With my husband just three years from retirement and the kids mostly out of the house (we have just one remaining), we’ve recently begun giving some thought to where we might like to spend the next 20-30 years (or more…I’m an optimist 😉 ). I’m holding out for the country — or at least smaller town! — property I’ve always dreamed of, and hubby (bless his heart) is willing to explore the idea. With that in mind, we’ve started narrowing down our options by taking some day trips through Eastern Ontario.
Our criteria:
- within a two-hour drive of Ottawa (so we can be near any future grandkids 😉 )
- on or very near water
- large enough property for me to have a BIG garden, an orchard, and chickens (fresh eggs!!)
With those points in mind, we headed out on Monday of this week to have a look at the village of Westport, Ontario, located on Upper Rideau Lake. I’d heard wonderful things about the area and had wanted to visit it for years…and I’m pleased to say that it totally lived up to its reputation. Tidy, well-kept, picturesque, and brimming with the most amazing boutiques we’ve ever seen. My husband promptly dubbed the stores “Weasley shops” because no matter how small they look from the outside, they seem to go on forever once you step through the doors. He’d still be browsing if I hadn’t dragged him away!
I didn’t take as many photos as I intended to (I kept getting distracted!), but here’s a glimpse of our day for you. 🙂
As delightful as our day was in Westport, however, neither one of us was sold on the idea of retiring there. I’m all for being out of the city, but there was a feeling of remoteness to the place that I’m not sure I’d like to live with year round at this stage in my life (let’s not forget those future grandkids!). But while we may have crossed off the area from our moving-to list, we’ll definitely return for another visit so I can explore some of the trails…and so hubby can further explore the Weasley shops. 😉
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