The Popeye Express

Driving up to the north west end of PEI, we come across this cute little house or B and B (I'm not sure which). Foul weather again, so my pictures are taken through the window of our Jeep.

Now at our destination, it stopped raining long enough for us to get out of the car and take a walk around the lighthouse.

The North Cape Lighthouse, PEI our destination today. We are standing at the most north western tip of the island.

Standing on the right side (Atlantic Ocean) of the lighthouse, it is very windy, but still pretty.

How the birds manage this wind is always amazing to me.

On our way home, we come across the Northport Lighthouse.

Northport, PEI, and the entrance to the sea.

I think this is the old Northport Range Lighthouse. Oftentimes there are no roads to these lighthouses, and I have to make an "educated guess" as to which one I'm looking and hoping the map is giving me the correct information.

Our view of fog, near Grand River, PEI enroute home.

From 2012-09-05 PEI Day 2 - Central Coastal Dr. South

Now back at Popeye, we are amazed to see these wind surfers right outside our door. Our campground is at the Linkletter Provencial Park near Summerside and Belmont.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

PEI Day 2 - Rain!

Rainy & wet, there is little available for picture taking. We find this old lighthouse at the Victoria Seaport, take a few pictures through the window of our Jeep and head over to Charlottetown.

From 2012-09-05 PEI Day 2 - Central Coastal Dr. South

It's now pouring as I stand under cover and take this one photo. We purchase tickets for the musical Anne of Green Gables and head back. It's just too wet to have fun.

Cape Coastal Drive - PEI Day 1

I immediately fall in love with PEI. It reminds me of Whidbey Island, WA, minus the snow capped mountain ranges. It is a gentle rolling island, with this incredible red sand. How they grow potatoes here in the red clay soil is a complete mystery to us. Additionally, PEI has the best signage we have seen on the planet! These coastal scenic drive signs are everywhere and placed at every intersection. They are big, colorful, and easy to see. Rest of the world - please take note!

Just a few miles north of our campground, our first stop is at this lovely church, Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel. It had a fairly large graveyard overlooking the shore, and I notice many of the names have the same last name, Gallant.

Next stop is the Cape Egmont lightstation. Notice the red sand.

Another great sign pointing the way together with the highway sign.

Now we are at the beautiful little memorial park honoring the fallen soldiers from PEI. As we drive in, a lovely lady comes up to us and takes us under her wing and tells us the history of this little park. Although I have lost my note, I believe her name is Mary Anne. Originally, it was the site of a church, long fallen. The bell and cross shown in the second photo are actually from the church. The cross will be mounted when time and funds permit. I also asked her about the name Gallant, which was on half the grave markers. She explained that Gallant was one of the two most common names on the island. It is of Acadian origin. Many, many people of Acadian descent live in Canada. The Acadians were very independent people (I am now speaking of hundreds of years ago) when they fled France, and would pledge loyalty to neither the King of France or the King of England. As a result, no one trusted them. The Acadian heretiage is also evident on the east coast of the US all the way down to New Orleans, Louisana; hence the origin of the French language in these areas. By the way, please note the history is my interpretation, so please don't "take it to the bank."!

Shown above, the flags of Canada, PEI and Acadia.

Our next stop is The Quilt Gallery in the town of O'Leary. The Potato Museum is closed, and even though it's after 5:00 PM the owner, Michelle Moase shown here with Bob, is gracious enough to turn on the lights and let us browse around. She is truly a lovely gal! Check out her website: www.quiltgallerypei.com.

Now racing the sun, we finally come to the West Point Lighthouse for our final stop prior to returning to Popeye. It now consists of a small inn and restaurant for the guests. With its distinctive black and white stripes, it is one of the most famous lighthouses on PEI.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Goodbye Quebec - Hello PEI

From Goodbye Quebec, Hello PEI

What a beautiful way to say "Goodbye" to Perce' and the province of Quebec. By the time I find my shoes and get my camera, the height of this sunrise has already passed, but it is still an awesome way to start our day.

From Goodbye Quebec, Hello PEI

Now it's time to make the final drive around the south side of the Gaspe' peninsula, fortunately with no more hills to climb and descend, and head into New Brunswick. As we cross the border, I don't see the usual "Welcome to New Brunswick" sign, so miss taking a picture of it. With our eyes focused on our GPS, we completely miss the turn prior to a rail road trestle our GPS wants us to go under. With a clearance of only 3.3 meters, we have to stop and disconnect the car, turn around in the middle of the street, and figure out what to do next. As the usual crowds gathered, I explain that we are providing the Sunday afternoon entertainment. Everyone was kind and we promptly get directions to a manageable underpass. We are out of here in 15 minutes. Ah, this is the "adventure" part of travelling! With a brief overnight at a Walmart in Bathurst, NB, we do some shopping (we always find something to buy when we overnight at a Walmart) and head for the Confederation Bridge for our first glimpse of Prince Edward Island (PEI).

From Goodbye Quebec, Hello PEI

Now on PEI, we immediately head for the KOA near Charlotteville, walk around the campground for about an hour, and decide not to stay. The manager has a portable transformer hooked up to his rig which tells us the power is awful, and we don't like any of the sites; either too many trees or uneven terrain. As Canada seems to always charge more for camping, we elect to leave, and head for the Walmart on PEI located in the town of Summerside. While there, I go online and discover the Linkletter Provincial Park nearby. We immediately see what we like and make reservations for the next several days. We have full hookups with 50 amps and an oceanfront view!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Perce' - Isle Bonaventure

We had heard about the island and the Gannet colony, and today's the day we take the boat out to the island and see for ourselves.

Now on the water, the boat first takes us around the Perce' Rock. It is evident where in years gone by, this rock has broken off.

Now alongside the far side of Bonaventure Island, the Gannets come into view.

It is difficult to see how big these birds are. Wing spans are up to 6 feet. Now docked, we have to hike to the opposite side of the island to get into viewing position.

Many mother's are grooming their chicks, some still covered with down.

Courtship rituals are still performed, even though mating season has passed.

Here a Parc Canada Ranger holds a stuffed bird to show their size.

After hours of bird watching, we are ready to hike this perimeter trail to see the island.

I took the following picture of this beach while on the boat. If you look closely, you will notice the staircase running down to the beach.