Recently I’ve been hearing a lot about Prince Edward County and how it was THE place to check out during the warmer months. But I’ve also heard a lot about their wineries and wine tours; and because I don’t drink, I had kind of scratched it off my list. Since becoming a mom, baby and toddler friendly places always catch my attention. I have always loved to travel and check out new places but with a little human along for a ride, traveling can be tricky! I’m here to let you know that Prince Edward County with a toddler is completely doable! More than that…I hope to go back at least one more time before the warmer weather ends!

{Prince Edward County With A Toddler}

Just a note, I didn’t visit any wineries while I was there since, as I mentioned above, I don’t drink! BUT I have been told by a few friends that the wineries were actually quite baby and kid friendly so you may want to call ahead ask when you’re booking your tour what might be onsite for kids.

Picking Your Travel Partners

This is always key to traveling with friends but even more so when you’re bringing kids along. It’s an art to find JUST the right travel companions even as adults. Throw kids in the mix and it’s a whole different dynamic. T and I decided to do a “mom and son” trip with my girlfriend Alexandria Fox (founder of Mamas & Minis) and her son E. E is a few months younger than T and we weren’t exactly sure how it would all go down. They’d been around each other since they were both only a few months old and our parenting styles are similar so we decided to go for it.

Here are some things to think about when picking your travel partners:

Adults without kids:

• Are they willing to go by the little ones’ schedule
• Are they okay calling it a night at 6:30pm or are willing to go out on their own
• Long drives may be neccessary to get a good nap in – someone who gets carsick easily or needs to make frequent stops may not be the ideal travel buddy
• Make sure they have a lot of patience!

Adults with Kids

•  When kids are on a similar schedule it can make things go more smoothly. Of course this can’t always be helped but it’s something to keep in mind.
• Similar parenting style is pretty important. For example, if you’re ok with screen time and your travel partner isn’t, you may need to limit it or keep it away from the other child.

Child Friendly Accommodations

There are many amazing places to choose from when staying in Prince Edward County with a toddler. Obviously you’ll want to pick something that’s child friendly, but keep location to sites you want to see in mind too. Some points you may want to consider:

• Is there anything to walk to close by
• Are there any parks
• What time do the restaurants on site open (kids tend to eat at non peak hours).
• Is there a separate area for adults to hang out in after the kids have gone to sleep
• Do you want a shared space with your travel partners or a completely separate room
• Do you want to have the freedom to cook
• Is there a refrigerator  to store milk/formula/snacks etc for the kids
• Are there stairs / fireplaces / sharp furniture etc.

We ended up booking a house off of Airbnb that was ALMOST perfect for us. There were a set of stairs in the middle of the house right through the main hallway so I wish we had brought a tension baby gate; however we were able to improvise with items we found in the basement (piece of drywall and a chair on its side). Each family had their own bedroom and there was even a whole extra room in a finished basement. This is where the moms spent time catching up and watching movies while the kids were in bed!

Check Out Trendy Restaurants

Just because you’re travelling with kids, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the trendiest spots in PEC. On our first night there we decided to book a table at the popular Drake Devonshire which was a 15 minute drive away from our place. The good thing about dining with young kids in tow is that generally they eat much earlier than the dinner rush. The restaurant was almost empty when we arrived and started filling up just as we were paying the bill so it was perfect timing for us!

While the Drake Devonshire doesn’t have a set kids menu, our server was able to provide a list of options for us. T is thankfully a pretty good eater so he just ate what I ate…he actually finished HALF my dinner!

The views from the Drake are spectacular. The serene lake view is definitely worth the trip. In case you’re wondering we had the Drake Fries fancied up and the Prinzen chicken 🙂

If you’re even in the area of Prince Edward County with a toddler you’ll absolutely want to stop at the Drake!

Visit Sandbanks Beach

Sandbanks Beach is a MUST! Our Airbnb host generously provided a pass to visit Sandbanks so we didn’t have to worry about paying the entrance fee. This helped since we knew that with two kids in tow a whole day at the beach wasn’t possible! Also, it was still quite chilly and not even CLOSE to beach weather when we went.

Which is why I was completely unprepared. I didn’t think T would want to swim and as I said it was COLD! We were both in layers including sweaters…but of course he wanted to jump right in!! I had NO swim clothes with us…I ended up just stripping him down to his diapers and letting him go for it.

I cringed when I felt the temperature of the water but he had the BEST time! I even had to towel him dry with my sweater…that’s how unprepared I was! But it turned out to be an amazing trip there. So…don’t be like me…always come prepared for the beach!

Check out the local farms

As with most young toddlers, our two passengers still needed naps. When you’re on vacation it can be hard to get a solid 2 hour nap in so you have to just go with the flow. Exploring PEC and the area by car is actually perfect for nap time! We spent the afternoon just driving and looking at all the views and stopping into some local farms to pick up fresh produce for dinner. Having at least 2 adults is ideal so one can stay in the car with the kids while the other picks up the produce and takes photos 😉 Stroller naps are also an option too. A winery tour might be the ideal place for naps and some adult time. Think a little outside the box and Prince Edward County with a toddler is an amazing experience!

Make A Stop At The Big Apple

If you’re coming from the Toronto area then you’ll be passing by The Big Apple both on your way to PEC and back. I recommend making a stop there both ways for a (bathroom) break and for some meals before hopping back into the car for what will hopefully be a nap!

They have delicious foods (many with apple as the star ingredient of course) and there’s also a little farm to occupy the kids! I saw a train of sorts while we were there but I believe it only runs on the weekends.  Breaking up the drive to and from Prince Edward County with a toddler is key to minimizing any meltdowns and The Big Apple is an ideal and fun place to rest.

I will definitely be going back to Prince Edward County with T; we had a blast! The next time we go I’ll be even more comfortable with the drive and the area so I’m sure we’ll enjoy ourselves even more.

Have you done Prince Edward County with a toddler before? I’d love to hear about your experiences and what we should check out next time we go!