Barre with Justine

This summer was our second road trip to Prince Edward Island and we loved it every bit as much as the first time. We are lucky enough to stay in a beautiful cottage on the north shore of the island.

We did things a little bit differently this year. Last summer, our drive took us through Lennoxville (which is where we attended university and met), and into Vermont, Maine, and New Brunswick. This year, we stopped in Quebec City and Fredericton. We stayed in a great golf resort in Fredericton, which was so accommodating when we realized I had booked the wrong night to stay! (Expedia has always been amazing for helping to sort out these types of issues and this was no exception.)

We did many of the same things as last year, including lots of beach time and fresh seafood. A few things were different this year. Last year, we arrived at the end of the Cavendish Country Music festival but this year it was just gearing up. We saw lots of country music fans and even some tour buses.

We also tried some new spots including an adorable cafe that opened in the old church just around the corner – perfect for a morning coffee!

We had heard about a new restaurant opened by a couple who are both chefs and ate breakfast (the whole family) and dinner (just the two of us) – it was amazing! Read more about it in my favourites below.

Overall, PEI is one of Canada’s prettiest provinces and the perfect place for a family vacation in the summer. I still feel like I’m exploring the island, but these are a few of my favourite places to go:

1. Yankee Hill Beach: this is a lovely sandy beach close to the French River. It’s a quiet spot with lots of space and beautiful dunes. The kids loved playing in the water and there were very few jellyfish compared with some of the other beaches we were at.

2. Receiver Coffee in downtown Charlottetown (Victoria Row) is in a quaint row of shops, which have many cute souvenirs. Stickers are the new postcards and we found sweet ones in the shops down the street. The coffee at Receiver is strong and the cappuccino is gorgeous!

3. North Shore Canteen is close to Yankee Hill beach and has some of the best food on the Island. We had breakfast, which included fresh strawberries and local eggs. We loved the breakfast so much that we went back for a romantic dinner, without the kids. The chefs are amazing and come out to chat with guests, to answer questions and make recommendations. I love that they focus on local farms and producers. The restaurant is cosy and had the sweetest wildflower bouquets on the tables.

4. Blue Mussel Cafe is another fabulous restaurant in North Rustico, which has delicious seafood and amazing cocktails. The Murphy’s summer drink has fresh strawberry purée and tasted like a glass of sunshine. I typically eat one oyster each year, but this year I ate three because they were just so good – two at Blue Mussel and one at Sou’west, another favourite restaurant near where we stay.

5. Village Pottery was recommended to me last year from a fellow librarian from the Island. She knew I liked pink and mentioned they had beautiful pink mugs. The pink mug ended up being my favourite, used almost daily at home! This year I added another pink mug to my collection.

Some tips for travel, esp with kids:

• Bring baby powder to get as much sand off of toes and legs as possible – the sand gets everywhere and will be in your car for ages!
• Bring snacks along and stop in Moncton if you need anything substantial or need to hit the mall before heading to the Island. There are some smaller malls but not the same amount of stores that you can find in Moncton (e.g. Saje, Lush, The Bay, etc) Stores close early on the Island too, so be prepared for this.
• The weather can fluctuate quite a bit (it is an island), so pack some warmer clothes and a jacket with those swimsuits and summer dresses!
• Enjoy the relaxed pace of the Island and make memories with your family!

I hope these tips are useful to you and show these great businesses some love if you go!