It’s not easy to find a spot that can accommodate 10 people at the very least, but a friend of mine offered us Bear Trap Lodge in Elgin and it was just perfect for us! The great thing about Elgin is that it’s only 45 minutes from Cape Town and it has lots to eat and drink!
I arrived at the accommodation early on Friday afternoon and spent about 45 minutes trying to make a fire. Eventually it lit and I could start on the veggie soup that I had planned for dinner. The fire lasted about 10 minutes before sputtering and dying, so I opened a bottle of wine instead.
Friends started arriving, a proper fire was built and the night could commence. There was lots of wine drinking and eating and it was so nice. I’d stopped at Peregrine Farm Stall on the way for fresh farm bread, butter and cheese, and we dipped hot grilled cheese sandwiches into our thick veggie soup and it was so wintry and wonderful.
The next day we went wine tasting at South Hill, where there was a huge fire (much, much better than mine) and as the rain bucketed down outside, we tasted their delicious wines and worked up an appetite for lunch. We ended up leaving with a couple of bottles of wine each.
Brinny Breezes at Old Mac Daddy was our next stop, where we sat down to local craft beer, local wine and country-style cooking. If you’ve never been to Old Mac Daddy before, I urge you to book your next weekend away there. They have a trailer park of old Airstream trailers, which they’ve refurbished and each one is different. Check out their website, www.oldmacdaddy.co.za for pictures and details on the 11 different trailers.
The food at Brinny Breezes is really good and we ate and drank and had a really great time. Then we headed back to Bear Trap for more fire and some more food (!) and some guitar playing by my friends Lauren and Gene.
Sunday morning was for a late lie-in before a cider tasting at craft cider makers, Eversons. You might know the Everson clan from their stand at the Old Biscuit Mill, where you can see me most Saturdays that I’m in Cape Town. On their property in Elgin they offer tastings for R60 per person, which they waive if you purchase any of their goods. Which you are guaranteed to do.
If you’re in the Elgin area, I suggest you try out these places:
STAY
If you’re on a romies weekend away, Old Mac Daddy is the place to be. Nothing says romance like a one-of-a-kind Airstream trailer on a beautiful farm. If you’re in a group, Bear Trap Lodge is ideal. It sleeps 10 and has two bathrooms, a fire place in the lounge and a kitchen that’s stocked with everything you need to cook at home. Check out their website for more details: www.beartraplodge.co.za
SEE
Visit Oak Valley, South Hill, Winters Drift (at the railway) and Charles Fox for wine tastings. I ended up leaving Elgin with 6 bottles of wine! Also make an appointment to visit the Eversons for a tasting and a cider shopping spree. Stop at Peregrine Farm Stall for fresh country produce including butter, cheese, milk, good coffee and freshly baked bread. They also have a huge selection of jams and preserves (my kryptonite!)
EAT
I ordered a baked cheesecake from Dre at Platform 1 Eatery and it was flipping amazing. Eat at Brinny Breezes and Platform 1 for long wine-fuelled lunches and delicious food. South Hill does food too, but we didn’t eat there since we’d already booked at Old Mac Daddy.
If you’ve got any more questions about Elgin, feel free to comment below.
One comment
Lol you missed the beauty salon and hairdresser just across the road in the historic building, Jailhouse Square. Dates back to 1877 (property) after that it became the old polise station and temporary holding cells, as Bear Trap was the old post office way back in time. Hope to seeyou next time for a nice facial