Back roads of P.E.I. and Highland Storm

Trip Odometer: 360 km


What's down there?
Today we took a drive along the North Cape Coastal Drive - well we didn't exactly follow the route. Dad kept finding interesting little roads to turn off on! 

They were interesting - dead end roads that led to fishing harbours, old bumpy roads that led to beautiful churches, Acadian villages with the Acadian colours painted on mailboxes, fence posts, and guard rails. And even an Acadian restaurant we stopped and ate at.

The Restaurant was in the Acadian section of the island and everything about it including the flag, food and French language was Acadian.

Mom ordered a variety plate so she could try it all and I (Anna-Lee) tied most of it too! I really liked the chicken fricot and had a bowl myself. I didn't really like the hominy corn (Mom did), or the rapure or meat pie.
We made it to West Point where the tallest lighthouse on the Island is located. Mom, Dad, and I (Anna-Lee) climbed to the top. The stairs kept getting steeper and higher at each flight. By the end they were like a ladder. We made it to the top and it was HOT! We were all sweating up there. The view was nice. It was over the Northumberland Straight.

At 83 feet this lighthouse is the tallest on P.E.I.

The climb down was a bit scary. Dad had to help both of us. Mom said he was her hero.

Both were scary but I think going up was harder than down.

After that we scooted back to Summerside to see the "Highland Storm." It is a show put on by the Students and teachers of the College of Piping. And guess what! The family that I met from Florida in St.Andrew's on the Whale Watching Trip was there!!!

The show was amazing. There was bagpipes, drums, Highland Dancing, and singing. It was all Celtic.

It was amazing music and they even played Amazing Grace.

And Dad and I (Anna-Lee), got invited up as "volunteers" to play the spoons! I was not so sure at first but it was fun and I even bought a pair of spoons to take home to play!!!!

They started with one person playing and by the end there were six all in rhythm. It was so much fun.

I (Monica) had a great day. The favorite saying on our drive was "Turn around!" I lost track of how many times we stopped and turned around to look at something or for Mom to get that picture. Fishing boats, lobster traps, mustard fields, potato fields, churches, an interesting shaped house, and red red roads... We just had fun.

There were lots of boats in the harbours and even on front lawns getting repairs but this one took us by surprise.

The first thing Anna-Lee wanted to do when she saw this road was to touch it.

Although there was no elevator up the lighthouse I did get inside it and they had a board walk along the beach area and sand dunes.

b z

Boats still use lighthouses significantly even with all the technology of radar etc. out there now.THe only difference is they are now automated.

The Highland Storm was spectacular. Very high energy.

Many different costume changes for the various dances and many types of Celtic music.