Prince Edward Island
Through My Lens (and Heart)
A bucket list destination 10 years in the making
Ten years ago, my sister, her best friend Tracie, our “second mom” Meilynn, and I sat in a Tudor home near Seattle and watched the classic Anne of Green Gables. It’s a four-hour movie worth every minute. Based on the beloved book series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, the story was inspired by the author’s life on Prince Edward Island, where her cousin’s home became the setting for Anne’s written world.
After the credits rolled, we giggled and dreamed up a plan to visit PEI “soon.” But “soon” turned into years of life-changing events for my sister, and honestly, for all of us. There were seasons we didn’t think we’d ever make it (health concerns), but over the past 12 months, the conversation started again. My sister was about to turn 50, and she was healthy and stable enough to seriously consider the idea.
So in January, we booked it! Insurance and all. We reserved the VRBO and began planning. When I finally packed my suitcase and met my sister and Tracie at the Charlottetown Airport, it was definitely a pinch-me moment. I think it was for her, too.
The Gentle Magic of PEI
L.M. Montgomery had a way with words—about romance, education, emotions, and scenery. This quote, in particular, sums up the island:
“You never know what peace is until you walk on the shores or in the fields or along the winding red roads of Prince Edward Island in a summer twilight when the dew is falling and the old stars are peeping out and the sea keeps its mighty tryst with the little land it loves.” – Lucy Maud Montgomery
She wasn’t wrong. Peace is exactly what we found. Long walks on the shore, endless rolling fields of green and gold, sweeping red roads, and the magic of a summer twilight where the sun doesn’t set until after 9:30 p.m. in late July. It’s absolutely stunning.
Let me take a quick moment to talk about PEI and, the Canadians. They are truly the nicest people. From TSA agents in the tiniest airport to every shopkeeper, to the neighbor who invited us in when we got lost looking for beach access, they don’t shoo you away; they make you feel like you belong.
We saw a shirt in a shop that said “Aggressively Polite” with a Canadian flag. Yup. That about sums it up.
In late July, the island is alive with color: lush green and golden fields, peach and purple sunsets, red soil shorelines, red-and-white lighthouses (oh, the lighthouses!), and the soft gray-blue of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Every bend in the road, every sunrise, every sway of the trees from the northeast winds, begs to be photographed.
Anne of Green Gables
Circling back to the reason for our visit, it wasn’t just the scenery. We wanted to walk where L.M. Montgomery once did, to see the places that inspired her vivid storytelling.
In Cavendish, you’ll find The Green Gables Heritage place in front of the house – her cousin’s home – which served as the inspiration for the Green Gables book series. The heritage museum is well worth a stop, and the home itself is a time capsule including the white paint with the signature green trim. It’s moving to think about her brain conjecturing all the adjectives about the home, those rooms, and those grounds. Then writing about them. Walking the actual “Lover’s Lane” on the property? Dreamy.
We also drove past her birthplace (a house off the main road), her resting place (appropriately placed cemetery on a busy street corner—she’d love that), and sat next to The Lake of Shining Waters. I can confirm: it’s absolutely the right name for the pond. She knew. And now I know. It’s “because of the thrill.”
Lighthouses Everywhere (and One Unforgettable Moment)
We hadn’t done much lighthouse research before our arrival, we live on the coast and are familiar with them, even if they fade into the background a bit.
But PEI? It has the highest concentration of lighthouses in any province or state in North America, 61 total, with 35 still active. That’s one lighthouse for every 34 square miles! All but three are accessible by car (and two of those can be seen from the shore). For perspective, there are approximately 35 lighthouses still standing along over 800 miles of the California coast.
We knew instantly we wanted to see as many as possible. In the end, we visited three and saw several more.
But the lighthouse we’ll never forget? Souris Lighthouse.
It was an extremely windy day, we had to walk leaning forward just to move. The lighthouse keeper, George, helped us inside and gave us a bit of history. He’s a Lighthouse Activator, part of the PEI Lighthouse Society, and also a ham radio operator doing some site testing that day.
The best surprise? He shared that his grandfather was friends with L.M. Montgomery! We were tickled by the connection.
George took a photo with us and confirmed that Nicole could make the climb up the three flights of stairs (Tracie did a scout mission first). On the second floor, we found a room filled with sea glass, history, samples, the process from beginning to end. Still smiling, we made our way up to the lantern.
Tracie opened the hatch, and we stepped out onto the balcony into full gale-force wind. It was exhilarating!
Not just because of the wild weather, but because Nicole made it up those stairs, like a boss. Just two years ago, we weren’t sure she’d be able to walk again. But through hard work, determination, and a lot of grace from God, there she was… standing at the top of a lighthouse. She was beaming. We were beaming. I’m sure that lighthouse was beaming too.
Unforgettable.
What to See If You Visit
Even if you’ve never read Anne of Green Gables, I’d still put PEI on your bucket list. The people are the kindest, the island is beautiful, and the water around every bend is different, from mussel farms to oyster beds to open ocean.
We stayed near Cavendish, about 25–30 minutes by car from the Charlottetown airport. During our stay, we visited:
- Souris (and stumbled into a sea glass festival!)
- Charlottetown
- Summerside
- New London (our sweet VRBO home lives here)
- Kensington
- North Rustico
- Brackley
- Schurmans
- Victoria-by-the-Sea (we watercolored here—and saw the Prime Minister!)
- Crapaud (pronounced Crapo—French for “toad”!)
We wish we’d had more time to explore the west side of the island. But overall, there are beaches, trails, sea glass hunting, gift shops, seafood restaurants, a water park, amusement park, golfing, so much to do and see.
Weather-wise, we arrived to a warm windy rainstorm that passed overnight. There was one humid day, but mostly, it was the perfect kind of warm and pleasant with a healthy dose of mosquitos in the evening.
Full of Gratitude
As always, I reflect with gratitude: for the chance to sneak away with my sister and Tracie, to explore a new corner of the world, and most of all, for the gift of Nicole reaching 50, stronger and more radiant than ever.
“All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer—one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going—one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world.” – Lucy Maud Montgomery
