Prince Edward Island

July 6-7, 2016

The travel day from Caraquet to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island was long, but the absolute highlight was crossing the Confederation Bridge joining the two provinces.  The bridge, at eight miles long, is the longest in the world built over ice-covered water.  It opened in 1997 after four years of construction, used over 5,000 workers, and cost a billion dollars.  Its navigation span is almost 200 feet above sea level.  You can believe Jane kept a death grip on the handrail.

  While we didn’t want to run into a moose on the road, we did hope to see one.

Confederation Bridge

The Caravan had arranged a motor coach tour starting with a stop at PEI National Park.  We watched as a young woman warmed up for some surfing.

The rocks and soil on PEI are red, making for striking scenery.

National Park=Red Chairs

We stopped at a fishing village and, while our guide demonstrated how lobster traps worked, we kept an eye on a nearby osprey nest.

We were in the area where Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, lived and we toured the house which inspired the books.   Jane had been re-reading the first book and approved of the room which was decorated to look like Anne’s room would have looked. 

We lunched at Bruce MacNaughton’s Prince Edward Island Preserve Company, founded in 1985. The company has developed a line of spreadable fruit that uses less sugar than its competitors.  Bruce was gracious, funny and interested in both his business and doing good in the world.  People with life-threatening illnesses may stay for free at Respite Cottage in the 12-acre Gardens of Hope.

                   In the Gardens of Hope at PEI Preserve Company.

Our next stop was the College of Piping, more a school of music and dance than a traditional college.  Our young hosts played bagpipes and danced.  Jane confirmed that she likes Celtic music in small doses and wondered, in light of that, if a DNA test would be in order to confirm her Scottish roots.

On the way back to the campground, we passed a glorious field of lupines.

The Cavendish Beach Music Festival was being held adjacent to the campground and was free to the public the evening of 7/8.  Dave wandered in and stayed an hour or so, listening to music and sampling Cavendish french fries (it wasn’t the first time he’d tasted Cavendish fries–Cavendish provides the fries for McDonalds).  The Festival features primarily country music and hosts 70,000 people over three days.  Performers this year included The Band Perry, Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney.  Dave didn’t hear any of these on preview night, but we could hear them from the campground.