Arrived in PEI and had a handpie

Road Diary update from PEI (Prince Edward Island). Click here to read my previous Road Diary update from this Maritime Canada road trip.

Yesterday afternoon Chris (my videographer and sidekick on this road trip) and I crossed over the Confederation Bridge onto PEI, which might be the longest bridge I’ve ever crossed. While this 8-mile long bridge is not one of the longest in the world, it is the longest crossing ice-covered water (in the winter).

It was now early afternoon since we spent the morning in New Brunswick, so we stopped in the border town of Borden-Carleton to find a place to grab something to eat. We stopped by the Handpie Company, which seemed familiar to me. Not the place, but the name “handpie.” Come to find out, it’s a term used in the wildly successful novel and T.V. series, Outlander, a series of books I’ve read and a television series I regularly watch. In simpler terms, a Handpie is a hot pocket filled with savory deliciousness. The quantity was the perfect amount to tide us over until dinner. While Chris and I were eating outside on the deck, I asked him a question.

Mike: “When you asked her (meaning the person who helped us) if they make a sweet variety of the Handpie, did she say what I thought she said?”

Chris: “If you mean…” ‘

Lady at Handpie: “We did, but they sold out too fast, so we stopped making them because we could not keep them in stock.”

I swear we must of heard her incorrectly, because that made absolutely no sense to either of us. I do love the handpie concept though…wonderful snack, especially in between meals.

In short order we were back on the road en route to our accommodations for the evening at the West Point Lighthouse. Along the way we stopped in Mont Carmel to check out the Notre Dame Du Mont Carmel Church, one of the island’s oldest church. The church towers majestically over a magnificent shoreline backdrop. Next to the church is an old cemetery.

Continuing on, we arrived at the West Point Lighthouse. The weather was clearing up a bit so I was excited to get out and take a few photos. Situated right on the beach, our rooms faced the ocean. The first thing I did was open the door and windows to let in the fresh sea air. Our rooms were not actually in the lighthouse, but rather in a series of rooms adjacent to the tower. We could however climb to the top to take in the wonderful views. Along the way, on each floor of the lighthouse, was a museum with some interesting artifacts and information about being a lighthouse keeper and the history of this particular station.

There was not much around West Point itself, but there was a large restaurant called The Catch Kitchen + Bar where we had an early dinner and then headed back to the lighthouse for an relaxing evening. I left the door and windows open during the night to take in the relaxing sounds of the water crashing on the shore.

Day Two in PEI

The next morning after a quick bite to eat at the lighthouse, we headed to North Cape, the most northerly point of PEI. The wind was really blowing, so it wasn’t much fun exploring. North Cape is home to Canada’s National Wind Energy laboratory and there is a trail along the shore in which you can walk and see some of the windmills. There is also an interpretive center with an aquarium to explore in the same vicinity. If you visit the gift shop in the interpretative center, they will give you a ribbon saying that you were at the most northern part of the island. If you present this ribbon to the most southerly part, apparently you get something, but we didn’t make it that far.

We had plans to spend the next couple of nights in the capital city of Charlottetown, so we began heading south from North Cape. We stopped in O’Leary where the Canadian Potato Museum is located. Who knew a museum dedicated to potatoes would be so busy. Once we made our way past the throngs of people who had just arrived on a tour bus, we were able to see the impressive displays honoring the potato. The museum houses one of the largest collections of farm implements and machinery related to the growing and harvesting of potatoes. The Town is surrounded by red vibrant potato growing fields where the humble potato has played an important role in the PEI economy for many years.

Continuing south we stopped in Victoria by the Sea, a soulful little fishing village where I imagine many artists have come to paint. Unfortunately, the weather continued to hamper our adventurous spirit. The wind was really gusting and then the rain had soon followed.

We decided to continue toward Charlottetown, while on the way we stopped by Fort Amherst National Historic Site. The facility was closed, so we just meandered down a path to explore since the rain had let up. There didn’t appear to be much to see, so after making the loop, we got back in the car and finished our long day of driving by arriving at the Great George Hotel, our accommodations for the next few nights.

At first glance, Charlottetown looks amazing…really looking forward to exploring this area over the next few days. Speaking of amazing, so too is the Great George Hotel (click the link to read more). Click here to read about the next Road Diary update from PEI.

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