From the Archives :: PEI

[trip style = sightseeing + beach] {more pics below}

{Editor's Note: For August's From The Archives, we decided to take you east, to a summer destination known for its sand dunes decorated with wispy grasses, pastoral landscapes reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables fame, multi-day Confederation Trail biking excursion and oceanfront setting. Canada's smallest province won't let you escape the sea spray, the 1770 km of coastline won't allow it. And if you forget---just for a second---you're on an island, the 50+ lighthouses protecting the cliffs and white- and red-sand coastlines will serve as a flashing, but not flashy, reminder.}

PEI Highlights {The first vista we saw when our ferry from Nova Scotia was docking. Exactly what I’d expected!}

{First stop. PEI’s only winery {Rossignol} to taste their varietals and buy a fish-shaped bottle of Isle St Jean White.}

{Charlettetown’s harbour area at sundown.}

{While touring the island, we discovered a parking lot on a beach in North Rustico.}

{This gorgeous setting was right in front of our car as we pulled onto the beach.}

{North Rustico gift shop.}

{More of the town.}

{Road trip stop # 2: Red sand cliffs on the East Coast.}

{Road trip stop # 3: dunes near Cavendish.}

{Front side of the dunes.}

{More of Cavendish Beach Park.}

{Road trip stop # 4: you know, just another typical road-side view.}

{One of PEI's signature lighthouse settings.}

{Fishing town near the lighthouse.}

{Enjoying a refreshing lemonade in Victoria by the Sea before crossing into New Brunswick to fly home. Set in the town’s old grocery store/post office, don’t let the Landmark Cafe’s quaint appearance fool you, the food is to die for.}

{The 12.9km Confederation Bridge–built with a slight curve so drivers are more likely to pay attention and less likely to have accidents.}

Related Halifax :: Beer n Boats St. Andrews by the Sea Montreal Je T’aime Ottawa :: Canada Day

[photos by @tripstyler]

Sand Dunes & Firsts in PEI

[trip style = sightseeing + beach] {more pics below}

PEI was the last stop on my get to know Canada better trip. For all you Regis & Kelly fans, no, I didn't plan on being there at the same time, but the timing worked out well and it was impressive to see Canada get so much coverage on the program!  The Gentle Island was a gracious host to the show and its fanatics, and the local buzz was laced with pride----and why not---PEI has a lot to be proud of!  From kitschy tourist attractions like Santa's Woods and natural wonders like sand dunes rolling into the horizon, Canada's smallest Province is the perfect location for a family getaway!  Ironically, I experienced a lot of firsts on my last Eastern Canada stop before returning to the West.

Firsts in PEI

• saw and gently treaded on sand dunes like you'd see in The Hamptons imagery. Gorgeous!
• wanted to take a picture of every lighthouse (and that's a lot).
• tried scallops and mussels (was scared of their slimy-ish consistency before, but I've been converted)
• hung out at a red-sand beach
• drank wine out of a fish-shaped bottle
• saw farmers' fields that trickled into the ocean
• travelled over a 12.9 km bridge

Returning As I bid PEI adieu from the Confederation Bridge, I vowed I would return to eat at more of the seaside restaurants, bike the confederation trail, spend lazy days at one of the many white- or red-sand beaches and maybe get around to visiting the Anne of Green Gables site.  Next time...

PEI Highlights {The first vista we saw when our ferry from Nova Scotia was docking. Exactly what I'd expected!}

{First stop: PEI's only winery: Rossignol, to taste their varietals and buy a fish-shaped bottle of Isle St Jean White.}

{Charlettetown's harbour area at sundown.}

{Second day we spent road-trippin' and discovered a parking lot on a beach in North Rustico.}

{This gorgeous setting was right in front of our car as we pulled onto the beach.}

{North Rustico gift shop.}

{More of the town.}

{Road trip stop # 2: Red sand cliffs on the East Coast.}

{Artsy shot.}

{Us.}

{Road trip stop # 3: dunes near Cavendish.}

{Front side of the dunes.}

{More of Cavendish Beach Park.}

{Road trip stop # 4: you know, just another trypical road-side view.}

{The money shot: most GORGEOUS lighthouse setting I've EVER seen.}

{Fishing town near the lighthouse.}

{Lobster Traps.}

{Enjoying a refreshing lemonade in Victoria by the Sea before crossing into New Brunswick to fly home. Set in the town's old grocery store/post office, don't let the Landmark Cafe's quaint appearance fool you, the food is to die for.}

{The Confederation Bridge--built with a slight curve so drivers are more likely to pay attention and less likely to have accidents.}

[photos by @tripstyler]

My Own Backyard

[trip style = sightseeing]

A Taster Today I'm leaving Vancouver on  jetplane. My two week get-to-know-my-own-backyard trip will take me to Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton, St. Andrews by the Sea, Halifax and Charlottetown.  Although this whirlwind adventure doesn't even get me close to exploring all the wonders of Canada's East Coast, at least it's a start, a taster per se.

No Passport Required Traveling sans passport is weird, yet refreshing. The last time I was in Eastern Canada (not including airport visits) it was 1992 and I was in grade 7. I went with my French Immersion class on a trip to Quebec.  It was a cool -25 degrees celcius, and the St. Lawrence River--or fleuve Saint-Laurent--was partially frozen.  My french class stayed in a dumpy hostel in the shadow of the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac (really?) and given the absence of my parents, I may have eaten McDonald's every day for lunch.  Both my lodging preferences and eating habits have changed since then.

Why am I going? Since most of the travel I do is international, I want to be able to tell people more about my own country, not just the small pockets I've visited to date. It's semi embarrassing when I meet tourists who've seen more of the country that put the North in North America than I have, but it's a big place. It's the second largest country in the world with a population similar to California's.  Speaking of California, ironically, last time I was there my friend pointed out George Stroumboulopoulos (Canada's famed late-night, gen-X talk show host). The fact is I'm proud to be Canadian, so I want to visit more of this mammoth land mass and meet more of my neighbours before I venture off to foreign soil again.

Ottawa for Canada Day One event I'm super excited about is participating in the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa (Canada's Capital). I think it's kind of a propos--something I can check off my life list or that would my make my grade 4 teacher proud. For as long as I can remember, I've always watched Canada Day celebrations on CBC. The colours that stood out were red, white and green. Red for the mounties in uniform leading their horses in formation; 'white' for the Parliament buildings and Steven Harper's hair (and I mean no disrespect, running this country has got to be stressful, especially in light of the recent G20 rukus) and green for grass where the horses march and the parliament buildings sit.  I'll get to see all this with friends who live in Ottawa! Bonus.

How am I going I booked this trip using Air Canada Aeroplan miles.  Twenty five thousand miles plus $125 in taxes got me an economy ticket from Vancouver to Moncton with a week stop-over in Ottawa.  My husband and I wanted to fly as far as we could within our domestic points allowance to maximize the opportunity.  So, we're going coast to coast.

Although I'm an enthusiastic ambassador for Canada, I don't feel totally authentic in that self-imposed role, not yet at least. I have so much more to see: the 100,000+ lakes in Saskatchewan, Toronto in its cosmopolitan glory, Ontario's Muskoka region where all the design mags' editors have cottages, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, The Northwest Territories and so on.  Canada, I promise to see more of you in the future.  It's not you, it's me.

PS - research shows that people scan the written word, but pay special attention to the PS line, so, if you're more of a picture than word person, I'll post pics along the way.

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[photo by Steph & Adam]