PEI

One part of Canada that holds a special place in our family’s heart is the East Coast, and inparticular, Prince Edward Island (PEI). When the boys were young, we spent two weeks at the end of every summer for a number of years,  in a rented cottage near the island’s northern shore. Those summers gave us some of our favourite family travel memories.                                                                                                         

Prince Edward Island is a charming island of rolling green hills, picturesque little towns and beautiful stretches of coastline. The Atlantic waters are cold, but that never stopped the boys from making the most of their beach days.We still remember the short drives from our cottage to the beach, with the boys dangling their legs out of the open SUV doors. The island’s distinctive red sand was perfect for building sandcastles, while the waves provided just enough surf for a little body surfing. If you’re visiting in late August, though, wetsuits are an absolute must for keeping little bodies warm in the chilly Atlantic water!We stayed near Sea View, on the north shore, which made it easy to visit some of the island’s best-known attractions and local favourites. There was the Anne of Green Gables Museum, mussels from Malpeque Fisheries, French fries from Cavendish Beach and family fun at Sandspit Amusement Park.We spent most of our time exploring the north shore, so we never really got to know the island’s southern beaches. We’ve heard that the waters there can be calmer and warmer, although summer visitors may have to contend with more mosquitoes. It’s a trade-off worth keeping in mind when deciding where to stay.And no trip to PEI would be complete without a visit to Charlottetown, the island’s capital, and an ice cream stop at the original COWS location. Because, really, what’s a family holiday without ice cream?