When I’m away on vacation I often ask restaurant wait staff, shopkeepers or hotel concierge for ideas about fun and unique things to do in their local area. Sometimes I get the “everywhere is awesome” type response, which is nice to say, but not really all that helpful. Other times I get a blank stare, or the “Umm, I’m not sure” scapegoat answer. They’re not all that much good, either.

I love it when I get real, heartfelt recommendations from customer service reps that not only know about a certain place, but have been there before and are passionate about recommending it to anyone that will listen.

By seeing something in-person, it makes it much easier to suggest it to visitors looking for things to see and do. That’s why last week we took a keen group of lodging providers, store owners and restaurant staff on a bus tour to see first-hand some of the amazing attractions right here in Lennox & Addington.

The whirlwind, 4-hour trip took us to a variety of new and existing farm-based experiences, microbreweries, museums, historic sites and wineries.

We began our jam-packed day by visiting the Museum of Lennox & Addington in Napanee where Amber & Kim from the museum spoke about current and upcoming exhibits, programming, and details about what’s coming to the Macpherson House this summer. There are some exciting things happening at both locations as we return to a regular event schedule after a two-year hiatus.

From there, we headed south to Hickory Lane Alpacas to spend some time in the barnyard. Tour attendees really enjoyed feeding the alpacas, petting the pigs and learning about life on the farm from owners Mike Coles & Ashley Braun. They also learned about some of the fun plans they have in store this year, including the Hundred Mile Homestead Festival coming on June 25th & 26th.

Our next stop was MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company in Bath. Alastair and Dan greeted everyone, talked about the history of the operation, gave details about upcoming music events and, of course, provided samples of some of their delicious beverages. Needless to say it was a popular stop, and it was a bit difficult to get everyone back on the bus.

Next up was the grounds of the Fairfield-Gutzeit House in Bath. We heard from Loyalist Township staff about the re-opening of the historic house, the Bath Museum, and some of the other fun events and activities scheduled to take place in the township this summer.

We then headed west down the Loyalist Parkway to a yet-to-be-opened tourist attraction that is sure to be popular this summer and for many summers to come. Sarah Wynn from Wynn Farms provided an overview of their brand new pick-your-own flower experience coming to their new property just east of Adolphustown. Fields will be filled with sunflowers and wildflowers beginning in mid-July.

Rather than showing you a recently plowed and planted farm field, below we’ve included a glimpse of what you can expect with this photo of Sarah taken last year during a test-run of plantings. It’s going to be such an fun & immersive experience!

Our lunch stop was at Bergeron Estate Winery & Cider Company. While indulging in some tastings and gourmet pizza under his newly-built pergola, owner David Bergeron spoke in detail about his production, summer plans and some exciting news about additional wineries opening soon here in Lennox & Addington.

Lastly, we met with Phil Wilson at Old Hay Bay Church. Phil provided an entertaining overview of the history of the property and more details about what’s upcoming at the church this season.

We know that there are many more tourism attractions here in Lennox & Addington than what was visited during the tour. During the travel times we spoke in depth about other great places to visit, and we’re confident that everyone that took part is now better prepared to provide suggestions to their customers this summer.

If you’re a business owner (or a resident or visitor for that matter) and would like to learn more about tourist locations within Lennox & Addington’s boundaries, we encourage you to take a deep dive into our www.NaturallyLA.ca/explore website. We’ve done our best to include as many great options as possible for our local area.

We’re also happy to speak one-on-one with you about this topic. Contact us, Naturally L&A staff are happy to chat anytime.