Ann Campbell,

Meridian Writers’ Group –

On Prince Edward Island, it’s all Anne, all the time. The province is hallowed ground for fans of the redheaded heroine of the children’s novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne references are everywhere, from the Anne Shirley Motel to the Green Gables Golf Course to umpteen shops carrying Anne dolls, Anne preserves, Anne plates and even Anne straw hats with red braids attached.

So why would this mother of two teenage boys who don’t care a lick about Anne bring them to P.E.I. for a holiday? Because there’s so much more to discover.

The first thing that strikes us as we drive to the island from New Brunswick across the Confederation Bridge is the hectares [acres] upon hectares [acres] of perfectly mown lawns. When I ask a resident about this love affair with grass, she stares at me as if I’ve asked why cows need milking or why potatoes (P.E.I.’s most famous crop) are planted in rows. “It’s what we do,” she says matter-of-factly.

“And you’ll get a look from your neighbours if you don’t mow regularly.”

The neighbours must approve of the lawns at My Mother’s Country Inn in New Glasgow. We certainly approve of our housekeeping cottage—a bedroom for my husband and me, separate beds for our sons, and a kitchen for easy meals—as well as the location, ten minutes from Cavendish (the popular beach and tourist centre) and 30 minutes from the provincial capital, Charlottetown.

We spend our vacation outdoors, hiking in the Greenwich area of Prince Edward National Park, where wooden boardwalks protect fragile sand dunes, kayaking on shallow Malpeque Bay (famous for its oysters) with Malpeque Bay Kayak Tours, playing on rusty-red beaches and cycling from St. Peters to Morell along the gravelly Confederation Trail.

Ah yes, confederation. P.E.I. may be Canada’s smallest province, but it played a big role in the country’s creation. We learn about this nation-building past during a visit to Founders’ Hall in Charlottetown. The attraction’s use of technology and humour has us thinking that Canadian history is really interesting. Really.

In a moment of weakness, my sons agree to visit Green Gables, the farm that inspired Anne author Lucy Maud Montgomery. The site’s introductory video is interesting, and a walk around the grounds pleasant, but the most entertaining thing is watching Japanese tourists get their pictures taken in front of the farmhouse. (Anne of Green Gables is required reading for Japanese school children.)

On an Anne roll, we attend Anne of Green Gables—The Musical at Charlottetown’s Confederation Centre for the Arts. It’s a slick production and my sons applaud enthusiastically. Could they be warming to the plucky orphan with the heart of gold?

Of course, the way to a young man’s heart is through his stomach. And so, on our final night, we tuck into a lobster feast—lobsters, seafood chowder, mussels, salad, rolls and strawberry shortcake—at the New Glasgow Lobster Supper. Satiated and a bit nostalgic about our holiday already, my sons give P.E.I. an enthusiastic two-thumbs-up. Anne included.

Explore More:

For more information on Prince Edward Island, visit the P.E.I. Tourism website at www.peiplay.com.