Another big travel day - just under 600 km. No major stops planned along this leg of the trip. It was ironic that on Canada Day we traveled to the US and on Independence Day we drove to Canada. After fuelling up on some cheaper American gas, we headed out into the Maine wilderness towards Calais, ME/St. Stephen, NB and the US-Canada border. No problem at Canada Customs (or whatever they are called this week). First stop in Canada? Tim Hortons, naturally. Second stop? Ganong Chocolates (right across the street from Tim Hortons). We bought some chocolates and candy and continued our trek to PEI.
We stopped at the information centre just outside Saint John to get some guides on what to do in Saint John when we return via Digby, NS. In Moncton, we stopped at McDonald's for a quick bite to eat and headed towards the Confederation Bridge. Adam experienced his first traffic circle or roundabout in Canada (his first experience in a roundabout as a driver was in Boston). It was interesting to say the least. Eventually, the Confederation Bridge appeared in the distance. Since tolls are collected when leaving PEI, the highway leads straight onto the bridge, which makes for a informal entrance to PEI. Believe it or not, we saw a police officer giving out a speeding ticket on the bridge to some poor sucker. Anything for a buck I guess. After our 12 km trip across the bridge, we arrived on the red soil of PEI. On the drive to the hotel, we saw potato plants growing everywhere, yet no chip or french fry stands were to be seen.
The landscape in PEI is beautiful. The red soil contrasts against the lush greenery. The island is hilly (something we have encountered on a daily basis since leaving Essex County). We arrived at the Clarion Hotel Cavendish Gateway Resort, a lovely hotel located just south of Cavendish. Our room was located on the top floor of a three-storey structure that looked to be original and had a hardwood floor, a peaked roof and a great view of the countryside. The evening was young, so we headed into Cavendish to check out Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum and play some mini-golf (which we do at least once on almost every vacation). Back to the hotel and the swimming pool.
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