On The Meandering Road: July 31, 2014 (101th Day)

It was very cloudy and gloomy, but no rain. 69˚

After breakfast we left campground at 8 am to go to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island (PE). We were so anxious to meet with Tom and Karen again. Tom and Karen graduated from Gallaudet College (now University) and Karen was in the same class with us. Tom was one year ahead of us. They went on the trip to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Tom and Karen.

We got on Trans Canada Highway 1, after few exits/turns we got on 6 to go to Anne of Green Gables attraction site, parked the van and waited for Tom and Karen to show up. We were little early and the ticket office does not open until 9 am.. Five minutes after we arrived Tom and Karen showed up. It was so good to see them again.

After catching up on some vacation news we proceeded to the ticket office. Paid $9.55 Canadian dollars (CD) for seniors. There is a subtitled movie telling stories about Anne of Green Gables and how Anne, the orphaned red-haired girl and Green Gables house became famous. The author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, had her fiction book published in 1908 and it became so popular around the world. At that time people did not know about PE and thought the island was not real.

After the movie we walked through the barn to go to the house.

Tom "milking" the cow :-)

The Barn

Karen and Erwin chatting while Tom and Edith were busy taking pictures

We toured the first and second floors of the Green Gables House.

Tom, Karen and Erwin in front of Green Gables House

The famous Green Gables House

After we exited the house there was this red-haired Anne standing outside posing for pictures. Edith and Karen joined in with her.

Karen, Anne and Edith

We walked through Haunted Wood Trail. In Lucy's fiction book she told a story about the trail: Below the garden a green field lush with clover sloped down to the hollow where the brook ran and where scores of white birches grew, upspringing airily out of an undergrowth suggestive of delightful possibilities in ferns and mosses and woodsy things generally. Beyond it was a hill, green and feathery with spruce and fir; there was a gap in it where the gray gable end of the little house she had seen from the other side of the Lake of Shining Waters was visible.

Just like us, Tom and Karen are lighthouse aficionados, so we made a plan to visit two or three lighthouses after we were done here. We left Green Gables at 11:24 am and got on 12 West to Alberton, PE. Tom and Karen followed us all the way. In Alberton we went to see Northport Rear Lighthouse, but were disappointed because the one that we wanted to get a close-up of is on an island, now privately owned, and can be seen only by boat. Since it was past noon we had lunch by the lighthouse.

Northport Range Rear Lighthouse was built in 1885

Northport Range Front Lighthouse

Oh great, there is another lighthouse for us to check out: Tignish Run Lighthouse. We drove past the entrance to the lighthouse and Edith thought we had missed the turn. We pulled over to a side street and we four were looking at the map when a car drove by and the lady asked us if there was anything she could do to help. Erwin explained to her that we were looking for Tignish Run Lighthouse. At first she was not sure where the lighthouse was, but then said "I think I know where it is. Follow me". Wonderful! We followed her to Fisherman Haven Park and there stood the lighthouse we were looking for. We thanked the lady for her assistance and she left and went on her way out. There was an ice cream shoppe nearby and we had to go in there to pay $3 CD per person to go up inside the tower. Because of the fragile situation only two persons are allowed inside the tower, so Tom and Karen went up first. After they got back down to the base we went up.

Karen and Tom inside the tower

Erwin and Edith getting ready to climb up to the top

Edith inside the tower. View of Gulf of St. Lawrence in the background

Karen and Tom

We then went back to 12 to go to North Cape Lighthouse. It was 3 pm when we arrived there. It was a long drive, but worth the trip. It was a beautiful spot to walk around and is perfect for sunset pictures. The red sand cliffs at the beach were awesome and there were plenty of rock cairns on the boulders. Karen and Tom got to witness Erwin building one right there.

North Cape Lighthouse

Karen and Edith playing with Tom's hair

Lovebirds : Tom & Karen

Erwin looking for rocks to build a cairn

Tom on top of the boulder with rock cairns lined up

Karen taking pictures of Erwin's rock cairn

So proud of his work!

Red Sand Cliffs

The lighthouse is fenced in, but is still in use. It is operated by the Canadaian Coast Guard. North Cape Informative Center and Wind Energy Insitute are situated near the lighthouse. They have a restaurant and a gift shop inside the informative center.

We looked at the time and said we could make it to see one more lighthouse before the nightfall, so off we went to West Point Lighthouse. Along the route there were lots of wind turbines in Cape Wolfe. We made a right turn to Cedar Dunes Provinical Park. and there stood a nice looking West Point Lighthouse. It has 70 steps, very steep to the top. It has a museum inside it. The view from the top was lovely.

There was a campground near the lighthouse and since we were already there we thought we would spend the night here. Tom and Karen had already left. After finding out the fee for one night's stay we decided to go elsewhere. We continued driving on 14 E toward Cape-Egmont. Again, the lighthouse is closed to visitors and is privately owned by the Canadian Coast Guard.

We were getting hungry and were in Summerside, PE. We drove by the restaurant called The Shipyard. The parking lot was pretty much filled, so we thought maybe their foods are good. We chose to dine inside and the view of the beach and the water was nice.