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 refreshing being there.
Here’s what we did…
The Drive There
We took Bath Road (Highway 33) to the Glenora Ferry dock, which took us to Picton. This drive runs along the water and has gorgeous views along the way. Find out more about the Glenora Ferry here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/ferry-services#section-1
Before we got too far out of Kingston, we stopped for coffee at Giddy Goat in Amherstview. Tom drinks drip coffee with milk and I love getting cappuccinos. That’s typically my drink of choice. I usually get a coffee from Giddy Goat on my drive to work in the morning. This may have been the first time I got it on a weekend, and for some reason, I didn’t think it tasted as good. The cafe was also a lot busier than I am used to. I also picked up an espresso cookie, which again, was just okay. I wouldn’t get it again, but I would go back for a cappuccino because I have had positive experiences multiple times before.
Afterwards, while we were driving on highway 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 attempted to go to the same bookstore, but it was closed. I picked up a copy of The Beauty Myth for $4. Cash only!!!
While we were in the bookstore, the lovely women there invited us to partake in a tour of the church building. We said yes and learned a lot about the church and Loyalist area! We even got to ring the church bell.
After docking in Picton, we drove straight to Wander in Wellington.
Wellington
Without a reservation, we went to Gather, the restaurant at Wander, and were seated right away at the best seat in the house! Check out the view:
There was only one other couple there and it remained that way for a while, until a group of three arrived. Even then, it was only the three tables being used for the duration of our meal.
I ordered a lychee and cactus pear cold-pressed juice for eight dollars and it was delicious!
For brunch, I ordered the shakshuka (poached eggs, savoury tomato, feta) with sourdough for $24.
The image turned out aesthetically pleasing, but the meal itself was lacking in flavour.
Tom ordered the brunch burger (Walt’s beef, brioche bun, bacon jam, brie, sunny, egg) with a side of twice cooked fries. The fries were delicious! The burger, similar to the shakshuka, lacked flavour. I regrettably did not take a photo of Tom’s dish!
On the way out, I picked up my most favourite candle: Wander the Spa scent by The County Candle Co. The 26 oz size was about $80. This specific scent has notes of palo santo, wild spruce, and fir balsam. My most favourite scent. This is the third one I’ve gotten and I haven’t gotten sick of it yet.
Bloomfield
After our time at Wander, we stopped in Bloomfield on our way to Picton to check in to The Royal. Bloomfield is always one of my favourite places to visit because of all of the local businesses on the main drag. A new business we discovered was Idyll Books, which is on the second floor of the established Green Gables storefront.
We sat in an oversized chair together and flipped through a picture book about Ontario.
The Royal Hotel, Picton
This is one of my favourite places in The County, but my first time spending the night. I have gone there countless times for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for their hot chocolate (best I’ve ever had).
The check-in process was excellent! The staff were excited for us that it was our anniversary. They provided us each a glass of sparkling wine and asked us to stay in our room for a surprise that a staff member will bring.
In our room, the table was set up with a bottle of Hinterland sparkling wine, a gift that my mother-in-law coordinated with The Royal. The surprise that came to our room after (also coordinated by my mother-in-law) was a chocolate cake and a tiramisu. She knows us well!
After spending a bit eating the cakes and getting settled into our room, we headed to the heated pool! It’s a private and small space where you have to walk through the outdoor dining patio. Given the time of year, we didn’t have to fight for space at the pool.
Dinner at Darlings
This restaurant was recommended by a few people and we are so happy we went for dinner.
We started with bruschetta (with pesto, minus anchovies) and holy moly, the bread? Soft and phenomenal! For the main, Tom and I split the vodka pizza. We weren’t crazy hungry given all the things we ate throughout the day, so the size was great. It was actually much bigger than we expected, similar to the bruschetta. It was one of the best pizzas we’ve had in a while and cannot wait to go back again!
FYI- make a reservation. It was completely packed on a Saturday night!
Brunch at The Royal
Brunch at The Royal has been iffy for me over the few years I’ve gone. Sometimes it’s excellent, and sometimes it’s not. This time, it was okay. I ordered the parfait, which started out well, but after I ate the fruit and granola on the top, there was a ton of yogurt left. Tom ordered the blueberry pancakes and wow, they were good! They gave us orange chocolate balls on-the-house as a congratulations for our one year wedding anniversary. I am not normally an orange chocolate person, but these were fantastic!!! So soft and the orange was not overpowering at all. I would absolutely order these next time I’m there.
After brunch, we stopped at the Picton Farmers’ Market in the parking lot behind The Royal and picked up some beautiful fresh flowers.
That basically sums up our one year anniversary weekend in Prince Edward County.