wine

THE WARING HOUSE

2020 has been something!! The pandemic has affected everyone in very different ways … for us it meant to scrap our existing travel plans for the rest of the year and explore Ontario as a part of our travel plans.
This year we completed our five-year wedding anniversary and we wanted to visit someplace new even for a short few days just to get away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. We were looking for some place that we both had not been to and is a short drive from the city.

After doing some research we came across Prince Edward County and we fell in love with what it had to offer. PEC is known as the second wine country of Ontario and has amazing spots for hikes and a large sandy beach with crystal clear waters. It also has several boutique style motels/ inns which has a lot to offer. WINE + BEACH + HIKES = Perfect equation for an ideal getaway for us.

We had the opportunity to stay at The Waring House Inn for the duration of our weekend trip.
Besides offering various packages for both couples and families, The Waring House Inn has a cute country style charm which adds a lot of character to the property. Here is our review on our stay and places we think are an absolute must to visit in PEC.

LOCATION

The Waring House Inn is located in Picton, Ontario and is located a short ten to fifteen minute driving distance to all the major wineries in the area. The Sandbanks Provincial park is also located 15 minutes away which makes it the perfect place to stay for people wanting to either or both during their stay.

CHECK-IN

With 49 rooms housed in five buildings, The Waring House is one of the larger hotels in the County so chances are you’ll find accommodations here when all the boutique inns and B&Bs are full. The Waring House offers traditional rooms with a bed + bath and some suites which also have a small living space with a pull-out bed. They also have a few cottages on the property to rent which come with a private outdoor sauna. Unfortunately, these were all booked up and we decided to stay in one of their suites.

Our room was quite large and we had our own private balcony with a large green space. The room was furnished with a very comfortable pillow-top bed, Egyptian cotton sheets and down comforters. Additionally, the rooms include complimentary wifi, an iron/ironing board and blackout curtains. Due to COVID, housekeeping was not offered daily, but we were able to request additional amenities through the front desk at any time of the day. The best part about coming back to our room was just winding down in bed and watching TV with a glass of wine.

The Waring House Inn also was able to provide us with a Sandbanks Pass which included beach towels and a parking pass for the day.

HAPPY BELLY

The Waring House Inn has two restaurants on-site. However, due to COVID, the Amelia’s Garden was the only restaurant that was operational. In our opinion, the staff at the restaurant did an amazing job with their service given the circumstances and restrictions. They made sure social distancing rules were followed at all times.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner on our first night. The pickled fried chicken is something we had never had before and it was absolutely crispy and flavorful. They also have a wide selection of their local wines, beers and ciders on the menu. The breakfast at the café was slightly disappointing due to their limited menu. However, we did like their French toast and greek- yogurt.

THINGS TO DO: TOUR THE WINE COUNTRY

Some of the wineries that we absolutely recommend in the area are Norman Hardie Winery, Huff Estate, Karlo Estate, Casadea Winery, Closson Chase Winery, Waupoos Estates Winery and The County Cider Company.

We also spend a day at the Sandbanks beach. The water is crystal clear and the beach is sandy with by fat the softest sand I have seen in Ontario. The beach is also extremely clean, kid friendly and perfect for a nice picnic.

OUR VERDICT

The Waring House Inn was located ideally and offers the perfect country experience we were looking for. Wait no more!!! Pack your beach towels and wine glasses and go explore what PEC has to offer.