Trans Canada Highway to P.E.I

 The view from my window this morning 

THE LAKE OF SHINING WATERS!

As a life-long Anne of Green Gables lover I cannot tell you how excited I was to be back on the Trans Canada Highway this morning and heading towards Prince Edward Island. The journey started out pretty  spectacularly on 12km bridge - not great pic of this amazing span (& this bit may not be TCHwy).

I’m not sure when we got back on this impressive road, but just look at it. Can you believe such a well constructed & maintained road runs right across this huge country and they drive on it for free - well taxes I guess but no massive tolls. We have come across a couple of tolls only one was $1.25 & the other was no charge to us bc was had the right plates on. That’s pretty cool, right?

First stop on our Anne day was L.M.Montgomery’s home, which is well preserved as a museum and still run by her descendants. 

This cabinet inspired LMM to create Anne’s bestie, Katie Maurice.

I was getting to a point where I wasn’t sure I could contain myself as we approached Green Gables. I imagined myself in Anne’s place riding in the buggy with Matthew as we drove along the road between the museum and Green Gables, about a 20 minute journey. The Lake of Shining Waters didn’t really live up to Anne’s breathy rapture. Not sure that there’s a lake in existence that could match LM’s lyrical hyperbole. 

But Green Gables? Yes. That absolutely 100% lived up to the vivid picture her prose created for my imagination. Somewhat expectedly there is quite the Anne industry here. We had to pay to see the museum as you’d expect - maintenance and all that. This, however, is what greeted us at the Green Gables address, and this I just did not expect.

I don’t know why, I just thought to be able to walk up to it, in the field like Anne did but of course it is monetized. This outer building is quite interesting too, lots of info and the ubiquitous souvenir shop but talk about your delayed gratification! 

This was worth it though.

Be still my heart.

Inside. I wanted to curl up in the parlor.

Eat Marilla’s hearty food at the good dining table.

Sneak some raspberry wine in the kitchen

And stomp up the stairs in a temper to Anne’s room.

Honestly it was very hard to tear myself away.

But there was a walk through the Haunted Wood to entice me out the door.

We walked to the place where the school room was (not there now) and to the cemetery where LMM is buried. Try as we might we couldn’t locate her though. This whole day was so deeply satisfying I can’t even begin to say how grateful I am to my indulgent traveling companions for generously enjoying today with me.

We’re staying the night at Charlottetown, which is much bigger than I thought it would be (bc my head is still stuck in the book) but has some quaint areas and another quirky hotel for us.

 The  digest-our-dinner walk tonight was around the docks & a very pleasant way to end the day.