PEI Trek - In Search of Green Gables

Day 4 - We found Green Gables!

I don’t know why I don’t book B&B’s more often. It was so great to walk downstairs and have breakfast all laid out for me! We had a big table for all 7 of us and were able to visit over coffee and not feel rushed.

After breakfast we headed out to the town of Cavendish for the highlight, the reason we traveled hundreds of miles….we found Green Gables! Actually, the farmhouse that was the inspiration for the famous Lucy Maud Montgomery’s novel, Anne of Green Gables was a farmhouse built in the mid-1800’s and owned by her cousins. Lucy actually lived nearby with her grandparents who raised her. Her books were so well known and popular world wide that it prompted Prince Edward Island to restore and preserve the farmhouse in 1937 and the property is now a National Park. While we were there we also noticed tourists from China, Australia, England, and France. What a testament to the appeal and talent of the author!

We were able to walk through the areas that inspired “Lovers Lane” and the “Haunted Wood” and saw the remains of the house where Montgomery grew up and the cherry tree was still there that she saw from her bedroom window and was consequently included in the Anne of Green Gables novel.  It is now 100 years old and was in full bloom today!

The weather cooperated today and it was in the 60’s and partly sunny. Mom kept up with us and enjoyed the flora and fauna as we strolled around the grounds. All of us take turns to keep an eye out but she is amazingly self sufficient.

After we were fairly sure that we had experienced about everything Green Gables, we explored the northern part of the island and found a lighthouse and of course some seashells. This is very beautiful country. There are green rolling hills and the dirt is a deep red color. About 50% of the land is cultivated, growing mostly potatoes and grains. Less than 40% of the residents live in towns so that makes PEI the most rural province in Canada. Even the cows are happy here. I have never seen so many cows laying down and just chilling out! There is so much green grass I think they just need to take some breaks! Besides agriculture and tourism the other major industry here is fishing. At dinner tonight our waitress was telling us about going out with her father at 3 am and helping him check his 300 lobster traps. What a lot of hard work! It makes me understand why lobster is so expensive in the States!