North Frontenac Winter Getaway
For Valentine’s Day weekend this year (and coincidentally Family Day weekend), we decided on a little winter escape. After a whole lot of scrolling on the Airbnb maps, we found a unique little gem on the lake in North Frontenac, which is about three and a half hours east of Downtown Toronto. This area was definitely snowmobile central; as we drove around, much of the frozen stretches of the lakes had tracks.
The cottage instantly drew us in when we found it online because of how snug and well decorated it looked. Seeing it in person though, was a completely different experience. I've been to some very welcoming Airbnbs, decorated with their own personal touches, but nothing compares to this one. We probably spent a good 20 minutes admiring all of the trinkets, antiques, crystals, plants, and photography that completely transformed this place and energy. You can tell how much love was put into it. There were a lot of items acquired from our host's travels and there were items that they creatively re-purposed.
The space itself was intimate, yet also spacious and open. Both bedrooms overlooked the lake, as well as the kitchen and living room (combined into one open concept), which had large windows that allowed the sunlight to infiltrate the room. It was heaven. The living room section, featuring a cozy couch set up and a warm fireplace, was literally beside the windows. If you need a perfect spot for a game night, a Netflix binge, a cuddle up with a good book, or a wine night with your best friends, this is it!
I found my happiness sitting on the floor on the rug made of sheep's wool (from the Faroe Islands!) right beside fireplace. Our host was extremely accommodating and kind; he even left us a bottle of wine and chocolate upon our arrival - top three in best hospitality and graciousness at an Airbnb I’ve experienced in Ontario. We spent our first night playing board games, laughing, eating, and drinking Baco Noir! Sometimes you just need to disconnect and be present with your people.
The next day was definitely an outdoor day. It was nice and sunny so we decided to take a little hike at Bon Echo Provincial Park nearby. The park is only about a 20 minute drive from where we stayed. Unfortunately, it is closed during the winter (which is anticipated), but there is still access to the parking lot and park itself on foot. We took on the High Pines trail, which I would basically summarize as a full body workout for an hour in the winter.
The trail is mostly uphill until you loop around, and since the park is technically closed there is no one out there to clear the snow. There were already many people that had hiked the trail and there was a little bit of a path, but our feet were still sinking deeply with every step. The parts outside of the trail were a completely different story – let’s just say you better come prepared with snow boots and snow pants. It was such a blast though. When you’re not looking down at your feet to maneuver the uneven snow patches, the beautiful forested space was very serene. Surprisingly, the trees weren’t covered in snow at all, so it was a nice contrast between deep green and brown, and the snow shimmering in the sun. The shadows of the trees also painted perfect patterns on their white canvas below.
Bon Echo has various designated sections on the grounds, including: a visitor centre, various trails, a campground, day-use areas along the Main Beach and the South Beach, a park gift shop, and a picnic shelter. Of course, everything is closed and not tended to during the winter. We decided to take our chances and walk to the main beach - biggest fail. We got to the path and not only was it as packed with as much snow as the trail we had just hiked, but it was also an extremely long walk to the actual beach. We cut our losses.
Before we went back to the cottage we decided to drive around a little more to see if we could actually find a lake we could walk on. You can’t come all the way to lake country in the winter and not walk on a frozen lake (the one beside our cottage was tough to get down to because of the snow banks). We ended up finding a trailer park, where people on snowmobiles actually created a path down to the lake. It was actually my first time walking out far onto a frozen lake - another tick off the good old bucket list. And it made for some great photos. That night we had a (well deserved) feast and a few drinks, while enjoying some more board games.
Our check out on the last day was at 11 am, which meant one thing - ample time to hit up another destination on the way home. Our checkpoint for the day, before heading back to Toronto, was the town of Picton (Prince Edward County). It was about an hour and a half from where we were, so naturally we had a sing-along party in the car whilst admiring the landscapes and various cottages we passed by.
Funny story: the night before we were enthralled in YouTube channels about exploring abandoned places and what did we fall upon on the side of the road on the way to town? -- the coolest abandoned vintage bus. We definitely put that one into the universe.
About five minutes from Picton, we passed by Parson’s Brewery and we were intrigued. Decorated with an old vintage hippie van and consisting of a large field with a bonfire, we knew we had to come back here for a beer flight.
Picton is small town but has a bit of an urban city vibe. There are little shops to stroll into, cafes and restaurants, a live theatre, many heritage buildings, and several parks. This town is close to Sandbanks Provincial Park, which is home to an amazing beach. Last time I was there was somewhere around 2005 or 2006, so it definitely brought back great feelings of simpler times - especially passing the drive-in that I had gone to at that time! As we settled on spending a couple of hours in the area, we did not get to drive out to Sandbanks. We did however, explore a few little shops (the ones that were open at least, since we were there on a Sunday and a lot of them were closed) and we had lunch at the Acoustic Grill, which was intimate and delicious. Sadly there was no live music at the time! We did end up heading to Parson’s Brewery afterwards, and it was a great choice! They had the most unique and delicious beer flavours. I typically have one or two beers on my flight that i'm not too fond of, but I enjoyed every single one that was recommended here.
After a fun day full of wandering and living the foodie life, we headed back to Toronto refreshed and ready to take on the week.