Peter & Karen Pecksen

Hello, Prince Edward Island

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peterpecksen
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To say I am excited to be typing this blog is a gross understatement. After two years in our home city of Calgary we are back on the road. Our time in Calgary was fantastic on so many levels, however our chosen lifestyle is to be nomadic and we are glad to be back at it.

We have arrived just in time to enjoy fall colours we simply never see in Alberta. It is a joy to soak them in.

Karen, through her diligent hunting found us a phenomenal house sit just outside of Summerside, PEI. We are enjoying a relaxed extended handover period which is allowing us to get to know the two wonderful dogs we will be looking after and to do some exploring before the home owners head off on their adventure. The rumours we had heard of the friendly nature of people in the Maritimes is turning out to be so true. The home owners have welcomed us into their lives and provided amazing support as we navigated the requirements to enter the province.

Initially we thought we would have to isolate for eight days upon our arrival here, however we were informed that being double vaccinated and a test on arrival was all that was required at this time. So we immediately headed off on an introductory road trip to the NW corner of the island. Seven hours of driving and walking gave us a great intro on what to expect here during the fall.

As we drove, it was neat to see the amount of decorations that celebrate not only harvest time, but also Halloween. Many of the farms we went by had elaborate Halloween displays set up celebrating this time of year.

I have a bit of a thing for lighthouses and am looking forward to visiting several dozen of them while we are on the island. The West Point Lighthouse is the only functional lighthouse on the island that also houses a museum and a B&B, though they are closed for business at this time of year.
When I went to take a peak into the front doors of the closed West Point Lighthouse Museum I was met with a rather startling scene. I loved it.
Glenwood Pond is the site of an old sawmill. In recent years it has been turned into a beautiful pond with a fish ladder on the weir. No fish in sight but a relaxing place to stretch the legs.

As PEI is an island with limited resources they have fully embraced alternative energy sources to supplement oil and gas. An idea it would be lovely to see more of across Canada.

We encountered two wind farms during our drive. This one on the West cape and another on the northern tip of the island. The City of Summerside also has its own wind turbines and solar farms.

Though there are downsides to every system of energy production it is hard to argue with the success PEI has had with the utilization of wind and solar to supplement their power needs. The island gets around 25% of their power from alternative means and the City of Summerside is getting more than 40%, impressive.

The turbines are certainly impressive. I happened to look through the sunroof as we were driving through the North Cape farm and was a bit overwhelmed.
Of course the star of the island right now is the fall colours. Everywhere you look there is a kaleidoscope of colour.

The one thing there is more of than lighthouses on PEI is churches. Wow! It is amazing to see the sheer volume of churches as we drove through the countryside and small villages.

In the heart of one of the Acadian regions we found Our Lady of Mount Carmel. An impressive edifice built in 1898. Though the out buildings were in disrepair the main structure still maintained a dominating presence.
For me the graveyards attached to these churches are a bit more interesting as they tell a tale of the lives and challenges the residents of the region have faced.

We are so looking forward to our next six months on Prince Edward Island and soaking in as much as we possibly can.

It is so good to be back on the road again. Stay tuned for more of Canada’s smallest province.

Comments

6 responses to “Hello, Prince Edward Island”

  1. Rosemary Hosking Avatar
    Rosemary Hosking

    So good to hear you are on the move again Peter and Karen and we can once again share your travel adventures through your blog here in Adelaide where our travel has been severely restricted during the virus.
    Thank you, enjoy 😊

    Reply
    1. peterpecksen Avatar
      peterpecksen

      We hope things improve for you guys as soon as possible. Take care.

      Reply
  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Beautiful pictures and I’m really glad that you are getting to do what you love.

    Reply
    1. peterpecksen Avatar
      peterpecksen

      Thank you

      Reply
  3. Kate & Peter Avatar
    Kate & Peter

    So looking forward to reading of your adventures and photos of an area we’re not familiar with – until we can travel you are our virtual pilgrims! Hugs XX

    Reply
    1. peterpecksen Avatar
      peterpecksen

      We will do our best to show you the best of the maritimes. We hope all is well with you.

      Reply

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