As a young girl, I was Anne Shirley’s biggest fan. While other children were watching Teletubbies on TV, I was watching Anne of Green Gables, directed by Kevin Sullivan. Intertwined with the whimsical relationships and humorous situations was the beautiful scenery. With my whole heart, I wanted to visit that magical island and I was thrilled when I finally got the chance.
It was an approximately 15-hour drive from my home to Prince Edward Island. To get to PEI, we had to pass through Hartland, New Brunswick, home of the world’s longest covered bridge. The bridge was very close to the Covered Bridge Potato Chip factory, where they make my favorite potato chips. In my mind, the best flavor is Smokin’ Sweet BBQ. If you want to try it, you can purchase it on Amazon:
My family and I broke our trip in Miramichi, New Brunswick, where they rent out treehouses. The setting was beautiful but, unfortunately, I had difficulty sleeping.
Crossing Confederation Bridge was amazing, and larger than I even imagined. Once we landed on PEI’s red soil, we arrived in a small town made up mainly of quaint gift shops. We continued on to Charlottetown, which broke free of the small-town mold. Uptown was full of recognizable big-box stores. Downtown was historic, and we visited a museum which taught us about the Charlottetown Conference. Combing the red beaches for sea glass was a magical experience as well. However, as a life-long follower of Anne of Green Gables, I was absolutely thrilled by the immersive Lucy Maud Montgomery experience offered by Avonlea Village. Avonlea Village is a pioneer village filled with actors playing characters from the classic story. In addition to on-stage shows, the actors walked about town and participated in a Sunday school picnic with visitors. View Avonlea Village’s promotional video below for a glimpse of what Avonlea Village has to offer:
When I look back on my trip to PEI, I remember one of the happiest weeks of my life shared with my family. If I were ever asked for advice on where to travel, I would tell anyone to visit the island.
“Look at that sea, girls–all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn’t enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.”
Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 