Once again heading to a perennial fave of ours, Prince Edward County (PEC). We liken it to being on our Prince Edward Island, or in the States, Long Island or Cape Cod. It is an idyllic isle, surrounded by Lake Ontario, with pastoral farmland, home to over 30 wineries, with a few craft breweries and distilleries thrown in for good measure.
Booked long before the time of Covid, we anxiously kept our fingers crossed that some form of camping would happen this summer. The province came up with a plan for their Parks, and here we are.
Our concerns about camping during Covid were pretty much allayed by Bonnechere. The precautions and guidelines put in place made perfect sense, and certainly did very little to impact our camping. Sandbanks though, is a much larger park and we were there an extended time, and we knew we would be exploring the towns and visiting our friends, as we always do. There was just more stuff to keep an eye on this year.
In the end, it was all fine. We dialed up our spatial awareness, social distanced, used our masks in all enclosed public spaces, and pretty much relied on a healthy dose of common sense. Of course there is always going to be those out there that don’t give a shit about anything, but we were able to steer clear of them for the most part. Overall, the camping was smooth, relaxing and uneventful.
It has been stinking hot lately...by mid day you feel as greasy as a bacon and two over easy breakfast sitting under a heat lamp. This has gone on for days and days, so the thought of a cool dip in the afternoon was relished.
Pulled into a great site, lots of shade, with just a smattering of morning sun, and this suited us just fine. It hit highs of 35C, and the humidity made it feel much worse. After we got squared away, we went for one of those cool dips, and it was glorious. Just the thing to rinse away the road sweat and get us settled into a nice easy PEC pace.
We were there for ten nights, and while enjoying our first frosty beverage, we got to thinking about the logistics of our stay. Wanting to stay clear of any facilities, this meant only using our Alto, and we wondered about the longevity of the tanks. At first we thought about pulling to the dump station mid week, but sitting comfortably under the awning made us realize all the packing up we would have to do to make that happen. We then pondered getting a dump tote, and the decision became clear. Other owners we know use these, and they have their purpose. A quick Google check found two RV dealers in the area, so we jumped in the car the next morning.
We now have a small tote with wheels, eleven gallons to be specific, that can be either towed,...very slowly, or lifted into the Santa Fe and taken to the dump station. As odd as this sounds...we were eager to give it a try. We found it at an RV spot in Belleville, which is close to the Trenton Air Base, where my Dad was stationed when I was just a wee little guy.
Being in the area, we took a little drive to see the PMQ house we lived in while on the Base. Amazing that after so many decades, that the mind can still steer you right to the exact address. Truth be told though, I did a similar little drive to that address about forty years ago.
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| the ugly siding and odd room addition kinda ruined a cute little house the tree has grown a bit also... |
In the evening a heavy storm rolled across The County, the rain pounded down, and for quite a while. Fortunately our Alto was sitting slightly up on a tiny knoll, as a large pond soon formed in the low area around the picnic table. We were glad for the rain though, as it broke the long spell of sweltering heat and humidity, and gave the landscape a welcomed drink.
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| this crusty looking robin kept a close eye on his turf |
Following the storm on Sunday, we had a great morning at the Sandbanks beach, which is on Lake Ontario. The breakers were crashing in, a residual from the tail of the storm, so we spent the longest time just bouncing in the waves. No sailboats in sight because the water was so rough, but many para-sailers were out taking advantage of the high winds. The water was wonderfully warm, but still refreshing. More rain rolled through Sunday evening, but nothing like the night before.
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| surveying the scene |
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| good spots up in the dunes to grab some shade |
Monday morning we wandered around Picton, the largest town in the County, checking out the shops and picking up a few odds and sods.
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| Picton main street |
Later in the afternoon we went to our friends Lee & Howard’s for a nice visit and a fabulous chicken pasta dinner. It was great to see them and we had a ton of laughs.
On Tuesday, long time friends Helen and Paul arrived in The County, and we met them at Parsons Brewing for lunch. Parsons has a lot of property, and had spread-out large numbers of picnic tables with umbrellas, where we enjoyed a cold beer and local wine and a simple lunch, all while being very Covid distanced. Not only does PEC have numerous wineries, the craft brewing movement is now also well established.
The next day we did our yearly tour of the town of Bloomfield, checking out the shops. It was noticeably quiet on the streets, with far less traffic and people out and about.
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| so true... |
We talked to various shop owners, and they have all been hit hard by the lack of foot traffic caused by Covid, and are now glad to be back open. The nifty pub/deli, Bloomfield Public House, where we had a great lunch last year, has changed their business model to be more of a small food market/deli lunch counter. Part of the reason was that last year, their first year in business, they noticed that Bloomfield had no place for locals to purchase fresh food basics, or have a takeout style deli. Also with experiencing the long hours of running a restaurant, they decided to change things up a bit, and the arrival of Covid sealed their decision. They were then better able to weather the shutdown, and still generate a bit of business. They continue to cure their own meats, and the sandwiches we had were very creative and tasty. And with them we got to enjoy a frosty local brew, as they still had their license to sell beer and wine. It is a great little spot, and we are glad it is still around. It will continue to be our ‘go to’ place.
We fired up the Q for dinner, with Helen & Paul, and our friend Geoff, who lives in the County, joining us at our site. The Solo Stove helped keep the bugs away, and we had a great catch-up visit.
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| another reason a Solo Stove is so nice |
We spent part of the next day at Geoff’s house, helping him out a bit as he is preparing his house for sale. He was glad for the help, and at the same time we got in another good visit.
Attempted a swim before dinner at the day use shoreline, but there was so much algae in the water that we knew it would be better to just take a pass. A quick spray down back at the site was all we needed to feel fresh again. The days are getting hotter and humid, now that the storms have long past by.
Our friends Mark & Angela arrived Friday afternoon with their Alto, so we wandered over for a nice visit and pre dinner cold beer. Sunday morning was our last beach time before heading home, and it was fabulous. Although a little overcast with some spotty sun, the water was warm and the waves had calmed somewhat. Those waves were pretty high all week, so much so that the kayaks never made it off the roof. We’ve had that happen before, it’s just the luck of the draw. We floated in the water for the longest time, not wanting to leave this tiny piece of heaven.
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| a little GoPro fun |
Mark & Angela were over for dinner and a campfire in the evening, and it was a special day for them...their 40th wedding anniversary. Their son had arranged a family and friends Zoom call to celebrate, so they needed to get a strong enough cell signal and made a quick trip into Picton, then afterwards came back for a fire. They had brought a celebratory bottle of champagne over, so we popped the cork and had a drink to toast their day. It was a lovely evening.
Packed up Monday morning, fuelled the drive with a coffee over at Mark & Angela’s site, then hit the road for an uneventful drive home. Yet another fine trip to The County, as they always are. See you next year PEC!
