Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

We enter Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

September 19, 2019

At 8 a.m. we pulled into Charlottetown Harbour. After a day at sea we were ready to explore Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province. Twice the size of Rhode Island, P.E.I. is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Charlottetown is its capital city. The ship was not able to moor pierside because another cruise ship was tied up there, so instead we took a five-minute tender ride to shore. When we arrived at the pier, we jumped on a bus for a 40-minute ride to Green Gable Heritage Place.

On our drive through the countryside we rode by gentle rolling hills, woods and fertile farmland. The pastoral land is a result of glacial deposition. Most of the original forests of mixed spruce and broadleaf are confined to stream beds and tiny woodlots as the majority of the land is devoted to agriculture. Prince Edward Island is called the “Spud Island” because of its major potato crop. It is also known for its fruit orchards, blueberries and cranberries.

The look and feel of the island were a dramatic contrast to the province of Quebec. There were no French accents or influences apparent anywhere we went. Instead, the look was more like that of New England towns, farms, and landscape with outstanding natural beauty. We noticed many recently-downed trees and flattened corn along the way due to storm damage from Hurricane Dorian the previous week.

At 10 a.m. we arrived on the northern side of the island in the community of Cavendish. Just down the road, we stopped at the Green Gables Heritage Place. Our group quickly disembarked for a tour of the farm and its historic home. The large farmhouse was the original structure where L.M. Montgomery, the author of “Anne of Green Gables,” lived as a young girl and later used as the backdrop for her popular novel.

The house was beautifully designed. Its many rooms were lovingly restored and maintained to reflect a late 1800’s/early 1900’s look with well-appointed period furnishings. Park Canada did a fine job of restoring the house and the other farm buildings. The adjacent interpretive center was superb along with the popular snack bar where we purchased a “Beaver Tails”- essentially a large piece of fried whole-wheat dough. There were several options for toppings; we tried the version coated in cinnamon sugar with lemon squeezed over it. The confection was very sweet and the lemon provided a unique tang.

On our way back to Charlottetown we took a detour and stopped on the northern shore to view the red sandstone cliffs at Cavendish. Part of Prince Island National Park, the coastline has a combination of long beaches, dunes, cliffs, salt water marshes and numerous bays and harbours. The beaches, dunes and cliffs consist of sedimentary rock and other material with a high iron concentration, which oxidizes upon exposure to the air. Severe erosion by the sea-flung waves had created a cliff structure that was undermined a bit more by each storm. There were warning signs posted in the most dangerous areas.

Back in Charlottetown, we strolled along the waterfront and ended up at Peak’s Wharf. It was a great place to browse in little shops and grab a bite to eat. We ended up at the famous “Cows” for some delicious ice cream. It was so good we had to fight off a squadron of yellow jackets for the privilege of eating the cold slice of heaven.