Five days on Prince Edward Island – Day 1
Finally, the first leg of my Cross-Canada trip: Prince Edward Island! I started planning this trip in late March. On April 10, I was one of the hundreds of people patiently waiting to reserve oceanfront camping sites. This is serious business, especially from one of the busiest summers in history: Canada 150. But, my diligence prevailed and I was able to book all my preferred sites. To plan the rest of the trip, the Come Find our Island brochure produced by Tourism PEI.
Day 1
The 7 pm train left Montreal on a Friday and arrived in Moncton the next day around 1:30 pm. I rode in coach this time and survived the night without incident. See my post (The Ocean – Montreal to Halifax by Train) for information on the train to Moncton. I did learn that you should choose your seat wisely as people are getting on and off the train all night and some cars are quieter than others. Once in Moncton, I quickly picked up my rental and headed to Sobeys for supplies before heading for the bridge.
The Confederation Bridge
According to the Confederation Bridge website, The Confederation Bridge joins the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, making travel throughout the Maritimes easy and convenient. A curved, 12.9-kilometre long bridge, it is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water and continues to endure as one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century. It’s definitely a sight to behold, and it’ll cost you about $50 CAD (roundtrip).
Source: https://welcomepei.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Confederation-Bridge.jpg
I headed straight to my campsite at the Cavendish Campground in Prince Edwards National Park. Location was exactly as expected though I had not anticipated how chilly it would be in late June due to the sea spray. No matter, the view was worth it!
I made dinner and set off on my first hike along the Gulf Shore Way West Trail, an 8.5 km coastal trail (total of 17 km). This is a paved path, but as I’d been sitting for hours the walk and the view were greatly appreciated.
I got back to the campsite just in time to have a shower and watch the sunset. What a day!
