Prince Edward Island and Green Gables
Green Gables
Tom and I spent a few day on Prince Edward Island (PEI). Located between the Straits of Northumberland and the Bay of St. Lawrence, PEI is about 8 miles from its closes neighbors, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It is the smallest of Canada Provinces. Arriving on Friday afternoon by way of the Confederation Bridge, we camped in Cavendish on the Green Gables Coast. (The Confederation Bridges built in the 1990s connects PEI to the mainland, it is 8 miles long and was named to commemorate the Confederation of Canadian Provinces.)
Monday we took the North Cape Coastal Drive along the Bay of St. Lawrence to North Cape where the Bay and the Straits of Northumberland join. The countryside was beautiful, views of the many bays, farmers fields and the many churches. It seemed there was a beautiful little church every 5 miles. There are several provincial parks on this route with lovely beaches of red sand. Yes, the sand and the soil are re
On Tuesday morning I left Tom with the girls to visit the island’s most famous attraction, L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site of Canada. Composed of L. M. Montgomery’s childhood home and Green Gables the homestead that was the inspiration for the Anne of Green Gables titles. Lucy Maud Montgomery was born and raised in Cavendish, PE. and it was her life here that became the bases for her stories. The Green Gables house was the home of her cousins only a short walk on the Haunted Woods Trail to her home, her church and her school. The house was acquired by the Canadian Government in the 1930s in recognition of her great contribution to the culture of the nation. Walking through the home, and barn and along the trails took me back to those much loved books. Taking the Haunted Woods Trail bought me to the site of her childhood home, now gone except for the foundations and a little bookstore. Here I spoke with the g,g,g,g granddaughter of Lucy Maud’s uncle and listen to her tell the story of her family. It was a wonderful day for this old librarian. To learn more about Green Gables and L. M. Montgomery go tohttp://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=10752
In the afternoon we drove along highway 6 enjoying the sea breezes of Rustico and inland through rolling farmland. The views were amazing and at one beach we even watched some hardy Canadians swimming (it was only 68 degrees F) Much of interior is given over to potato and dairy farming. We soon found ourselves in Charlottetown the major city of the province. It is an old city that has not lost its charm or its old homes near the harbor. After this long drive it was dinner time and we went back to North Rustico to eat at the Blue Mussel on the water. The food was delicious and the view enchanting.
Tom and I both agree that visiting PEI is like going back to the 1950s when a Sunday drive was along two lanes roads (we only saw one 4 lane highway), without fast food outlets and strip malls lining them. It was peaceful and relaxing. A place worth returning to.
September 15th, 2014