Prince Edwards Island

Fishing village on Prince Edwards Island

During our last night at Fundy National Park, it began raining in earnest.  We broke camp in the rain and drove in deep fog towards Prince Edwards Island.

We were still in awe of our time with the Sandpipers.  As we passed the turnoff to Mary's Point, we realized that had we waited until this morning to capture the experience, it would have paled in comparison to yesterday.

By early afternoon, we were crossing the eight-mile-long Confederate Bridge connecting New Brunswick with Prince Edwards Island (affectionately called P.E.I.).  The island is known as the "garden province."  It is considered the birthplace of Canada.

Surprisingly, gas prices on the island are the lowest we have seen since we entered Canada at St. Stephen.  Alma on the Bay of Fundy had the highest prices at $1.30 a liter.  Nearer to the Confederate Bridge, it was $1.27 per liter.  Here on the island, gas prices are $1.21.

The crescent-shaped island is barely 175 miles long.  Largely rural, its maze of highways and byways connect fishing villages with farming communities, interspersed between small patches of forests and beautiful churches.

Historic Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel Church on Prince Edwards Island

The small farming fields are planted mostly in red potatoes (Irish potatoes as my Uncle Bill called them), corn, wheat, and hay.  We passed several potato fields that seemed to flow directly to the sea.  We have also seen a few dairy farms and several small cattle ranches.

Potato fields along the sea on Prince Edwards Island

After a stop at the visitor's center, we determined to travel the eastern coastal drive.  We passed through Summerside, one of the larger towns on the island.  Near Abram-Village, we spotted a small restaurant next to the Acaidian Fisherman's Coop.  It looked like a great place to stop and enjoy the local fare.

There was a gentleman eating chowder at the counter when we walked into the restaurant.  While David ordered, I took care of Roxanne, letting her out for a stretch.  The gentleman walked out of the restaurant and bent down in front of the truck, peering at our license plate.  "Is that where you're from?" he asked.

I told him that we were indeed from Texas.  His eyes went immediately from the license plate to Roxanne.  "What a beautiful dog!" he told me.

I told him a little about Roxanne before he returned to his chowder.  I could see him talking to David for a few moments.  The restaurant had outdoor tables, so I set up a place for us.

Shortly after David sat down and we began enjoying our meal, the man came out and sat behind us.  I turned to began light conversation with him.  He immediately said, "Do they have great big cattle ranches in Texas?"

I assured him that they did.  "Boy, they must have huge processing plants to take care of all of those cattle!"  Then he asked, "How far is Florida from Texas?"

When I told him that it was about a 15-hour drive, he simply shook his head in amazement.  When you live on a small island, I suppose a 15-hour drive must seem unfathomable.

Thus began our conversation with Peter.  Ultimately, he joined us at our table.  He introduced himself.  He had recently retired after 30 years with the fishing coop.  He was 75 years old and never married.  Only once, when he was in his early 20s had he been off the island.

When we asked him what we should see on the island, he looked confused and said, "I don't know!"  Then he proceeded to ask us many questions about cattle ranching and the distances and places between various states.  David pulled out our road atlas to show him where we lived and how we had arrived on P.E.I.  But mostly, Peter was interested in Roxanne, claiming that he had never seen a dog so smart and well behaved.

A couple from Nova Scotia arrived and joined our conversation.  They suggested several places for us to visit.  David began writing them down while I continued my conversation with Peter.  Suddenly, Peter looked at me and asked, "Have you ever heard of Popeye and Olive Oil?"

I told him yes, that it was an old cartoon.  He rolled his tongue around in his mouth, then screwed up his face.  I was shocked and blurted,  "You look just like Popeye!"

He told me that lots of folks had taken his photo of that pose.  He said one lady from California had spread it all over the state.

Peter was a most enjoyable man... the kind that is easy to talk with and the salt of the earth.  We always feel privileged to have these opportunities.  Before we left, I timidly asked if I might take his photo.  "Like Popeye?" he asked.

I told him that I would be happy with him just the way he is.  This is the pose I received:

God bless you, Peter, and thank you for sharing time with us!

We spent the night at the Mill River Provincial Park.  We found a beautiful, secluded campsite in the forest and were surprised that nobody else was camping there.  All but one other camper had set up in the open field.  We soon discovered why when the mosquitoes drove us into the camper.  In the open field, the breeze was strong enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay.  Another lesson learned!

We spent Sunday touring the central and a portion of the western part of the island.  We passed more beautiful fields and fishing harbors.

Farming fields on Prince Edwards Island

Shortly after noon, it began raining again.  We had planned to camp at the P.E.I. National Park.  After a drive through the closely knit campsites, however, we chose instead to stop at a commercial campground with electricity, showers, and most important, WiFi.  While the showers are old and small, it was great to get cleaned up.  The best part has been the WiFi, giving me the opportunity to catch up on my posting.

This morning we will take the ferry over to Nova Scotia and begin the next phase of our adventure.  As always, know how much we appreciate your coming along with us!

Prince Edward Island on Dwellable