Sunday 19 February 2017

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

I wrote about my trip to Quebec, the largest province in Canada. To continue my own celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, in this post, I’ll write about our family vacation on Prince Edward Island (PEI) a few summers ago. Prince Edward Island is known as the “Birthplace of Confederation”. It is the smallest province in Canada, on the Atlantic coast. Its capital is Charlottetown.

My favourite experiences on Prince Edward Island:

1. Exploring Prince Edward Island National Park and the seashore. We rented a few cottages within walking distance to the PEI National Park. A stroll from our cottages to the sea to watch sunrise and sunset every day was wonderful.
Aerial view of Prince Edward Island
2. Sun and swim at the wide open, red sand beaches. The water was clear. The sand dunes were big. We spent hours building sand castles, walking along the beach, looking for beautiful shells, and simply relaxing.
Brackley Beach, PEI
Protected sand dunes, PEI
Brackley Beach, PEI

3. Riding the Confederation Trail. There was hardly any traffic, the ride was scenic, and the terrain was fairly easy.

4. Enjoying fresh seafood such as lobsters and mussels. We walked to the local seafood store which had fresh catch of the day.
Fishing boats and lobster traps, PEI

5. Checking out the lighthouses and their history.
Lighthouse, PEI
Signage about the Gale of 1851, PEI

6. Taking a tour of the Province House in Charlottetown, the birthplace of Confederation.
Welcome to Province House, PEI
Inside Province House, PEI
7. Enjoying an outdoor performance at the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown.
Confederation Centre of the Arts, PEI
8. Visiting the historic houses on the island, such as Dalvay-by-the Sea or Beaconsfield Historic House.
Dalvay-by-the Sea, PEI

Beaconsfield Historic House, PEI
9. Visiting the site of Lucy M. Montgomery’s home in Cavendish. Fans of Anne of Green Gables would love to do this.

10. Taking a free, self-guided tour at Cow’s Creamery and enjoying a scoop or more of ice cream on a fresh waffle cone.

Direct flights from Toronto to Charlottetown take about two hours. Charlottetown International Airport is easy to navigate. PEI is the place to kick back and relax! We came home feeling rejuvenated and had fond memories of our island vacation.

Happy Islander Day (February 20) to residents of PEI!

2 comments:

  1. As a little girl, years...YEARS...ago, my family stayed on Prince Edward Island in a 100 year-old house. Even in the summer, it was very chilly. We ate bananas on our cereal for the first time ever and slept on old iron beds. The owner was about the same age as her house. Looking at photos taken then, she appears almost like a ghost sitting on her wide, sunny porch.

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    1. Thanks, Leslie, for your comment. I imagine PEI must be a lot quieter back then.

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