ROADTRIP TO MORDEN

When it comes to travel, I never think of exploring nearby. Usually it's trips to Vancouver or planning bucket list trips down the line. But in the summer of 2019, my mum and I discovered a nearby tiny town in the middle of nowhere that caught our adventure-seeking attention. So, we drove out to Morden, MB!

Our mini stop before Morden was Winkler, MB. The highways and roads to Winkler were sandwiched between acres of wheat and corn and the radio had chosen Life Is A Highway as our theme song - suspiciously fitting, eh?

When we drove into Winkler, we found mum's stop...Willow Creek Curated! A quaint little store with rustic shelves, vintage furniture, Rae Dunn-esque homey knick knacks and free caramels at the front counter. The shop owner's daughter had her own paintings of rabbits and llamas sitting on the shelves. 

The shop owner was very sweet and soft-spoken and even wrote down a list of local shops to check out when we told her we were new. So with her list, we drove to a local scrapbooking store, Love is in the Details. I found a combo pack of Star Wars stickers there so I was pretty happy. We also spotted a digital clock tower across the street and a Co-Op with an attached clothing store!

At this point we were pretty hungry so we decided to drive over to Morden and look for some food. Once in Morden, we found historic downtown on Stephen Street which I quickly discovered was my new favourite street in the entire world. In all honesty, I would move to Morden in a heartbeat if I was okay with living in the middle of wide open rolling hills. This street looks like it was ripped right out of a Hallmark movie - the buildings are old but the businesses are so charming. I'm absolutely inspired to write a story based out of Morden.

I knew I was about to fall in love with Morden when I spotted a little clock tower as we pulled up onto the street. I squealed so loudly I almost freaked out my mom. 

Our first stop was Olive Tree, a toy store and a café. The second I stepped inside, I knew this was the store for me. I love anything kid related from dinosaurs to puppets to Lego to plushes. This was the cutest store ever, the business I can absolutely see myself working at.

Crossing the street, we stumbled upon Pembina Hills Art Council (the clock tower building) which was displaying beautiful works of art - glossed cottagecore teapots, stained glass panes, wood carvings, etchings, etc. On the way out, I squealed with delight when I looked down and saw this:

Walking down the street we found mum's go-to shop, Pure Anada. Inside, we were greeted by shelves of deliciously-scented bath bombs, and a wide variety of natural makeup and hygiene products. I bought their natural deodorant that I now swear by. It smells fantastic and worked all day in the 30+ degree heat. I am very impressed. And not only that, but the store clerk was very down-to-earth and fashionable, like a modern day Tinkerbell.

Our next stop was...the drugstore! This Pharmasave felt like it was pulled from 2015 - it felt outdated in the most charming way. It didn't take me long to realize that Morden as a whole is very charming. I was especially happy when I found the shelf of Yankee Candles and saw the fall selection (I loooove smelling candles)~

Now at this point we were beyond hungry so we used Google Maps to find our recommended lunch pit stop, only to find out that it was five seconds away from where we were! Everything in Morden is in super close range which was super convenient.

And when we pulled up to the restaurant...and that was when I fell in love.

Bella's Castle - a tea room bed and breakfast restaurant - is pulled right out of a fairytale. The building itself is an adorable stone mansion dating all the way back to 1902! The interior looks like it came right out of the old Victorian era with its tall glass windows, vintage motifs and old floral furniture. The floorboards creak and the stairs are draped in red velvet carpet. This place clearly had a story to tell. We were able to view the available rooms upstairs and the shared bathroom was absolutely stellar. Marble floors, pearl-tinted bathtub, stainless shower, it was beautiful.

Bella's Castle is a perfect clash of fairytale abode, Victorian mansion, and witch's cottage. With all 3 of these aesthetics in mind, you experience a meal and business that is magically charming. We sat on the outdoor patio for lunch and this specific area definitely felt like a fairytale and witchy paradise. The huts, tables and chairs all looked like they could've been pulled from a Swiss fable. As we looked around, we couldn't help but notice critters everywhere - mostly crows, chickadees, squirrels and butterflies. It was like Snow White was running the place.

I also want to mention the staff - the waitresses at Bella's are absolutely beautiful and kind women. They were all so soft spoken and helpful, eager for us to explore the rest of Bella's Castle and Morden. Shoutout to Lily who drew an adorable chalk dinosaur and gave us tips for our road trip.

Even the menu is adorable - look at those illustrations!

Now not only is the atmosphere terrific but so is the food.

We started off with some of Bella's Castle's freshly squeezed lemonade which was *chef's kiss*. For the main course I got the grilled cheese panini with cream cheese, spinach and avocado. I wiggle when I really enjoy my food and let me tell ya, I could not stop wiggling. For dessert, I gasped when I saw maple walnut ice cream on the menu so of course I had some...definitely the cherry on top.

I genuinely did not want to leave Bella's Castle. I felt comfortable there, safe, happy, and very much in my element. It felt like a haven and I kept trying to search for more excuses to extend our visit. The most magical non-Disney place I've ever been to. It definitely added onto our experience that the weather was absolutely stellar that day.

The last stop on our list was a place called Legends Bakery, a business whose structure could've been pulled from the same European fantasy as Bella's. The building is made of brick and the interior is adorable. Teal walls, a tea room, creaky wooden floors and insanely delicious treats. I got the cheesecake chocolate chip cookies and holey smokes, I'm craving them so much. We also bonded with the employee over our shared hatred of math.

At the end of our journey, we drove over to the beach and walked the mini boardwalk. It was the perfect ending to our perfect day. Overall, Morden etched itself onto my heart. So Morden, I love you.