Welcome to PEI
Let's start with a few facts about PEI:
- Canada's smallest province
- Population of about 146,000
- Charlottetown is the capital and largest city; population of about 35,000
- Major economic forces - agriculture (PEI produces about 25 % of potatoes in Canada); fishing, tourism
- Located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
- Referred to as The Garden of the Gulf, the Birthplace of Confederation and the Cradle of Confederation
I grew up on a farm in central New Brunswick and remember going on family holidays to PEI on a couple of occasions. Even though I was quite young on the first trip, I clearly remember some things from that trip - the red soil, the red sand beaches especially at Cavendish, the Anne of Green Gables site and searching for golf balls in the stream there (golf course next door). We went there again as a family when I was in my late teens and then about 15 years ago my daughter and I spent a couple of days there.
Getting There
On my first two trips to the Island, the crossings were made by ferry while the two more recent crossings were driving over the Confederation Bridge. The 12.9 km bridge opened in May 1997 and provides a quick way to reach PEI except on days when the wind is strong and the bridge is closed. While I enjoy the flexibility to drive to the Island, the high sides of the bridge do not allow for much in the way of viewing for people driving in cars. Nevertheless, it is an impressive structure. This year it costs $46 to cross the bridge for a car and driver; a bit more if there more passengers or for larger vehicles. The painless part of this is that you do not pay when going on to the Island; you pay when you leave with lots of great memories.
Immediately after arriving on the Island, there is a large visitors' centre which is well worth a stop. There is a PEI tourism centre with extremely helpful people and plenty of information. There are shops to purchase crafts and souvenirs as well as a number of places to eat.
PEI is divided into three counties with one of those being Prince County which can be accessed soon after crossing the bridge. Other than having been to the largest centre (Summerside) several years ago, I had not spent anytime exploring the west and north part of the Island so that is where I went. I didn't have a specific plan for exploring, which was very appealing.
Shortly after arriving on PEI, one is quickly aware of the beautiful pastoral landscape of the Island and it is easy to understand why the Island has a reputation as a place of outstanding natural beauty. For the first night of lodging, it was a short drive to the village of Miscouche, where I stayed at the Prince County B&B - a large farm house had been converted into a comfortable bed and breakfast operation. After settling in, I went for a walk and was quickly into the countryside. There is plenty of farming in the area, but many people drive to Summerside for their job. Directly across from the B&B is an impressive church, which seems almost too large for the size of the community. I regret not visiting the Acadian Museum in Miscouche and will make it a priority to do so if I am ever back in the area.
Before driving to the North Cape, I stopped in Tignish which is the largest town in the area with a population of about 1,400. When exploring, I stopped at a large red brick church where there is a Celtic cross and other memorials honouring
the Irish who settled in the north part of the Island. Irish roots are deep here and evident in so many ways.
Constructed between 1857 and 1860, the St. Simon and St. Jude Catholic church is one of the town's defining and popular structures. Tignish was founded in the late 1790s by francophone Acadian families with immigrants, mostly from Ireland, in the 19th century who settled in a smaller nearby village called Anglo-Tignish. Many residents of Tignish today are of either Irish or Acadian heritage.
Memorials outside the church commemorate the Irish immigrants who arrived in the area beginning in 1811. The Irish presence on the Island is seen in ways - many people with ginger coloured hair as well as in place and family names. There is a strong Scottish heritage on the Island too, but I did not explore communities like Alberton where many Scots settled.
At the northern tip of PEI, North Cape is the dividing point that delineates the western limits of Northumberland Strait from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. More specifically, a 2 km long natural rock reef extends off shore from the cape to mark this delineation. The reef can be easily seen from the shore.Tide level was quite high when I was there so it wasn't possible to walk along the reef.
Start of the reef with the white caps marking the reef's path
At North Cape, the Canadian Coast Guard operates a lighthouse as a navigational aid beacon to warn mariners of the hazard associated with the reef. Adjacent to the lighthouse, there is an interpretive centre, marine aquarium, gift shop, restaurant. and the Atlantic Wind Test Site. The test site has several buildings and wind turbines of many shapes and sizes.
The Irish connection is also seen in this area through the commercial harvest of Irish moss seaweed during the summer.
Skinners Pond
Not far from North Cape is the rural unincorporated community of Skinners Pond, where the main commercial activities revolve around the fishery and agriculture. Skinners Pond is best know, however, as the boyhood home of Canadian musician Stompim' Tom Connors who was adopted and raised by a local family.
After leaving Skinners Pond, I drove along the coast and was treated to more beautiful scenery. The next stop was at the Canadian Potato Museum in the town of O'Leary. The museum is a tribute to the humble tuber with all things focused on potatoes from the displays to items in the gift shop. When approaching the front door of the museum, visitors are welcomed by the world's largest potato sculpture.
After a bit more driving through the countryside and small towns, I arrived at my lodging for the night in the village of Stanley Bridge. I checked in and then went out to explore a few craft shops before having a fine dinner of pan fried haddock (a fish we rarely see on the west coast unless it is frozen).
Green Gables
From Stanley Bridge it is a short drive to what is undoubtedly PEI's major attraction - Green Gables. The huge attraction of this place is based upon the Anne of Green Gables books of Lucy Maud Montgomery. The site attracts visitors from around the world and, over the years, millions of fans have made the journey to PEI and discovered the area that captivated Anne in the Montgomery stories.
Anne's bedroom
Green Gables is a beautiful site with many heritage builds, most notably the house where Anne grew up. When the novel Anne of Green Gables was first published in 1908, most readers could only dream of visiting its magical setting. While the book became popular around the world, it is likely that many readers had no idea where Prince Edward Island was and some may well have thought it was a fictitious place. Fans who make the journey to PEI discover the land that captivated Anne in Lucy Maud Montgomery's stories. The site is great for wandering around and includes short walks through a forested area. In addition to the Green Gables site, there are "Anne" themed attractions and events in many place on the Island.
On to Charlottetown
After finishing the visit at Green Gables, I drove on to Charlottetown to reacquaint myself with the downtown and check out a few potential restaurants for dinner with my Habitat team the following week. For a small city, Charlottetown has plenty of very good restaurants that receive high ratings on Trip Advisor and other sources. I also found a coffee shop that serves excellent coffee (one way I rate towns and cities). Then, I made my way to check-in at the hotel on the outskirts of the city. A successful day all around.
If you're traveling to Charlottetown, here are a few good quality eateries - Gahan's House, Terre Rouge Bistro Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca, and The Dunes (north of the city near Brackly Beach).
Final Thoughts
I had a great time relaxing on PEI and highly recommend it as a vacation spot. The scenery is spectacular and the people are friendly. The province does an excellent job with it tourism promotion and IMHO certainly lives up to its billing. I was pleased to learn a bit more about the strong Irish influence there and also see the presence of so many people with ginger hair.
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