Gone, Gone, Gone, I've Been Gone So Long

With vacation time in full swing, I've been missing in action for the last couple of weeks. Between visits to a friend's cottage, a quick getaway to Pelee Island and family time with my son and grandsons there has been little time for any projects and blogging. But now that the visitors have all gone home and my husband is back at work, I can get back into the swing of things and get busy around here.

But before I move forward with new projects, I want to take a few minutes of your time to reflect on the past couple of weeks. The highlight of our vacation besides spending time with family was a quick getaway to Pelee Island.

Aerial shot of Pelee Island courtesy of www.peleeislandwinery.com

It's a short 2 1/2 hour drive to catch the ferry in Leamington, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Erie to travel to the southernmost inhabited point in Canada.

We stayed at an amazing B&B on the north east corner of the island - Wavecrest B & B , elegant and filled with interesting antiques. The hosts, Thom and Barry, have paid attention to every detail. They've even hosted The Queen of England for High Tea!!

After a stop at Pelee Island Winery for a tour and tasting, we hopped onto the ferry for an early evening  ride across Lake Erie. By the time we reached our accommodations, we really didn't feel like heading out to a restaurant. So we sat on the back deck of the B & B, drank some lovely Cabernet Franc and nibbled on some cheese and bread while we watched the sun go down over the water. Idyllic.

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast served by our host Barry, we hiked along the rocky shore to the northern tip of the island stopping along the way to catch the herons on the marsh.

Our destination was the old Pelee Island Lighthouse. Originally built in 1833 from local limestone, it was in operation until 1909 and sat neglected until 2000 when it was restored.

The lighthouse is somewhat isolated and can only be accessed by a trail at the end of a gravel road. It made it all the more interesting to find it surrounded by Carolinian forest and rocks along the shore.

We spent the afternoon at the vineyards of the local winery sampling and enjoying the view of the grapes ripening on the vine. A quick drive around the southern tip of the island cemented our feeling that we have to go back. SOON.

Pelee Island is an interesting mix of beach, agricultural land and cottage industries - part winery, part artist colony, part family cottage area. We only got a taste of it (and it's wine), but we'll be back. 

In fact, we booked a longer stay for August at the Wavecrest B & B!

FYI for all of you south of the border: Pelee Island is also accessible by ferry from Sandusky, Ohio.