Simcoe was made famous by Mumford and Sons’ gentleman’s tour a few years ago but other than that, Norfolk County is fairly unknown. They are that quiet friend that never talks about himself and then years later, you find out that they invented bit coin or something or single handedly cured Polio: humble but has so much to brag about. Norfolk County is that friend.
Hailed as Ontario’s garden on the South West coast, Norfolk is famous for its international export of Ginsing, hazelnuts, potatoes, pecans and more. The thing that I love most about this area are the people who live and work here. Most were born & bred in the area and many of those who left came back. Of all the many residents I met, the most common phrase I heard was, ‘There is something really special here [Norfolk County] and I wanted to be part of it.‘
From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, we felt like we were welcomed into a family. Every winery, brewhouse and restaurant would talk about how amazing the other one was. They supported each other instead of competing with one another, dedicated to the rise of Norfolk region and not just their particular business.
Friday night was spent glamping in a luxury tent with running water and sliding doors at Long Point Eco Adventures, a camp offering ziplining, mountain biking, kayaking, star gazing and more. The sunset was truly stunning, reds, purples and oranges painting the sky in long brush strokes. Fireflies sparkled in the surrounding woods adding a sense of romance to the already enchanting night sky. Sitting by our ‘tent’ with a bottle of Burning Kiln Reisling, we felt like we are in an untouchable, precious moment in time where nothing existed but us.
Saturday night brought us to the Lynedoch Lyceum, an old school house in Delhi, Ontario, repurposed into a B&B overflowing with character and history. Our hosts, Richard and Deb may be the nicest people in the world. After a tiring day of sampling food, wine and beer (tough life, I know), they made us feel at right at home as if we had been there many times before.
Lyndoch Lyceum was like coming home to visit your parents after being away at University for a semester: It was warm, relaxing and full of love.
This is a place to go for silence and serenity.
Over the next few weeks, we will feature the unique wineries, brew houses and restaurants that makes Norfolk County the perfect Ontario weekend destination.
This region is more than delicious food, friendly people and superb wine- Norfolk County is a charming and novel piece of our beautiful province.
