Review: Pelee Island Winery, Pelee Island

I actually thought that Pelee Island consists of multiple wineries, much like the wineries surrounding Niagara on the Lake region so I was a bit surprised to learn that there is only ONE winery in Pelee Island, THE Pelee Island Winery.

We signed up for the winery tour, which was about 40 minutes, and consisted of a quick tour of a few sample grape wines and a very boring and very old video played in a small TV screen (I'm not embarrassed to say I took a nap).  The tour was still worth it, because for $5, you get about 4-5 wine samples.  

What I find most interesting (and makes the least amount of sense from a sustainability perspective), is that the wines are not bottled in Pelee Island. Which means that the grapes are gathered on the island, then shipped to the main shore for processing and bottling, and then back to the island where visitors can purchase it, only to then bring it back to the main shore.  Not very economical from a fuel perspective, eh?

Summary

• Bottom Line: nice winery tour and wine tasting.  A must see if you are visiting the island.
• Score: 4/5

Related Posts

• Southwestern Ontario Guide
• Pelee Island Camping Trip Report

Review: Sweets @ Pelee Island Coneheads

Located within walking distance of the port, Pelee Island Coneheads is a great stop by area for ice cream in a hot day while waiting to board the ferry.  The ice cream is pretty good too! 

Summary

• Bottom Line: great place for ice cream before boarding the Pelee Island Ferry.
• Score: 4/5

Related Posts

• Southwestern Ontario (Pelee Island - Leamington)
• Pelee Island Camping Trip Report

Northern Ontario

Interesting Facts on Northern Ontario

• BIG region with a tiny population.
• A region where you can find incredible unspoiled wilderness.
• Place to go for canoeing, fish in, hiking, waterfalls, and canopy tours.
• Famous for the Lumberjack Heritage Festival in Kapuskasing in July.

Eastern Ontario & Ottawa Region

Fun Facts on Eastern Ontario & Ottawa

• Known for its water, history, food & wine.
• Its Loyalist, French Canadian, Irish & Scottish roots make it a great place to discover the past.
• Includes numerous lakes, canals, rivers, rocky bays & sandy beaches.
• Ottawa is Canada's capital.
• Ottawa is known for its museums, galleries, festivals, the Rideau Canal, and the Changing of the Guard ceremony.

Central Ontario

Interesting Facts on Central Ontario region

• Region ranges from populated cities to barren Canadian Shield rock, with stunning lakes and rivers.  
• Some of the more popular areas include "Cottage Country", "Muskoka", and the "Kawarthas".  
• Known for its quaint towns and gorgeous scenery
• Muskoka was named one of National Geographic's "Top 20 Must-See World Destinations"
• The famous Blue Mountains is part of this region.

(source: tourism Ontario)

Barrie

• Lunch @ Grilled Cheese Social Eatery (4.5/5)

Muskoka

• Cottage @ Go Home Lake

Review: East Park Campground, Pelee Island

East Park Campground is a car camping site for those visiting Pelee Island.  The rates are extremely reasonable ($20/ site per night), and they have clean shower and washroom facilities available.  Firewood can be purchased at the site.

The only problem is we came during the mufflehead season, and they are literally, EVERYWHERE.  There are at least 100 of them on our car at any given time, and although they do not bite, they are a big nuisance.

Still, we had a fairly good camping experience.  There is not much by way of a scenery, but it is a fun camping trip none-the-less, and WAY cheaper than staying at a B&B.

My only advice?  Just don't go to Pelee Island during mufflehead season. They are SO. ANNOYING.

You can find out of the mufflehead season has started/ ended by visiting the MayFly News website here.

Summary

• The Bottom Line: Economical way to spend the night at Pelee Island.
• Score: 6.5/10
• 1.5/5 for experience - mufflehead invasion
• 5/5 for the cheapest way to spend a night at the island

Related Posts

• Southwest Ontario
• Pelee Island Camping Trip Report

Review: Pelee Island Ferry, Leamington

We took the ferry from Leamington to Pelee Island.  Because we have a car, reservations had to be made in advance.  We arrived at the dock early (since we've never made this trip before and didn't know what to expect).  Once the gate opened, there is a waiting area where cars can line up in order.

The ferry was on time.  Because we have the smaller ship, our cars were driven in and parked by the attendants.  It was a rather cold and rainy day, so everyone was hanging out inside and not at the top deck, which was both windy and wet.  However, pets were not allowed inside, so I feel bad for dog owners, since they are stuck with the blowing wind at the upper deck.

The ride itself was fantastic.  The ferry is a slow moving ferry, but the scenery is gorgeous and I enjoyed the experience.

Summary

• The Bottom Line: great experience
• Score: 9/10
• 4/5 for experience
• 5/5 for value 

Review: Best Western Plus, Leamington

What a pleasant surprise!  We stayed at the Best Western Plus for 1 night on our trip from Toronto to Pelee Island.

Leamington is about a 4 hour drive west of Toronto.  We arrived at the hotel late at night, with a 11am ferry ride booked the following day.

The hotel is newly renovated (it used to be called Pelee Island Motor Inn before being bought out by Best Western), and the beds are so comfortable.  There is a HUGE indoor activity area, with swimming pool with slides, badminton courts, pingpong table, pool tables, and a large "jungle gym" for kids.  I can envision this hotel to be a popular destination for family vacationers once renovations have been completed.

Summary

• The Bottom Line: comfortable stay
• Score: 8/10
• 4/5 for comfort
• 4/5 for value
• Address: 566 Bevel Line Rd, Rr1, Leamington

Related Posts

• Southwest Ontario
• Pelee Island Camping Trip Report

 

Review: Dinner @ Ben Thanh Viet Thai Restaurant, Cambridge

!Malaysian Seafood Laksa Rice Noodle Soup - recommended

We stopped at Ben Thanh for a quick bite on our way back from Pelee Island to Toronto.  The restaurant itself is nicely decorated, however, the service was terrible.  Even though the restaurant was empty (there were only 3 tables with customers), we were rudely told that we had to wait for 5-10 mins before we can be seated. Maybe it was because the servers were on break?  Still, they could just have sat us down instead of having us wait for a table in an empty restaurant…. besides, it wasn't as much about the wait as the hostess' attitude.  Perhaps we caught her on a bad day.

Other than the bad service, the food itself was decent. I particularly enjoyed the Malaysian Seafood Laksa Rice Noodle Soup, which has just the right amount of delicious spiciness.  I'll probably come back again if I'm in the neighbourhood.

What we ordered

• 5/5 delicious goodness
• Malaysian Seafood Laksa Rice Noodle Soup
• 4/5 good - can hold its own
• Thai fried Spring Rolls
• 3/5 average
• Beef rice noodle soup

Summary

• The Bottom Line: order the Malaysian Laksa Rice Noodle Soup, and don't expect much in the way of service.
• Score: 4/5
• Address: 10 Pinebush Road, Cambridge.

Fried spring rolls - recommended

Review: Escape Room @ Mystery Room Downsview - Doctor Nightmare

There are some businesses that exist because the owners wants to share their passion, and then there are those that operate because they want to make a quick buck.  Unfortunately, Mystery Room Downsview is the latter.  

This is my sixth escape room adventure.  We got the groupon for four, and made the reservation for Doctor Nightmare.  What really got to me more than anything else is the lack of attention to detail in the rooms.  Yes, this is a mult-room escape, but bigger isn't always better.  The rooms are worn out and in much disarray that I almost didn't cared about the puzzles.  To make matters worse, the rooms are located within a warehouse with a high ceiling, so the whole time we can hear the group next to us chat, since they didn't bother to tile the ceilings (all they did was put up some dry walls and add in doors), like an open maze.

Did we manage to escape?  Yes, with 8 minutes left on the clock.  Would I come back to play in another room?  Nope.

Summary

• The Bottom Line: Not impressed.
• Score: 3/5
• Address: 1140 Sheppard Avenue West (Sheppard & Allen), Toronto 

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• Review: Top Escape Games Rankings