Prince Edward Island

August 4, 2019

We got up today and learned that the mass shooting events plaguing the US had hit a little close to home. Last night in Dayton ‘s Oregon District, 9 people were killed and 26 injured in the minute or so before the gunman was killed by nearby police officers…..kudos to them for their quick, life saving actions. So sad…….our prayers go out to everyone that has been touched by this terrible tragedy.

After we watched some of the news about the shooting, we finished packing up Alice and hit the road. We left around 9am and pulled into the Cymbria Campground on Prince Edward Island (PEI) at about 3pm. It was a very scenic drive with mostly good divided highways until we got to PEI. There was very little traffic. We saw lots of pine forests against a backdrop of lakes and bays. But the tides are really dramatic here…..so as the tides come in and go out, many of the beautiful vast bodies of water temporarily turn to muddy areas. The also trip included a spectacular trip over the Confederation Bridge. The bridge, which connects the mainland (New Brunswick) to PEI, is the longest bridge in the world over ice covered waters. It’s 8 miles long and 131 feet high (thankfully, Alice is not afraid of heights like Nancy!). Back in the 80’s, the PEI residents held a public debate to determine if they would prefer to have a bridge built to the island (what they called a “Fixed Link”), or establish a more efficient and larger capacity ferry operation. The majority voted to get a bridge…..so the federally funded construction started in 1993, and was completed in 1997. The bad news…..there is a hefty toll when you leave the island. The toll is $47.75 for a car, and $8.25. for each add axle. So for Alice, the cost will be $64.25 CAD, or about $49 USD! Talking about an expensive date!

After we got setup at our site in PEI, we relaxed and talked about our plans for the next week. My initial impression of PEI is that it’s a very naturally beautiful place…..exactly the kind of place we love. It’s also another one of those places that we sometimes refer to as a “throwback” to earlier days. It appears there’s a lot of good, clean, family-oriented fun happening here in the summer! Lots of cottages and campgrounds and, of course, lots of places to eat lobster and PEI mussels…..plus some very nice golf courses. I’m sure there will be lots more to share about PEI!

By the way….

One of the things we have been looking forward to is passing through a wilderness area with a very healthy moose population. We expect to have some great opportunities to observe them in the wild, and maybe get some great pics. So once we got into upstate New York, we drove along in quiet anticipation of our first moose sighting. We were constantly reminded that we were in moose country, including miles of regular “Moose Crossing” signs. We drove through National Moose Wildlife Refuge areas, and hundreds of miles of isolated wilderness with regular road signs warning drivers about moose crossings and accidents. We even parked in RV sites that had moose living in the woods bordering the property! Well, guess how many moose we have seen?………..ZERO! I guess its about as hard to spot a moose here as it I to see a grizzly bear in Yellowstone! Oh well, there will still be lots more opportunities on this trip to see moose in their natural environment.

Cruise ship docked in Saint John, Nova Scotia

Confederation Bridge – this bridge connects New Brunswick to Prince Edward Island. It wasn’t completed until 1997. The curved 8 mile long bridge is the longest bridge in the world that crosses ice-covered water.