Over the long weekend that changed as each day, we got to enjoy a different part of the park. PEI National Park isn’t contained within one area. Rather, the park is broke up into three different sections: Cavendish, Brackley/Stanhope, & Greenwich. If you wish to travel from Cavendish to Greenwich it’s about an hours drive. Brackley/Stanhope is almost right in the middle of the two. That shows you how spread out the park is. It can definitely be a bit of a task to enjoy each area over the course of a weekend.

With our time on the Island winding down, we didn’t want to leave PEI without getting to PEI National Park. Last week, Parks Canada were kind enough to send us a Discovery Pass. This gave us the perfect opportunity to take full advantage of the pass over the long weekend.

Cavendish

Green Gables Heritage House

Late in July, we were happy to learn that there were a new couple of Workampers here at Jellystone PEI. We soon became friends with Eric & Rosie. We learned that one of the reasons they travelled to PEI was because of the red-haired orphan – Anne of Green Gables. Rosie grew up watching the Anne of Green Gables movies. These movies were adapted from the books written by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Montgomery, who was born in New London, frequented the farmhouse now known as Green Gables Heritage Place. The farmhouse, with its green gables and striking woodland trails, became the key setting in the Anne of Green Gables books.

Saturday morning, I dropped Kate off at work and met Eric and Rosie in Cavendish at Green Gables Heritage Place. The first stop for us was a small theatre. There we watched a video that introduces you to Lucy Maud Montgomery and her famed character Anne. Once you leave the theatre, you enter the grounds of the farm which are well manicured. The flowers and plants throughout the grounds were wonderful.

The farmhouse that Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote about in Anne of Green Gables.

Passing through the old barn, you then get to see the farmhouse and the famous green gables. We walked around the outside of the farmhouse where we snapped pictures of the building before entering the old home. As you could expect, once we entered the farmhouse, we were transported back in time. The decor of the home represents the period of time set in the Anne of Green Gables novels. Parks Canada has done a great job of displaying many artifacts original to the time period of the late 1800’s. There are also some items from the story displayed throughout the home. Eric pointed out a smashed slate in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

An upstairs bedroom in the house , closely resembling Anne’s room.

It was great to explore inside of Green Gables Heritage Place. We were also just as excited to explore the two woodland trails – the Haunted Woods trail & Lovers Lane/Balsam Hollow Trail. Large trees line the well-maintained trails along with soft trickling creeks. Both trails are a short and easy hike. The hike also gets you away from the crowd that is usually gathered in and around the Green Gables house.

Cavendish Beach

One piece of advice that Islanders will give you when visiting the Island is to not pay for beaches. They are talking about the beaches that are a part of PEI National Park. This is because they are the only beaches on the Island that you have to pay for. There is some merit to the advice. There are beautiful beaches everywhere you go on the Island so you shouldn’t have to pay to find a great beach. However, since I now had the Discovery Pass, it seemed logical to show Eric & Rosie PEI’s most popular beach – Cavendish Beach. The three of us had actually visited Cavendish a few weeks back. It was while we were attempting to view the Perseid Meteor Shower. That was at night and Eric & Rosie still had never seen the beach during the day.

The windswept grassy dunes of Cavendish Beach.

It’s always a great time getting to Cavendish Beach. The white sand dunes and the rough and ragged red sand cliffs are quite pretty. Instead of lounging on the beach, we walked along one the Cavendish Dunelands trail. The trail offers a great setting to enjoy views of the dunes and the surrounding wetland area.

The red sand cliff no too far from Cavendish Beach

Gulf Shore Way West/Rustico

Because Eric & Rosie had some prior arrangements, we were pressed for time but we still had some time to enjoy PEI National Park. To me, Gulf Shore Way (West & East) are definite highlights of PEI National Park. The road, which follows the coastline, features scenic outlooks dotted along the drive. It’s also a great multi-use path. There is a paved biking/walking trail throughout the entirety of the road. The path is actually separated from the road by five or six feet of grass. This gives you plenty of room for comfort whether you’re biking or walking the path. I drove Eric & Rosie down the route, pointing out some highlights along the way. Unfortunately, there were no fox sightings on this day. The scenic road is a popular spot to catch a glimpse of both red and silver foxes at all times of the year.

At the end of the trail, you reach the charming fishing village of Rustico. Parts of Rustico are within the boundaries of PEI National Park but I chose to show Eric & Rosie my favourite part of the village – the harbour. Rustico harbour is one of the most picturesque harbours in PEI – lined with a couple dozen colourful fishing boats. My favourite part of the area is at the end of Harbourview Drive. This is where (when the tide is low) you can drive your vehicle onto the sandy ocean floor. The three of us roamed around a bit enjoying the scenery. Afterwards, we travelled back to Cavendish where I dropped Eric & Rosie off.

The pier at the end of Harbourview Drive in Rustico.

Avonlea Village

Although it’s not a part of PEI National Park, I wanted to stop at Avonlea Village before leaving Cavendish. Avonlea Village is a quaint replica village that gives you the impression of what a small village would look like in the time of Anne of Green Gables.

Welcome to Avonlea!

There are some great restaurants to enjoy on site, but the highlights are a few of the buildings in the village. You can see the schoolhouse that Lucy Maud Montgomery taught at. There’s also the Minister’s Residence and the Long River Church. The church is what definitely captures your eye while wandering about. Out of curiosity, I entered the church. Inside I learned about the interesting history of the building. Montgomery attended the church when it was in Long River, PEI. It was moved from Long River to its current location in Avonlea Village. The process of moving the church is an interesting one. The church was chopped into three sections in order to relocate it.

Avonlea Village with a view of the Long River Church.

At this point, it was mid afternoon and I was starting to get hungry. The peanut butter and banana sandwich I had for breakfast was no longer keeping me full. I was in need of something to fill me up. Dave’s Lobster or Piatto Pizzeria was definitely calling my name. However, Kate recently sent me a message telling me not to eat because she wanted to have dinner together. Fair point, but I still needed something to hold me over. Seeing as it was (unofficially) the last weekend of summer, it seemed fitting to have ice cream! And wouldn’t you know it – Avonlea Village has a Cows Creamery. Score! There I sat in the sun, enjoying my double scoop of creamy tastiness. The amount of time that I’ve enjoyed ice cream in a solo setting this summer has me wondering if I have a problem.

Greenwich

For those who think Cavendish is beautiful, you have to get to Greenwich. To us, Greenwich is by far the best part of PEI National Park. Because of its location, it’s quite a bit quieter than Cavendish or Brackley. It’s unfortunate as a lot of people definitely miss out on this gem.

Greenwich is just a small chunk of PEI National Park but every little bit of it is exceptional. Greenwich has a few good hiking trails that overlook St. Peter’s Bay, a massive interpretation centre, and the beach.

Looking out over the boardwalk that brings you to Greenwich Beach.

The highlight of the park (by far) is the 4.4km Greenwich Dunes trail. For the first part of the trail, you walk with views of St. Peter’s Bay surrounding you before hitting a junction along the trail. At this point, you start to head through the woodlands before hitting the view that leaves you awestruck. At the moment you emerge from the woods, you arrive at a floating, winding boardwalk. It’s on this boardwalk where you’re hit with views of the enormous but gentle sand dunes. Kate and I walked along the boardwalk before climbing a steep sand dune to reach the long white sand beach. As I imagined it would be, the beach was quiet compared to how Cavendish was the day before. We definitely both love a quiet beach and it was beautiful to walk through the soft sand for a bit.

The view from atop a dune where the red chairs are.

We climbed another sand dune that took us to a pair of Parks Canada red chairs that overlooked the dunes and boardwalk. These red chairs are at various places throughout national parks all across Canada. They are usually in a spot that has a striking scenery in the surrounding area. Kate and I enjoyed a seat in the comfy chairs for a few minutes before allowing another couple to experience the chairs.  After retreating from the top of the dune, a quick look at the time let us know that we had to leave.

The water was cold but it didn’t stop Kate from smiling…which it usually does.

We did make a quick stop at the interpretive centre which is HUGE! There is a lot you can learn in this building. You can learn about the wildlife in the area or learn how and why the dunes are always changing their shape.

Brackley Beach/Stanhope

Pogey Beach

I tell people that “if” I were ever going to settle in one spot that I would likely buy a property in Stanhope. When we first moved to the Island in 2010, I fell in love with this area. I always enjoyed how the area seemed to attract a plethora of Great Blue Herons during the summer.

On Monday, we had the opportunity to be extras for some b-roll footage for Pogey Beach: The Movie. The movie is a spin-off of the hilarious web series Just Passing Through. During the morning, we spent some time on Tracadie Beach aka Pogey Beach. This was the first time for either of us visiting the beach and it’s gorgeous. The large sand dunes surround the beach creating a small and calm bay – perfect for swimming. Locals love Tracadie Beach. It’s just minutes from PEI National Park and offers a lot of the same beauty. The main difference is that there is no cost to hit this beach. While the beach is not a part of the national park, the dunes on the other side of the bay are.

Bella lounging at her favourite place – the beach! The other day we were extras for some b-roll footage for Pogey Beach: The Movie. Bella was able to come with us and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up the sun and being on camera. #dogs #dog #dogstagram #pets #petsagram #beach #sunshine #ocean #sand #summer #beautiful #happy #adorable #cute #travel #explorepei #pei #canada #explorecanada

A photo posted by @fulltimecanada on Sep 8, 2016 at 12:46pm PDT

Time to eat!

Around 1pm, after we had soaked up the sun for three hours, we were ready to leave as we were both getting hungry. As soon as we decided to leave, we both knew exactly where we had to go to eat. My parents had visited PEI a few years back and raved about the fish and chips at Richard’s in Stanhope. Yet, for some reason, Kate and I had never been to Richard’s. We had been meaning to get to the Stanhope wharf all summer to give it a try. Since we were only about 10 minutes away in Tracadie, we made the trip.

Covehead Harbour Lighthouse

As soon as you enter the Brackley/Stanhope area of PEI National Park you’re driving along Gulf Shore Way East. Much like the Western part of the road, there are beaches, trails, and scenic lookouts along the route. The highlight of travelling the road is definitely the Covehead Harbour area. This area features the beautiful Covehead Harbour Lighthouse which is sandwiched between the dunes. There’s also the bridge which until this year was popular with bridge jumpers. That is no longer as the bridge was modified to disallow the adventurous activity. Instead, the bridge jumpers have moved to the nearby wharf where they now take the plunge from.

Covehead Harbour and the bridge people used to jump from.

The wharf, although not a part of PEI National Park, is a highlight of the area. This is where you grab some fresh seafood right from the boat. You can also take a deep sea fishing tour, or just pig out on Richard’s. We chose Richard’s.

The day was sunny, warm, and perfect for enjoying seafood outside along the wharf. While waiting for our order, we overheard many happy visitors saying how the fish & chips were the best they’ve ever had. Fantastic. I’m not a huge lover of fish & chips but I was looking forward to my meal. After devouring my meal, I must say that my parents were right in their review of Richard’s. It is excellent food. My fish & chips were great while Kate had a super tasty lobster BLT which I was happy to sample. There’s no arguing that Richard’s definitely lives up to its reputation for great food.

The famous Richard’s along the Stanhope wharf.

We had a great weekend travelling around, enjoying the sights and the perfect weather of PEI National Park. The park is worth a stop on your travel itinerary when visiting the Island. You could spend an entire week relaxing and enjoying the views and activities provided. Cavendish is by far the busiest of the three locations. It also has a lot of other activities outside of the park to keep the entire family entertained. If you’re looking for a more quiet and relaxed atmosphere, Greenwich is the way to go. Regardless of which area you choose, you’ll have a fantastic time when visiting PEI National Park.

Have you visited PEI National Park? What’s your favourite part of the park? How about your favourite area of the park?

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Prohibition on PEI

Prohibition was around for a very long time on the Island. In 1900, the Scott Act was passed which effectively made it illegal to sell/buy alcohol. Most of Canada only had prohibition in place for a span of fewer than 10 years between (roughly) 1916-1926. For some reason, PEI had prohibition in place before any other province in the country and it was also the last to end prohibition in 1948. Just think about having to go 48 years without legally being able to buy alcohol in the province you call home. That’s pretty remarkable.

Also, think about this. 48 years…with no alcohol…on an Island! It’s no wonder Islanders took to producing moonshine. Essentially, an entire generation of Islanders knew nothing other than Island made moonshine, aside from what booze that may have been smuggled onto the Island in cans of mackerel. This was basically the point in PEI history where ‘shine became an Island tradition that still is prevalent, even in 2016.

My Introduction to ‘Shine

Earlier this summer, I was sitting around a table with some friends at a café in Charlottetown when one of the girls I was with pulled out a mason jar. No, she wasn’t showing us her recent homemade décor item inspired by Pinterest. Rather, the mason jar was filled with ‘shine. Apple pie ‘shine to be specific.

I thought it was a bit hilarious that she had this jar of ‘shine to sip from while we were in an establishment that sold alcohol. The incident piqued my interest in ‘shine, though, because I realized that even though it was 2016 and many years after prohibition had ended, there were a lot of Islanders still making ‘shine. I also knew that there was a distillery on PEI making legal ‘shine, so why are Islanders still making ‘shine?

My friend informed me that some Islanders prefer the taste of their homemade booze. Some others prefer the fact that it’s cheaper than buying booze from the liquor store and/or bars. I have yet to attend a wedding or funeral on the Island, but my friends tell me that ‘shine is frequently passed about at both of these types of social gatherings.

I must admit, it still shocked me a bit to learn that Islanders still choose to make ‘shine over actually just buying alcohol. During the days of prohibition, it’s believed many people actually went blind from bad batches of ‘shine that contained methanol. I have yet to hear any stories of Islanders going blind from drinking ‘shine these days, but I’m guessing that’s because they have really perfected the recipe and process over the years.

Legal Shine

I had now learned about illegal ‘shine being made on the Island, but I still wanted to know more about the legal stuff.

One afternoon a couple of weeks ago, Kate and I hopped in the truck with Bella and took a trip down East to Rollo Bay, home of the Myriad View Artisan Distillery. Upon arriving at the distillery you drive up a laneway lined with grape vines (used for their brandy) before you arrive at a bright red building. Once you walk into the building, you enter the storefront where immediately the smell of booze hits you.

The entrance to Myriad View Artisan Distillery

After a quick look at the products, Shelia came from out back and welcomed us. I had informed her that we were there for a tour, she quickly started to tell us about the various products that Myriad View produces which includes Strait Shine®, Gin, Vodka, Brandy, Whisky, Rum, and Pastis. They also make a type of shine they call Strait Lightning which, at 75% alcohol closely resembles the ‘shine made during the days of prohibitions.

Once Shelia was done introducing us to the products, we made our way out back to where all the magic happens. As soon as the door opens and you make your way into the large room, you see the impressive copper still that fills the room. That copper still produces every single product that Myriad View makes. It was handcrafted and shipped from Germany. We couldn’t help but think how futuristic it looked. It kind of reminded me of the Time Machine (from the movie) for some reason.

The futuristic looking copper still that produces every Myriad View product.

In much detail, Sheila described to us how each of the products is made including the Strait Shine®. The one thing of interest in regards to how Strait Shine® is made is the fact that the methanol doesn’t have to be disposed of by Myriad View. Instead, they have someone who takes the methanol from them and they then turn it into biofuel.

The History of Legal Shine

As soon as Shelia was done discussing how the products were made, I had to ask her about why Myriad View decided to make legal moonshine. Myriad View was initially opened in 2006, when two couples, Paul and Angela Berry & Ken and Danielle Mill teamed up to launch the distillery. The couples decided to pair up with one another and attempt to sell legal shine.

Paul and Angela, originally from England, would frequent Island parties where they would often witness partygoers downing ‘shine. Like myself, Paul wondered why Islanders were consuming so much ‘shine in the time when alcohol was legal and readily available. Paul then set his eyes on legalizing moonshine. People would tell him he was crazy and that moonshine would never be legal, but he found the one guy who believed it would be possible and that was Ken.

Ken told Paul that if he wanted to, they could be partners and try to legalize ‘shine. To the pair, it was a plan. They were going to make legal moonshine. It wasn’t that easy, though. Their initial attempt to legalize moonshine was declined. Ken and Paul would study different laws and acts trying to find a way to make their Strait Shine®.

Finally, after 3 years they were allowed to make legal moonshine with one caveat. Myriad View could not call their product moonshine. A crafty way they got around that was to have their label include an image of a moon with the word Shine in front of it. Very clever.

I also wondered what the main difference between illegal and legal ‘shine was. Sheila told us that it’s basically the fact that it’s made in a controlled and monitored setting and you know that you’re going to get a quality product. This means that you can be assured of what you’re drinking. You know that there’s no methanol in Strait Shine®. You can’t necessarily say the same about that mason jar hiding under the kitchen sink sitting along with your kitchen cleaners.

Shine Tales

Throughout our tour and Sheila’s great stories, I was wondering what the Strait Shine® actually tasted like. Finally, it was time to find out as we made our way back to the storefront for some tasting. Just prior to our tasting, however, a gentleman came into the store.

He proceeded to talk about his experiences with illegal ‘shine up in Tignish. He informed us that back in the day – and perhaps even still today – lobster fishermen would wake themselves up in the morning with a shot from the mason jar. They would then come home at lunch for another shot before heading back out for the remainder of the day. Just another day on the boat, I suppose.

Tasting Time

It was finally time to try some Strait Shine®. For some unknown reason, I was a bit nervous. Sheila poured a small shot of the Strait Shine®. I gave it a quick sniff and said, “this will probably take the hair off of my chest.” Shelia replied, “The Strait Shine® will PUT hair on your chest. The Lightning Shine will take it off.” Good to know. I tipped my head back and down it went. My first sample of shine. It was quite good and had a nice hint of sweetness to it.

Shelia then asked if I would like to try the Lightning Shine. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous based on her previous comment about the Lightning Shine. At first, I insisted that I was ok not trying it but Kate peer pressured me into doing it, because unlike most adults, I apparently can’t stand by my own decisions.

The shot of Lightning Shine was then poured. I took a sniff. Wow. I could tell that this stuff was powerful based just on the smell. 75% alcohol. Here we go. I tipped the shot into my mouth and immediately felt it. It felt like fire in my mouth and then warmth overtook my body as it made its way through my system. This was some strong stuff for sure. I could definitely picture Islanders drinking a similar shine back in the day to warm up on a cool, damp day.

Bottles of Strait Shine line the shelves of store.

Try Some Shine

Should you find yourself visiting the Island, make a trip up to Rollo Bay and enjoy the tour and tasting at the Myriad View Artisan Distillery. If you can’t make it all the way down East, you can buy all of the Myriad View products at liquor stores across the Island. Sheila recommends that if you buy some Strait Shine® to mix it with a citrus based drink like orange, pineapple or grapefruit juice. She also explained that back in the day, Seaman’s (an Island company) made a Lime Ricky drink that was perfect for mixing with ‘shine. These days, Seaman’s no longer makes Lime Ricky, but you can find a version of it made by Pop Shoppe in various stores across the Island.

Big thanks to Shelia for the tour at Myriad View. She was fantastic and didn’t rush us out of there even though she was bottling Lightning Shine when we first arrived. Thanks, Sheila!

Have you ever tried moonshine? What was your experience like?

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Summer does seem to fly by each and every year, especially here on PEI where the great weather is limited to a few months each year. The weather has been exceptional this summer on PEI and hopefully, it will continue to be just as beautiful over the next month. Of course, as I’m writing this, it’s dark and stormy looking outside, but maybe that was just nature trying to push me inside to get some work done rather than being outside and being unproductive.

As of today, there is exactly one month left of summer. Yes, it’s a tad sad, however, that still means you have 30 days to do a lot of amazing and fun things. The following is a list of enjoyable activities that will allow you to fully soak up the remaining days of summer here on PEI. A lot of these activities are non-specific to PEI or can be altered to your location, so feel free to join along in the fun and cross some of these fun experiences off of your own list.

30 THINGS TO DO IN PEI BY THE END OF SUMMER

1. Go swimming at a NEW beach.
2. Grill up some homemade burgers made with Island beef.
3. Grab a blanket, a book, and find a quiet spot at Victoria Park to read for the afternoon.
4. Visit one of the many dairy bars on the Island and grab a delicious sundae or cone.
5. Wake up early and watch the sunrise from a beach on the North Shore.
6. Go to a different beach and watch the sunset from a beach on the South Shore.
7. Get your mountain bike out and go for a wild ride at Bonshaw Provincial Park.
8. Go for a drive and stop when you see a sign for new potatoes. Buy a bag and whip up your favourite potato recipe.
9. Take in an independent film at City Cinema in Charlottetown.
10. Watch the races at Oyster Bed Speedway.
11. Pack a picnic and go to one of the provincial parks that you’ve never been to before.
12. Find somewhere dark and spend hours laying in the grass while watching the stars. Take a chart with you and try to identify as many constellations as possible.
13. Do the tour and try some LEGAL moonshine at Myriad View Distillery.
14. Grab the shovel and bucket and go dig up some clams and then…
15. Host some friends or family and have a seafood boil on the beach.
16. Do a day trip and see how many lighthouses you can see in one day.
17. Call in “sick” one day and go play a round of golf.
18. Get your feet tapping at a ceilidh.
19. Discover your new favourite beer at the PEI Beer Festival.
20. Sing the Tragically Hip’s ‘Ahead By A Century’ along with Choir!Choir!Choir!
21. Dust off your camera (yes, an actual camera – not a phone) and snap some shots for these two photo contests: City of Charlottetown/Prince Edward Island Tourism
22. Take advantage of the Island wind and fly a kite.
23. Cruise the waterways of the North Shore with DogBoat Adventures.
24. Enjoy all of the fun and culture of the Evangeline Area Agricultural Exhibition and Acadian Festival.
25. Play a game of washer toss with the neighbour.
26. Fill yourself up with lots of amazing food prepared by famous chefs at some of the delicious Fall Flavours events happening across the Island.
27. Pack a blanket, some snacks, and enjoy a couple of movies at the drive-in.
28. Pick some apples from a local orchard and make a pie or dessert.
29. Hunt for some sea glass.
30. Hit the water with your kayak or canoe.
31. BONUS! Near the first day of fall (September 22nd), make your own list of fun activities and experiences that you’d like to do during the fall months.

What’s one activity/experience that you want to do before summer ends?

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Second Attempt

Although the peak of the Perseid meteor shower was on the 12th, the three of us had decided that if the weather was more cooperative the next evening that we would once again try to catch some meteors flying across the dark night sky. Everything that I read said that there would still be plenty of meteors throughout the night, just not as many as there was on the morning of the 12th.

Throughout most of the next day (still technically the 12th), it was cloudy and rainy, but around 7pm it started to clear in Borden-Carleton so our hopes returned that we could see the meteor shower. I messaged Eric and said, “I think the clouds are clearing. Do you still want to go up to Cavendish?” He replied with a yes and that was that – we were going up to Cavendish to watch the Perseid meteor shower.

After a 45 minute drive through the dark and winding roads of the Island, we arrived in Cavendish around 11:45pm. We drove down to the National Park and proceeded to the beach parking lot. Cavendish at night is A LOT different than Cavendish during the day. Not only are there ZERO tourists at night, it’s also really, really dark. After our eyes adjusted to the dark, we could start to make out the silhouette of the famous Cavendish dunes. Had I never previously been to Cavendish beach, I wouldn’t have had a clue where to go but after a quick walk, we were on the beach.

An unattended lifeguard tower

As soon as we hit the red sand, all three of us looked up and stared. We didn’t really like what we saw. Clouds. Again. Why? It was a beautiful, calm night though and we weren’t going to be completely defeated. Eric and Rosie planted a beach towel on the sand and laid down and gazed up at the sky hoping for some clearing. While they were doing that, I was roaming the beach with my camera. The goal of the night was to take some long exposures with my camera and hopefully capture some meteors. I knew that wasn’t going to happen in Cavendish simply because of the cloud coverage but I decided to try and take some decent long exposures of the beach. I managed to snap off a couple good pictures which made the trip to Cavendish worth it.

The beach is just a tad quieter than it is during the day when it’s overrun with tourists.

To the naked eye, this dune was just a dark silhouette but with a nice long exposure, I got it to show itself just a bit.

Off To Bonshaw

It was while I was snapping pictures that I had the idea to stop by Bonshaw Provincial Park on the way home. I had read the other day that near that area are some of the darkest skies in PEI. I pitched the idea to Eric and Rosie who happily accepted the offer. After shaking off the beach sand, we were back in the car and heading to Bonshaw. 40 minutes later, we jumped out of the car, hoping for better luck. Nope. Clouds. Still. Why?

Finally, A Break!

We were kind of defeated at this point and realized that we were likely out of luck in regards to seeing the Perseid meteor shower. Back in the car we were, heading back to Borden-Carleton when Eric and I noticed that the sky was pretty much clear over the South Shore. We called an instant audible and made our way for the shore. We were determined now to see some meteors.

Around 2am we arrived just outside of Victoria-By-The-Sea where we parked on the side of the road. Out we got from the car, peering instantly at the sky above. Finally. NO CLOUDS! There were stars everywhere. We could easily make out the milky way and we were certain that we were finally going to see the Perseid meteor shower.

I feverishly set up my camera tripod and aimed my camera at the milky way and instantly started shooting some long exposures in attempt to catch a meteor on camera. It was while the camera was taking pictures that we started to see some meteors. Some trails were short bursts of light travelling through the dark sky while others were very, very long trails. I can’t even imagine how much distance those meteors that we saw actually travelled in that quick second that we saw them.

After seeing probably a dozen meteors, the three of us decided that we were happily satisfied with our experience in getting to witness the Perseid meteor shower. It took multiple attempts but we did it. I was still interested in seeing whether or not I got any of the meteors on camera.

I Got One!

As soon as I crawled out of bed in the morning, I hooked my camera up to the computer and uploaded all of the photos that I took during the early morning. A quick look through the photos showed that I mostly failed at capturing a meteor on camera, but a second look through the photos and I spotted this one. Can you see the nice long trail? That’s a meteor!

It’s just a faint line, but that’s a meteor!

Yes – I mostly failed at my attempts to capture meteors on camera but that’s ok. I still had a great time exploring the Island through the early morning hours with my great company, Eric and Rosie. There are some other meteor showers scheduled for this year, so who knows, maybe I’ll be able to capture more meteors wherever I am in Canada at that time.

Were you able to see the Perseid Meteor Shower? Tell us about it! Where were you? How late did you stay up? How many meteors did you see?

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One of the great things about the adventure that we’re on is that we get to meet all sorts of amazing people from across Canada that are doing amazing things. One of those people is Nadine Staaf who I met back at the end of March as we were working at the same spot for the Government of Canada. It took me a little while to find out that Nadine is a very talented artist who has released a collection of colouring books. Her latest release just came out this past month and is titled Colour Prince Edward Island.

Colour Prince Edward Island is a 30 image collection of sketches that Nadine drew up after being inspired by living on the gentle island of Prince Edward Island. The other day, I met Nadine at Bonshaw Provincial Park and as we soaked up the sun and the great setting, we discussed her latest book.

What made you want to do a colouring book focused on PEI?

As soon as I knew that we were thinking of moving to PEI, which was after the first book, that’s when the idea came into my mind that I could do a PEI colouring book. In my mind, I started working on the colouring book before I even moved to PEI.

What about PEI inspires you artistically?

I think it’s the peacefulness. I’ve always really loved nature and PEI has a different kind of nature. A lot of PEI is farmland which is quite peaceful; looking out onto open space and colour.

What’s your favourite spot on PEI?

My favourite spot is normally is in the forest and without the bears it’s a lot safer than BC (where Nadine grew up). I love coming to Bonshaw to walk through the woods. Canoe Cove has become my new favourite place to swim, even though there are beautiful beaches everywhere on the Island. I love how quiet it is at Canoe Cove.

What is your favourite image in the book?

The cover, not that it’s necessarily my favourite, but because I tried to incorporate as much of PEI as I could into it without making it too much like, “here’s the lobster and the potato.” It was the first image that I did for the book and I waited on doing the rest of the book until I felt ready and inspired. To me, the cover is what Prince Edward Island resembles.

What is the creative process in coming up with an image?

A lot of the images in the book were based on photos that I had taken when we first had moved to PEI. I did a lot of research on certain Island locations through Google which helped inspire me as well.

How long would it take to complete one image?

Sometimes, one a day. Sometimes, I would work on a couple at a time. Sometimes, it would be weeks to complete one because it’s about feeling inspired and you need to feel inspired to complete certain images.

When sketching the images, do you also colour them?

The thing about colouring books is that they’re made for other people. I haven’t made them for myself.

Why do you think colouring as become so big over the last few years?

I think it’s because it’s peaceful and calming. You can zone out and put away your worries or put away your day and colour and focus on that. It’s kind of a form of meditation.

Artistically, what’s next for you?

I have a lot of ideas but I don’t know what my next big thing will be. I never thought that the colouring books would do as well as they did. I really only did it to see how my own drawings were and it took off which became a huge inspiration. For now, I’m still kind of waiting for that next moment to happen when I will know what’s next.

I do have a bigger canvas piece that I’m working on right now that I hope will be in an art show one day.

Where is your book available?

Aside from Amazon, Indigo is a great local supplier. They’re also tied into Chapters and Coles.

Purchase Colour Prince Edward Island from Amazon

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Borden-Carleton is a tiny community of just 750 people, but it’s certainly one of the busiest spots on the Island thanks to the Confederation Bridge which connects Prince Edward Island to the mainland in New Brunswick. Prior to the construction of the bridge in 1997, Borden-Carleton was still a very busy spot with a lot of rich history. Nowadays, if you’re coming to Prince Edward Island by land, you’re likely going to be stopping in Borden-Carleton for a bite to eat, a little bit of souvenir shopping or to snap your family photo in front of the Confederation Bridge.

If you’re coming to Price Edward Island or maybe you live on the Island, the following is my simple guide to Borden-Carleton.

Where To Stay

If you’re visiting Prince Edward Island in your RV, whether it be a motorhome, fifth wheel or travel trailer then you should definitely stay at Jellystone PEI. We’ve been staying at this park since May and can’t say enough great things about the park and how it’s run. It’s located about a kilometer from the Confederation Bridge and is pretty centrally located on the Island. If you wish to go to Charlottetown, you’re about 45 minutes away. Summerside is 25 and Cavendish aka Anne Land is about 40 minutes.

Jellystone is perfect especially if you’re travelling with kids and you prefer a quiet, non-partying campground. There are plenty of amenities for you and your kids to enjoy like a salt water pool, a jumping pad, a large bouncy water slide and a lot more.

Even if you’re not travelling by RV, Jellystone has 3 cabins perfect for a comfortable nights sleep.

Reserve your spot by calling: 902-855-3492

The jumping pad is just one of the many fun amenities at Jellystone PEI

Image via Jellystone PEI

What To Do

Visit the Interpretive Center

Located right near the Confederation Bridge is a fantastic little Interpretive Center. In the small room are plenty of descriptive signs that detail the history of Borden-Carleton. You’ll learn all sorts of interesting details about the history of the rail system on Prince Edward Island, the ferry service, and the past use of ice boats to cross the strait. Located in the same building as the Interpretive Center is a small shop that has ice cream and some other treats. In front of the building is a remaining rail line complete with an old caboose.

The caboose in front of the Interpretive Center in Borden-Carleton

Behind the Interpretive Center is quite magical. There is a nicely put together monument that is dedicated to all of those who worked in the marine, rail or ferry industry. There is also the Port Borden Back Range Lighthouse and directly behind it is the longest bridge over ice-covered waters at 12.9km – the Confederation Bridge. Driving over the bridge is quite amazing, but being able to get as close to it as you can behind the Interpretive Center makes it look even more impressive. If you want to snap a family photo with the bridge as your background, this is the spot to do it. You can’t really get much closer to the bridge without physically being on it. It’s actually amazing how quiet this area is compared to the rest of Borden-Carleton.

Port Borden Back Range Light with the Confederation Bridge in the background

Grab A Piece of Pottery at Island Stoneware

Island Stoneware is a must stop if you’re looking for a unique Prince Edward Island gift. The store features handcrafted pottery that is made for everyday use. You can get mugs, tableware, servingware and more. All of the items are beautifully made and are even safe for the dishwasher and microwave. There is the small shop where you can purchase your unique gift but there is also the studio where you can see some of the items you might purchase actually being made. You can also pick up The Arts and Heritage Trail booklet in this shop. It’s a good guide for you if you’re wanting to visit the variety of artistic studios across Prince Edward Island.

Dress Up As Anne

If you’ve ever dreamed of having long, red locks similar to Anne of Green Gables, this is where your dream comes true. Drop into Shop & Play where for $4 you can dress up in the full Anne of Green Gables outfit and have your picture snapped in front of various backgrounds. The bonus is that your picture is taken with your camera and there is no need to purchase any photos. $4 isn’t that steep of a price to get all dressed up as Anne and have some fun with your family.

Shop & Go where you can dress up as Anne of Green Gables

Learn About The Confederation Bridge

After you drive over the Confederation Bridge and enter Prince Edward Island, you may be interested in learning more about the Confederation Bridge. I know that I often get asked a bunch of questions about the bridge including questions about its design, how long it took to build, and more. In the Gateway Center, you can grab a seat on a comfy couch and enjoy a film (available in English and French) that will help answer any questions that you may have about the Confederation Bridge. Yes, the film feels a tad dated and like one you would be forced to watch in school but it’s still very interesting if you’re looking for further information on the enormous bridge.

Outside of the Gateway Center is a monument dedicated to the workers who helped to construct the Confederation Bridge. It’s pretty cool because there’s basically a small prototype of one of the pieces of the bridge surrounded by bricks with the names of workers appearing on each individual brick.

The Confederation Bridge monument dedicated to all of the workers who helped build the fixed link

Fill Your Face With Candy

Every great trip must include candy, right? If you agree (why wouldn’t you?) then stop by Flavour Mountain – dubbed as PEI’s Largest Candy Store. It definitely is large and is filled with all of the candy that you love and probably some that you have never seen or heard of before. I picked up some delicious fudge here which I quickly devoured.

Candy, Candy & More Candy at Flavour Mountain

Shop For That Perfect Souvenir

Whether you’re coming to the Island or leaving it, you can find your typical Island souvenirs in Borden-Carleton at the Gateway Village. There are many stores selling your typical souvenirs like magnets, postcards, t-shirts and more. You can also pick up anything Anne of Green Gables-related whether it’s books, movies or a straw hat featuring a set of dangling red locks. One of the most unique products you’ll find in Borden-Carleton is the PEI Dirt Shirt. A shirt that is dyed reddish brown with PEI dirt.

Many of the PEI dirt shirts you can pick up in Borden-Carleton

Where To Eat

Scapes

As much as I love eating subs from Subway, skip the long waits and head to Scapes. I absolutely love this place and tell everyone I know to eat here. Scapes features delicious food that is made up of fresh and local products. The chef is Red Seal certified and it shows. Scapes have amazing sandwiches, lobster rolls, hand pies, desserts and more. This place is impressive. They even have a small frozen section where you can grab something to take with you wherever you may be heading on the Island.

Burn this image into your head and make sure you eat here when in Borden-Carleton

…And The Rest

If for some reason you’re crazy and decide not to eat at Scapes, you can grab a meal at the following spots:

• Bridge Burger N Wings/Your basic burgers and fast food. The burgers are pretty tasty
• Gateway Restaurant and Deli/Sandwiches, soups and more.
• Gateway Lobster Shop/Great if you want seafood as soon as your feet hit Prince Edward Island
• Subway/You know what you get here

Where To Drink

When it comes to having a drink with your friends or family, you’re not really going to accomplish much in Borden-Carleton. However, you can stop by the large PEI Liquor Store in the Gateway Center and pick up some local craft beers from the Gahan House or Upstreet Brewery. If you’re feeling a little more feisty, you can pick up some legal Island Shine from Myriad View Distillery.

Where To Get Ice Cream

Both Kate and I have been on a steady diet of ice cream this summer. Can you blame us? Ice cream is fantastic and because we live so close to Borden-Carleton, we are spoiled with two choices of ice cream.

Cows

We were incredibly fortunate to have gone on a Cows Creamery Tour earlier this summer where we were able to sample all of the flavours of ice cream that Cows has to offer. The only problem with the tour was that now every time that we walk into Cows, we have the hardest time picking which of the delicious flavours we want to get. The Cows location in Borden-Carleton features all of the t-shirts and memorabilia that you can also buy in addition to you cone full of amazingness. You can also pick up some chocolates and sweet treats from Anne of Green Gables Chocolates.

Farmers Ice Cream

At Burgers N Wings they serve Farmers Ice Cream which has a wide variety of flavours to choose from including some uniquely Maritimes flavours. Yes, the ice cream is not even close to the greatness of Cows, but if you’re in a hurry or want to save some cash, stop here to get your ice cream.

Where To Beach

Noonan’s Shore

Just outside of Borden-Carleton up Route 10 and down Noonan’s Shore Rd is that aptly named – Noonan’s Shore. It’s quite literally one of the most beautiful spots on the Island. We often watch the tide times and head out when the tide is low. When the tide is low there is an insane amount of shore that you can walk. We love it because Bella can roam about in any direction that she wants. When the tide is in the water is a bit deeper allowing you to hop in and cool down.

Another amazing thing about Noonan’s Shore is that when the tide is completely out you can almost walk directly under the Confederation Bridge. Near the bridge is also a large piece of a shipwreck that has sunk into place in the soft and sandy ocean floor.

The final great thing about Noonan’s Shore is that it’s always quiet. It’s a spot that only locals know. Hopefully, they won’t mind me sharing this great spot.

Bella absolutely loves Noonan’s Shore

Cape Traverse

As beautiful as Noonan’s Shore but slightly more popular is Cape Traverse. This time, you’ll head down Route 10 towards Wharf Road where you can park your car. It can get a bit tight if there’s a handful of vehicles down there at one time. At Cape Traverse, you’re a little further away from the Confederation Bridge but it’s a stunning sight to see. When the tide is in, there is definitely better swimming compared to Noonan’s Shore. The water is a little bit deeper in spots allowing you to have a nice swim.

Helpful Hints

Confederation Bridge Tolls

It doesn’t cost anything to cross the Confederation Bridge to come to Prince Edward Island, however, be prepared to pay when leaving. The following are the toll rates for 2016…

Vehicles/ $46.00      Each Additional Axle/$7.50

Double Trailer/$102.75     

Motorcycle/$18.50

Pedestrian Shuttle/$4.25     Cyclist Shuttle: $8.75

All major credit cards plus debit and cash are accepted methods of payment.

RV Parking

If you are travelling to Prince Edward Island with your RV, you’ll have no issue driving into or find a parking spot in Borden-Carleton. The streets are wide and the parking lots are massive with lots of room to park your trailer.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Because Borden-Carleton is the first and the last spot travellers hit when travelling by road, the village can be insanely busy at times. This can be a bit of a pain as it may take a lot longer while waiting to get food or the shops may be a bit more crowded. Typically, we have found that the busiest times during the summer are between 11am and 2pm. After that, it tends to quiet down a bit for the remainder of the day.

Ghost Town

If you’re travelling to Prince Edward Island during the off-season (outside of June-August), Borden-Carleton can be very quiet. In fact, it’s so quiet that a lot of the shops aren’t even open or have shortened business hours. This means you may not be able to pick up lunch or that delicious scoop of ice cream. The good thing is that it only takes about 2 minutes to drive through the village to see what’s open.

Ceretti’s Grocery & Hardware

Ceretti’s is a great spot to stock up on supplies as soon as you hit Prince Edward Island. It’s a small grocery store with fair prices. They even have fresh produce and a meat counter including freshly made sausages. There’s also a small hardware store in the back where you can pick up a wide variety of supplies that you might need while on the road. Ceretti’s also serves as an Irving gas station where you can fill up your car or RV.

Have you been to Borden-Carleton before? What would you add to this guide? What was your favourite thing to do/see?

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When most people start to plan their trip to PEI, they look right to the North Shore. The North Shore features a lot of the Anne of Green Gables attractions in combination with the tremendous scenery. In the past, Kate and I have been able to explore a lot of the North Shore from Darnley to Cavendish to Rustico but it’s always been by land. If you’re on the Island driving Routes 20 and 6 can be fantastic but does seeing the North Shore by boat get any better? Previous to this past weekend, we had no idea but boy, were we surprised.

Sunday morning rolled around and we got prepared to leave Jellystone for Stanley Bridge where DogBoat Adventures sails out of. Bella dressed up accordingly by putting on her pink bandana. We were saddened that we hadn’t previously thought to get her a blue and white naval bandana. Next time, right?

Arriving in Stanley Bridge

Once we arrived at the Stanley Bridge pier, we excitedly met up with the rest of our group who would be cruising the waterways with us. Dan then came up from the boat to introduce himself before leading us to his gorgeous boat. The boat is named the Gilboat after Dan’s dog Gilbert which you have to love. It’s a lot of pressure coming up with a witty but good name for your boat and we love that Dan named his boat after his pup. Immediately, when you first set eyes on the Gilboat, you’re impressed with the boat. I wondered specifically what kind of boat it was. It appeared to be a hybrid of a pontoon boat and a speed boat. Dan explained that the boat has an M-shaped hull and that essentially it is a hybrid boat which is perfect for cruising the waterways of the North Shore.

Bella posing with the Gilboat

The History of Stanley Bridge

After a brief safety introduction, Dan fired up the boat and we were pulling out into the Stanley River. As soon as Dan started up the boat, Bella got a bit nervous. She hates loud noises like motors. She specifically hates lawnmowers – almost as much as she hates Paris Frances. Overall, although she didn’t 100% like the boat motor, she was ok with it and periodically would walk throughout the boat getting some head scratches from everyone on board.

As we were pulling out slowly into the Stanley River, Dan went over some of the local history which was quite interesting. Before Stanley Bridge was called Stanley Bridge it was called Fyfe’s Ferry named after William Fyfe who had set up small ferry system in the area to transport carriages from one part of the area to another a short distance away.

Back in the day, Dan explained that Stanley Bridge was a booming spot for ship building. He informed us that there were roughly 244 300-tonne schooners built back when there were five shipyards in the area.

Kate and Bella enjoying their ride with DogBoat Adventures

Celebrity Encounters on the Stanley River

Cruising down the Stanley River you can see a lot of beautiful homes/cottages that dot the shoreline. Some are tiny little cabins that you can tell have been passed on for generations. Others are massive “summer homes” built by some very wealthy people. Dan told us a story about how the day before we boated with him that he had to help another boater out along the river. He didn’t know it at the time but later found out that guy was Dion Phaneuf – former captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and now a member of the Ottawa Senators. Dion and his wife Elisha Cuthbert have a home in New London where they spend a lot of their summer and was even the spot where they tied the knot a couple of years back.

Whales in the Stanley River?

As we turned around and cruised back towards Stanley Bridge and onwards to French River, Dan and I shared a conversation about whether or not many whales make their way into this area. It was probably 4 years ago that my parents were visiting the area and I was driving them thru Stanley Bridge when I could see a big splash in the water. It was a whale, but I couldn’t tell what kind. As soon as I asked Dan if they had any whales in the area he mentioned this exact occurrence and said that the whale was very, very lost. The constantly changing channel system of the Stanley River makes it hard to navigate for boaters, let alone whales. Speaking of the channel system, Dan informed us that the channel system changes so much that it causes many boaters to frequently bottom out in the shallow waters. During this past lobster season, the channels changed twice on the local fishermen which I assume can be quite frustrating.

The Dunes

Continuing our ride up the Stanley River we neared the magnificent white shaded sand dunes. It’s quite a sight to see as you slowly approach them. The sand dunes, much like the channels of the river, are always changing due to weather and human contact. You could see some areas of the dunes where the weather had essentially punched a hole through the dunes. Erosion is constantly an issue with the dunes. Dan informed me that there were some locals that have done some work around the dunes in hopes of protecting them from the elements to ensure they’re around for a much longer period of time. I hope the dunes stay protected because they are a beautiful sight.

A view of the dunes from the water

A Historic Lighthouse

After a short trip up the channel, we were now approaching an area by the New London Lighthouse. We had recently seen this lighthouse during the first part of our Lighthouse Tour. The lighthouse was beautiful from land but equally, if not more beautiful from the water. Dan told us how PEI’s first female lighthouse keeper was at the New London Lighthouse.* Her name was Maisie Adams and she took over the duties of lighthouse keeper after her husband George passed away. Dan also explained that during World War II the lighthouse would go through blackout periods to confuse enemy submarines that were believed to be in the area.

*A quick search after the tour confirmed that Maisie was not only PEI’s first female lighthouse keeper, she was the only female lighthouse keeper on the Island. She was also the first female lighthouse keeper in all of Canada.

The New London Lighthouse

French River

Continuing on through the channel, we entered the mouth of the French River where there were plenty of beautiful Great Blue Herons standing still while stalking their lunchtime snacks. Herons are one of my favourite birds and being able to see them up close from the boat while they were hunting was an amazing sight. We continued on down the river into the village of French River which is quite picturesque and a haven for photographers.

The picturesque French River

A Heron stalking its prey in the French River

Beach Time!

After turning around, we departed French River with a looming decision. Dan had asked us whether or not we wanted to head back in at this point or if we wanted to beach the boat at the dunes and get off for 10-15 minutes. Of course, we all agreed that hitting the beach was not only the best decision, it was the only decision. After Dan quickly beached and anchored the boat, we all gladly hopped off and hit the sand. The sand was super soft but almost too soft, as at times if you stood in place for too long you would slowly start to sink. It’s no wonder the dunes are so volatile to both weather and human contact.

At the point where we were standing, Dan said that if we continued to walk East along the dunes, two hours later we would be at Cavendish Beach. If you’re ever feeling adventurous and in need of some good exercise, this would be the place to have a nice, long walk. After snapping some group pictures with the dunes offering up a nice backdrop, we were back in the boat and on our way back to Stanley Bridge.

Bella was very happy to get to run on the beach

Group photo with Bella who refused to join us.

Once the quick trip back to Stanley Bridge was complete, we thanked Dan for the wonderful tour with DogBoat Adventures. Each one of us on board had a fantastic time. I instantly wanted to buy my own boat so that I could constantly explore the waterways. I then realized that would be a terrible idea. The local fishermen and boaters would constantly have to help me out. This means I’ll have to leave the boating up to the professionals like Dan, as you should too!

Special DogBoat Adventures Offer For YOU!

The next time you’re on the North Shore in the Stanley Bridge/Cavendish area hit up DogBoat Adventures and take a wonderful afternoon or sunset tour with Dan. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. To help twist your arm a little bit more, we’re going to help get you 10% off of your next booking with DogBoat Adventures. When booking, simply reference the promo code: FTC.

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My Partner in Crime

When I had decided that I was going to spend 12 hours in Charlottetown for Canada Day, I knew that I had to have someone join me. Unfortunately, Kate was working and wouldn’t be able to join. Because I’m not from the Island originally, my pool of friends is quite shallow but I fished out the perfect companion for the day.

Isaac is a friend that I met at work a few months back when I first started working in Summerside. He had never previously been to Prince Edward Island before March and I knew that he would be the perfect person to have on my wing for the day. He knew little about Charlottetown and would soak it up like a tourist would and hopefully have a fantastic day.

Isaac

Planning The Day

With the place and my partner in crime all set, I now had to decide what the heck we were going to do over the course of 12 hours. I knew that the day would end with fireworks in Victoria Park around 10pm. From there, I decided to plan backwards to fill out the day with fun-tivities and of course, great food. By the time Canada Day had rolled around, I had done enough research and planning that I believed that the day was set and would go smoothly. How do you think that went? Well, no plan ever goes 100% as planned, but overall, when we had to make adjustments we did. Here’s how the day went….

Arriving in Charlottetown

I picked Isaac up at 10am in Summerside and proceeded to drive to Charlottetown. About 7.5 minutes into the drive Isaac proclaimed that he had been up until 6am playing Call of Duty and was tired. I told him to have a nap and he didn’t hesitate to take me up on that offer. The car seat was reclined and he was out cold for the next 40 minutes while I listened to live Tragically Hip. Upon arriving in town, I decided that we should park in a spot far enough away from the busy parts of town that it would make it easy to get out of town at the end of the day. The great thing about Charlottetown is that it is a walking city. You can pretty much walk anywhere within the city that you would want to go within twenty minutes. We parked at the parkade at the Atlantic Technology Centre which is pretty centralized for the downtown core.

Province House/Confederation Centre of the Arts

My first planned activity for the day was to stop by St. Dunstan’s Basilica, a stunning twin peak church that I had never been in. Like I mentioned, no plan ever goes 100% as planned and right away as we were walking towards the church, I noticed that there was a large gathering in between Province House* and the Confederation Centre of the Arts**. As we walked towards the large gathering, we were approached by a woman who told us that there was a free 50-minute show about to start called The Voices of Canada. The Confederation Centre Young Company was putting on the show. They are a group of young adults who are some of the countries finest young performers.

The Voices of Canada being performed by the Confederation Centre Young Company

The performance was truly amazing and I was really glad that we stopped to watch it. The show told the story of Canada through various songs, acts, and dancing. I was really impressed with how polished these young performers were. It was a fun and entertaining show to watch and enjoy for 50 minutes. I highly recommend that if you’re coming to Charlottetown this summer that you make sure you find the time to enjoy this show. They perform the show every Monday-Saturday at noon until August 20th. Besides the actual entertainment, the best part is that is absolutely free for you to enjoy.

Once the show had concluded it was announced that there would be a 20-minute show happening outside the doors of Province House which would feature a reenactment of the events that would lead to Confederation. We quickly walked to the mentioned area and grabbed ourselves a spot to sit while the town crier was trying to persuade others to come and watch.

For twenty minutes, we sat and listened to the various actors in their period clothing reenact some of the events that eventually led to Confederation. It was a really good performance that allows you to learn a bit more about some of those events that took place, specifically from an Islander’s point of view. The performance even featured a slight dig a Donald Trump which was witty and always welcome.

The Confederation Players’ Historic Vignette

If you are in town, you can enjoy The Confederation Players’ Historic Vignette Tuesday-Saturday at 1 p.m. and it’s free as well. They also do historic walking tours throughout Charlottetown which I really wanted to do but they didn’t start until July 2nd. Both the free show and the historic walking tours run until August 20th.

Isaac with some of the actors portraying historic characters like Sir John A. MacDonald

*Province House is where the Charlottetown Conference was held in 1864 and to this day continues to be meeting grounds for PEI’s Legislative Assembly.

Province House

**The Confederation Centre of the of Arts is a large building that includes a theatre which hosts many fantastic shows each summer. There’s also an art gallery, restaurant, and the public library within the same building.

Confederation Centre of the Arts

Lunch Time

By the time both of the above shows were completed, it was after 1pm and both Isaac and I were quite hungry. We walked down the historic and beautiful Great George Street passed St. Dunstan’s and the beautiful buildings of the Great George Hotel to eventually make our way to the Peakes Wharf. From there, we took a quick walk over to Founders Hall where we would stop for lunch at Dave’s Lobster.

Historic Great George Street

I knew that Isaac had never had a lobster roll before and I certainly enjoy them, so I knew that this was the perfect spot to stop for lunch. Surprisingly, the spot was dead but that was ok for us. It allowed us to quickly order our lobster rolls and to enjoy the feast before moving on. I recommended to Isaac to get the traditional lobster roll which also came with a bag of Covered Bridge chips. While we were eating I explained to Isaac what covered bridges were and shared my story of visiting Hartland, New Brunswick where the chips are made and also where the World’s Longest Covered Bridge is.

Dave’s Lobster

Now that we had fueled up with our main meal, it was time for dessert. After doing our factory tour of Cows Creamery last month, I’ve been hooked on their ice cream since. In fact, I start to twitch when I go without it for any prolonged periods of time. Again, Isaac has never had the treat of enjoying a Cows ice cream cone. We walked back over to the Peakes Wharf, walked into Cows and ordered some delicious treats. If you read our article last month, you know that Cows has many terrific, customized versions of their ice cream like Mooey Gooey, Wowie Cowie, Cookie Moonster and many more. With so many terrific flavours to order from, what does Isaac get? Strawberry. I laughed a bit but he enjoyed it nonetheless which is the main thing.

Cows Ice Cream at Peakes Wharf

We enjoyed our cones while soaking up some entertainment in the Peakes Wharf area which features a restaurant/bar and many local shops. It’s a great spot on the water to spend a few hours if you’re visiting this summer.

St. Dunstan’s Basilica

Originally, we were supposed to stop at St. Dunstan’s Basilica as our first stop on our daily itinerary. That didn’t happen, but I was set on still making it to the historic church. When you’re in downtown Charlottetown, you can almost see the twin peaks of the Basilica from anywhere. I’ve used those twin peaks many times to help guide myself around the city.

St. Dunstan’s Basilica

When you first walk up Great George Street and close in on St. Dunstan’s you notice how massive it really is. It is gigantic! It was originally built between 1896 and 1907 and then again in 1913 after a fire had destroyed it. We walked up the large set stairs towards the large wooden doors. I was sure it was open to the public but I was still a bit nervous about my approach for some reason. As we entered the wooden doors, I could see that it was indeed open and that there were a small group of people in the large church. As soon as you walk in you are in awe. The construction is absolutely stunning as it was done of the High Victorian Gothic Revival style. It’s quite a sight to see, that’s for sure. If you’re a fan of seeing new churches don’t miss this one. This is as good as it gets on Prince Edward Island. It’s also a nice and quiet place to stop by on a hot day for a quick break out of the sun.

Inside of St. Dunstan’s Basilica

Sydney Street/Victoria Row

After we were done visiting St. Dunstan’s we were back on our feet trekking through the old, narrow streets of Charlottetown. Near St. Dunstan’s is both Sydney Street and Victoria Row – two of the most popular streets in the downtown. Sydney Street is host to some of the better dining you’ll get in Charlottetown with restaurants like the Gahan House, the Olde Dublin Pub & Claddagh Oyster House, and Sims Corner Steakhouse & Oyster Bar. At all of these spots, you can enjoy some delicious food and local craft beers which is a great combo on a hot day.

Originally, I had planned on visiting the Gahan House to take Isaac on their brewery tour after which we would then grab a seat and have some dinner. Well, that didn’t go exactly as planned. When I entered the Gahan House I asked about doing the brewery tour at which point I was told they no longer do them there. Back when I lived in Charlottetown from 2010-2012, the Gahan House was doing brewery tours in the basement of the Gahan House where they show you how they make their many flavours of Gahan Ales. Unfortunately, the Gahan House is no longer doing the brewery tours as they are now being held at the Prince Edward Island Brewing Company location on Kensington Road. I’m sure the new tours are great, but there was a certain charm about the tour inside the basement of the historic Gahan House.

Once we received the news that there was no brewery tour, we were on our way, back on the streets making our way to Victoria Row. During the summer months, Victoria Row is a hot spot to be. The street is closed down allowing pedestrians to walk freely along the historic cobblestone row. On the Row, you can grab a coffee, do some shopping for local crafts, enjoy some great food and even take in some of the many performers. Victoria Row is both a great place if you’re a tourist or a local as you can easily spend a few hours there relaxing while having a nice meal and enjoying some entertainment.

Victoria Row

Because it was Canada Day, the Row was actually quite quiet but it is usually a bustling area of town during the summer. We quickly stopped into the Anne of Green Gables store on the corner of Victoria Row and Queen Street. It’s a large shop and what I would imagine to be a dream world for any Anne of Green Gables fans. Instead of purchasing any Anne related souvenirs or gear, I purchased a PEI Mussel Shirt. I had been joking for a couple of weeks that I needed to get one of these shirts for when I’m cleaning the pool at Jellystone. It’s ironic because I don’t actually have any muscles. Before leaving, I asked Isaac if he wanted to get anything. He had mentioned earlier in the day that he was interested in the Anne of Green Gables book set. As much as that would be something nice for him, he didn’t bring a backpack and I wasn’t volunteering to lug around a large book set in my backpack all day either. He understood the logic and looked at some smaller souvenirs before we left.

Performers on Victoria Row

Victoria Park Pt.1

After leaving the Anne store, we were kind of tapped for what to do. It was a little too early to eat dinner but we weren’t quite sure what to do. I quickly decided that we should venture over to Victoria Park to see what was happening over there. Each year, the Charlottetown Canada Day festivities are held in the park. Victoria Park is an amazing place most days but on Canada Day it’s a booming spot with live music, rides for the kids, food trucks and a lot more.

Victoria Park truly is a Charlottetown gem, originally a gift to the Island from Queen Victoria back in 1873. The park is 40 acres of waterfront property that is only a short walk from the downtown. There’s a wonderful boardwalk that winds around the coastal portion of the park allowing you to soak up a good walk while watching the sail boats or the herons eating during low tide. When we used to live in Charlottetown, Kate and I frequented the park because it’s just so beautiful.

The boardwalk along Victoria Park

This was Isaac’s second time in the park, however, his first trip was in the dark so he didn’t really get to enjoy it properly. We quickly checked in on the festivities before walking along the boardwalk to the end of the trail at the Brighton Beach Lighthouse. The tide was out so I asked Isaac if he wanted to get adventurous and go walk on the ocean floor. He immediately said, “NO!” Eventually, I told him that he needed to have a sense of adventure and once he agreed, we climbed over the red stone sea wall and onto the ocean floor. When we got down I noticed immediately that what I had thought was rocks everywhere was actually emptied mussel shells that have proven to be good eating for crows and other birds over the years. It was quite a site to see. All of these mussel shells everywhere you would look.

“Mussel Beach”

After exploring “mussel beach” as I called it, we made our way back to the festivities for a few minutes. On our way, we had a discussion about dinner. I asked Isaac if he wanted to save some money and just eat at one of the food trucks or if he wanted anything else. He responded with pizza. I was sold. It doesn’t take much to convince me to eat a good pie.

Piatto Pizzeria

Once it was decided that we would be having pizza for dinner, we had to figure out where we’d go to get some. I remembered that my friend Ryan Merry – who is an award-winning musician – plays frequently at the Piatto Pizzeria. He said that the food is amazing and the atmosphere is great too. I had never been to Piatto before nor did I even know where it was. I was certain it was along Queen Street somewhere and after a quick search, it was confirmed.

Isaac and I made our way out of Victoria Park (for now) and back into town for a walk down Queen Street. Queen is probably the busiest street in Charlottetown filled with lots of different local shops and restaurants. It’s a great starting point if you want to do some shopping in Charlottetown.

After making our way down most of Queen, we came upon Piatto. As soon as we entered, I could see that Ryan wasn’t lying in regards to the atmosphere. It’s a pretty great spot that is tastefully decorated with the highlight being the big wood oven where they wood-fire cook your pizza.

Piatto is very proud of being an authentic pizzeria. From their website, “Our pizzaiolo use ingredients and procedures regulated by the Italian governing association (VPN)—so you experience a “true” pizza like you would find in the energetic pizzerias in Naples, Italy (but without the airfare).” I had no idea that “authentic” pizza was actually a thing, but I was impressed and looking forward to ordering and eating my pie.

The big decision was looming, though. What pizza was I going to feast on? They have two sections of pizza on their menu. One features a selection of pizzas made with a San Marzano tomato sauce. The other features pizzas made with an extra virgin olive oil base sauce. Both sections had a tremendous amount of fantastic choices but in the end, both Isaac and I didn’t order from either section. Instead, we both ordered the pizza of the week. I can’t remember what it was actually called, but it featured an alfredo base sauce with mozzarella, chicken, bacon, and mushrooms.

Wood-fired pizza from Piatto Pizzeria

After it’s wood-fired in the oven, they bring the pizza to you on a big plate to enjoy. Both Isaac and I were really impressed with our pizzas. They were light but very tasty. The crust was kind of flaky and not really doughy which I had never experienced with pizza before. That being said, I really enjoyed it and I definitely would go back for another one. If you want to get some delicious pizza while in Charlottetown, this is the spot. They also have locations in Cavendish, Halifax, St. John’s, and Moncton.

Victoria Park Pt. 2

After we had filled our faces with delicious pizza it was time to head back to Victoria Park to wrap up the day. We took another route back to the park through the old and historic streets near the park. Once getting back to the park, we parked ourselves on the lawn in front of the stage where we watched the entertainment for the next couple of hours. We got to enjoy the Johnny Oliver Band, Copy Cat and one of the better cover bands you could ever see – the Love Junkies. Admittedly, we were both quite pooped by this point. I laid down in the grass and propped my head up with my backpack while Isaac sat cross-legged and fell asleep hunching over. Eventually, some girls came over and startled him awake while offering him a Canada thunder stick.

Once the music was over, it was time for the fireworks. I had been looking forward to the fireworks all day, just like a kid does. This was the first opportunity that I had to shoot long exposure shots of fireworks. I was interested to see how well I could do it. The fireworks were great, however, they were a little shorter than what I was expecting. I remember seeing the fireworks in Charlottetown during Canada Day a few years ago and the show seemed like it would never end. Therefore, I was kind of disappointed that this one ended relatively quick. It was still a great show though and in the end, I think I got some good pictures of the fireworks.

Calling It A Day

12 hours in Charlottetown. It was a lot of sun, heat and walking but both Isaac and I had a great day. I hope that if you haven’t been already, that you can make it to Charlottetown this summer for a vacation. It’s one of my favourite cities simply because it has great food, great sites to see and it’s really easy to get around on foot. If you are coming and would like more information on planning a great day or two in the city, don’t hesitate to comment below or send a message through email of any of our social platforms.

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Getting Started

We started out at 8 am, slowly dragging ourselves out of bed with the anticipation of the big adventure. This time, unlike the last lighthouse tour, we decided to use the power of GPS to help guide us along. Guess how well that worked for us. We actually missed the first three lighthouses that are in the Rocky Point area because we were distracted by who knows what. So, 0 for 3 to start the day. Not good but we were determined to catch up and still see over 20 lighthouses throughout the day.

Arguing About Music

We continued on to Stratford to catch a glimpse of the two Haszard lighthouses. On our way, we got into a musical debate. From time to time, a song will come on my iPod that Kate used to like and sing-a-long to but for some reason has now soured on. In this instance, it was the Red Hot Chili Peppers song Otherside. One of my favourites of theirs. “I hate this song,” she says. I sigh and changed the song. This started a whole debate about whether we should torture each other with songs that the other doesn’t like. I argued that I have to listen to crappy 80’s Robert Plant music and that I should be able to listen to the odd song she no longer likes. She told me to put it back on but I was a tad stubborn. Eventually, we cranked it.

New Friends

We continued on slowly along the coast from Stratford, hitting up lighthouses near Orwell, Pt. Prim and more. At Cape Bear, we met a fun couple from California. They were having their lunch at the lighthouse and we got to share a nice conversation with them before we both went our own ways. They had been travelling for 70 days in their travel van and PEI was their final destination before heading back to the Golden State. They were super nice and even gave us some Oreo’s. If you know either of us, Oreo’s are an instant way to acquiring our friendship.

Lunch Time!

After we left Cape Bear it was already approaching mid afternoon and we still had an incredibly long trek ahead of us. Naturally, even though we had some Oreo’s, we were starting to get hungry. We stopped at this cool cafe in Murray Harbour called the Number 5 Cafe. I don’t believe this place was open when we last lived on PEI but we sure were glad to stop in their for lunch. Kate grabbed us some sandwiches and some pastries for the drive. The sandwiches were spectacular tasting. They featured a delicious chutney which made them super flavourful. The shortbread quickly reminded us of the shortbread we enjoyed on our trip to Scotland. The Number 5 Cafe definitely gets our recommendation if you’re in the Murray Harbour area.

In Over Our Heads?

After eating and because of the constant driving, we both were getting a touch on the sleepy side. Bella was out cold of course. I’m certain both of us were wondering that perhaps we were a little in over our heads on this day. We still had a good chunk of the south-eastern shoreline to cover til we would reach East Point. At that point, we would travel back down the north-eastern shore. Although we were tired, we persisted. We hit up the East Point Lighthouse where Bella was awarded her tip-to-tip certificate after successfully getting her other half on our last trip.

After East Point, the journey home began. We still had a handful of lighthouses to see but we were certain we could cover them quickly. It’s funny though because at every lighthouse we still got out of the car to enjoy the air and the sights even though we were tired and just wanted to go home. Our final lighthouse of the day was the Covehead Lighthouse which is one of my personal favourites on the Island. After that, we stopped for some Mexican food in Charlottetown before making the long-awaited journey home.

PEI is Beautiful

One thing you’ll certainly learn when driving the eastern shoreline of PEI is that it is absolutely gorgeous, especially on a bright, sunny day. The trees and flowers had fully bloomed and the foxes were running about hunting almost everywhere we went. In St. Peters Harbour a beautiful fox allowed me to get close to snap its picture while it had a rodent hanging out of its mouth. At one point it slowly pranced towards me, almost like it was going to offer me a bite. Such a great experience.

Final Tally

In total, we saw 25 lighthouses on the day. Combined with the 27 we previously saw on our first tour, we have now seen 52 of the Islands 63 lighthouses. Some of the remaining 11 lighthouses are no longer actual lighthouses and have been built into private homes. Others proved too difficult to find…and in some cases, we just were too distracted and forgot where we were and drove right by them. 52 lighthouses I think is pretty good. It was a unique experience for both of us and we totally recommend that you try something similar some time – whether you’re vacationing here for a week or you call PEI home. You’ll be able to see parts of the Island that most tourists (or even Islanders) don’t see which is highly satisfying.

Below we’ve included pictures of all the lighthouses we visited along with the locations for when you want to visit any one of the lighthouses.

Brighton Beach Range Rear

Location: Charlottetown     Built: 1968     Status: Active

Fun Fact: This light range is one of two concrete lighthouses in PEI and is the only Island lighthouse with the “apple core” hexagonal structure.

Brighton Beach Front Range

Location: Charlottetown     Built: 1889     Status: Active

Fun Fact: The red lantern of the lighthouse is decorated with maple leaves.

Haszard Point Back Range Light

Location: Stratford    Built: 1889     Status: Active

Fun Fact: This lighthouse along with the front light, were originally on the farm property of the Honorable Francis L. Haszard who served as Premier of Prince Edward Island from 1908 to 1911.

Haszard Point Front Range

Location: Stratford    Built: 1889     Status: Active

Fun Fact: This lighthouse was moved in 1902 and 1936 due to erosion and may need to be moved again soon due to constant erosion.

Brush Wharf Front Range

Location: Orwell Cove    Built: 1879     Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: The lighthouse has seen better days and currently has surrounding trees and brush growing through it.

Point Prim Lighthouse

Location: Point Prim    Built: 1845    Status: Active

Fun Fact: The Point Prim Lighthouse was PEI’s first lighthouse, originally built to help guide mariners into the Charlottetown harbour.

Wood Islands Lighthouse

Location: Wood Islands   Built: 1875    Status: Active

Fun Fact: After the Point Prim Lighthouse, the Wood Islands Lighthouse was the second lighthouse built on PEI.

Wood Islands Front Range Light

Location: Wood Islands   Built: 1902    Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: Even though Wood Islands already had a lighthouse, this light was originally constructed to offer further support for mariners who were entering the Wood Islands harbour.

Wood Islands Back Range Light

Location: Wood Islands   Built: 1902    Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: The range light was first moved in 1940 when construction of the Wood Islands ferry terminal began. The range light now sits closely to the Wood Islands Lighthouse and the front range light.

Cape Bear Lighthouse

Location: Guernsey Cove   Built: 1881    Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: This lighthouse is a tad famous as it was the first place in Canada to receive a distress signal from the Titanic as it was sinking.

Murray Harbour Front Range Light

Location: Beach Point   Built: 1878    Status: Active

Fun Fact: After a power storm surge in 2010, the range light was badly damaged and was at risk of not being repaired. Locals got together and petitioned resulting in the range light being repaired.

Murray Harbour Back Range Light

Location: Beach Point   Built: 1878    Status: Active

Fun Fact: Aside from three years (1875-78) all of the lighthouse keepers of the back range were members of the Penny family.

Douse Point Front Range Light

Location: Murray River  Built: 1899    Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: The front range light was decommissioned in 1984 at which point it was purchased by the Buell family who moved it to it’s current location in Murray River.

Panmure Island Lighthouse

Location: Panmure Island Built: 1853    Status: Active

Fun Fact: The Panmure Island Lighthouse was the first wooden lighthouse built on PEI.

Georgetown Back Range Light

Location: Lower Montague Built: 1890  Status: Active

Fun Fact: When World War II broke out, even though he was in his forties at the time, light keeper Eli George Vatcher enlisted vacating his light keeper duties. Once the war was over, he returned home and once again became light keeper.

Former Georgetown Front Range Light

Location: Lower Montague Built: 1895  Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: This range light was originally built to replace the St. Andrew’s Lighthouse which was destroyed due to fire in 1894. It is now a private guest home.

Former Cardigan River Range Light

Location: Georgetown Built: 1883  Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: After it was decommissioned, the lighthouse was purchased by the Batchilder family who still maintain the lighthouse in its current location.

Annandale Front Range Light

Location: Annadale Built: 1990  Status: Active

Fun Fact: This light has always been electrified and therefore never had a light keeper.

Annandale Back Range Light

Location: Annadale Built: 1901  Status: Active

Fun Fact: In 1900, the original back range light was toppled by a bad storm. The following year this light was constructed to replace it.

Souris East Lighthouse

Location: Souris Built: 1880  Status: Active

Fun Fact: This is one of three Island lighthouses (North Cape/Cape Egmont) that are equipped with telecommunications devices to direct air and sea travel in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

East Point Lighthouse

Location: East Point Built: 1866  Status: Active

Fun Fact: This was a highly important lighthouse (and still is) that would help guide mariners from the Canso Strait to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Shipwreck Point Lighthouse

Location: Naufrage Built: 1967 Status: Active

Fun Fact: This lighthouse was built to replace the original Shipwreck Point Lighthouse. It’s automated and never has had a keeper.

St. Peter’s Harbour Lighthouse

Location: St. Peter’s Harbour Built: 1876 Status: Decommissioned

Fun Fact: This is one of 16 lighthouses that were already built when PEI joined Confederation in 1873.

Covehead Harbour Lighthouse

Location: Stanhope Built: 1975 Status: Active

Fun Fact: This is one of the smallest lighthouses on the Island standing at only 26 feet.

For more on PEI’s lighthouses visit: www.peilighthousesociety.ca and www.lighthousefriends.com

Which one of the above lighthouses do you like the most? How many of PEI’s lighthouses do you think you could see in one day? Comment Below.

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We MOOtivated ourselves first by taking a tour of the Cows Creamery factory. Anyone can take the free tour, but we were fortunate enough to be guided by Whitney. As soon as you arrive at the store/factory you walk through the doors into the brightly lit store and the aroma of freshly baked waffle cones take over your nose. The store is brightly lit, and is filled with Cows punny t-shirts, mugs, stuffed animals, raspberry cordial, Cows Creamery cheese, butter, chocolate covered potato chips and of course ICE CREAM!

How could we not pose with the giant cow?

Now before I tell you about the tour, Adam wanted me to put as many cow/cheese puns in here as I possibly could. I didn’t know if we should because it’s udderly distracting, but he pretty MOOch insisted that I do that. I argued we have journalistic standards, but he cud not believe that I was being so black and white. Hopefully, you don’t get feta up with it.

Cows T-Shirts

First up on the tour was watching the printing press for the world famous Cows t-shirts. When we say world famous, we mean it. You can see people wearing these shirts anywhere in the world. They are incredibly popular. Cows t-shirts used to only be worn by staff but customers loved the shirts so much, they started marketing them to customers. Production Manager, David Arsenault says on average they print on average 3000 shirts a day. The t-shirts are hilarious MOO versions of popular tv shows, characters, and movies. For example, there is Cow Wars, Dr. Moo, Austin Cowers, Moonions, Hello Cowy and Cowton Abbey – just to name a few.

Just a few of the many punny t-shirts available at Cows Creamery.

Cows Ice Cream

Next up on the tour was ice cream. Whitney explained to us that Cows Creamery opened their first store in Cavendish in 1983. They use cream only from Prince Edward Island cows and they try and source local as much as possible in the process. For example, all of the strawberries and blueberries in Cows ice cream are from PEI farmers. The recipe for Cows Ice Cream dates back to the 1800’s. The ice cream is slow churned and 16% butterfat is used, along with fresh PEI eggs, and sugar. You notice right away when you taste Cows ice cream that it is thick and it doesn’t break down in your mouth right away. That is because the ice cream is not exposed to very much air when it is made in small batches. It is not whipped like other ice creams are.

As Adam and I watched the employees making ice cream in their little glass room, my mouth was watering. A man was pouring caramel into the machine. I asked Whitney if I could go into the room and have the caramel poured directly into my mouth. She said no because you have to wear special gear to go in the ice cream making room. She looked at me funny, and then laughed like I was kidding. I was not kidding. The thought entered my mind that perhaps I could become a Cows ice cream maker and just pour the caramel into my own mouth. Not the worst thought.

Just look at that caramel!

Whitney explained to us that Cows employs 55 full-time workers and 250 seasonal workers. That night they were having a staff party where the office staff scoops the ice cream for the staff that work at the Cows locations throughout the island. Kara MacLeod is a UPEI student that is spending her 7th summer working for Cows. She told us that she is getting her business degree and will hopefully keep climbing the ladder at Cows.

Kara – the Ice Cream Manager at Cows Creamery

Cows Creamery Cheese

To say that I am a fan of cheese is an understatement. I pretty much live on cheese because it is so gouda. I love most cheeses, preferably melted and the MOOre the better! As we approached the “Cheese Cave” at Cows Creamery, I had visions of grilled cheese, cheese toast (yes they are different!) and cheesy pizza. However, the “Cheese Cave” is cheese that is aging. It was neat to see the cheese wrapped in cheese cloth and getting mold on it. I didn’t really want cheese after that, but I understand why my precious cheese must age with a little mold on it. Everything with age gets better, right? It takes 12-18 months for the cheese to age. I’m not going to lie. I was hoping Whitney would go into the cheese cave and cut the mold off and give us a piece. That did not happen. Not all wishes come true. Again, the thought entered my mind that perhaps I could get hired at Cows to become the caretaker of the “Cheese Cave” and sneak into the cave and fill my mouth with cheese at random points of the day.

The “Cheese Cave”

Photo provided by Cows Creamery

Here is a Cows Creamery cheese fact. Their cheese is traditionally made how the Scottish would make cheese in the caves of the Orkney Islands. Cows Creamery founder, Scott Linkletter, visited Scotland to find out exactly how his ancestors made cheese. Another cheesy fact – Cows sells 80 thousand kilos of cheese per year. Just this past April they won Canada’s Best Cheese at the Canadian Cheese Awards and in 2015 they placed in the top 16 of the World Cheese Awards. Way to Brie!

Cows Ice Cream Sampling

And now the exciting part! We got to sample 25 Cows Creamery ice cream flavors. This included 2 of the 4 new flavours they are introducing this summer -Pistachio and Cookie MOOnster. Cowconut Cream Pie and Peanut Budder Boom were not out yet. Darn. We will have to go back. Trying 25 flavors of ice cream is tough work. Whitney provided us with Cows own brand of bottled water so that we could cleanse our palate between ice creams. The pressure was on. How could I rate coffee ice cream in front of Whitney when I knew I couldn’t stand the taste of it? I actually just waited until she wasn’t looking and tossed the sample spoon in the garbage. Shhh. Don’t tell.

We got to pick 2 out of the 25 flavours of ice cream for our cone.

We definitely had some favourites out of the bunch. Adam seemed to love any flavour that had different types of candy bars in them. Wowie Cowie, Mooey Gooey, Moo York Cheesecake and Chocolate Monster were are favourites by far. When you walk into Cows for the first time and wonder, “what flavour should I get,” those four flavours are our top recommendation. Here are all of the ice creams that we tried with full descriptions and our personal ratings out of 5.

Scroll to the bottom to learn how you can win yourself a prize package from Cows Creamery.

Which flavour of Cows ice cream do you think you would like most?

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