1. "Anne of Green Gables" and P.E.I. Mussels
When you visit Prince Edward Island, there’s no avoiding its
most famous resident, albeit a fictional one. Everything in Cavendish is "Anne of
Green Gables" themed, from Shining Waters amusement park to the inns and motels.
Your first stop should be Green Gables Heritage Place,
which is the house that author L.M. Montgomery based her book series on. Tour
the house and keep your eyes peeled for Anne Easter eggs, like the broken slate
and amethyst brooch from the novel. You can hike down Lover’s Lane or the
Haunted Wood trail, which takes you to author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish National Historic Site.
Stop for lunch in Avonlea Village, a mix of recreated locations from the novel, plus shops and restaurants. If you’ve still got
gas in the tank, you can check out the L.M. Montgomery Birthplace or "Anne of Green Gables" Museum to get the full Anne
experience.
For dinner, it’s time to try the famous P.E.I. blue mussels
and there’s no better place than the Blue Mussel Café. Reservations are a must
if you want to get a taste of the classic steamed or beer and lime flavor.
2. Glass Houses, Potatoes, Goats and Lighthouses
For a uniquely P.E.I. experience, the Bottle House and Gardens are a lovely way to spend the morning. You can stroll the gardens,
look at the hand-built village made of recycled bottles and watch the fish swim
in the pond.
The Canadian Potato Museum is fine if you have a medium
fascination with farming or spuds, but it’s worth a trip to just go there for
the grub. P.E.I. Potato Country Kitchen has an all-potato menu, from baked to
poutine. There’s even potato fudge in the gift shop for a sweeter take on tubers.
At Beach Goats, you can have a playdate with goats or even
a yoga class on the beach to help you digest all those potatoes. Downward-facing goat, anyone?
The most famous and photo-worthy lighthouse in P.E.I. is Point Prim. Arrive
in time for the sunset and get some chowder for dinner at Point Prim Chowderhouse.
3. Charlottetown Shopping, Ice Cream and Lobster
When it comes to P.E.I., much of it is rural farmland or
beach, but Charlottetown is the quintessential oceanside village with tons of
dining, shopping and arts. Victoria Row is the most beautiful of the streets
with everything from handmade soap shops to Scottish kilt shops. Add the
following to your shopping list, though: a P.E.I. dirt shirt (stained with the island’s
red clay, preserves from the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company and a
blanket from MacAuslands
Woollen Mills.
There’s no shortage of restaurants in Charlottetown, but Founders Food Hall is a crowd-pleaser with burgers, baked potatoes and even Caribbean
bowls.
There’s a world-famous Cows Ice Cream in downtown Charlottetown, but
you can also drive a little bit south to the flagship store and go on the
self-guided factory tour. Yes, the flavors and handmade waffle cones are
out-of-this-world, but also get a pop-culture-themed t-shirt with their cow
mascot inserted as a punchline (The Milkmaid’s Tail, for instance).
For dinner, bring your patience pants to Richard’s, a
seafood shack off Brackley Beach. Queuing might take an hour, but the lobster
rolls are exceptional, reasonably priced and generously filled. Their handmade
fries are memorable as well.
If you’re not worn out, catch a double feature at the Brackley Drive In, a relic from yesteryear.
4. Beach, Oysters and Songs
You should stretch out this itinerary and spend more than just
one day on the gorgeous beaches circling the island, but Thunder Cove Beach is our pick if you can only see one. It's striking because it resembles Mars with its red sand, and the waters are
surprisingly warm and gentle. Walk down from the public entrance to the red
cliffs that seem to defy gravity.
For dinner, make reservations at the tiny Malpeque Oyster Barn for their renowned Malpeque oysters. You can slurp briny raw ones right
out of the sea or get the fried nuggets on top of a salad or sandwich.
One of the best parts of travel is finding the non-touristy
things and checking out community events. Ceilidhs (pronounced kay-lee) are the
perfect way to soak in P.E.I. culture with their foot-stomping songs, stories and dancing. The Malpeque Community Center hosts weekly ceilidhs that are family-friendly and open
to the public. Bring cash and get there early because it does fill up. Bring
even more cash for the strawberries and ice cream they serve at intermission.