O Canada (Prince Edward Island)

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

(PEI, for short)

ENCHANTING PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

When I was 13 years old my mother introduced me to the book "Anne of Green Gables." I read it from cover to cover five times and still have a vivid memory of Anne with her red braids holding a travel bag on the book cover.

An international favorite book!

Seventeen years later when I was 30 my boyfriend took me to PEI (Prince Edward Island) for a week in early July. This majestic island  captured my heart as it did the readers of "Anne of Green Gables." Prince Edward Island really is a special place.

The summer months are an ideal time to visit Prince Edward Island for a number of reasons:

1) The days are long and warm.  2) The whole island is lush and verdant with an orange hue of potato patches scattered through the open fields.  3) The beaches are lovely and the Atlantic Ocean waters are warm enough for a swim.  4) There's some great places to camp and hike.  5) Digging for clams and mussels will build your appetite because PEI has some of the best and freshest seafood in all of North America.

Charlottetown is a walkable charm-filled city with a scenic harbor. There are abundant options for lodging and shopping. Some things to do in Charlottetown are boating, swimming, and sightseeing. The Abegweit Sightseeing Tours is a good option for seeing Charlottetown attractions.  If you like exercising, bicycling is another way to get around Charlottetown. The Charlottetown Festival is packed with festivities ranging from musical productions to gallery presentations and takes place from May to October.

Seafood is plentiful in Charlottetown so be sure to indulge in a meal of clams, lobster, and mussels at one of the many restaurants in Charlottetown. 

There are no shortages of beaches in PEI and Prince Edward Island National Park  is a jewel of a place for beach lovers. Here you will find 40 kilometers of red sand beaches nestled among dunes, marren grass, salt marshes, and inlets. Both Brackley Beach and Cavendish Beach are spots for suntanning and swimming.

There are three campgrounds inside Prince Edward Island National Park. Reservations are not accepted so its best to arrive early in the day to secure a campsite. Off Route 6 is Cavendish campground. Its close proximity to the Green Gables house makes it very popular with tourists.

Ahhhhh "Green Gables" the land of Anne Shirley is for fans of the famous book written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. The land of Anne can be found in and around Cavendish. Places to visit are the Green Gables Heritage Site, Cavendish Cemetary, Avonlea, Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace and Anne of Green Gables Museum of Silver Bush.

A neat place to stay in Cavendish is the Green Gables Bungalow Court on Route 6. There are 1 and 2 bedroom cottages to choose from and a heated pool on the premises. Cafe on the Clyde at the intersection of Route 224 and Route 258 offers a diverse menu of lobster chowder, lobster rolls, crepes, pasta, fish cakes, sandwiches, and potato pie. The homemade preserves are extremely popular and a favorite on everyones list.

Prince Edward Island is the kind of place where a camera or I-Phone should be on hand to capture some remarkable scenery filled with beauty and charm. From the rolling hills to the quaint farms, to the storybook towns to the awesome Atlantic coast beaches Prince Edward Island will win you over the way Anne of Green Gables did to its millions of  devoted readers.