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Fun Filled Itinerary
An Island for Big and Small
Bring the family and stay for a while - we have a week or two of fun planned out for you. Whether you're looking for
the thrills of waterslides and amusement parks or the quiet fun of a day spent paddling and
beachcombing, Prince Edward Island will go down
in family photograph albums as the vacation they all remember. The tour begins at "kid central" in
Cavendish and suggests activities in the east and west.
Gateway Village,
at the foot of the Confederation Bridge is packed with activities to please families.
Begin with a walk through "Our Island Home," the exhibit in the
PEI Visitor Information Centre,
which is an excellent hands-on introduction to the province, with interactive displays on lighthouses,
architecture, agriculture, music and culture. And it's free! And the rest of the Village is
packed with shopping, cafes and a playground. Have you ever wondered how you would look with
long red braids? Now is your chance to find out and get a photographic record as
Cavendish Figurines invites you to
dress up as Anne of Green Gables!
To satisfy the demands of excited offspring, you may want to start off the
holiday with a stop at one or two of the many amusement parks in the central
north shore region. Nearby Sandspit
has the bumper cars, rollercoaster and midway atmosphere kids love. The Shining Waters Family Fun Park has over 36 acres of family fun including boating lakes, hayrides, and custom designed water slides, with canteen and picnic facilities on site. And don't forget
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Got that craving for excitement out of their system, and now you are ready to take a closer look at
Prince Edward Island's north shore. PEI National Park
offers enough programs to inform and amuse families for many days. Check their brochure for time and locations of
events such as birdwatching, beach walks
and cultural campfires.
Still in the Cavendish area, make sure you
make time to visit a few of the sites associated with the province's most famous red-head, Anne of Green Gables.
Green Gables
in Prince Edward Island National Park
is the site that actually inspired Montgomery to write
her famous novel, and visitors can learn a great deal about the author, and the time during which she
lived and wrote in the small rural community of early 1900s.
Nearby Avonlea Village
has been created to reflect that same period and visitors can sit in on lessons in a turn-of-the-century
schoolhouse, take a wagon ride, sample ice cream and fudge and watch how raspberry cordial would have been
bottled. Relatives of Montgomery invite visitors to the site of her Cavendish
home, where you can learn still more about this famous author. Make time at supper for a delicious and kid-friendly lobster
supper. No fancy surroundings here, and butter dribbling down plastic bibs is perfectly accepted for all members of the family.
Time to venture off to western PEI for a day of adventure at
Mill River Provincial Park,
paddling, tennis, golf, it's all here. Save time for a trek to the top of
West Point Lighthouse,
and a visit to the PEI Potato Museum
or the Irish Moss Interpretive Museum.
Add an extra day in this area to include time at the Green Park Shipbuilding Museum
and a tour of the Island's dramatic 40-kilometre stretch of sand dune by kayak,
pontoon boat or fishing boat. Learn about the Island's native Mi'kmaq culture at Lennox Island.
Or make your way to Tignish and Mile Zero of the province's
tip-to-tip Confederation Trail for a few hours of
biking or hiking.
In Summerside, families will be fascinated by the dramatic
depiction of the city's history in huge life-like murals. Walking tour booklets and guides are available.
Lunch will be fun at Spinnaker's Landing
where you will often find live performers. A visit to Eptek
National Exhibit Centre and the Sports Hall of Fame, also on the Summerside
waterfront are also good distraction. In the evening, be sure to take in one of the concerts at the
College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts.
The casual atmosphere and lively music and dance in the college's amphitheatre make it an easy sell for all family members.
Wow, a week is up already and you haven't even visited Charlottetown
or eastern PEI! Time to get moving on.
Allow at least one day in Charlottetown to:
- Follow the blue line along the city waterfront for a wonderful wake-upstroll.
- Or join the Confederation Players dressed in historic costumes as they lead walking tours around the historic city,
known as the Birthplace of Canada.
- Immerse yourself in Canada's history at
Founders' Hall,
which takes visitors through a time tunnel of events that played a part in Canada's growth into nationhood.
- Grab a sandwich and head for the Confederation Centre of the Arts
where the Young Company put on a free outdoor performance each day. Make sure you have enough space, because the little ones often want to
join in the singing and dancing.
- A night at the theatre is affordable at last. It would be a shame to go home without seeing Anne of Green Gables - The Musical,
Canada's longest running family musical, now in its 38th year. The show is suitable for all but the smallest members of the family
and there are two matinees each week as well!
Time for some fresh air and adventure in Prince Edward Island's scenic eastern
region. Begin with bicycles and chart
a route on the Confederation Trail. The
trail is mostly flat, surfaced with finely crushed rock dust and negotiable by all ages. Consider the
stretches near Elmira, Montague, Cardigan,
Murray River, or Mount
Stewart. You can plan a loop that might include some country roads,
or in some cases arrange a pick-up to return to your vehicle. If you have any energy left in the afternoon, arrange
a paddling excursion with
Outside Expeditions,
Trailside or
Outdoor Pursuits.
Or just veg on a beach on one of eastern PEI's finest:
Basin Head,
Panmure Island,
Red Point
to name just a few. At night, join one of the community ceilidhs in the area:
Orwell Corner,
Sturgeon, Monticello, and
Point Prim all host weekly events.
