We woke up at the top of Jack’s beanstalk. Around us was a rich landscape of verdant vegetation, rich red soil, and the deep blue of ocean and sky. Personally, I was atop the beanstalk for the potatoes. Thousands of acres of potatoes growing quietly around us, John Deeres peacefully working away, and even a potato museum. My life’s dream come true.

The real reason we were on Prince Edward Island (PEI) was because it was home to a little red haired orphan girl of tragic beginnings, Anne with an ‘e’. It was also home to her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery, but the real people aren’t so important in this case. And with people in our RV who grew up loving Anne Shirley, we weren’t coming this close to PEI without detouring to visit.

The island is divided into thirds. The middle third is Anne country and the western third is cropping. I’m not sure what the eastern third does, but I’m sure it’s important.

We based ourselves in Cavendish, in Anne country, where Parks Canada have an official site of national historical significance there. The mainstay of the site is the real Green Gables house, which was the home to LMM’s real Aunt and Uncle. The house has been beautifully restored, but in a twist for a historical site, it’s been restored as if the imaginary Green Gables characters had been the ones to live in the house.

We ended up visiting twice, once to catch the Sunday afternoon lawn games with Anne, and then later, to walk the haunted forest. I don’t know if being cooped up in an RV had anything to do with it, but our kids threw themselves into the games with gusto – hot-potatoing, musical chairing and sack racing faster than the other kids.

While we were there, we found a holiday programme that we could check the kids into at a church in the wonderfully named town of Summerside. The kids enjoyed themselves so much, we ended up extending our stay so they could catch the last two evenings of the programme. And even better, we made some new friends, got invited out for meals, and were invited to overnight in a driveway. Warm and generous people are wonderful all the time, but especially so when you are a long way from home.

We finished up with a trip to the North Cape, on the tip of the western end of PEI. We waded out to a little rock island a couple of hundred meters off shore, but what I had hoped was comfy white sand turned out to be more rock, glistening invitingly because it was covered with guano.

Saying farewell to everyone, we took the 13km Confederation Bridge, with it’s $45 toll, and crossed back to the mainland. Onward to Quebec!

Green, blue, and orange – the three colours of PEI

Next to Anne, the other great cash crop on PEI – North Cape, PEI.

Hanging with Anne – Green Gables, PEI.

The restored Green Gables cottage, where the author’s Aunt and Uncle lived during her childhood – Green Gables National Site, PEI.

Making icecream the old fashioned way – Green Gables, PEI.

Playing ‘Hot Potato’ with Anne. Ryan won because when it came down to just two of them, he just kept throwing the ‘potato’ back at the other little girl – Green Gables, PEI.

Playing musical sacks with Anne. Somehow, both the finalists were from our family – Green Gables, PEI.

The Haunted Woods of AOGG – Green Gables, PEI.

One of the restored bedrooms at Green Gables, as if Matthew had lived in it – Green Gables, PEI.

We tried real hard but just couldn’t get the kids rolling – Green Gables, PEI.

The Canadian Parks service put on sand scultping lessons so we jumped on in. It turns out the secret is lots and lots of water – Cavendish Beach, PEI.

The view from our campsite at Cavendish (taken from on top of our RV) – Cavendish Campground, PEI.

Joella caught a crab at the beach and we cooked it for her to eat – Cavendish Campground, PEI.

On the way to North Cape, PEI.

The old lighthouse, now dwarfed by radio masts and power generation windmills – North Cape, PEI.

We walked out and back to a little stone island. From a distance I had thought the higher white bit was shells, but it turned out to be guano covered stones – North Cape, PEI.

Ryan with his rock cairn – North Cape, PEI.

I’ve just been checking the load – North Cape, PEI.

Heading back to the main land. The bridge toll was $45, which was a bit steep but still cheaper than swimming – Confederation Bridge, PEI.