The week we were in PEI, we had a fabulous week. We totally lucked out on weather and ended up spending half of our time at the beach. The rest of the time we we spent exploring various parts of the island. And thanks to my sister, Angela, we had our own personal tour guide to show us all her favorite spots!! And so I am sharing them with you, in hopes that through our love for this place, you just might add Prince Edward Island to one of the places on your list to visit next summer.
In Charlottetown - Victoria Row
Charlottetown is such a great little city in the summer. They close off one of the streets--Victoria Row, to car traffic, and all the patios are put out for the summer. There is live music and lots of great food and little boutiques. Just off the main strip is a beautiful art gallery as well. Some of the favorite must-do places are:
The Receiver - for breakfast: lattes and the breakfast sandwich OR crispy, buttery waffles. Hmmm!
If you were on Victoria Row for a late breakfast, stop in to Green Eye Design just down the road and check out the little boutique there--hand-made little clutches, sweet jewelry, and scarves.
Lots of great old churches and buildings in Charlottetown. The old houses and buildings are some of my favorite aspects of this city. As we were walking by an old church, Gabriel gasped, "Mommy, look at that HUUUUUGGGEEEE sand castle!!!" Hmmmm.... can you tell we've maybe been spending too much time at the beach and not enough time at church lately?? Ha!
More Charlottetown - Peake's Quay
Another hot spot in Charlottetown would be down by the water at Peake's Wharf. There are plenty of little shops and ice cream down there.. And again, live music. As an aside, there is a great music scene bred out of PEI with artists like Rose Cousins and The Paper Lions. Although we never got to see either, you can check them out here:
And here:
We checked out COWS icecream which I can only really have when in PEI. And admittedly, while it tastes really, really good, it's totally too much richness for me and the littles! I think we might have overdone it with the sprinkle cones. Pretty much in a sugar coma after that one.
And some pics from some cute little shops there too:
Just off the beaten path of Charlottetown's Peake's Quay is a little fish and chips stand where Karen works called "The Chip Shack." Karen is bubbly and lovely and gives out free hugs (now isn't that just true island spirit right there). So we collected on ours and chowed down at the picnic table outside her shack. She is toted as having some of the best best fish and chips in town.
New London
In New London, there is this big family run pottery business called Village Pottery with two floors of pottery and other art. Most of the pottery is made in house by the couple who own the shop and their daughter, Suzanne. What talent runs in this family! And there are a few other pieces by other local artists as well. Beautiful practical pieces in many different colours. We met Suzanne who let us check out her work space and some of the new pieces she had fired in the kiln downstairs.
New Glascow
Just down the road is a grouping of several buildings which can keep you busy for an afternoon. A restaurant with very, very good food called The Olde Glascow Mill Restaurant, The Toy Factory with all sorts of original toys (although a little crowded), a Butterfly house and the Island Preserve Company that serves all sorts of teas and pie.
Brackley Beach / Covehead
The other day, I mentioned we had been to the Dunes Gallery, but it's amazing-ness is worth repeating. Delicious, beautifully presented local fare inside of a collection of local artist gallery spaces--paintings, pottery, wood pieces, clothing. All surrounded by a beautiful garden on your way to the beaches on the Eastern shore. 100% worth a stop in!
We loved Covehead Beach on the Eastern shore, not only for its beautiful beach, picturesque lighthouse and bridge you can jump off of. Right in that area is Richard's Fish and Chips and oh man, is it ever good. But be forewarned. You may have to stand in line and then wait for your food for quite some time--up to an hour. But if you are prepared to wait, it is sooo worth it. Although I only had the chicken fingers, I was surprised at how delicious and sophisticated the batter and the sauce were. And the fries really are the best!
Stratford (Just South-East of Charlottetown)
One more honorable mention goes to Keppoch Beach just outside of Charlottetown. This is definitely our favorite beach for littles--gorgeous, plenty of sea life to watch, warm tidal pools to splash around in at low tide and shallow water that means you don't have to worry as much about your little one dropping off over their head. More on this gorgeous place on the next blog post.
I was talking with a stranger in Toronto right before my trip and they remarked how PEI was beautiful but there is nothing to do other than go to the beaches. And while beaches can be a major highlight, I had to disagree. It may be a little slow in the winter, but I go by the motto that only boring people get bored. There are so many beautiful valleys and farms to drive by, galleries to visit, artists to pop in and see, shopping, beaches to wander (of all different types), boats to hop on, sea kayaks to rent, deep sea fishing, restaurants with local fare, music talent to seek out.... the list goes on. There is more than sand and Anne of Green Gables (who we did not visit by the way). Needless to say, I am pretty certain we will make this place a regular stomping ground in the summer. I may not be able to raise my children here full time, but I sure can make certain to infuse them with a little island spirit in the summer months.
XO
From Us
In Prince Edward Island
No comments:
Post a Comment