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One of the best bed and breakfasts in Simcoe near Port Dover Ontario,
as recommended by Janette Higgins.
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St John's Bed and Breakfast
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Lucy and Steve Woloszyn
1778 Saint Johns Road W
Simcoe, ON
Canada, N3Y 4K1
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| Phone: 519 426 2949 |
| A well-to-do socialite from Detroit built this French-inspired house and now it's home to a lovely B&B. |
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Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
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Note 1 to reader: Every Ontario bed and breakfast receives my consideration. I’m incognito, pay where I stay and review the top 5%. Here’s a Simcoe bed and breakfast I recommend near Port Dover and Turkey Point. Janette Higgins
You often get to meet some fascinating folk when you stay at a bed and breakfast. At St John’s Bed and Breakfast in rural Simcoe about 10 minutes equidistant from either Port Dover or Turkey Point Provincial Park I met Lucy and Steve Woloszyn. Steve was the one who got me settled when I arrived and Lucy, with her soft demeanour and engaging smile, welcomed me when I came back after dinner.
It wasn’t apparent right away what was interesting about this duo.That’s probably because I didn’t chat with them much that evening. However, I did spend time in the upstairs guest lounge with its TV, refreshment pantry and walls of books. Intrigued by a casual glimpse of some of the titles I began to explore in greater depth. It’s a fascinating collection of tomes related to music (jazz, rock and roll, musical theatre), history and politics all neatly organized and displayed. It turns out that the interests reflected in that collection were what brought Lucy and Steve together a few years ago via the internet. Steve collects vinyl records, sheet music and phonographs along with the books I’d seen on music and other topics. And one of Lucy’s passions is musical theatre -- in fact she offers her guests packages with Port Dover's Lighthouse Theatre.
Steve and Lucy bought this 1970s house in 2005 and have been renovating it since for bed and breakfast. The house is second empire style, unusual for Ontario. That’s because it was built by the wife of a local tobacco farmer and, it turns out, this style is common where she grew up in one of Detroit's tonier enclaves. On the main floor there’s a rich red dining room and comfortable guest living room with a century-old grand piano. There’s also a new deck and pond out back where Steve sometimes builds a campfire and strums a few tunes on his guitar. Upstairs, the three rooms offer double, queen or king beds. At the moment, all share a bathroom though there is a powder room downstairs. Two rooms are across the hall from the bathroom and the larger king bedded (or twin) room is off the lounge and, good news, slated for an en suite soon. In the meantime, midweek, private use of the bathroom can be had for a modest upcharge.
For breakfast I had a euro-style first course; rosemary ham, herbed havarti, hard boiled egg, and tomatoes with basil. Then Lucy arrived bearing a crispy sour cream waffle with blueberries and banana and maple syrup on the side. As we chatted, and particularly as I savoured the exceptional waffle, it became apparent that Lucy’s other passion is cooking. So I asked for an example of what I might have another time. She described a strata with ham, rapini and asparagus served with homemade fennel sausage that has me hankering to go back.
Addendum: Lucy tells me there's now an excellent restaurant within half an hour that specializes in local foods served up with a twist. Since over 80% of Ontario's food is grown in this area there's lots to choose from. And though most wineries are found further west along Lake Erie's moderate shore there's also a new winery nearby the B&B. No wonder the area has been designated by the Culinary Tourism Alliance as a world food destination.
Note 2 to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the hosts know you read my review of their bed and breakfast on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer
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St John's Bed and Breakfast, Simcoe near Port Dover, Ontario
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| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| E-mail: |
Click Here |
| Website: |
http://www.stjohnsbnb.com |
| Best to call: |
Anytime |
| Languages: |
English, Italian |
| Season: |
All Year |
| CDN $ Rates: |
S $85-95, D $95-115 (no taxes)
Weekdays: upgrade to private bath available for $15 |
Currency converter
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| Cards: |
Cash, Cheque, VISA, MC |
| Restrictions: |
Enquire about children; smoking outside only; no guests' pets |
| Facilities: |
3 rooms with shared full bath on 2nd floor and 2-piece on main floor; 1 double, 1 queen and 1 king/twin; central air; guest lounge area and guest living room; deck with pond shared with hosts; secure covered storage for bicycles and motorcycles |
| Parking: |
ample |
| Breakfast: |
full |
| In Residence: |
pet free so good for those with allergies |
| Location: |
St Johns Bed and Breakfast is near Simcoe on a rural road and equidistant (10 minutes) from Port Dover and Turkey Point Provincial Park. |
| Directions: |
From downtown Simcoe go approximately 4 kms south on Hwy 24. Turn right at Saint John's Road West (Regional Rd 3). Drive approximately 3 kms to #1778 on south side |
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