The West Side of PEI

Following our time spent hiking and beaching in and around New Brunswick, Mac and I took our home-on-wheels across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. We spent nearly a week cruising around the island, camping beside lighthouses, and getting our toes (and car) covered in the ever-permanent, standard-issue red PEI dirt. The west side of PEI is perhaps not as show-stopping or adventure-filled as the east side, but it was an excellent place to start our road trip around the island.

The West Side of PEI

Confederation Bridge

There are two ways to arrive on the island overland – by ferry or by bridge. It costs nothing to enter the land of red dirt and potatoes, so tolls are charged only when leaving the island. Given our location in New Brunswick, Mac and I made the journey onto the island via the 13km-long Confederation Bridge. Completed in 1997 after four years of careful construction, this bridge paved a whole new era of opportunity and growth for the island.

There are numerous spots on the south shore to espy the monumental bridge – we got our fill in North Carleton, at a viewpoint across from the church. Following the razor-straight lines of a potato field, the presence of the famed bridge commanded the horizon.

Shortly after crossing over the bridge, is the Borden-Carleton Gateway Village filled with every bit of information a tourist could ever want. Mac and I bypassed the endless brochures in favour of watching the seven-minute video detailing the design and construction of PEI’s link to the mainland. Just outside the main building is an actual section of the bridge on display. It was really neat to sit inside the section and truly get a grasp of the scale of this bridge. Quite the feat of engineering if you ask me!

West Coast Lighthouses

Our first night of camping on the island was at Cape Egmont. Upon arriving at this spit of land, while batting away swarms of mosquitoes, and trying to appreciate the beautiful red cliffs and stunning sunset, we had our first taste of PEI lighthouses. They are typically squat, white, wood paneled, sometimes with an accent of red, and they are EVERYWHERE. My aunt and uncle have a favourite saying when referring to the sheer amount of churches and cathedrals they encountered during their trips to Europe: ABC.. another blimey* cathedral. (*Choose your preferred “b”-adjective here.) After only a few nights in PEI, we coined a similar, yet not as inventive, phrase of our own – ABL (I’ll let you smart folks reading figure that one out..)

Our second night was spent beside the bustling Howards Cove where we were treated to yet another stunning sunset in the company of yet another island lighthouse.

North Cape

After a brief stop on Lennox Island – a small piece of land home to a large community of Mi’kmaq people and even larger community of mosquitoes – we set our sights north. The farthest north, actually. North Cape is reached by following Route 12 to its very end – many kilometers past the nearest town of Tignish. Located at the very tip of the Island’s northern peninsula, with 300 degrees of exposure, North Cape receives a LOT of wind. So much so that it’s home to the Wind Energy Institute of Canada! This not-for-profit testing and research center has existed since 1981 and produces 10MW of power for R&D.

If you’re keen to learn more about the Cape and wind farm, there is a short trail that follows the coast line on the west side of the peninsula linked by information panels. Not only are there plenty of wind turbines here, there’s also… wait for it… another lighthouse!!

Swimming Rock Lookout

Sometimes on road trips, the best moments come during unexpected pit stops. While driving around the west side of PEI, just before reaching Cavendish, Mac and I stopped to stretch our legs at Swimming Rock Lookout. This spot was pretty inconspicuous from the road, but after a short jaunt over the well-maintained grass and down a small flight of stairs, we were eye-to-eye with the infamous red cliffs and beaches of PEI.

This pit stop featured more than just stunning views however. We were also fortunate enough to spot a huge bald eagle! If you’re counting, that brings our wildlife count on this trip up to four! (Moose, porcupine, beaver, eagle.)

Cavendish

Cavendish is most well known as being the home of All Things Anne! L. M. Montgomery’s fictional red-haired girl of the 1900’s has certainly made her mark on Prince Edward Island. Having not read the books ourselves (gasp!), Mac and I skipped many of the main Anne attractions in favour of exploring parts of Cavendish’s more wild side. We headed out to the western-most section of Prince Edward Island National Park and set about finding some trails to hike. We settled on taking the Dunes Trail. Not only did we see the ample sand dunes, we also got to walk on a floating boardwalk and even see the bustling Cavendish beach!

We were tempted to join the crowds and take a dip at Cavendish Beach, but the east side of PEI was calling, and boy did we ever get our fill of beaches over there!

Tell me, have you ever been to the west side of PEI? What’s a phrase you end up saying again and again while travelling? (Mac and I are quite fond of “never miss a chance!” – very useful when deciding whether or not to use the washroom prior to a lengthy bus ride!!)

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