Prince Edward Island

Aug 13 4:52 pm
From Cape Breton we took the Ferry to PEI at Caribou, Nova Scotia. As we waited to board, we were amzed to see 6 motorcycles, 6 transport trucks, 7 camping trailers, and 104 other vehicles spew forth from the maw of this great boat.

Aug 13 6:07 pm
The kids had a blast exploring the decks on the one and a half hour ferry ride. Finally we spotted the familiar red dirt of the PEI coastline.

Aug 13 6:20 pm
Once we arrived, we made our way to Robinson's Island. This camping spot inside of Prince Edward Island National Park would be our home while we stayed in PEI.

Aug 14 2:47 pm
Now the days were sunny and bright. Despite the sun and warmth at the campsite, the water at the beach was freezing and a cold breeze had us wishing our sweaters were near. It was not unusual to see everyone staring away from the beach as their umbrellas sheilded them from the breeze.

Aug 14 4:27 pm
Sand dunes cover the PEI coast. This fragile ecological environment is in constant danger of critical erosion. The island is very environmentally conscious as well, recycling everything and experimenting with wind and solar power.

Aug 14 8:40 pm
A visit to the East Coast without sampling the fresh seafood would be inconceivable. As we waited in line at St. Anne's Lobster Suppers, we were informed of the power outages in Ontario. Since we were bereft of radio and television, we had been completely "in the dark" about this traumatic event.

Aug 14 9:16 pm
Unfortunately, most of our family is not fond of seafood. Everyone had a sampling of Mussels and Lobster. Josiah and Howard enjoyed the fare thoroughly.

Aug 15 11:10 am
The next day we visited the capital, Charlottetown. There we were diverted by a celebratory parade and local festivities that blocked the road to our destination, Founders Hall.

Aug 15 11:22 am
Soon the parade dissapated, and we stepped inside this museum to take a virtual tour through history.

Aug 15 1:43 pm
Here we learned about how Canada became a country and some of the history-making events that took place on the Island during that formation.

Aug 15 7:02 pm
That evening, we went deep sea fishing on the "Julie Ann Jamie". We headed out from Rusticoville, PEI at 6:00 pm and were in deep water by 7:00.

Aug 15 7:20 pm
The captain identified a school of mackerel and everyone dropped their hooks into the water. After a few minutes each person started to magically pull up the large fish. Karla shows off her catch...

Aug 15 7:20 pm
.. Derek lands a whopper. The fishing gear simply consists of a large sinker, and two large hooks with colorful lures.

Aug 15 7:21 pm
Joanne reels in her catch. Soon the boat is filled with fresh fish.

Aug 15 7:53 pm
Josiah's hunger gets the better of him. He regains control, and we eventually eat the fish for supper the next day, pan fried in pancake batter. Mmmm.

Aug 15 8:11 pm
As we returned to port, we were awed by a stunning sunset.

Aug 15 8:17 pm
The crew continued to filet the fish as we returned to port. A large and noisy contingent of seagulls followed in our wake.

Aug 16 2:10 pm
PEI has many historic light houses. Our next adventure took us across to the eastern tip of the Island.

Aug 16 2:08 pm
The East Point Lightstation was built in 1867.

Aug 16 2:20 pm
It had been moved twice. Once because mapmakers had it located in a different spot which resulted in a naval accident in 1882. Apparently it was easier to move the light house than have the map corrected!

Aug 16 3:04 pm
We climbed to the top of this 64 foot structure and tried to imagine what it was like to be tasked with the role of being a light keeper. Today, with modern radar systems, these light houses are no longer essential for naval safety.

Aug 16 3:13 pm
The bluffs around the point continue to erode about a meter every year. As a result, a third move of the light house further in-land is planned for next year.

Aug 16 6:38 pm
On the way back to camp, we are surprised to see this fellow loping next to our car for a while.

Aug 17 11:40 am
Rain again. As we leave PEI on the confederation bridge, we are impressed with the size of this engineering marvel. It took us 10 minutes and 18 seconds to drive across this 12.9 km bridge, spanning the ocean from PEI back to New Brunswick.