Update: PEI Lighthouse Tour 1

We've been working non-stop all summer. Annette's been doing lots of consulting in addition to prepping fall courses. Larry has been working non-stop on his new fall course. The past two weeks we've been working together to get the web pages built for this course.

Lighthouse Tour

We decided to explore as many lighthouses as possible in the time that we had. This trip took us to the Eastern Point of the island. A photo of the Eastpoint Lighthouse is on the right.

Our time on PEI was running short, so we decided to take a trip around the island. Originally, we planned an overnight trip, but decided we really didn't have the time. Instead, we chose two day-trips.

We'll just have to come back in a few years when we have more time for play.

Souris Lighthouse

The Souris Lighthouse, our first lighthouse stop, was a little adventure. The lighthouse was fenced off on three sides, but Larry sneaked around the edge of the fence by the cliff to get a photograph without the ugly chain link fence.

While Larry pursued his "questionable" lighthouse grounds entry (no fence and no sign on the seaward side, actually no signs on the fence at all), Annette sat on a grassy knoll and sketched.

Basin Head

We decided that we needed to do at least one geocache as long as we were on PEI. There are actually geocaches throughout the island. One caught our attention. It was near the beach and looked like a nice area to visit.

It turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Basin Head Provincial Park was very popular with families. It included a fisheries museum, shop, and food place. To get to the geocache, we crossed a bridge, walked up a sand dune, and along a trail through wild blueberry groundcover to a grove of trees.

After logging our visit at the geocache, we discovered a quiet area of beach along the inlet. Larry photographed snails, lichen, and a wood seawall while Annette sketched.

This pattern of photography and sketching was replayed all day. It was fun and relaxing. We decided that someday (nex trip here) we need to return and spend an entire day along this beach.

We've always preferred mountains to beach. However we're falling in love with these northern beaches. We like the clean, clear water, healthy vegetation, and lack of heavy human use. Rarely did we see trash or evidence of overuse.

East Point Lighthouse

We jumped back into the car and headed north toward our next lighthouse.

The East Point Lighthouse is located where the St. Lawrence and Northumberland Strait meet. Built in 1867, this wooden lighthouse has been moved slightly because of erosion. This point has a beautiful old building that houses a visitor center and a craft shop.

We enjoyed a romantic walk along the cliffs. Again, we felt like we could spend an entire day just walking and enjoying the views.

St. Peter's Blueberry Festival

We'd read about the annual Blueberry Festival in St. Peter's and decided to check it out. However when we arrived in town, it seemed pretty quiet. There was no sign of a festival. Actually, it was very empty. We decided to head down the road for home. As we left town we discovered the fairgrounds full of cars. We found the festival! Apparently all the locals knew the location, so why advertise or direct strangers to the park? We felt right at home.

We always enjoy exploring local festivals. The stage was filled with folk and bluegrass musicians, singers, and cloggers. We were hungry, so we got in line for their festival dinner. For $10 Canadian, we got steak, cod, corn on the cob, new potatoes, a bucket of mussels, a roll, and blueberry dessert. They also threw in McDonald's Orange Drink in those tiny little paper cups. The mussels weren't Annette's first choice, but Larry enjoyed them.

The festival was a great way to end the day.