Travel Journal - A trip to PEI - Day 2
When we first checked into our cottage, we had no real idea on what to expect. It was hard for me to plan for this trip; after all, it was a full 7 day trip in PEI only. I told myself to aim at relaxing and to explore beyond just the touristy things. We wanted to try other types of accommodations other than standard hotels.
I found out later that it is very common practice for cottage hosts to load National Park passes to guests. We picked up our pass before heading out and hit the beach. At the end of the day, we just had to return the pass to our hosts.
Cavendish Beach was busy - even though we had arrived early. By the afternoon the beach was quite busy. Being this our first beach stop, we learned what might and might not work for us. Being used to having a beach tent, we were definitely not used to the direct sunlight / no shade. This limited the amount of time we could say around.
As we would discover, our beach days in PEI would be more about exploration and less about suntanning, napping or swimming. We had gotten used to the lake waters in Ontario and being in salty ocean waters was a bit more challenging for us to get used to.
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After a day around water, and after a nice wash and break, we stopped by Avonlea Village. It is basically a place full of shops and restaurants, set to remind you of Avonlea. For a fan like me, I loved it. For my husband...not so much! It was a nice quiet stop and we roamed around for a bit.
By now, we were starving. Again, for dinner, we relied on local recommendations. We decided to try Chez Yvonne's nearby. By the time we got there, there was a line up and for a moment I contemplated in going somewhere else. We stuck it out and after only about 10 minutes we got a seat. Hubby had his first lobster of the trip and we all tried something different. The food was good but as you can see, we love our carbs....we loved their dinner rolls!
Continue to Day 3
For the majority of our week, we settled in Cavendish - the heart of touristy PEI.
The night of our check-in, we had gotten already a glimpse at the slow pace life, a vast contrast to the buzz in Toronto we were accustomed to. Our hosts were so nice. Because of our many stops along the way, we were going to arrive late. I texted her and she simply told us she'd leave the cottage's keys in the cottage.
The weeks before we got to PEI, the province had a heat wave. When we got to our cottage, the house was burning hot! My heart sank for a bit...did I make a mistake in booking this place? The beach overlooking the property wasn't quite the beach I had imagined and there was no AC. The city girl in me felt disappointed but thank God I'm traveling with a trooper of a husband. There were plenty of fans and we just started opening windows and airing the place out. The kids seemed satisfied at being in our home away from home. We had two rooms and a basic house. The city girl in me could feel being stretch - there was a very sketchy and weak wifi...but at every turn I felt flustered, I reminded myself - slow down, enjoy nature, try something new, spend time with family....
By next morning, the house had cooled down, and eventually our bodies acclimitazed and I have to admit, I got used to the charm of life simpler ways...without ACs and strong WIFI :D
On Day 2, and our actual first day in PEI, we decided to sleep in and then head out to Cavendish Beach, one of the beaches in PEI National Park. We knew we would hit the beach in this trip so we tried, for the first time ever, to pack some beach gear in our luggage - basic sand toys, a mat and beach bags. I was dying to have some Tim Hortons and to my surprised, there were very few chain fast foods in the ISLAND....we found one nearby, and was surprised at finding Optimum Prime :D
I found out later that it is very common practice for cottage hosts to load National Park passes to guests. We picked up our pass before heading out and hit the beach. At the end of the day, we just had to return the pass to our hosts.
Cavendish Beach was busy - even though we had arrived early. By the afternoon the beach was quite busy. Being this our first beach stop, we learned what might and might not work for us. Being used to having a beach tent, we were definitely not used to the direct sunlight / no shade. This limited the amount of time we could say around.
As we would discover, our beach days in PEI would be more about exploration and less about suntanning, napping or swimming. We had gotten used to the lake waters in Ontario and being in salty ocean waters was a bit more challenging for us to get used to.
'
So, yeah, we did not last that long. After a quick stop for pizza and salad at the nearby Cavendish Boardwalk we went back to our home and the kids asked to play in the outdoor swimming pool. Surprisingly, this is where we had the most fun (no salty water!) and this is where I, finally satisfied, got my nap...
After a day around water, and after a nice wash and break, we stopped by Avonlea Village. It is basically a place full of shops and restaurants, set to remind you of Avonlea. For a fan like me, I loved it. For my husband...not so much! It was a nice quiet stop and we roamed around for a bit.
By now, we were starving. Again, for dinner, we relied on local recommendations. We decided to try Chez Yvonne's nearby. By the time we got there, there was a line up and for a moment I contemplated in going somewhere else. We stuck it out and after only about 10 minutes we got a seat. Hubby had his first lobster of the trip and we all tried something different. The food was good but as you can see, we love our carbs....we loved their dinner rolls!
Continue to Day 3
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