For over 18 years, my best friend and I have shared a unique tradition. Our birthdays happen to be six months apart from each other, which makes our celebrating a two-for-one special.

Rather than giving gifts, we prefer to seek adventure — specifically with the exploration of food in mind. We always have fun and love the opportunity to reconnect, relax and recharge.

We booked a cute Airbnb in the charming town of Port Hope and casually drove down Highway 28. Along the way, we spotted the sparkling water of Rice Lake and we saw many picturesque farms with horses, cows and even sheep.

A spread on display with goods from Stapleton’s and Happenstance.

As we were getting closer to our destination, we noticed a large field full of pumpkins and a sign that said that Stapleton’s Farm Market was open. With thoughts of pumpkin carving in mind, we got out and began to adventure through the pumpkin bins as we watched a family giggling through the pumpkin patch and did not want to spoil their fun.

Originally, our plans were to try a few of the local restaurants until we noticed that the farm stand had fresh produce, baked goods, meats and cheeses. We couldn’t resist and after walking around the store twice, we found a beautiful assortment of items that piqued our interest, including red pepper jelly, a steak and mushroom meat pie, a chicken à la king pie, a jar of dill pickles, fingerling potatoes and two little pumpkins for us to carve.

As we were headed back to the car, we stopped for a moment to enjoy the fall-inspired floral bundles available at the cash register. I have always held a deep appreciation for the hard work and dedication of farmers. My father-in-law owns an organic farm in the Woodville area and he is always sharing stories about his labour of love and the vital role farmers play in our community.

He has given my family and I the opportunity to assist him on many occasions, so I understand the blood, sweat and tears of farming. For this reason, I try to make a point to support farm stands whenever I can. We are so fortunate to have many farmer’s markets in the area, making it easy for a one-time stop. Somehow, everything you buy from a farm stand just tastes better.

After settling into our Airbnb, we began to prepare dinner by washing all of the produce, cutting and seasoning the potatoes while putting the meat pies in the oven and corn stalks in a big pot of boiling water. While everything was cooking, we assembled a beautiful charcuterie board full of pickles, cheese, fruits, chocolates and crackers.

Once dinner was made, we sat down at the table and enjoyed the food while continuing the conversation. After, we put on one of our favourite Halloween classics, “Practical Magic,” and began carving our pumpkins.

It was fun and messy, but eventually we got our pumpkins just right and placed fake candles in them for added ambience. We made the right decision by enjoying the evening indoors.

Roby Rose resting at Toe Beans Cat Cafe.

The next morning, we were excited because we had a very important meeting scheduled to volunteer to spend our time with the cats in need of adoption at Toe Beans Cat Cafe. Their team has done an excellent job at ensuring that the place is clean, cosy and inviting.

Upon arrival, we ordered a caramel apple latte and a hazelnut mocha before we got to work. After a few rules, we explored the café to find the perfect cuddly friend. The problem was that there were so many and that every time we attempted to take a sip of our hot beverage, a cat would wander over to investigate the person in their presence.

After our appointment ended, we went to the Pet Valu conveniently next door and purchased some donations for the cats. Toe Beans will graciously accept financial donations, pet food or supplies. They have a little gift shop with food available with all proceeds directly supporting their mission.

The shepherd’s pie from Happenstance.

On our way back to our Airbnb, we stumbled upon a bakery. This is something that happens frequently. Coincidentally, this one was called Happenstance, which felt more like a sign. It was later in the day, so most of the fresh items had already been sold. However, to our delight, we found a frozen shepherd’s pie that we just could not resist.

With All Hallows’ Eve upon us, we were fortunate to tour around the historic buildings that were seasonally decorated. We even came across some of the famous “IT” movie filming locations.

Two mochaccinos from Milly’s Market.

Port Hope is a beautiful place to visit. We watched the salmon flowing down the river and many eager fishermen were standing along the rocky shores waiting for their catch. We stopped in at Milly’s Market to grab a mochaccino for the walk and decided to head to the beach.

The sun was setting, adding a golden light to the breezy autumn day. We watched as the waves crashed and the birds were flying into the waves that were perfectly rippling into the sandy shore. This was a moment we will remember, I thought, as we watched some seniors laughing together while playing bocce ball in the distance.

Reluctant to leave, we sat at a park bench for over an hour before we walked back to our Airbnb. On our way by, we noted some restaurants to try in the future. Our shepherd’s pie was waiting for us.

If you are looking for a day trip just outside of Peterborough, I highly recommend driving to Port Hope. Enjoy.

© Peterborough Examiner