Canadian Maritimes Travel

Day 15 -16 (June 1 & 2, 2009)

Yesterday was a wild and very windy day with rain the previous night. We hoped for clearing, but it only stopped raining while the wind continued gusting at 40+ knots. We did some shopping in Charlottetown and then visited the Canadian National Heritage site in Cavendish commemorating the author Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote Anne of Green Gables, fiction set in an around the Cavendish area. The house of her grandparents and the farm has been preserved and rehabilitated in the fashion of the the turn of the century. Very expertly done and, as we have found throughout the national parks and heritage sites of Canada, nicely maintained.

We then meandered to North Rustico Harbor, a busy lobstering port not far from Cavendish. for a Fisherman's Wharf Lobster supper. We were the first diners of the evening and while we were there another dozen or so came in. This is a 60' all-you-can-eat salad bar, including hot and cold mussels, with dozens of choices of salads along with fish chowder followed by your choice of a hot or cold lobster. The place seats 500 persons, (just slightly fewer than the population of the town!) so we were nearly lost in the enormity of the place, but had a window seat with a harbor view. The food was very good and well worth the price. Don't miss it if you're in PEI.

Today, Tuesday, we waited until noon before setting off, spending the time with laundry and general housekeeping of the RV. Weather was perfect, sunny, 60's, slight breeze. The dogs enjoyed laying in the sun while we were working around the RV.

After lunch we twisted and turned to Summerside (Jill, our Garmin GPS navigator, took us a roundabout way, but we finally arrived.) where we walked the dogs on a boardwalk that follows the shore in the downtown. There are no tourists yet, save us. The shops are just beginning to open, no traffic, easy to park, etc.

From there we followed the coastal route in Acadian country. very flat land with houses, cottages and farms right on the ocean. We stopped at the the Acadian Museum and Center for Acadian Research in Mascouche, a center for Acadians in the Maritimes. Of course, we were the only people in the museum! A well-done place with static displays of the old days in the 1700s and 1800s including tools, furniture, clothing and other artifacts and the story of these people in PEI.

Then back to Vacationland RV Park for dinner of tortellinis and a fourth night.

This marks the halfway point in our planned journey and we have traveled just over 2,500 miles. The weather is predicted to be excellent the remainder of the week. Perhaps a day at the beach and some biking is in store tomorrow.