Date: May 30-31, 2026
We spent our first wedding anniversary in Prince Edward County. It’s an easy drive from Kingston, and it always feels like you’re leaving the country.
Here’s what we did…
The Drive There
Take Bath Road (Highway 33) out of Kingston instead of the 401. It runs along the water and it has gorgeous views pretty. You’ll make it to the Glenora Ferry where you can drive on the ferry for free to Picton. Find out more about the Glenora Ferry here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ferry-services#section-1
Our first stop was for coffee at Giddy Goat in Amherstview. Along our drive down 33, we made an unplanned stop at Rectory Bookstore in Adolphustown, a used bookstore on the same property as St. Alban’s Centre, a church built in 1880. Two years ago we stopped at the bookstore, but it was closed. I picked up a copy of The Beauty Myth for $4.
While we were in the bookstore, we were invited to partake in a tour of the church building.
Wellington
We went straight to Wander for brunch, no reservation, and got seated right away. I ordered a lychee and cactus pear cold-pressed juice for $8 and it was really good. The view over the water is beautiful and the room feels relaxed without trying too hard. On the way out I picked up a Wander the Spa candle by The County Candle Co. Notes of palo santo, wild spruce, and fir balsam. I’d buy it again.
Bloomfield
Worth a walk. Idyll Books is on the second floor of Green Gables. We sat in an oversized chair together and flipped through a picture book about Ontario. No agenda, just a nice stop.
The Royal Hotel, Picton
Book a room here if you have something to celebrate, or if you just want a genuinely good night away. The staff coordinated surprises with my mother-in-law without a single hint from us, including Hinterland sparkling wine on arrival and a tiramisu dessert delivered to the room. The pool is heated. The scent of the hotel is something I can’t fully explain, but they sell the body lotion at the front and I’ve received it as a gift more than once. I slept well, which doesn’t always happen for me in hotels.
Dinner at Darlings
Make a reservation. The place was completely full on a Saturday night. The bread is soft and comes with pesto. The bruschetta antipasti is excellent. We had the vodka pizza and it was one of the better pizzas I’ve had in a while. Nobody wanted to leave. nibh. Donec sodales sagittis magna. Sed consequat, leo eget bibendum sodales, augue velit cursus nunc,