2022 Bike Trip – Prince Edward Island

Archive | 2022 Bike Trip – Prince Edward Island RSS feed for this section

Day 12 – Vernon River to Charlottetown – 44 km (27.4 miles)

We were so happy to see the bright blue cloudless skies and sunshine this morning. It was a welcome sight after yesterday’s rain. We ate a quick breakfast from the items we’d picked up at the little market yesterday and headed out on the bikes.

The first portion of our ride took us along rural roads. Since I didn’t take any pictures yesterday, I took a bunch today. Knowing this is our last day to ride and see beautiful Prince Edward Island, I tried to capture it all!

We connected to the Confederation Trail after a few miles and I took in all the views, knowing this would be the last day on this memorable trail. Below is just a small sampling of the photos I took.

It was a beautiful section of trail and a beautiful day. There were so many wild strawberries along the path in this particular area.

We once again we left the trail as we neared Charlottetown and rode the coastal roads. The view of the farm fields with the bright blue sky and backdrop of the water was gorgeous.

Still in a rural agricultural area, we saw some cute farm stands right on the road selling their produce. They were operated on the honor system.

As we neared Charlottetown, we had a portion of bike lane, the rest was on the shoulder of the road shared with cars. We also got into some hills! We pressed on though and my personal goal was to not walk my bike up any hills. I was very tempted on this particular stretch, but didn’t give in! We crossed a bridge from Stratford over to Charlottetown. It carried a lot of traffic and I was glad we had a separate bike lane.

We were ready for lunch at this point, and ate at a lobster house on the wharf with beautiful views of the water. I ordered a burger and fries and Jimmy went with fish and chips.

We explored the Charlottetown waterfront after we ate. It’s beautiful with little shops and restaurants. I love the colorful floating homes in the harbor.

these cute little floating homes are rentals!

With the return to Charlottetown, that completed our Tip-to-Tip ride of Prince Edward Island. When all was said and done, we’d been on the bike for 10 days and ridden 324 miles (522 km).

We only had one day that was a complete rain out, only riding about 5 miles that day. We lodged at 9 different establishments from historic inns to a little farm cabin. I would stay at each place again. We met some wonderful people and found the residents of PEI to be very kind and welcoming.

The weather and the views were beautiful in late June/early July. We’d been told the island was flat, and we’d been told the island was hilly. It can be both, and some of that depends on your perspective. If you live in the Rocky Mountains, you’d say it was flat. If you lived in Kansas, you would say it’s hilly. It depends on where you are riding. The Confederation Trail, being a converted railway, is flat with not more than a 2% grade. Some of the coastal roads we biked were hilly, but not horrible. At least the route we took. There are more serious hills toward the center of the island I think. But I never had to get off my bike and walk, though at times I was tempted. We did a combination of the Confederation Trail and coastal roads. If you just stay on the trail, you miss all the beautiful shoreline, and charming little harbors. We felt safe on the roadways. Most have wide shoulders and little traffic. We found the drivers to be very courteous as they are accustomed to bikes on the roads here.

There are mosquitoes and lots of them. They did not bother us while we were in motion on the bikes, but in many areas, as soon as we stopped, we were swarmed with them. We had Off towelettes in our bike bag and those worked well to keep them away.

We reached out to George Larter with PEI Guide and Drive Service when we began to plan the trip in earnest. It was originally planned for the summer of 2020, but Covid-19 put that plan on hold. George develops itineraries for folks visiting the island, and provides a number of services. He made all of our lodging reservations for us, with the exception of the one we had already made at the Fairholm Inn in Charlottetown. He also picked us up a time or two to take us to different areas on the island so we could get everything in that we wanted to see with the time we had. He also transferred our luggage for us each day. All we had to do was leave it in the room when we left on the bikes in the morning, and it would be waiting for us that evening at the next place. He also went grocery shopping for us when he knew we would be staying at an inn with no dinner options. Of course he came to our rescue on the day it rained for 12 hours, lol, picking us up early so we didn’t have to ride in the rain. He was great to work with.

It was a great trip, one we will always remember. And what a blessing to have shared it together!

Lodging List

Mill River Resort

Prince County Guesthouse

Heritage Classic Inn

Fairholm Inn

Bishops Rest

Points East Coastal Inn

Georgetown Historic Inn

Cliffside Inn

Do Duck Inn

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, confederation trail, PEI, Prince Edward Island

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 11 – Rain Out! – Little Sands to Vernon River

7 Jul

We knew the forecast didn’t look promising today. 100% chance of rain or very nearly, with the rain predicted to subside around 8:00 pm. The rain had started overnight, and while that made for great sleeping conditions, it did not make for good biking conditions. We enjoyed a cool drizzly rain while we slept and slept with all the windows open. Something we could never do in July in Kentucky’s heat and humidity!

After a full breakfast at Cliffside Inn, we donned our rain gear and started out. Our plan was to ride the coastal roads again, exploring the little villages and harbors along the way. We’d checked the route the night before and had a plan to cut down the miles if it was just too miserable in the rain. But even at the shortest distance, we would be in for an 18 mile ride to our next stop of Vernon River. So we took the plunge!

With the rain, we decided we’d bike to Point Prim and see the lighthouse there, and then reassess and see if we wanted to have George (PEI Guide and Drive Service) pick us up and drive us to our next lodging. George had been shuttling our luggage for us each day, and we knew he’d be in the area.

The rain was steady and blowing at us from an angle, making it hard to see. There was standing water on the road and the ride took our full attention. I did not take pictures. We’d only gone a few miles when Jimmy’s cell phone rang. We pulled off to the side of the road to take the call, and it was George, offering to come get us. He was surprised we’d already left the inn, and we arranged a place to meet him after he picked up our luggage. That made the ride much more tolerable, knowing rescue was on the way! I was already soaked through! He told us there was a stop a few miles ahead of us, and if we’d wait there, he’d be there in an hour or so. We arrived at the Woods Island Market area George had described, and found a candy shop, visitor center, old train depot, shops, and a trail-head for the Confederation Trail. We spent some time looking around a bit while we waited, and the owner of the candy shop offered us some hot tea. It was perfect! I wasn’t cold in the rain while we were riding, I guess I generated enough heat to keep me warm. But when we stopped and got off the bikes, I was so cold! I couldn’t get out of my wet clothes until we arrived at our next lodging and the hot tea helped! I sat under the covered porch on a bench and drank my tea.

George soon arrived, loaded our bikes onto the trailer and off we went. He had his wife with him this time. She just retired from her career as a labor/delivery nurse on Friday! So she is starting to pitch in to help George with the visitors to the island as this is his busiest time of year. We enjoyed the ride and the conversation. I especially enjoyed being in a warm vehicle!

George knew our itinerary each day, as he and Jimmy developed the ride plan together, picking routes to include all the things we wanted to see. He knew we’d not made it out to the lighthouse and said he’d take us there on the way. It was a pretty drive, but I was so glad I wasn’t biking it! The rain did not slacken at all. We walked up to the top taking in the views, and reading the information. The Point Prim lighthouse, built in 1845, is the oldest lighthouse on the island, and the only round one. It’s one of only three round ones in all of Canada. All the others we’ve seen have been short and square.

The Point Prim lighthouse was the first one built on Prince Edward Island, and every ship that sailed into Charlottetown was guided by its light. The climb to the top was all by ladder, no steps! I thought it was especially interesting to see it during weather conditions that would have made its presence most useful to sailors!

This part of the island is very rural, with grocers and restaurants few and far between. George recommended we stop at a little market on our way to Vernon River since we would have no dining options. We hadn’t had lunch yet either, so we had to buy enough for lunch, dinner and breakfast. We bought just the basics, plus a quart of freshly picked strawberries. The strawberry field was across from the market and the berries were sold at the counter while they’re in season.

freshly picked local strawberries and thick multigrain bread!

We soon arrived at our lodging for the night. Though we were earlier than the check in time, it was no problem. George had called ahead to let them know our ride was cut short. The owner, knowing we were soaking wet and cold, had walked over to our cottage and turned on the heat for us so it would be warm when we arrived. It felt so good! There were not many options in this area. George, who made all the lodging arrangements for us, except for the one we’d already made in Charlottetown, had booked us a little cottage in this area. It was cozy and cute and situated on a big farm behind the farmhouse. Fields of potatoes and vegetable gardens surround the cottage. The view out our front window is a big red barn. There are 3 cottages and a separate little shed with a washer and dryer. I took these pictures after the rain. As predicted, the rain finally ended about 8:00 pm.

We grilled burgers for dinner (still raining!) and checked the forecast for tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be our last day of riding and the day promises to be gorgeous! We’ve been very fortunate that in 11 days of riding so far, we’ve only had one complete rain out! We’re looking forward to bright blue skies again tomorrow. (Here’s the curious little kitty that watched me type this morning as I finished up this post. Notice the bright blue skies! Yay!)

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, confederation trail, PEI, Travel

Comments 1 Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 10 – Georgetown to Little Sands – 69 km (42.5 miles)

6 Jul

After breakfast in the pub at the inn, we pulled our bikes out of the storage shed and were greeted by another gorgeous day. We rode a short section of the Confederation Trail to the little village of Montague. The part of the trail we are on today is a branch line off the main line we’ve been riding. It ended at the ocean, and that’s where we started our ride.

The short ride to Montague was beautiful.

As we got into Montague, the views opened up to a cozy harbor and beautiful little village nestled in the cove. We spent quite a bit of time in Montague, and ate an early lunch at the restored train depot.

After Montague, our route took us along the county roads with occasional views of the water. We made really good time in this section because I didn’t take as many pictures and we had the wind to our backs thankfully.

We stopped at Murray River and I took photos of the little harbor, and we had an ice cream.

After the ice cream break, we continued on the roadway, growing closer to the water. The last leg of the ride took us down a country road to the coast. It was a sand road, but surprisingly firm with just a couple of soft spots.

Tonight we are staying at the Cliffside Inn in Little Sands. It’s a remote area with a long driveway that took us off the road to the inn. The inn sits on a cliff overlooking the Northumberland Strait with Nova Scotia visible in the distance.

Knowing dinner options were very limited, George (PEI Guide and Drive Service) had called us on the trail and offered to pick up something for us to grill. He said he’d drop it off when he dropped off our luggage. We gladly took his offer and when we arrived at the inn, the innkeeper said we had steaks and baked potatoes ready to grill. We grilled the steaks on the deck and the innkeeper baked the potatoes for us. He provided all the utensils and seasoning we needed. It was delicious after our ride today.

Tags: bike travel, bike trips

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 9 – St. Peters to Elmira – 56 km (35 miles)

5 Jul

Today we rode the last section of the Confederation Trail’s main line from St. Peters to the end of the line in Elmira. There’s a nice little museum and welcome center there, and a sign that shows the ending point for those like us riding Prince Edward Island from tip to tip!

Today’s ride took us through a more remote area of the island. It’s actually all very rural with just a few scattered houses until you near a town. But we didn’t see many houses today, just beautiful scenery once again.

As we pedaled east, I began to notice wild strawberries and raspberries along the trail. The strawberries were very small, but sweet.

Today was the coolest temperatures we’ve had. I wore long sleeves most of the morning. It started out in the upper 50’s with a moderate breeze, and the high for the day was 64. Sunny skies kept us warm as we rode. Perfect bicycling weather!

At one stop along the trail, there was an artesian well bubbling up from the ground through a pipe. It is the only artesian well on the island. The water enters the subsurface at a higher elevation and is confined between layers of clay or hard rock. This causes pressure to build up and the water finds its way to an outlet at a lower elevation, and bubbles up to the surface. When the railroad operated along this line, this well was used to supply water for the steam enginnes.

The water flowing from underground is a consistent 45 degrees (7c) all year long, so it never freezes.

We made it to the end of the trail in Elmira, having ridden the Confederation Trail from tip to tip along the center of the island. There are many spurs that came off the main line, and the remainder of the week we will ride some of those. But with today’s ride, we had completed our tip to tip portion of the ride.

In the old train depot in Elmira, they have a museum, a visitor’s center, and restrooms. We received a certificate for completing the tip to tip ride of 273 km (170 miles), though our mileage is higher than that because we added some miles on the coastal roads.

old rails still in place as we near the end of the line

After exploring the museum a bit, we found lunch at a food truck in the middle of nowhere. It was about 1.5 miles from the end of the trail. We took the road to get to the truck’s location, but the area is very rural so there wasn’t much traffic.

The views were fantastic and so was the food. I ordered the veggie sandwich with cheese, avocado, and coconut bacon (a new food I’d never heard of but delicious) and Jimmy ordered fish tacos. We had a view of the ocean as we ate.

Once we finished lunch, we had about a 6 mile ride to East Point lighthouse where we’d arranged with George to pick us up and take us to Georgetown for the night. The ride was all along the coastal roads. There was not a shoulder, but there were very few cars. This stretch was gorgeous!

We arrived at the lighthouse, parked the bikes and walked up to the top. The lighthouse was built in 1867 and was the tallest we’ve seen on the island. The others have been short and stocky, but this one was 66 steps to the top (I counted!)

George was right on time and loaded our bikes and another group’s bikes onto the trailer. The other group consisted of 3 ladies also from the U.S. Since it was the 4th of July, we had a little moment of celebrating Independence Day in the van, complete with cheers and applause!

George dropped us off in Georgetown so we could continue our ride tomorrow, and the 3 ladies were headed back to Charlottetown having completed their tip to tip ride.

The Georgetown Historic Inn was built in 1840 as a home. Throughout the years, the building has served many purposes; post office, general store, boarding house, warehouse and thrift store. In 1995, it was converted into an inn with 8 guest rooms.

view from the inn’s 3rd floor to the wharf

There’s a restaurant on the ground floor of the inn, we’ll have breakfast there in the morning, but George recommended a restaurant a short walk away on the waterfront. We’re glad we took his recommendation because it was delicious with beautiful views on the deck. After dinner we walked to the wharf and I took more pictures. Though we missed being in the U.S. for the 4th, it was nice being in such a lovely place!

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, PEI, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 8 – St. Andrews to St. Peters – 44 km (27.5 miles)

4 Jul

After yesterday’s rain, the beautiful blue skies that greeted us this morning were a blessing! We enjoyed some of Ben’s baked items for breakfast. It was so good and I took one of his homemade granola bars to go for later in the day.

While yesterday’s ride was beautiful, it was cloudy all day. Today was bright blue skies and sunshine. We traveled along, enjoying the views. We saw blueberry fields for the first time! The blueberries that are grown on the island are the low shrub blueberry. It is more like a thick vine that grows along the ground rather than a bush. When the railroad was in operation on this trail, the train (always accommodating on PEI) would make unscheduled stops to allow folks to disembark and pick blueberries. After their pails were full, they’d catch the next train back to town.

The portion of the Confederation Trail along the southern side of St. Peter’s Bay is the only portion of trail that travels along the shore. The builders of the railroad took a cost saving approach to building. They avoided having the railroad cross any water and the expensive bridges that water crossings required. Most of the trail travels down the center of the island. That’s why we’ve also included coastal roads on our trip, to be able to see the coastline too. But in this one particular stretch, for reasons unknown, the railroad line followed the coast, which necessitated the crossing of 3 rivers. For this reason, this section of trail is one of the most beautiful and is the most highly traveled.

We arrived in St. Peter’s Bay early enough to eat lunch, but were too early to check in so we followed the road to the National Park just to get in a few more miles. This road did not have a shoulder, but it was lightly traveled and the drivers were courteous. We also had a nice view of the other side of the bay as we pedaled along.

After a short visit to the park, we arrived at Points East Coastal Inn. It is situated right on the trail as we came in to town. The house, built in 1870, was built by a prominent merchant and farmer. In 1915, the house was purchased by the Presbyterian church next door and used as a parsonage for many years. This makes the third inn we’ve stayed in during this trip that was once a parsonage! It remained a parsonage until the 1960’s, than sat empty for many years.

There’s an interesting story attached to the inn. Many years ago, an old gentleman lived in the house alone. His next door neighbor came down with typhoid and at that time, homes that had typhoid were burned to the ground to prevent the spread of that dreaded disease. The single gentleman in this big house, seeing his next door neighbor’s plight, gave the neighbor the back part of his house. He figured he had enough house to share. They literally detached the back portion and moved it next door for the neighbor to live in. In the pictures below, you can see the similarities of the houses. The inn is on the left and the neighbor’s house is pictured on the right.

the original house, minus the back portion that was moved next door

Here’s another view of the neighbor’s house. It is long and narrow and it is obvious that it is part of the house from next door! The front porch was added later.

The innkeeper jokingly told us that when he and his wife bought the inn, they went next door and told their neighbor that they wanted their house back, lol.

What a generous and selfless act! The current owners of the inn have added living quarters to the back where the portion of the house was removed in recent years. But what a remarkable act of kindness! Learning that story makes our stay here even more special!

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 7 – Charlottetown to St. Andrews – 41 km (25.5 miles)

3 Jul

It was good to get back on the bikes today, even though the forecast called for rain. We didn’t have too far to travel to our next stop, so we planned to make good time to beat the rain. Even though it was cloudy and overcast, it was still a beautiful area. We left the inn and rode through the quiet streets of Charlottetown to the connector. Yesterday was Canada Day, and there were fireworks and celebrations into the night, so the streets were pretty much deserted this morning.

We traveled among cattle farms and fields of wildflowers.

We also noticed an abundance of apple trees along the trail. Apple trees are prevalent along old railways such as the Confederation Trail. Train passengers that traveled by train around the turn of the century had to pack their lunch for the trip. Lunches often contained an apple and the core would be tossed out the train window once the apple was eaten.

We traveled along and passed an area of salt marshes. They were beautiful with the tall grasses and the twisting streams of water, bordered by wildflowers and cattails.

The ferns are shoulder high!

We made good time and were soon at Mt. Stewart. We knew we’d be too early to check in, so we found a local spot for lunch before pedaling the last couple of miles to the inn. Laurie’s Country Kitchen was just the spot! Our server was from Virginia! She said she liked it when she got to wait on fellow Americans because when she tells them their check will be at the counter, they know what she means, lol.

Jimmy looked over the menu and decided to eat like a local. He ordered the hot hamburger, not to be confused with the hamburger also listed on the menu. He was not disappointed! A hot hamburger consists of 2 thick pieces of bread with a hamburger patty between, topped with peas, gravy, and caramelized onions. It is served with vegetables and fries! He loved it!

Just as we finished eating, it began to sprinkle, so we did our best to beat the rain, and we were so close! We were within a mile of our turn when the skies opened up. We grabbed our rain gear and kept pedaling. We took cover under a trailside shelter within sight of the path to the inn.

The rain didn’t stop so we just trudged on up the hill to the inn. There was a grassy path that led from the trail to a dead end road, and the road led to the inn.

We were certainly happy to see Bishop’s Rest and get out of our wet clothing. The house once served as a parochial home for St. Andrews Church next door, and when the innkeepers bought it, it had been vacant for 15 years. They’d driven past the house many times and even wished to own a place such as this, but knew it would never go up for sale since it was owned by the church. One day when they drove by, a little for sale sign was in the yard and they called and made an offer. Today, Sarah runs the B&B, and Ben runs a bakery above the garage. We were greeted by Ben when we arrived and allowed to store our bikes in the garage.

The house is in a beautiful location on a hill overlooking the church cemetery and the Hillsborough River.

We went up to our room and changed out of our wet clothes and placed our order for dinner. Ben is a chef and offers dinner for guests if needed. There was a great selection of entrees, including his homemade pizza, but we decided on the salmon. It was so good and so good not to have to get out on the bikes in the rain and try to find dinner! There really aren’t too many restaurant options around, and being situated on the Confederation Trail brings them many bikers and walkers. So they decided to use Ben’s skills and offer an evening meal option and see how it went. I think it’s been a big success!

Ben also operates a bakery on site. It is a self-serve bakery based on the honor system. Another bonus to staying here is the smell of freshly baking bread! Breakfast items are placed out the night before and I was excited to see an assortment of Ben’s bakery items.

By the time we’d finished dinner, the rain had stopped and we walked over to the old church and the cemetery.

Bishop’s Rest B&B adopted its name from Bishop MacEachern and the historic property on which the house is situated. It’s in the little village of St. Andrew’s, and St. Andrew’s Church is right beside the house.The Bishop came to the island in 1790 and served the people of his parish tirelessly. When he arrived, he was the only priest on the island, and had the responsibility of 1000 Catholic parishioners scattered across a large area. Though he did not restrict himself to people of the Catholic faith. He made himself available to serve all people and all faiths. He died in 1835 and being much loved by the people, was buried under the altar of the church. His remains have since been moved twice, once when the church was relocated closer to the road, and finally into a crypt behind the church.

The church beside the inn has an interesting story. It was built in 1805 and when the church grew, they built a bigger one closer to the road. This one sat empty until they decided to move it to Charlottetown to be used as a school. It was moved in the winter of 1864 and transported by men and horses on the ice-covered Hillsborough River to Charlottetown. I don’t know what that distance would be on the river, but the distance by bike was 24 miles. The whole community was on standby for what was called a “stupendous undertaking”.

“For more than a month the good people of St. Andrews worked under the direction of their pastor, and then, all being ready, they awaited coming of a severe frost to prepare the ice for the heavy load in store for it…On Monday, the 7th of March, in response to an eloquent appeal…500 men, Protestants as well as Catholics assembled with 120 horses, all ready for the work.”
Rev. John C. MacMillan (The Catholic Church in Prince Edward Island, 1835-1891)

What a sight that must have been, 500 men and 120 horses moving a church over the ice of the river. But about 7 miles from Charlottetown, they had to veer around a wharf, which moved them closer to the channel of the river and thinner ice.

“After sundry warning sounds, with a tremendous crash the whole building was submerged and was firmly embedded at the bottom of the river. But the faith that can move mountains was not wanting here: it worked well combined with the muscle and sinew of the faithful, and at 4 o’clock p.m., by almost superhuman efforts, the chapel was dragged from the water and the march resumed.”
Rev. John C. MacMillan (The Catholic Church in Prince Edward Island, 1835-1891)

What an amazing story of the church next door. But since the church is still next door, that means that it was returned to this location once again from Charlottetown! The story does not end there. After a 2 day journey on the frozen river, the church was deposited in Charlottetown and served as a school for girls from 1864 to 1976. It was the core building for St. Joseph’s convent and other additions to the original building had been added through the years. In 1987, the convent caught fire, but miraculously, the original structure of St. Andrews Church, sustained very little damage.

A group called the Friends of St. Andrews acquired the old church and brought it back to its original location in the little village, causing one parishioner to comment that St. Andrews is the only church “to have gone to town and back!”

St. Andrews, built in 1805 having gone to town and back

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, biking on PEI, confederation trail, PEI, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day 6 – Rest Day

2 Jul

Today was a scheduled rest day and it came at a good time in our trip. We’d decided to keep one of the days that we are in Charlottetown open, to give us the flexibility to explore by car. The timing of it couldn’t be better, since Jimmy broke a spoke on his rear bike tire yesterday and needed time to replace it. God blessed us with this free day that we didn’t know we’d need! We took our time this morning, hanging around the inn after breakfast for bike repairs and were so grateful we didn’t have the pressure of trying to get on the trail.

We decided we’d devote the day to the Cavendish area to take in the Anne of Green Gables sites. As it turns out, today is Canada Day, (similar to our 4th of July) and because of that, it was free admission to the Anne of Green Gables Heritage Center and the national parks on the island. An unexpected bonus!

First stop though, was Avonlea Village located near Green Gables. It was a collection of historic buildings, shops, and restaurants. We explored a bit and ate an early lunch before heading to Green Gables.

We were very surprised that nothing was crowded today, especially since it was a national holiday and free admission! But there were very few people at Green Gables or Avonlea Village. We got right in and enjoyed touring the house and grounds.

There are two trails on the property, one is Lover’s Lane which was one of the author’s favorite places when she lived on PEI. The other was the walk through the haunted woods, just a shady little trail that went from the author’s home where she lived with her grandparents, to this home, Green Gables, owned by her cousins.

We took a little stroll down Lover’s Lane, and also checked out the haunted forest.

“This evening I spent in Lover’s Lane. How beautiful it was-green and alluring and beckoning! I had been tired and discouraged and sick at heart before I went…and it…stole away the heartsickness, giving peace and newness of life.”
The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, entry of August 1, 1909

Lucy Maud Montgomery spent the first half of her life on PEI after the death of her mother. She came to live with her grandparents and was a frequent visitor to this farmhouse which was owned by her cousins, David and Margaret Mcneill, who were brother and sister. It was this house she began to imagine as the home of Anne Shirley when she came to live with the Cuthberts’, another brother/sister.

“I have woven a good deal of reality into my books. Cavendish is to a large extent Avonlea…Green Gables was drawn from David Macneill’s house…and the truth of my description of it is attested by the fact that everybody has recognized it.”
L.M. Montgomery’s Journal, January 27, 1911

We left Green Gables after a thorough exploration and headed toward Dalvay-by-the-Sea. The road traveled along the Bay of St. Lawrence, and though we’d ridden this section on bike yesterday, we didn’t mind seeing it again because it’s just so beautiful. At a little roadside pull-off we walked out to a scenic point and got to see a young lady playing the bagpipes at the cliff’s edge. She was very good and I talked to her a bit.

During the tourist season, (May-October) they have tour busses scheduled to make a stop at this location, and her job is to be on site playing the bagpipes when they arrive.

She said there were 56 scheduled stops at this spot throughout the season. I was glad the bus was late, because we got a free private concert since she was practicing to be ready. It is a beautiful place to stop.

The Cavendish area was first settled by Scottish immigrants, (the Mcneill family for one, relatives of L.M. Montgomery), and there are still Scottish influences to this day. Yesterday on the bikes, I noticed several locations with signs in the yard announcing Ceididh and listing a start time of 7:30 pm. Each sign, no matter the location listed the same start time. A Ceididh is a traditional Scottish social gathering or visit. There are quite a few gatherings like this in the area, and it seems most involve musical entertainment and food! The ones that involve food are called kitchen parties. Sounds like my kind of party! Everyone is welcome, residents and visitors alike, and they are held weekly throughout the summer.

Our last stop of the day was Dalvay-by-the-Sea. We had reservations for dinner and we arrived a bit early, so we sat in the big chairs on the front lawn that overlook Lake Dalvay. The lawn was full of geese near the water.

Open May through October, Dalvay-by-the-Sea is a Canadian National Historic Site located in Prince Edward Island National Park.

The house was built in 1895, by an American who was once president of Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. Alexander MacDonald had left his home country of Scotland to seek a better life, and ended up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He married Laura Palmer, and they had one daughter also named Laura. Laura married and had two daughters, Helena and Laura (the 3rd Laura in the family!) When the mother of the two girls died at a young age, the girls went to live with their grandparents. They were given the very best of everything, and traveled extensively with their grandparents. It was on one of their travels that their grandfather fell in love with PEI and decided to build a summer home there. Construction began in 1895 and he called this home Dalvay-by-the-Sea after his boyhood home in Scotland. He also had a home in Cincinnati named Dalvay.

Local building materials were used exclusively to build the home. Sandstone was quarried on the island and used in its natural boulder form. The huge fireplaces were also made of quarried stone.

The family enjoyed many wonderful summers there, and would host a big party for all of the locals before they closed the house for the winter. The event involved a dance and a hired violinist. It was a lavish event that was the highlight of the year for the local folks that lived nearby.

It operates today as a hotel, and visitors are welcome to enjoy the grounds and explore the home while in the area. We had made reservations for dinner, and I took lots of pictures on the inside. There’s a large center hallway through the middle of the home, and the upper floor is gallery style with a grand staircase leading up to the rooms.

In the main hallway across from the stone fireplace was an old desk containing scrapbooks and old photos of days gone by. I was excited to look through the scrapbook that was devoted to the royal visit in 2011. Will and Kate visited Dalvay-by-the-Sea on their royal honeymoon tour.

Anne of Green Gables fans will recognize Dalvay as “The White Sands Hotel”. In the movie starring Megan Follows, a scene involves Anne going to a recital at the White Sands Hotel. Anne loses her papers all over the dunes with the hotel in the background.

The food and service were perfect. It was such a treat to explore the home, then enjoy a meal there.

And now for the rest of the story of Dalvay-by-the-Sea. Mr. Macdonald, the grandfather of the two girl’s last visit to his beloved summer home on PEI was in 1909. His health had slowly deteriorated and after he closed the house for the summer, on his way to the train station, he requested to have the horses stop when he reached Long Pond. He stood alone for a long while looking back at his home and quietly said, “Goodbye Dalvay”. He was never able to return and died in 1910 in California.

He left Dalvay and most of his massive fortune to his two granddaughters who were 16 and 17 at the time of his death. The house and estate were to be managed by their father until the girls became of age. The estate was worth $15-million and made the two girls some of the wealthiest women of that time period.

Though both girls had originally planned to marry successful young men from the Cincinnati area, they decided they might do better for themselves if they went to Europe and tried to marry into royalty. Not surprisingly, considering their vast wealth, both girls succeeded. Miss Helena married Prince Mural of France. Her sister, Miss Laura married Prince Rosspigliosi of Italy.

Their father, in managing their inheritance, made some poor decisions and bad investments and the girls learned that the large fortune their grandfather had left them had dwindled down to almost nothing. Both of the princes divorced the girls after learning they no longer had access to money. Helena died of cancer at the age of 38 and Laura moved to New York where she had to work to support her family and could no longer afford to keep the Dalvay property.

It changed hands many times throughout the years until it was acquired by Parks Canada in 1959. I really enjoyed learning about the home and the family that lived there, and am glad this treasure was saved for all to enjoy.

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, PEI, PEI by bike, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day Five – Cavendish to Dalvay-by-the-Sea – 52 km (32.5 miles)

1 Jul

We’d arranged with George Larter (PEI Guide and Drive Service) to pick us up from the inn after breakfast and shuttle us to Cavendish. He was right on time and had his grandson, 7&3/4 year old Jett, assisting him today. They loaded our bikes onto the trailer and we set out.

Cavendish is not easily bikable from Charlottetown (at least not by us) because there’s not a bike trail to that location and the roads are heavily traveled with little or no shoulder. Plus, we wanted to maximize our time, so a shuttle out and back was our best bet. We enjoyed the 40 minute ride and George dropped us off at Cavendish beach with instructions to call him when we wanted to be picked back up and returned to Charlottetown. He also had some great suggestions for dining options that the locals enjoy. He’s a wealth of information about PEI in general having lived and worked here for many years.

Our route today took us along the north shore of the island from Cavendish to Dalvay-by-the-Sea. Most of it was on dedicated bike trails that followed the coast. The bike paths we used today were part of the Prince Edward Island National Park. The scenery was gorgeous and the bike trails were mostly paved with some boardwalk trails.

Almost immediately, I was able to see the Lake of Shining Waters, as Anne of Green Gables called Mcneill’s pond, named for one of the three Scottish families that founded Cavendish. The bike trail goes right over the pond on floating platforms.

The trail along the coast is beautiful and the weather was delightful. Sunny and warm but certainly not hot. The bright blue skies were the perfect backdrop.

We never tired of the coastal views!

George had mentioned that today was the end of the lobster season, and we could expect much activity on the docks and wharfs. We rode through a beautiful section of trail in the village of North Rustico.

North Rustico was where the first Acadians settled in 1790. The village of 810 people are mostly direct descendants of the original Acadians. There are currently five Rusticos on PEI! They are North Rustico, South Rustico, Rusticoville, Rustico Harbour, and Anglo-Rustico. I guess you have to be pretty specific about which town you call home! They had a nice welcome sign on the harbour trail and the trail led directly to the wharf. I was actually surprised we were allowed such access to the wharf, because it was a beehive of activity and definitely a workplace. Lobster boats were streaming to the dock with their loads and tractors and front-end loaders were busy unloading the traps. We walked right along side the boats and watched the work.

Though they were busy with the day’s catch, they seemed to enjoy showing us their haul. We left the wharf and the bike trail and switched to the roads for 10-12 miles. But before we left North Rustico, George had told us about a little roadside stand that sold lunch. We climbed a hill from the wharf on Route 6 and soon found the spot George had described. We would have missed it altogether without the recommendation, because it was a tiny little shack as nondescript as could be. It was hardly noticable at all.

There were two menu items. Fish and chips and clams and fries. There may have been 3 menu items because I think you could just get an order of fries. The little shop is operated by one man who does the order taking, the cooking, and serves as cashier. In a separate little shack, his wife is busy cutting fries. They only serve PEI grown potatoes hand cut into fries.

We decided we’d better order one of each. Clams for me and fish and chips for him. It was delicious! We had seating out back at picnic tables in the shade, and there were several people already eating even though it was early. There was one mason jar of salt, that someone had modified by punching holes in the metal lid, and one bottle of vinegar. If you needed salt for your fries or vinegar for your fish, you’d just walk over to the table of the people that had used it last and ask to borrow it.

After our lunch, we continued on with our ride that took us along the shoulder of Route 6 all the way to Brackley Beach. We were on the road for 10-12 miles riding on the wide shoulder. We don’t love riding on roads, but sometimes it’s necessary to see everything we want to see. Drivers are cautious around bikers here, and courteous enough to move as far away from us as possible when passing. We rode more hills today too with long climbs followed thankfully by long stretches of coasting.

The hill behind me in the photo below does not look very impressive, but it was a long, hard climb. I made it to the top, and took a little rest, just to take a picture of course, lol.

We took a short detour down a side road (at George’s recommendation) and saw the oldest church and house on the island and the oldest bank in North America. All at one location!

The church was built in 1838 by Acadian craftsmen. It is the oldest Roman Catholic church still in use on Prince Edward Island. The three bells in the tower were cast in Sheffield, England. The door is unlocked so visitors can take a look at this historic church.

Right next door to the old church, is Farmer’s Bank of Rustico. The bank was the first credit union in North America, and was the model for all credit unions to follow. It was the brainchild of Father Belcourt, who was the priest at St. Augustine next door. In December of 1859, Father Belcourt arrived at St. Augustine to take over the parish. He had been a missionary among the aboriginal people of Manitoba for 30 years before arriving at Rustico. He had a heart of service for the people, and immediately recognized the desperate poverty of the Acadians. They were being unfairly treated by English settlers, paying high interest rates for loans, and having to give an unfair percentage of their crops or goods as collateral. It was a difficult cycle to break. Father Belcourt set out to help improve the lives of the Acadian residents. During his 10 year tenure in the parish, Father Belcourt started a library, a school, a band, and a bank giving the Acadians the tools for a better life. He also started an adult study club with the aim of improving adult education. One prerequisite of the study club, that met weekly, was that one abstain from alcohol in order to be a member. He’d seen first-hand the affects of alcoholism in his previous parish and wanted to protect the people of Rustico.

He was a man of many talents and built everything from boats, furniture, musical instruments to buildings, using his skills of carpentry, design, and mechanics. Always looking for ways to improve the area, he imported the first “horseless carriage” to Prince Edward Island, and was later involved in the first car accident.

Today, the old bank building houses a very nice museum, and I was given a private tour of the museum and the oldest house in PEI, which is right next door. I was the only visitor and my tour guide was a college student working at the museum during her summer break. She did a great job and told me her first cousin lives in Kentucky!

We soon left route 6 and got back on the coastal bike paths of Prince Edward Island National Park for the rest of our ride. We cycled to Dalvay-by-the-Sea.

We have reservations for dinner at Dalvay-by-the-Sea tomorrow night. Today we just took a look at the outside. I’m very interested to see the inside, as Will and Kate spent part of their honeymoon trip here!

We turned back toward Covehead lighthouse to eat dinner at Original Richard’s. We timed it just right and missed the long line that usually fills up the parking lot. We’d arranged to be picked up there after dinner. We both ordered the lobster roll and PEI fries. The pictures do not do it justice! We ate it on the deck overlooking the long line that had formed. Also the wharf was very busy with the last of the lobster boats heading in. Another gorgeous day on PEI!

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, bikepacking, biking, biking on PEI, PEI, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day Four – Hunter River to Charlottetown – 32 km (20 miles)

30 Jun

Today was a light day as we made our way back to Charlottetown, our home base. We had arranged to leave our car parked at the inn in Charlottetown and ride out from there. After exploring the north end of the island, we’ll be in town for three nights, being shuttled to and from the Cavendish area tomorrow to explore the national park there, then we will have a rest day to explore off the bikes. The rest day will include all things Anne with an “e”! After the rest day, we will start our 6 day exploration of the other side of the island.

We are using a guide service to transport our luggage for us each day. When we arrive at our B & B each night, our bag is in our room waiting. When we leave for the next destination, we leave our bag and the guide service picks it up and takes it to the next night’s lodging.

After a continental breakfast at the Inn, we placed a new pin in their visitor map marking the state of Kentucky for the first time.

It was a beautiful day with no wind! A miracle! The rain and cloudy skies from yesterday yielded bright blue skies and sunshine today. It was gorgeous and the trail from Hunter River to Charlottetown was some of the prettiest yet! As we left town, I took a few photos of beautiful Hunter River. The water is so clear you can see to the bottom of the river.

We had a bit of a climb from Hunter River to get to the trail, but once on the trail it was an easy ride. Because the trail runs on the old Canadian rail line, it is fairly level with not more than a 2% grade. We did have two climbs, but they were so gradual it didn’t bother us at all, and we had 2 very easy stretches of pedaling following the climbs.

We’ve noticed in a few places along the trail the presence of old culverts with dates ranging from the 1920’s-30’s. When the railroad originally came to Prince Edward Island in the 1870’s, it was a narrow-gauge railway (42″ from rail to rail), because it was less expensive to build, and there was never the thought that it would be necessary to connect to any other line on the mainland. They were an island after all, with the mainland at least 8 miles away with no bridge. But in 1917, a rail-car carrying ferry went into service from PEI to New Brunswick. The railways on the mainland were standard gauge (56.5″ between rails). Initially they addressed the issue of converting the narrow gauge to standard by adding a third rail! But in the 1920’s work began in earnest to switch the whole island to standard-gauge, which involved installing these culverts. When the railway was converted once again to a bike trail, these were removed, but they stand alongside the trail as a little piece of history.

We continued on, taking our time soaking in all the beauty of God’s creation in this part of the world. We had plenty of time since we knew we couldn’t check in until around 3:00 pm.

mustard on the left, potato rows hilled and ready for planting on the right

As we drew closer to Charlottetown, the scenery changed from rural farmland to quiet neighborhoods as the trail took us through the backyards of the suburbs. I think it’s fun to get to ride through a neighborhood and check out the back yards!

We found a great lunch right off the trail at the Charlottetown Farmer’s Market. Inside were vendors offering every type of food imaginable. We couldn’t resist authentic shrimp tacos.

Tomorrow, on to Cavendish!

Tags: bike travel, bike trips, biking, PEI, prince edward island by bike, Travel

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

Day Three – Miscouche to Hunter River – 57 km (35.5 miles)

29 Jun

After yesterday’s windy ride, today’s was a welcome reprieve! Though the wind never goes away on Prince Edward Island, it does vary a great deal. Yesterday was brutal with strong headwinds all day. Today was a gentle breeze, just enough to keep us cool while pedaling.

The day started off rainy, and we delayed leaving the B&B for just a bit. Since there wasn’t a breakfast offered at our B&B, we rode our bikes down the street just a few blocks to find breakfast. Something I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post, was that the innkeeper at Prince County Guesthouse offered to wash our biking clothes for us when Jimmy asked if there was a laundromat nearby. He said he’d just throw them in his washer and gave us a bag to collect everything that need washing. We’ve met nice people at every stop!

We easily found the breakfast spot, which didn’t look like much from the outside. There was a small minimal sign on the window but no signage on the road (very common here). I wasn’t even sure it was open, but it was, and we had a delicious breakfast. I have noticed the sliced bread here is much thicker than in the US. The toast that came with our breakfast was homemade bread, cut in thick slabs. It was so good and I ate every bite. No carb watching this week!

Once we finished our breakfast, we took a road directly across from the restaurant to access the Confederation Trail. The light rain had mostly stopped by the time we finished our breakfast and though it remained cloudy most of the day, we stayed dry.

Our route today took us through more large farming operations. Mostly potatoes, but we also noticed fields of mustard, corn and soybeans. The gentleman we met at the potato museum told me that potatoes are only planted in a field once every three years because potatoes deplete the soil more than other crops. Typically a crop of potatoes is followed by a crop that is harvested, then the following year, a crop of mustard or something similar that is tilled under to enrich the soil. The fields were beautiful!

The trail took us through Summerside, which is on the southern coast of the island. We followed the trail along through quiet neighborhoods and had a good view of the water.

As we left Summerside, we continued on seeing more beautiful farmland and scenery.

We arrived in the little town of Kensington just in time for lunch. It’s a cute little town and the trail goes right through the center. The old train depot is still there, having been repurposed into a restaurant (though it wasn’t open today) and other shops are along the old trail. They left a few sections of track in place, with a wooden boardwalk for pedestrians alongside the trail.

There was a couple sitting at a picnic table along the trail and Jimmy asked if they had any recommendations for lunch. They replied they’d just gotten Kentucky Fried Chicken, and pointed in the direction of that restaurant. Jimmy told them we were from Kentucky and had plenty of that back home, lol. We enjoyed talking to them and headed on. We found a great little place right alongside the trail that looked promising. We made a good choice. Jimmy went up to place our order and I was sitting with the bikes when a family walked past, seeing the bikes and stopped to ask all about our trip. They said we’d picked a good spot for lunch, that the Frosty Treat was a Prince Edward Island classic. They had a large menu and I had a hard time deciding. They serve only PEI potatoes, so I had to order something with fries! I went with clams and Jimmy got fish and chips.

We finished our ride, enjoying the sights along the way and made it to Hunter River for the night.

Hunter River is a beautiful little town and the river runs through the middle of town.

Our accommodations tonight are at the Heritage Classic Inn B&B, run by a French woman and her husband. We were greeted by Sylvette and her dog Jack, who is huge but very well behaved.

Jack is not allowed in the guest portion of the home (Sylvette and her husband live in the home too) but as she toured us through the guest quarters, Jack kept sticking his nose out their kitchen door into the hallway to hear what was being said. Though he could easily step over the gate across the doorway, he has never tried.

The house was built in 1930 as a doctor’s office and served that purpose for many years. It was then purchased by a church and served as the parsonage. When Sylvette bought it, no one was living in it and she and her husband remodeled it as a guest house. Our room is on the front of the house and we have part of the front porch included in our room. Guests share a bathroom, but there is only one other guest who is working late each night, so it hasn’t been an issue.

They offered secure storage for our bikes behind the house that our grandsons would love! There’s a big dog bed in the corner so it must be Jack’s house!

Tags: bike travel, bike trips

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories 2022 Bike Trip - Prince Edward Island

← Older Entries

Search

Deb Cooks and Bikes