"The County" in Prince Edward

Having a car, we could easily get around "The County" while we enjoyed our summer living aboard Yondering in Waupoos. 

Free and easy rides on the Amherst Ferry, which we usually watch from the boat while sailing in the Bay of Quinte. Lovely drives along Loyalist Parkway, covering ground that would take Yondering hours to sail, in minutes. 

Quilts are painted along many of the countryside barns, which we  discovered is the Prince Edward County Barn Quilt Trail. A modern barn quilt movement started in the early 2000s, inspired by traditional fabric quilts. These painted wooden panels offer representations of family history, cultural traditions, and rural craftsmanship. Quilt colours often carry meaning—blue for peace, red for strength, and green for growth. 

County Cidery

Rose Museum

Waupoos

Waupoos is a sleepy, pretty little hamlet. 

Just a five-minute walk away from the Marina there is a 'pick your own blueberries' place, which made for an afternoon of fun when Alex, Parshvi and Nora came for their visit. As well as a constant supply of fresh berries for healthy breakfasts. 

Waupoos Tarts is a ten minute walk for incredible lemon and butter tarts. So good! The small self-serve shack proudly displays the Cottage Life write up from a few years' back.

We stocked our pantry with local treats from Waupoos Estates Winery, including pickles, cider, wine and local honey. 

Stella's Eatery, featured in the 2025 summer edition of Food and Drink magazine and a destination for local diners, was a twenty minute walk or five minute drive. We enjoyed a delicious, satisfying meal there one cool, late summer evening. 

Another afternoon stopped by  County Cidery, did a cheese tasting at Fifth Town Cheese, and treated ourselves to a stop at Vickis Veg  There's lots on offer from county breweries, distilleries, and roadside produce stands. 

Kingston

A fun excursion to the Sheepdog Trials at Grassy Creek Park, where we watched the border collies compete. We also saw sheep shearing, wool spinning and weaving. My favourite on the day was the raptor show, and seeing the Golden Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Red Tailed Hawk, Kestral, and Harrier.

Another day we ventured to the Great Lakes Museum to tour the S.S. Keewatin but didn't book ahead and all the tours for the day were sold out. Displays and exhibits were glimpses of cruise travel in the 1950's, and a look behind the scenes into Victorian-era dry dock engineering.

Wellington/Bloomfield

Drake at Devonshire was a fun day trip and a very tasty lunch. A great spot to watch the waves on a windy day. In addition to a stunning lakeview, there is an indoor games room with a backgammon table. For dessert we wandered the streets and enjoyed gelato.

Picton

The town of Picton i close by for essentials, where we provisioned at the local supermarkets and LCBO. Ralph's Meat Market vacuum packs on request, which helped us keep things fresher longer in our cooler. Picton Laundry Co. is next to groceries and clean, with commercial grade machines, so we could do several loads at once and save both time and loonies on the chore.

When the car started making grinding noises, we were able to make an appointment with mechanics at Canadian Tire. While it was being serviced, I checked out the little shops and boutiques... my favourite store was Books and Company, where I spent a couple hours reading and browsing shelves. A late lunch at 555 Brewing offered tasty wood-fired pizzas and craft beer.  

And two unscheduled visits to the hospital emergency room! Both visits to Picton General Hospital were for medical issues arising, and because the town had no walk-in clinics, we visited urgent care at the hospital. After quick triage and prompt medical attention, we were soon on our way with prescriptions that were easy to fill at the pharmacy.