Our Mini-Moon

After our wedding whirlwind, Azim and I made the very good decision to sneak away for a few days to Prince Edward County for a “mini-moon”.

We are hoping to take a longer trip to Corsica next summer, but it was very important for us to spend some time just the two of us, post-wedding :)

I am usually a meticulous planner, but Ihad absolutely no time over the past few months to plan our trip to PEC. Theonly part of our trip I did any research on was where we would stay. Aftercombing over the usual suspects (Drake Devonshire, June Motel, Air BnBs), Icame across the most gorgeous looking bed and breakfast in Picton calledMerrill House. The story behind the house intrigued Azim and me, so we decidedto book their fabulous dinner and stay package.

This turned out to be the BEST decision wecould have made! I absolutely love PEC, but it was our stay at Merrill Housethat made it the best getaway we could have hoped for. I’m also very happy thatI didn’t plan any part of our trip, because the wonderful general manager,Christophe, helped us put together a great itinerary.

If you’re looking for luxury, you’ll findit at Merrill House. It’s no secret that I enjoy the finer things in life –Azim and I have stayed in gorgeous chateaux, a converted abbey, and swankyhotels during our travels, and I would still add Merrill House to the top ofthat list. Here’s why:

• It’s outstandingly beautiful.The look and feel of the heritage house has been preserved, but the décor ismodern and integrated perfectly.
• It’s quirky and unique – itdoesn’t feel like any other hotel or bed and breakfast I’ve ever stayed in.
• Every little detail has beenthought of – the towels and linens smell divine, the menus are varied anddelicious, there is 24 hour concierge service (a rarity in bed and breakfasts),parking is convenient, and they offer little extras such as chocolates in theevening, and a pillow scenting service.
• The best part for me though,had to be the exceptional service. Every single staff member of Merrill Housemade us feel welcome and at home. Jordan (the very stylish and lovely owner) gaveus a tour. The GM, Christophe, helped us plan our trip perfectly. Shaniachecked us in and offered to make dinner reservations for us since mostrestaurants were closed. And when I slept in and missed the coffee and teabuffet, Michael put together a tray with a French press and brought it to ourdoor. Everyone knew we had just had our wedding, and made a point tocongratulate us. I was truly blown away.  

Who knew I wouldn’t have to board a planeto have a dreamy vacation? PEC is just a couple hours’ drive from Toronto. Iwill most certainly be back!

On to our itinerary! We were only there fortwo days and two nights, so we knew we’d have to make the most of our time.

We hit up Dunes Beach and took a short walk along the surrounding trails. I thought the dunes were so cool – we definitely don’t get sand like that in Toronto :) I know Azim would have liked to spend more time hiking, but I had blisters from dancing the night away during our wedding, and really wanted to hit up the winery :D

We drove from there to Closson road, wherewe made a stop at some lavender fields.I wanted to pick up a souvenir for my mom because she loves lavender. We alsoenjoyed some lavender lemonade and I tried to take an Instagrammy pic in thefields. This is the result:

More “sweaty sun in my eyes” than “easybreezy”, but that might be why I stick to blogging and not gramming :D

We visited The Grange winery and did atasting before purchasing a picnic basket and enjoying our lunch by thevineyard. There were some brave chickens wandering around that Azim didn’tlike. I took my wedding vows seriously (“I will admire and defend you…”) andchased them away so we could enjoy our popcorn, charcuterie, cheese, bread, andmaple tarts in peace.

After the Grange, we drove a couple ofminutes down the road to visit SHED,the local alpaca farm. Alpacas are soooooo cute!

We made sure to stop by a sunflower field,and tried to finish the biggest cup of icecream I think I’ve ever seen.  I must say, sunflowers are actually kind ofcreepy up close. Every time I bumped into one I felt like I was bumping into aperson! They’re pretty viny and spiky, and kind of look like something from theUpside Down…

A few pictures of our perfect dinner and breakfasts at Merrill House:

We ended our sightseeing by visiting Lakeon the Mountain, and had a tasting at a nearby cidery called The County Cider. Both were beautiful!

The restaurant at The County Cider looked especially picturesque, and I’ll be adding it to my list of places to try the next time I’m in the area!

Azim and I had a smooth ride back toToronto and felt completely restored and relaxed.

Don’t worry, I’ll have LOTS of wedding posts soon! It was absolutely the most fun I’ve EVER had, and I’ll be writing several different posts about how we made it all come together :) Thank you as always for reading! Xox