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Getting to Know Prince Edward Island

Posted on by Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Getting to know PEI

So you’re thinking of visiting PEI.  Better yet, are you thinking of moving to PEI?  Either way, you should get to know our little island a bit before you come…

The Basic Facts

  • Population – just under 150,000 in the winter; we have thousands of seasonal residents.
  • We have 2 cities:  Charlottetown, and Summerside.
  • There are 7 towns, although 2 are just suburbs of Charlottetown
  • Time Zone – Atlantic
  • Soil – Red, due to iron oxide which rusts on exposure to air
  • Land Area 5,656 sq km (2,184 sq mi), it is 280 km (175 miles) from tip to tip.
  • Provincial Bird – Blue Jay
  • Coat of Arms – Armorial Bearings
  • Provincial Flower – Lady’s Slipper
  • Provincial Tree – Red Oak
  • The PEI tartan was adopted in 1960.
  • The Island Hymn was written by Lucy Maud Montgomery in the spring of 1908.
  • Major industries – agriculture, tourism, fisheries
  • Daily Newspapers – The Guardian, Journal Pioneer
  • Help with your School Project

Economy

Although PEI dabbles in a bit of everything, the 3 major pillars remain:

fishing boat

Fishing on PEI

field with red soil

Farming on PEI

tourists at the beach

Tourism on PEI

Regions

We used to have 6 touring regions.  The two eastern regions and the 2 western regions were combined a few years ago. Anne’s Land is still in the North Central region but it has been renamed “Green Gables Shore”.  So if you remember Anne of Green Gables, you will still know where to find her.

coloured map of PEI touring regions

4 regions and one city

The visitor’s guide, maps, and other documentation will make reference to these touring regions to give you a general grouping of attractions.

The 2017 visitor’s guide is out and you can download it in full or in sections from the government website.

If you are contemplating a move here, the Government has made things easier by grouping together much of the information you need like employment, schools, medical, etc.

Stay tuned, i’ll be posting more about our wonderful Island in the next few days.

Guy

 

PEI Mobile Friendly

Posted on by Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Mobile FriendlyThe tourism industry has to realize that more travellers are looking for mobile friendly websites. It is no longer just enough to let users pinch and zoom to try and find information on websites.

The government of PEI Tourism Site does not look very good in 4 inches or less.  However it is “possible” to search for accommodations or things to do.  The Department has launched mobile apps that work differently.  Check the one that works on your device.  When I try to search for accommodations, all I can do is select accommodation type.  Then I am left to my own resources to check region and price filters.  Personally I would rather use the desktop site and struggle with small viewing windows.

My frequent readers will notice that PEIBLOG has a new mobile friendly look.  Some of my previous posts may have been adversely affected by the changeover but I am generally pleased with the results.  You will see the RSS icon for subscription at the top following the social media links. On a narrow screens, the sidebar is pushed to the bottom. The lists of posts is now down to a summary to make it easier to scroll through several post lists.

I will probably be tweaking a few features in the next little while – please let me know if something is missing or not working too well.

 

Stay tuned for something you can do with your MOBILE in Charlottetown.

 

Guy

PEI Tourism 2012

Posted on by Posted in PEI the Garden Province .

Welcome to my Blog about PEI. Granny has many things on her plate and has asked me to take over this blog.  This seems like it will be an exciting challenge and I look forward to bringing you closer to a Prince Edward Island vacation.

For the past few years, there has been one major event that highlighted the tourism season. There was Regis and Kelly, 100 years of Anne, The Summer Games, Will and Kate, etc.

This year there yet seems to be no major event. However, there are still plenty of reasons to visit Prince Edward Island. The Tourism website breaks it down into major categories.

  • Beaches
  • Golf
  • Food
  • Anne
  • Arts and Culture
  • Authentic Experiences

You may want to plan your visit to PEI based on one or more of the “regular” festivals and events.  Check out this year’s list that includes new Highland Storm in Summerside and new Summerfest in Charlottetown.

Don’t underestimate the Festival of Small Halls. You can get see outstanding local talent for a good price in a kitchen party type of venue.  This year’s events will be announced any day so be sure and check the website. Mark June 14-24 on your calendar if you are planning a late spring visit to PEI. Check out the Visitor’s Guide and order your copy today.

Check back for more updates on what do to in PEI.

 

Guy

 

PEI Visitor’s Guide

Posted on by Posted in First Timers .

PEI visitor's Guide

First Time visitors to Prince Edward Island may not know about the visitor’s guide.  This is a great publication to help plan your trip. You will see a link picture similar to this one on several pages of the tourism website, telling you where to order a free guide. Furthermore, it is available online. You also have the choice of viewing it in a flash application or you can download the PDF for thew section that interests you. If you choose the latter, be sure to take the introductory pages that include the PACKAGES (see my other posts on packaging) and essentials.

Finding the packages on the government website is a bit tricky. From the main page you can select THINGS TO DO. There you will find events, beaches, authentic experiences, and many more choices. There is another page on Package offers. There you will find these choices:

Notice the packages designed around the visit of Will and Kate.  One that caught my eye was Royal Tea!

If you are looking for special events, you can search by date, community, and even key word.  See is a listing of the special events from now til the end of June.

Similarly, you can search tours.

No matter what, order a printed guide.  This will be useful when you try to remember the accommodation or the attraction you had selected.  But, remember to spend some time online where the power of the Internet allows you to search and refine your holiday plans.

So how do you get to the PEI tourism website?  My favourite shortcut is peiplay.com. You can also try gentleisland.com.

Plan a wonderful holiday

Granny ~oo~

Unusual Experiences in PEI

Posted on by Posted in Experiences .

hotel on a plane

Looking for something out of the ordinary?  Remember I sai that New Brunswick’s motto one year was “we don’t do ordinary”?  Well that is also true of Prince Edward Island, although a bit harder to find.

I found a B&B website that features 12 different experiences in Eastern PEI. You will find sea glass(!) seaweed, paper making, and more.

On Hidden Island Paradise, I found more on unique experiences:  why do what everyone else does?

You can also check the Facebook page for 12 great PEI experiences.

You can come and work in the garden with me to free up more time for my blog  🙂

Have a great day and come visit our wonderful little Island paradise.

Granny ~oo~

PEI Questions and Answers

Posted on by Posted in First Timers .

More Q&A.  See the first set of Q&A in an earlier post.

How do I get to PEI?

Prince Edward Island is accessible by air: Flights usually route through Montreal or Halifax.  However, in the summertime, there are many more flights coming from other major centres in North America. You can also get here by Ferry from Caribou NS to Wood Islands PE.  Consult the schedule and verify.  In the off season, there are just a few trips per day and the ferry closes from Christmas to late spring.  In the summertime, the ferry is quite busy and reservations are recommended. You can also take the bridge from New Brunswick. This is truly a memorable experience and the bridge is a wonder feat of architecture.  Again you should check the bridge status during inclement weather.  High winds will cause travel restrictions. Note that you only pay when you leave PEI.  The bridge will cost a regular vehicle $43.25 and the ferry will cost you $65.

How big is Prince Edward Island?

The Island is 224 km (140 mi) long and from 6-64 km (4-40 mi) wide. The total area is 5,660 square Kilometres (2,184 sq. mi). The Population is about 140,000 which does not amount to much more than one medium city elsewhere.  This being said, PEI is the most densely populated province in Canada.  Thus you are unlikely to ever get lost in the middle of nowhere, and perhaps more important, you are not likely to ever get stuck in a half hour traffic jam.

What are the symbols of PEI?

On greenvaleacres.com, I found details the coat of arms, flag, etc for PEI.

It is another nice day on PEI and I’m off to the garden.  More about PEI tomorrow

Granny ~oo~

PEI Information

Posted on by Posted in First Timers, Uncategorized .

info

It is wise to be informed before coming for your prince Edward Island Vacation.

Fortunately, the Internet is always ready to help. In case you forget the address for the PEI Tourism site, use my favourite equivalent: peiplay.com. They have been making many changes this year.  There may be occasions where one part or another may not work as advertised . . . be patient.

From the home page, you can do your accommodation search – this is probably the most important part of your planning.  This year, campgrounds have been added to the search criteria so you can find all accommodation types.  Remember to have cookies enabled in your browser or the search will not work.  You can refine your search criteria in many ways.  I asked for a B&B in Charlottetown under $100 with internet access available for July 1 for 2 people.  See the 21 search results. Note also that the search from the home page never seems to work.  You have to repeat the search criteria again on page 2.  I hope they will have that fixed soon.

Now that you have found a place to stay, click on THINGS TO DO at the top of the page.  The select Beaches for a list of beaches and tide times.  Or select Culinary, Sights, Outdoors, or whatever strikes your fancy.  There is lots from which to choose.

You can also search by type of activity on this page. Pick from tours, bird watching, agri tourism, seafood, or water sports.

Other sources

While the government website is a good source, you can also rely on other websites.

Trip Advisor has several reviews – mostly for accommodations. Beware of the quality of the reviews.  Overly exuberant reviews are sometimes written by the owners to beef up their popularity.  It is also rumoured that horrible reviews are posted by the competition for similar purposes. Look for reviews that seem to come from the heart and are written in plain language.

I found a site that offers campground reviews.

You can also visit one of many travel blogs to find information about PEI.

Lunch Online offers listings and reviews for restaurants.

The Tea Guide has reviews of tearooms.

But the most important reviews are from people like me (me is important) who give you first hand experience and advice.  For example, If you visit PEI outside PEAK SEASON, check to see what is open. Peak season is generally from June 15 to September 15. Some places are open year round, others start to open in mid May. The biggest mistake you can make is coming to PEI in May with your heart set on having a traditional Church 5-course lobster supper. Come in the early spring or late fall for the scenery and a get away from the hustle and bustle.  Prefer to stay at a B&B and ask your hosts for help in finding out who is open.  You will find some operators very helpful – even calling attractions to confirm if they might be open for you tomorrow.

Tomorrow, back to the animals with Llamas.

Granny ~oo~

 

packaging PEI

Posted on by Posted in Experiences .

package It’s all about the packaging. Frugal people love packages. It makes them feel like they are making a deal. Sometimes also it is the convenience of wrapping up and entire vacation with one call . . . sort of like dealing with a travel agent.  If you like packaging, there is plenty of choice on Prince Edward Island.

If you have ordered a visitor’s guide, you will see several packages. There is also a 40 page package brochure that you can get in paper or online. It has packages in 6 categories:

  1. Jaunts – short excursions
  2. Family Focus – these usually include accommodations an park or attraction passes
  3. Get Together – where you can interact with Island residents and share in their experience
  4. Golf – Accommodations and a round of golf.  You can find other golf packages here and there; after all we are th GOLF Island.
  5. Island Traditions – Accommodations and traditional attractions like Green Gables House, the Anne Musical, etc.
  6. Sea of Love – For the romantically inclined

I also found packages at the bottom of this page.

If all inclusive is not what you are after, there are other packages. Perhaps you can get a good accommodation deal on your own and are just looking for something different to do. There are plenty of choices there also and for all types of budgets.  There are 9 listed in Charlottetown, including:

culinary bootcamp

Culinary Bootcamp. For $100 to $300 you can be a chef for a day or half day.  It is a great way to have some fun and learn a bit more about food.  The Culinary Institute in PEI has a national reputation for excellence.

scrapbooking tea experience

Did I mention I like Tea? Did I mention I like Scrapbooking? Well, for just $30 per person, you can combine a garden tour, a fancy tea and scone, and make your own scrapbooking souvenir.  All this and more at the Island Made Scrapbooking and Gift Shop in Winsloe.

Granny ~oo~

 

PEI Museums

Posted on by Posted in Experiences .

When you hear museum, you think of a large building full of artifacts where it often costs an arm and a leg for the privilege of visiting.  Prince Edward Island has none of those (yet).  Instead we have a great collection of small museums, each usually specializing in one theme.

Potato Museum

 

Have you ever seen a Giant Potato? Come to the PEI potato museum. Dubbed the only museum of its kind in the world, there you can learn everything you need to know about potatoes.  After all, PEI is famous for it’s potatoes. You can learn about varieties, see the equipment used, and find several non food uses for Island Spuds.

 

The Authentic Island Story

If you are looking for history and culture, check this site for 7 museums offering art and culture, shipbuilding, Acadian History, railway,  fisheries, and more PEI History than you can ever remember.

Garden of the Gulf Museum

The Garden of the Gulf Museum is located in Montague.  A few years ago it was the host location for the Canada Tree – an attraction by itself. The building has a considerable amount of history, including an inlay that you will probably miss as you enter the museum.  The staff will be sure to remind you to look on your way out.  It was there that I saw an antique high chair that converts to a sitting chair and a rocking horse.  The staff handles it very delicately with white gloves.  I did not have my camera handy but the chair looked a lot like the picture below.

high chair rocking horse

3-way convertible high chair

Canada Tree

 

Here is a picture of the Canada Tree. If you ever get a chance to see it – run, don’t walk. It is an experience you will definitely remember. I have seen it three times now and it is not yet enough. I also had the privilege of talking to the artist in Charlottetown as he was putting it together for an exhibit.

 

cape bear lighthouse

Remember Cape Bear Lighthouse from yesterday? Well it is called Cape Bear Lighthouse and Marconi Museum. Hmm..radio…so here is the trivia question.  Where was the first trans Atlantic radio signal from Canada?  Newfoundland you say?  Perhaps that was the first in North America but Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada (joined in 1949).  So Cape Bear lighthouse has earned that distinction.

Let’s not forget the obvious museums like

Green Gables House

Green Gables Heritage Place, where you can relive Anne and see a typical turn of the century house.  The Grounds are magnificent in the summertime. You can also take a walk through the haunted woods or lover’s lane.

province house

Province House, where they have preserved the original room where the article of confederation was signed. In the summer you can often see people in period costumes replaying scenes from the period.

There are several excellent LIST sites that offer some information about PEI museums. Prince Edward Island Museums offer something for all tastes and budgets:

Enjoy some Prince Edward Island History!

Granny ~oo~

 

Hotels in PEI

Posted on by Posted in Hospitality .

hotel

Prince Edward Island has a few hotels.  However, the distinction between hotels, motels and inns is sometimes blurred.  The Holman Grand Hotel, still under construction, will be the newest addition this year.  The other major Hotels in the downtown core are the Delta and the Rodd Charlottetown.  The latter is part of a family of accommodations in PEI.  For a comprehensive list of hotels and motels, consult the list of 85 on the tourism website.

Hotel and Motel

The difference between a hotel and a motel is usually the drive up. Motel comes from Motor Hotel which means you can usually drive up to your room. Many motels are two stories but seldom more.  Some motels have banquet and entertainment facilities but not usually as elaborate as you would find in a hotel.  The other major difference is valet and room service that you usually only find in a hotel.  Hotel rooms open to an interior corridor whereas ground floor rooms in motels lead directly outside.  On the second floor there may be direct access via a balcony but sometimes you use an interior corridor to reach the parking area.

Whatever your preference, you have plenty from which to choose.  Read the listings, check the websites, and make your reservations.

Granny ~oo~