Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/112499
weekender COBBLE HILL, B.C. the getaway Squirrelled away amidst a rolling patchwork of meadows in Vancouver Island���s Cowichan Valley is tiny Cobble Hill. Once a community hub for the region���s first pioneers, the treeshaded hamlet catered to farming families such as the Camerons and Taggarts as they trundled in for bank visits, post office chores and essential supplies at The Market. The chatter-filled general store also doubled as the local nightspot, thanks to the added bonus of an upstairs dance floor. A century on, many iconic timber-framed buildings are still standing in this backcountry enclave where farming remains firmly rooted, though today the focus is on culinary specialties rather than kitchen staples. Just a leisurely 50-km drive north of Victoria via Highway 1, the valley���s autumn-gold fields are now checkered with visitor-friendly vineyards and quirky boutique farms featuring celebrated offerings, from fragrant lavender to organic chocolates. All of which is keeping Cobble Hill at the heart of the island���s slow-food-and-drink trail. the hideaway A handsomely gabled retreat with an unbroken soundtrack of birdsong and rustling cedar trees, Ambraden Pond is a standout among Cowichan B&Bs. Owned by Joan and Chris Kolk, the magazine-perfect inn overlooks a tranquil expanse of water featuring catchand-release trout fishing, with guests wel(top) Ambraden Pond, (inset) Merridale Ciderworks p16-17_Wknder.indd 17 comed by the ever-sociable Lulu, a rarebreed Irish water spaniel. Accommodation includes two immaculate, contemporary suites in the main building, where the mostly organic breakfasts ��� cr��me br��l��e French toast recommended ��� are served pond-side. Alternatively, Ambraden���s secluded cottage-style coach house is ideal for privacy-loving self-caterers. From $150/ night. 250-743-2562; ambraden pond.com the inside track Juice plus: Nearby Merridale Ciderworks (see inset), where the ���replace-warmed bistro���s seven house-made ciders ��� plus a new, ���zzy, fruit vodka ��� trigger repeated merriment (merridalecider. com). Sweet elixir: Cherry Point Estate���s blackberry dessert wine is a rich, intense tipple ��� the perfect souvenir (cherrypointestatewines.com). Most idyllic farmscape panorama: Just one of the rewards of a day-hike-with-picnic on Cobble Hill Mountain; Kinsol Trestle Trail offers a loftier alternative (kinsol.ca ). Sugar rush: The chunky, dark-chocolate bars of Organic Fair Farm; particularly its hazelnut-andblueberry Westcoaster (organicfair. com). Coolest local art: The dreamy, almost pre-Raphaelite figures Harriet Hiemestra paints on her Cobble Hill Pottery ceramics (harriethiemstra.com). Reap purple: A guided tour of Damali Lavender Farm���s sweet-scented slopes, with takeaway handmade essential oils (damali.ca). Winery nosh: Amuse Bistro at the buccolic Unsworth Vineyards, for local gourmet offerings such as nettle soup, Quist Farm beef and house-smoked Sooke trout (amuseonthevineyard.com). ���John Lee WESTWORLD >> FA L L 2 0 1 2 17 12-08-17 1:44 PM