Friday, September 6, 2024

Prince Edward Island

 
Not wanting to sound like a broken record but its now been over 5 weeks since my last post.

We left you just after we arrived at Graves Island Provincial Park in Nova Scotia, so that is where I'm starting this post.     The trip map below will show you the travels covered in this post.

Graves Island to St John Nb via PEI

Our site at Graves Island.   We had 30a electric but had one site for 3 nights then moved to another for the remaining 4 noights.    With the warm temps - having the electric for the Air Conditioner was a bonus.


While here we traveled north to visit the Peggy Cove area.   On the way we stopped by to see the memorial to the 249 passengers lost on Swiss Air Flight 111 which went down 5 miles off of the coast.



After the memorial we went to Peggys Cove.   This scenic small village is one of the most photographed places in NS.

Foggy Day at Peggys Cove

Peggys Cove Lighthouse

Below - A granite sculpture by artist William deGarthe in Peggys Cove.  Carved into a granite outcropping, it It depicts 32 fishermen, their wives, and children enveloped by the wings of Saint Elmo, the patron saint of sailors.


Another day we went to visit Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.    It was here that many of the bodies from the Titanic first reached the new world, and many remain interred in 3 cemeteries in town.  The largest of these cemeteries being Fairview Lawn, with 121 bodies.

Below - the Titanic section is laid out in the shape of a ship.   In the background you can see the grave line turning towards the right in the shape of the bow (front) of the ship.


Some interesting stones in the plot:



Erected by J Bruce Ismay, the disgraced survivor and Chairman of White Star Lines


The "unknown" child, who was identified by  DNA in 2007 as Sidney Leslie Goodwin.


The inspiration for Jack Dawson on the movie Titanic?


Another day trip brought us to downtown Halifax and their beautiful waterfront walk loaded with shops and restaurants.

Colorful Halifax Houses

Halifax Waterfront

Halifax Harbour
After a week at Graves Island, we moved onward, our destination being beautiful Prince Edward Island.

To get onto the island your two choices are the ferry or the Confederation Bridge.   The bridge being much faster, and the price pretty much the same, it was the bridge for us.

The PartyBus Crossing over to PEI

Our first stop was Cabot Beach Provincial Park.   We stayed here in 2016 and really loved it and this time was no different.

Great sunsets over the ocean right from our campsite.



Drives thru the bucolic countryside....    A beautiful scene awaits you around every turn.



We visited the Green Gables Historic Site.   The home which served as the inspiraton and setting of the Anne of Green Gables Novels.


Kate and Pat took a picture with "Anne"


We drove along the Cavendish Seashore.   The red sands behind us are all over the island.


A pretty church near the Provincial Park.


Roses line the harbor wall in the pretty town of Summerside.


We went to the Cape Egmont Lighthouse and discovered it was also a unique boondocking location.


Cape Egmont Lighthouse

More pastoral scenery heading back to camp.


Followed by another pretty sunset over the ocean.


And another...


Our week up, it was time to move over to the eastern side of the island.   This time our destination was Brudenell River Provincial Park.

Our site at Brudenell PP

To get into our campground we had to cross a wooden decked bridge which served as part of our morning walk each day.


View from the bridge

Another view in the park

One day we drove to Charlottetown, the capital city of PEI.   Another beautiful small city with a great downtown on the waterfront.


Shops along the waterfront

Outdoor cafes line some streets

And yet, another days outings was to visit several lighthouses along the coast.

Panmure Island Lighthouse.  The oldest lighthouse on PEI


The Wood Island Lighthouse marks the approach to the harbour for the PEI to Nova Scotia Ferry



This pretty much ended our visit to PEI.   The next day it was back across the Confederation Bridge to New Brunswick and points south.   The Map below shows our travels from Nova Scotia, to PEI, and south into the US and westward.


I'm trying to get caught up with my blogging because I started writing this post from the Black Hills in South Dakota, but have already moved onward thru Devils Tower Wyoming and tonight we're just a few miles from the Custer Battlefield in Little Bighorn, Montana.

I'm also typing with a freshly injured left wrist in a soft cast.  X-rays were inconclusive but point to a hairline fracture....   So it makes the work much slower.

So...  I still have Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota,  and Wyoming to cover in order to get you back up to speed and with us here in Montana.    We're gonna be in Montana for a while so hopefully I can get it done soon.

Many of those states we just drove thru, but there were a few highlights along the way and we dont want to pass them over.

Pedal to the metal folk!    We'll get there.

Thanks for riding along!