Our morning destination was Georgetown, located on the eastern coast of Prince Edward Island. After breakfast in our house, which the kids were excited to note was rotating again as we were leaving, we made the hour drive from our North Rustico base. We perused several local shops, and I made a purchase at one.
The lady in Shoreline Design was a great salesperson, spending much of our time in the store admiring Eilidh and her curls before leading me to a display of silver necklaces named ‘New Beginnings’ that could be said to resemble a child (gemstone) in a womb. With Eilidh’s 5 month mark quickly approaching, who could resist?
We lunched at Clam Diggers Restaurant, continuing on our well-established seafood theme. Presiding in a replica of an old train depot, the fact that we are here just before the tourist season starts was evident, as we sat at one of only 2-3 occupied tables in the whole building.
Gee Gee reports that her Summer Salad with strawberries, mango, goat cheese, spring greens, and raspberry vinaigrette was excellent. I enjoyed my ‘Haddock Shanty Bake’ and Brian ordered a Seaboat Platter, consisting of breaded fried clams, scallops, French fries and fried Haddock, to share with the kids. Noah unknowingly tried both scallops and clams for the first time and seemed to enjoy them, although after being informed that he’d eaten them, he reported he didn’t like them. Emmie knowingly tried a small bite of clam but never sampled the scallops.
A fried seafood platter, with fish, scallops, fries, and a generous serving of clams.
Following lunch, we worked our way to the town harbor for a Deep Sea Fishing tour with Tranquility Cove Adventures. While Gee Gee and I were a little worried about taking the baby out on the open water on such a chilly day, our fears were unfounded. The boat was set up well with ample shade, adequate seating, and complimentary beverages and snacks.
After dropping anchor a couple of miles out, the captain turned and tied two deck chairs together forming a sort of cradle. Eilidh was more than happy to lay in her little bed with the waves rocking her to sleep while we tried our hand at Mackerel fishing.
Deck hands helped us bait our hooks and cast our lines. Our first spot didn’t yield any fish, but a short cruise a mile more out yielded results. When fishing time was up, the final counts were:
- Gee Gee: 3
- Amanda: 2
- Brian: 1
- Noah: 1
- Emmie: DTP (declined to participate)
Several other sea goers on our boat ended up fish-less, so we were quite proud of ourselves! Emmie and Noah were both allowed turns driving the boat as we set off to pull in a lobster trap, rock crab pot, and mussel sock. Each pull was accompanied with a short educational speech about the state of the lobster, crab, and mussel industries respectively. Our mackerels were filleted on board and thrown on the grill, and they proved to be a nice warm snack as the boating expedition came to a close.
Once we were off the boat, we drove a couple of blocks from the harbor to the town’s grocery store, for dual purposes: use of the washrooms and purchase of Seaman’s Orange Soda, billed as Prince Edward Island’s soft drink. Brian of course was the instigator of the purchase; we all tried a few sips, and Noah drank nearly a full bottle, by far the most soda he has ever consumed. The verdict? A classic orange soda, with a little stronger orange juice taste.
Next on the agenda were the beaches at Red Point and Basin Head Provincial Parks. Red Point boasted a rocky area as well as a nice expanse of red sand. Within no time, Noah and Emmie had their buckets overflowing with clam shells, while Eilidh enjoyed dipping her toes in the water and riding around in Mommy or Daddy’s arms. Emmie looked adorable as she hobbled back to the van, stopping every few feet to pick up new shells, replacing those which had fallen out of her bucket.
Basin Head, nicknamed ‘Singing Sands’ and located just a few kilometers up the road from Red Point, is noteworthy due to the white sands’ propensity to make a high pitched ‘singing’ noise when friction is applied. While we decided the ‘singing’ sounded more like squeaking to us, the kids enjoyed dragging their boots through the sand to elicit the noise. Eilidh, however, decided that she would rather sit in the car with Mommy keeping her company instead of exploring another beach.
(This picture was taken before Eilidh decided she’d had enough beaches for the day.)
Few shells were to be found at Basin Head, but the kids loved the sand and water.
The kids’ boots gathered some sand by the time we were done at the second beach.
We ate a progressive dinner of packed cheeses and meats, plus Canadian chips and candies, on the way to our last stop of the day: East Point Lighthouse. As expected given its name, it is the lighthouse situated on the eastern most point of Prince Edward Island. While the lighthouse and accompanying shop was already closed for the day on our arrival, we stopped to take in the chilly view and snap a few photos before the 2-hour return home.
Among the components of our progressive dinner: raisin/butter tarts from a bakery in Souris..
…and Intense Pickle Doritos!
The kids and I at the easternmost point of Prince Edward Island.
A Canadian combo: butter tart in hand, lighthouse behind.
Noah really wanted to pose for photos; this was in front of the lighthouse’s old foghorns.
The fish always sounds and looks so good! And butter tarts, too! Everyone looks so happy and relaxed. Amanda, the necklace sounds special. Miss all of you.