For years my husband has wanted to go to PEI to look for family information. His mother’s family came from there. Getting older, we are at the point of doing something if we want to, so we booked a week on the island. His goal beyond enjoying the beauty was family research; mine was exploring lighthouses. We stayed in the Capital—Charlottetown. From there we explored the Island, driving from tip to tip and in between.
Before PEI was inhabited by the Europeans, the indigenous people were the Mi’kak’ai. They lived there thousands of years and called the island Epekwitk which meant “Cradle on the Waves.”
The Europeans came in the 16th century, and the French began to settle the island in 1720, calling it Île Saint-Jean. After the British captured Nova Scotia in 1710, many of the local Acadians moved to PEI and stayed until 1758 when they were forcibly removed. The island was captured by the British and formally called the Island of St. John in 1769. It was renamed in 1798 after Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, who became the father of Queen Victoria.
In 1864, a small group of elected officials gathered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to discuss the possibility of uniting the three Maritime jurisdictions. Representatives also raised the broader issue of establishing a larger union and creating a country. This historic event of 1864 led to the founding of Canada. Hence PEI is considered the birthplace of Canada.
PEI is the smallest province in Canada by population and size; however it is the most densely populated, which surprised me. The population is approaching 180,000. In comparison, Seattle city’s population (where we live) is approaching 750,000, nearly four times that of the whole island.
We booked a small, boutique hotel in Charlottetown called Hotel on Pownal. It was centrally located, close to many restaurants, shops, and the library. The service was wonderful, and they offered a happy-hour glass of wine in the afternoon as well as a nice breakfast selection including gluten-free options. From there we took day trips exploring from one end of the island to the other.
PEI has three coastal drives and one highway down the middle of the island. There are several gravel and dirt roads off these. The North Cape Coastal Drive goes from Summerside (71 km or 44 mi from Charlottetown) along the west and north coasts to North Cape Lighthouse then down the east coast back to Summerside. The Central Coastal Drive goes from Charlottetown along the Red Sand Coast to the south and across the island to the Green Gables shore on the north. Finally, the Points East Coastal drive circuits the north and south coasts leading to East Point Lighthouse. Tip to tip, the island is about 174 miles long.
Our first trip was to Central PEI. We were looking for Margate which turned out to be a wide spot in the road with a church and a few houses. It was at the cemetery beside the Southwest River United Church that we hit the jackpot!