The County Looks Different from Here

Marie recommends making The Eddie your home base, a beautiful nineteenth-century heritage property set on 78 acres between Wellington and Bloomfield, where the landmark red barn is almost as much of an attraction as the house itself.

And there's a lot happening beyond the gorgeous guest rooms. The barn hosts one of the County's biggest holiday markets, with more than 75 artisans, festive food and mulled wine. Come deeper into winter and you might find yourself enjoying French onion soup and bubbling cheese fondue by the fire instead.

Marie is especially enthusiastic about breakfast, which she says is “hard to beat.” A persuasive reason to stay the night.

Most visitors know Sandbanks for its golden beaches, undulating dunes and borderline oceanic blue water, but Marie recommends seeing Dunes Beach under snow.

Along the shores of West Lake, the beach becomes a broad, windswept expanse, the water shifting between shades of steel and blue. Beyond it, the dunes rise in sculptural curves, their contours changing with the light and weather.

The photographic potential is endless, but to actually be there is totally breathtaking.

After the much-lauded breakfast at The Eddie, we're heading east to Three Dog Winery, through The County's rural heart.

Marie appreciates what happens between destinations, and in winter, the landscape is particularly photogenic. The muted palette, serene countryside and expanses of snow frame every structure, natural and man-made. Everything is a portrait.

Keep your camera handy and give yourself permission to stop somewhere safe when something catches your eye. In The County, the destination is only half the picture.

Now, stretch your legs and strap on snowshoes.

At Three Dog Winery, Marie recommends a guided adventure through the vineyards, surrounding cedar and pine forest and, of course, sugar bush.

The outing takes visitors well beyond the tasting room, with a stop at the sugar shack for a maple-laden warm up around a fire before returning for wine and something to eat. It's a distinctly County interpretation of a winter workout.

Marie's preferred finale is Wander the Spa, where the day's exertions give way to the considerably more civilized pleasures of Nordic-inspired relaxation. Think: sauna, warm water, cold plunges and a well-earned opportunity to wind down from the adventure.

The resort is also home to Gather restaurant and a calendar of seasonal experiences. Holiday programming includes the Winter Wanderland market, with local makers, food and fireside music, along with creative workshops led by celebrity gardening expert Carson Arthur, featuring wreaths, planters and festive arrangements, with wine and cheese to encourage the creative process.

Between the thermal spa, good food and a little creative indulgence, Wander always makes a compelling case for extending the afternoon well into the evening.