On May 31 we arrived at the Country View RV Campground for a 3 day RV rally. It's a nice campground with a little lake for fishing and a golf driving range. On the day we arrived it was 86 and HUMID with no breeze at all! Fortunately the weather returned to normal for the rest of our stay with highs in the 70's.
On Friday June 1 we all boarded a bus for a whole day of activities. First up was a tour of Munro Honey and Meadery in Alvinston. Mead, or honey wine, is possibly the oldest alcoholic beverage known to mankind. Monro Honey produces a wide variety of food products and some award winning honey wine. After an interesting presentation on beekeeping we toured the facility then enjoyed a tasting of the wines and some flavored honey. We came home with a jar of delicious honey butter.
Munro Honey has about 2,500 bee colonies. In the summer each colony can have 100,000 bees.
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| Hard to see but she's pointing out the queen bee which she had marked with a pink marker |
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| The Meadery |
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| Some bee facts... |
Next, it was time for a tour and tasting at Dark Horse Estate Winery in Grand Bend, Ontario. They are a relatively new winery. Their grape vines were planted in 2015 and are just now coming into production. They have been buying grapes from vineyards around Niagara Falls to make their wines. They have a beautiful facility and grounds. They are a popular venue for weddings and other events.
Back on the bus for our next destination--Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House in Thedford. In 1966 Joe and Alma Vansteenkiste purchased the 100 acre property and in 1970 Joe planted his first apple trees. Today they make hard cider and apple wine. Alma still tends the gardens and makes the pies that available in the gift shop. The apple cranberry pie was delicious!
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| Crates and crates of apples! |
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| The apple pressing room. In the box is what is leftover after pressing which they use as mulch in the orchard. |
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| Some of the orchards |
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| The gardens were lovely and peaceful. |
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On to our last stop of the day--Alton Farms in Plympton-Wyoming, Ontario. Established in 2005, they now hand craft 13 to 17 different wines each year. They use sustainable practices in the vineyards and the winery to use as few chemicals as possible. They even have goats to eat the weeds! When we arrived the weather had turned chilly and windy. Dinner was served outside and in spite of the chill, it was delicious. After dinner we enjoyed a tasting and a tour of the facility.
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| Fog moving in off Lake Huron |
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