Another good night’s sleep—YAY!  What to do today?  Charlottetown does have a lot more to see and do than we covered yesterday but, as cute and charming as the city is, I decided that I wanted to see more of Prince Edward Island, so, top down, we got in the car and just started driving away from the city.  Since we arrived from the west and tomorrow we head further east (to catch the ferry), we opted to drive north.  I had seen a park on the map with a scenic drive along the Gulf of St. Lawrence so that was our primary destination.

I had left my navigation preferences as “Avoid highways” but quickly found out that here in PEI, that meant leading me onto dirt roads instead of perfectly good paved, two lane roads.  I remedied my error and found myself whizzing along listening to a wonderful radio station playing classical music, the air fragrant with the perfume of flowers gradually giving way to the scent of crisp pine, and eventually the salty sea.  Somehow, it seemed fitting.

Despite it being Sunday, the scenic route was not well-traveled today, so I was able to meander to my heart’s content, pulling over to soak in the incredible views.  Chloe was not allowed on the beach so we had to view from overlooks and the road but that didn’t stop us from meeting fellow tourists.  Chloe is very social and manages to attract attention wherever we go.  I’ve even had people ask if they can take her picture as if she were a celebrity.

On our route, we encountered Cavendish, which is home to the Green Gables farmhouse, one of the most literary landmarks in Canada as it was the setting for the popular “Anne of Green Gables” novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  Designated a National Historic Site in 1985, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the country .  I vaguely remember reading some of these novels as a young girl.

Just realized that I am at the northernmost point on my road trip so, as of tomorrow, I am headed back south (except for one minor northern blip when I take the ferry to Saint John).  I have enjoyed PEI tremendously and have found some interesting and fun facts about this place:

1. The province of Prince Edward Island includes the main island of the same name as well as 231 minor islands for a total of 2,195 square miles.
2. The main PEI island is Canada’s 23^rd largest island and the world’s 104^th largest island.
3. The main PEI island is 2,170 square miles which is slightly larger than Delaware.
4. There are only two cities on PEI—Charlottetown and Summerside.  (I didn’t get to Summerside…it is north of Borden-Carleton where I entered Prince Edward Island).
5. Agriculture is PEI’s largest industry with nearly half the land dedicated to farming.
6. Despite its small size and rural nature, PEI is the most developed and most densely populated province in Canada.
7. Tourism is PEI’s second largest industry with fishing the third.
8. There are more than 33 golf courses and 90 sandy beaches.
9. Most of the island consists of gently rolling hills.  Springton, at 499 feet above sea level, is the highest point in PEI.

So, I have found another place that I will hold in my heart and tomorrow we head down to Wood Island where we will take a ferry across Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia.  This ought to be interesting.  Chloe has been on several boats and hasn’t had a problem but lately, she has decided that she is afraid of elevators and refuses to get on unless I pick her up.  I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

“Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables