing with board games/Netflix. 

Day 2 (PEC wine/food adventure)

Today was going to be an adventure day for us. We had quite a few places we wanted to visit. 

Our first stop was at Black Prince Winery. Unfortunately for us, they were not open for tasting as we were off-season. To add to our disappointment, they also did not have their wood-fired pizza available today. So a few of us checked out their wine selection while fury friends and those with mobility issues stayed outside and took a stroll on our leashes/in our wheelchair around their equally off-season vineyard. It was a mild day so it was nice just to be outdoors for a bit.

Luckily, Aaron found a nearby winery – Huff Estates Inn and Winery, who was doing tasting today. We tried their Rosé sparkling, white blend and dessert wine. We especially enjoyed the crisp taste of their sparkling as well as the not-overly sweet dessert wine and had a purchase a few bottles for later consumption. Glad this establishment is wheelchair/stroller as well as pet-friendly. Their classic vibe definitely reminded me of Mission Hill Winery in the Okanagan.

Next, we were hoping to grab some food from Bloomfield Public House Market. I still had fond memories of having one of our best meals here in PEC here. It seems they have restructured/rebranded and his more of a market/grab-and-go type cafe now. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived (~2pm), they had sold out of their sandwiches. We grabbed some coffee and local brews and headed back on the road.

We made a stop at the local grocery story as it has proven to be difficult to get some sit-down lunch today. We were going to make a stop at Parsons Brewing Company but the babies had a hectic day, so we decided to head back to the house. We enjoyed some instant noods before putting the babies down for a nap. We then enjoyed some time in front of the firepit with some brews. For dinner, we enjoyed some comforting homemade Tonkatsu before calling it a night.

Day 3

We had a hectic day yesterday so we planned to spend most of the day at the cottage. The weather was beautiful so we again spent some time sitting in front of the water before deciding to check out Parsons Brewing Company since we did not get to yesterday. Thank goodness for grandparents as we left sans babies on our brewery adventure. I love the vibe of this brewery with plenty of green space and outdoor seating with fire pits beside the table as well as something BBQ-ing in the field. We wanted to have what was on the fire but unfortunately, this mysterious meat was getting prepared for tomorrow’s menu. So we could only look and yearn. We did, however, order a few flights of beer as well as their empanadas and smores kit. They had a great variety of beer and their empanadas were tasty. I’m glad we got the smores kit as it was just so fun to make our own smores by our personal firepit. 

We decided to make one more stop at 555 Brewing Co where we had another flight of beer and some wood fired pizza. We tried their olive oil, garlic, mushroom, brie, parmesan and truffle oil pizza which you can’t really go wrong with. The ambience of this brewery is quite different as it was in the city right at a busy intersection. Their beer selection is also smaller. Overall, it was a nice stop but I enjoyed our time at Parsons more.

Baby-free time has to come to an end as we head back to the cottage for another scrumptious home cooked dinner, ending with some cheese tasting as hosted by Bear Woman with cheeses picked out the other day in Perth. We paired this with the complimentary white blend provided by our host. We were all pretty full by the end of the night.

Day 4

All good things must come to an end as we pack up and load our van once again. We made a pit-stop in Kingston at CRAVE Coffee House & Bakery for some coffee, lunch and a washroom break. It was a rainy day so we did not have much of a chance to enjoy Kingston before heading back home. 

Overall, it was a nice getaway and I’m proud that we survived despite the challenges of travelling with infants and pets! I’m glad we focused more on breweries this trip as we have already checked out their wineries in our previous visits. For more tips for travelling with babies, don’t forget to check out my next post!

Happy travels!