Prince Edward Island

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Friday, October 4, 2013



Continental breakfast was at 7am over in the office building of North Winds. We were up early and watched the sunrise over the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the distance. (There was no one staying on the floor above us so we went up on their outdoor walkway and stood to see over the office building.) We went over to breakfast early when we saw others from our group going in and not coming out. I had oatmeal and an English muffin with peanut butter and hot chocolate mixed with coffee. Clay had Raisin Bran, a bagel, a cold hardboiled egg, orange juice and a muffin. There was a tip jar by the door even though our Caravan documents state that all tips for included meals are already paid. In addition, the entire thing was self-serve as well as self table clearing with the bins set out and clearly signed as to where we should put everything when we finished eating. We were out before Mom headed over alone because Judy told her she wasn’t having breakfast. Mom was mad we didn’t knock on her door to get her. I guess we can’t get clear on when to get each other for breakfast or not.

The bus departed at 8:30am and we had a local guide onboard, Astrid. She told us lots about Prince Edward Island. Potatoes are the main source of income, followed by tourism, followed by fishing. She taught us about blue mussel farming, eel fishing and lobster fishing as well as tuna fishing and lots more. We drove from Brackley Beach to Oyster Bed Bridge and then to North Rustico where our first stop was the harbor and a lesson about lobster traps and fishing. We saw a bald eagle there. Astrid had a little rubber lobster puppet to use for her tutorial. It was funny.

Then we went on to the Cavendish part of Prince Edward Island National Park where we walked out to see the sand dunes and red sandstone cliffs with some rough surf and stiff cool wind. We struggled out there and blew back to the bus. Sorry I don't have any good photos to post. There were some interesting red sandstone cliffs, but the angle of the sun was wrong both morning and afternoon.) We learned there is no naturally occurring rock on PEI except for red sandstone, all other rock has been imported.

Then we went to spend an hour at Green Gables. It was not enough time for me. I guess if you didn't know the novel, it was too long. But, we didn't have time to walk any one of the trails. This is the setting and inspiration for Anne of Green Gables, a novel (or series of novels). There is also of course a movie that we have only recently seen. The author Lucy Maud Montgomery is also buried nearby. This was a fun stop since we had just recently seen the movie. Astrid had an Anne hat that we could borrow for photos. She is funny.

Then we drove to Anglo Rustico which is an Acadian area. We visited a Catholic church, a farmer’s bank built of stone (on an island with no stone except sandstone) and the oldest house from 1790 or something like that. It was interesting. There were lots of people around and in the 3 buildings to answer questions, serve snacks in the bank building and play and sing music in there. Astrid sang a couple of songs on the bus and I would not say she has a singing voice. But what do I know. We only had about 20 minutes here and it felt very rushed. Somewhere I got a big folded map of PEI (maybe from Astrid) and here is the one section we toured this morning.

Then we drove back to North Winds, our hotel, where Caravan surprised us with a light lunch of vegetable soup and ham salad sandwiches with apple crumble for dessert. We were told that Caravan had also provided cookies and drinks at the farmer's bank in Anglo Rustico.



After lunch we drove into Charlottetown, one of only 2 cities in Prince Edward Island province. We drove around as things were pointed out to orient us and we were let off the bus behind Province House. We had to be back on the bus at 5:30pm. We had 3.5 hours to sightsee and eat dinner.  The main trick was that real restaurants didn’t open before 5pm. Barrie, our bus driver, lives in Charlottetown and he recommended both Olde Dublin Pub upstairs and Claddagh Oyster House which is downstairs on the ground floor. This worked out fine because Olde Dublin Pub had happy hour with cheap beer and $1 raw oysters from 4 to 5pm and they had a limited menu available from the restaurant downstairs.

Anyway, we started at Province House since we were there. We walked around front and in the front door after admiring the lone red maple in the back lawn. As soon as we walked in a guide told us they were getting ready to show a short film about Canadian Confederation taking place in Charlottetown at Province House. We were in. After we went upstairs to see their legislative chamber (since not in session) and the Confederation Chamber. While we were in there a couple of women, from our Caravan group who we had not previously met asked if they could join us. They were sisters and we told them what we planned to do and they were in. We walked out and down to St. Dunstan’s Basilica. It was quite pretty. We walked back up to Victoria Row and went through some shops. We made some purchases in the Anne of Green Gables giftshop which was charming. Then we walked down and into Anne of Green Gables Chocolates. We had to go in because they were making Cows’ Cow Chips in there. Cows is a famous PEI ice cream shop chain (think Ben & Jerry’s). It was an automated belt with ridged potato chips getting doused with chocolate and then traveling down the belt into a big pile on a cart and spilling off onto the floor. I wanted to run in there and institute the 5 second rule! Of course, we bought some and all decided they were surprisingly delicious. And a surprisingly delicious way to have some PEI potato chips!

Clay wanted Cows ice cream now and we had about an hour to kill before happy hour at the Olde Dublin Pub. We walked down to the water front and visited a couple more shops. We happily found the Red Dirt Shirt Co. which Mom had been searching for since the first time Marty mentioned it. We saw Red Mud shirts in a lot of places and I can't find a website for dirt-dyed shirts from PEI except for Red Mud, but we found the PEI Red Dirt Shirt on Peake's Wharf. The Red Mud shirt store was very close by, but Mom wanted the Red Dirt Shirt, since that was the one Marty kept saying. Mom was rapidly knocking out her Christmas shopping! Clay found Cows and had the smallest $5 bowl of ice cream ever. It was maple nut and it was good, but that’s crazy.  Clay disagreed that it could be Canada's best ice cream, but reckoned it must be the most expensive. No one else bought anything at Cows.

We continued on along the waterfront boardwalk from Great George St. to Queen St. and back to Sydney St. We used the restrooms before entering the upstairs Olde Dublin Pub and timed it to start ordering after 4pm. It turned out it didn't matter, because the waitress said those advertised prices were only good from 4pm to 5pm at the bar. That was were we thought we were. Anyway. We enjoyed our meals and had a good time talking and laughing. Clay ordered the PEI blue mussels for the table and it was a huge bowl that he wound up eating most of. He ordered a dozen Malpeque oysters on the half shell at $1 each for his meal. (That advertised happy hour price was honored but not the beer.) I ordered steak & Guinness pie with Island beef and potatoes and Clay finished it for me. It was very good and served in a little square cast iron skillet. The sisters shared a PEI seafood stuffed potato skin and salad. Mom had a Cork quesadilla and Judy ordered a lobster dish off the downstairs, Claddagh menu. The waitress first said that she couldn't order from that menu until the restaurant opened downstairs which would be too late for us. But, Judy asked her to double check on that and she came back and said OK. We declined dessert because we needed to get back to the bus. We were walking back as Barrie drove past us on the way to the meeting place on Richmond St. So, perfect timing. We finished off the chocolate covered potato chips for dessert.

We did not drive straight back to North Winds. We took a rather scenic route past the Red Shore Casino and harness racing track. We watched a horse and cart practicing. We drove past the Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. We drove past a 50 acre pumpkin patch that was ready for harvest. We drove through Stanhope and past Dalvay. We went to Brackley Beach in PEI National Park and got out and crossed the wind-swept dunes to see the ever rougher surf of the Gulf of St. Lawrence as the sun was setting.

Tomorrow we have a long traveling day. Breakfast and bags out at 6:45am. Bus leaves at 7:45am. We are to be on the ferry off PEI at either 9 or 9:30am. The coach drives on with us loaded and then we have to get off the bus and go upstairs for a 75 minute crossing of the Northumberland Strait. Marty says it is usually a calm crossing. Fingers crossed! Weather tomorrow should be similar to today. Sunny and cool and windy. It was about 45 F when we went out early this morning and the high temp in the afternoon was around 59 or 60F. It was pleasant except for the cool stiff wind. The wind was something! So, all day it felt colder than it actually was if you were in the wind. We will end the day tomorrow back in Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island in Cheticamp at Laurie’s Inn. Dinner is included tomorrow night. Marty told us we would have 3 or so choices and would place our orders now. We could have Acadian meat pie, described as turkey and pork pie seasoned with Acadian spices, halibut, chicken or vegetarian. Mom and I chose the meat pie and Clay and Judy chose fish. I have to confess I am leery about the morning ferry ride. I will take an extra dose of meclizine in the morning.

I am sorry to report that Judy has vomiting and nausea and fears she got food poisoning at dinner. That seems awfully quick to me from dinner to vomiting in 3 hours but her lobster meal is the only thing I can think of today that she ate that no one else ate. I offered the medicine I had with me including some expired generic prescription Phenergan and hope she’ll try it and it will help. Yuck! Fingers crossed that it is all over and she’ll feel better tomorrow.

Photos