Prince Edward Island

After leaving Kennebunkport, we drove through New Brunswick on a wonderful highway. Stopped at Frederickson, capital of NB, at a terrific find for a RV park. It was right on the St. John's River -- best view from our camping spot yet. (see view of river). It was such a beautiful, sunny afternoon so we went on a bicycle ride along the river path before it got dark. The next morning we turned on our heater for the first time! Sunny days but cool nights.

We drove across the 9 mile bridge to get to Prince Edward Island -- an engineering feat! What a charming, delightful place here on PEI. The weather has been absolutely perfect -- warm sunny days, cool evenings. The blue, blue water just glistens; the salt air is so clean and refreshing, and every village is neat and clean. The people are very friendly. We're staying at Cavendish, which is the setting for the "Anne of Green Gables" series by L.M. Montgomery -- written in the early 1900's. We went to Avonlea one day -- a reconstructed village from that time. Because things are already closing down for the winter, we didn't get the full schedule of activities, but we did enjoy the lessons we learned from the weaver, and the music from the native accordian player who got us all singing and laughing as he told stories from his own experience on the island. Afterwards he gave us a demonstration on shucking oysters, and invited each of us to taste one. (Photo of John "tasting.") I'd never had a raw oyster before and wasn't sure I could actually swallow it, but I actually liked it!

We took a picnic lunch and our folding chairs to a red sands beach. We were the only ones there, along with the snowy plover birds (endangered species), a babbling spring brook that fed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the lapping waves (not big waves like on the Pacific Ocean) -- it was the perfect picnic spot. We've also seen many blue herons -- one of the roadways is titled "Blue Heron highway."

We walked through a beautiful, peaceful garden area along one of the waterways with a butterfly house. Didn't see any butterflies, but the gardens were lovely. They are trying to add make this a place of rest for the terminally ill.

We tried to get into one of the Lobster Suppers advertised on the island, but since a bus load of tourists and tons of other people beat us there, we ended up at a small place close to our campground -- and yes, we had lobster and a seafood platter! I don't think we'll get tired of the seafood--ever! (Found out that lobster used to be the "poor man's" food!)

Today we went to a museum of the Acadian culture -- early French settlers who were driven off the island for awhile after the British took control. Interesting history. Then we went to an Acadian buffet luncheon -- meat pies, a traditional potato layered dish, mussels and other items -- served in what looked just like a church social hall, by what could have been the women's group. We missed the entertainment of the fiddlers (the tourist bus left just as we were arriving), but did have a nice chat with the couple who teach fiddling.