Lighthouses and Tides in PEI

September 21 - September 22, 2023

It was a beautiful Thursday morning as we left our AirBnB for Prince Edward Island (PEI) but it was time to get going. We had a couple of stops we wanted to visit in Nova Scotia, and it was a 4-hour drive to Summerside PEI, where we were spending the night. Walton Harbour Lighthouse was our first stop, and as it turns out, the first in our impromptu lighthouse tour. This lighthouse was built in 1873 and was used until the late 1970s, now it is a historic site and museum, located in the Minas Basin at the end of the Bay of Fundy. Walton is also home to one of the world's largest deposits of Barite, which is used as a weighting agent in items we use daily like playing cards and mudflaps to drilling for petroleum, and as part of medical tests. 

Our next lighthouse and national park, Burntcoat Head Park is also on the Bay of Fundy. This is a very popular stop because the Bay of Fundy is known for having the world's largest tides and this causes the Minas Basin to drain out leaving these huge hard clay and rock beaches to walk on and explore all the tidal pools. This is a nice spot but get there early as bus tours also come here to explore the shore as the tide rolls out. 

We officially left Nova Scotia and crossed over into New Brunswick where the Confederation Bridge starts on the mainland side. The bridge was completed in 1997 and is still to this day one of the top engineering feats in Canada.

It spans 12.9 km (8 miles) and is the world's longest bridge over ice-covered waters during the winter months. It is currently a toll bridge of $50.25 for a standard two-axle vehicle, although there is a push to have that removed. The toll is only collected when you leave PEI making it very much like The Hotel California, you can check out anytime you want but you can never leave (without paying). If I had to take a guess the toll may be removed come 2027 because that will be the 30-year anniversary.

Once across the bridge, we made a quick stop at the PE tourist center to help us with our journey. Andrea was the only person with a must-stop, which was the Anne of Green Gables homestead in Cavendish, PE. The rest of the trip was just exploration with not any real expectations. One of the first things I noticed when we arrived was signs that stated Prince Edward Island has a beautiful vista around every corner. I was so surprised at how true this was. The roads follow the coast which gives the occupants these fantastic views around every corner. Even the graveyards had good views!

Our first stop once we crossed over was a small town called Summerside. Like most small towns, Summerside was largely a fishing town. Now it has evolved into tourism and other industries. Nice coffee shops, restaurants and museums you could easily spend a couple of days here. We stayed one night and had a great pizza at the local pizza restaurant.

The next day we started to work our way around the island. We decided that we should follow the lighthouse route. PEI makes it easy by marking the route with a lighthouse symbol if the road takes you to a viewpoint. This makes our first stop an odd one as there was no lighthouse, sort of, instead it was The Bottle Houses and Gardens. As the name states there are three houses that are made of discarded bottles interspersed in these beautiful gardens with walking paths. Now there is a lighthouse on the grounds but it was not an official lighthouse but one moved onto the property. 

Our next stop was Cedar Dunes Provincial Park and West Point Lighthouse and Inn. This lighthouse is located on the western point of PEI. Nikki and Andrea had to have a quick swim in the cold ocean. Brad, myself, and even Zorro looked on like they were a couple of crazy ladies. We explored the area, had a little lunch, and then headed off to the North Cape of PEI.

The North Cape is as the name suggests the most Northerly point of the island. This area is super cool. There is a windmill farm, museum, gift shop, and some great hiking trails for Zorro. The windmills are part of The Wind Energy Institute of Canada, and they say "The Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan) is at the forefront of pioneering innovation in the wind energy sector. Our mission is clear: to lead the way in powering the future with sustainable wind energy solutions. How do we do it? By specializing in hands-on research, providing expert technical guidance, fostering the adoption of cutting-edge technology, and collaborating with businesses and communities alike." The main trail is an interpretive trail around the coastline and past several different windmill installations. All in all, this is a must-stop on a tour of PEI. 

Tune in to the next blog as we visit Charlottetown and start to head to the West side of one of Canada’s prettiest islands.