Help! Which excursion for Charlottetown, P.E.I.

[Sue's Mom]

Thank you all for such a helpful thread. We will be there on October 5 this year and have found all the information invaluable.

[MrsBBuffalo]

Thank you so much Colleen! We follow Barbara on the very last trip on the Constellation this year, so we will be in PEI on Oct. 21st. Sounds like we may need to bundle up! I just added gloves and earmuffs to my list. Just in case.;)

 

Barbara asked my very question about the Anne tours, so that is very helpful. Mom and I are HUGE Anne fans (she named me Beth Anne after all), but we just want to visit Green Gables, we don't need to meet LMM's relatives. And the Island drive gives us more of an overview, correct?

 

Now what do you suggest for the men in our party? There is a double decker bus tour from the ship?

 

Also, can I walk to the PEI marketplace from the pier? Sounds wonderful - is it?

 

Thanks!

Beth (Anne)

[MonaCD]

Hi Beth Anne (with an "e"). I think you've made a good choice with the Island Drive and Anne Of Green Gables Tour. You get to see some of the prettiest areas of the Island and go to Island Preserve Company, one of my favourite places, if you have time, they have a nice lunch. Yes, you'll get a bit more variety with the Island drive. You may get to see some of the same places on both but the Ultimate Anne experience might just be Anne overload :rolleyes: Plus, that time of year you may get to experience some of the Fall colours.

 

As for the men, if they are golfers, there are a couple of nice golf courses within a quick cab ride of the pier, they could pre book tee times on their sites http://www.foxmeadow.pe.ca/ or http://www.belvederegolf.com/welcome.cfm There are many other beautiful golf courses on PEI but these would be the 2 closest http://www.golfpei.ca/

 

The Double Decker bus tour would be good to get a feel for the history of the city and Island, I worked on them many, many years ago. But for a few dollars more, I'd go for the Panoramic Drive. They would get to see the Confederation bridge, the longest bridge over ice covered waters and an enginering marvel and a "guy thing". Engineers from all over the world came to see it while it was being built.

 

Now, I'm not really sure what the PEI Marketplace is to be honest and I can't find anything about it when I google it. There was a website but it's a dead link. There are plenty of seasonal shops very close to the pier, I assume they will be open when the ship is in, if not the "downtown" business area is not too far either and plenty of little shops as well as a "mall" there.

 

And we'll be boarding the Constellation exactly one month after you're here, Nov 21, mind you, we're going for a warmer cruise!

[MrsBBuffalo]

Lovely overview, Colleen, thank you! I will pass along the suggesetion about the tour with the visit to the bridge - sounds interesting. Actually, my dad is a golfer, my husband just a learner, but I will tell them about that too.

 

Another question: in re-reading the descriptions of Island and Anne and Ultimate Anne, I see that the 2nd mentions a stop at the A of GG Museum. Where is that and should we see it? I will look for a website. I wondered if it was in town and we could walk there from the pier if we did the Island/Anne.

 

No idea what the PEI Marketplace is, just saw it mentioned in the DD Bus tour - local craftsmen and artisans.

 

Barbara, we are not on this trip together obviously, but we are sailing together on the Hawaii/Vancouver trip, right?

 

Beth

[MrsBBuffalo]

The Bike PEI might appeal to the others in our party. Do you know anything about that trip? How long is the bike ride and how level? It seems to stop at GG too.

 

Thanks!

[Two if by Sea]

Mona, thank you for the recommendation of Shining Waters Family Fun Park. Our daughter had a great time!

[MonaCD]

Lovely overview, Colleen, thank you! I will pass along the suggesetion about the tour with the visit to the bridge - sounds interesting. Actually, my dad is a golfer, my husband just a learner, but I will tell them about that too.

 

Another question: in re-reading the descriptions of Island and Anne and Ultimate Anne, I see that the 2nd mentions a stop at the A of GG Museum. Where is that and should we see it? I will look for a website. I wondered if it was in town and we could walk there from the pier if we did the Island/Anne.

 

No idea what the PEI Marketplace is, just saw it mentioned in the DD Bus tour - local craftsmen and artisans.

 

Barbara, we are not on this trip together obviously, but we are sailing together on the Hawaii/Vancouver trip, right?

 

Beth

 

Your welcome Beth, glad to help.

 

The Anne of Green Gables Museum is near Kensington, about a 40 minute drive from the pier. I doubt it is included in the Island Drive since it doesn't specifically say so. Though, the tours may change a bit in October given that many of the attractions here are seasonal and may not be available. Then again, they may open for tour groups only, I don't know. Here's the website for the museum http://www.annesociety.org/anne/index.cfm?id=205

 

You may not know it but this year is the 100th anniversary of the publishing of the Anne Of Green Gables story so there have been some special events surrounding this. http://www.anne2008.com/. But again, unless you are a life long avid fan of Anne, there's so much more then Anne to the Island, frankly, as much as I enjoyed the books, I sometimes feel Anne overload living here. Of course she's a great marketing tool for the tourism industry so she's milked for all she's worth.

 

Okay, I remember the PEI Marketplace now, it was a large shop with all kinds of locally produced items, I believe it was run by the same fellow who has the Island Preserve Company but he got himself involved in too many projects and had to drop a few of them, the Marketplace is one that closed. But the Preserve Company still thrives and he probably has a lot of things in his shop in New Glasgow http://www.preservecompany.com/

 

Having said that, there is a store in Charlottetown within walking distance of the pier that I bellieve is run by the Artist's guild which has all kinds locally produced items. It's called the Best of PEI Store (not to be confused with the Best of PEI Marketplace which has food items) and is on Victoria Row, next to the Confederation Centre http://www.bestofpei.com/ There is also a store downtown called the Anne of Green Gables Store which will have everything you can possible imagine and some you might not have imagined to do with Anne. It's on Queen St, again not far from the pier.http://www.anneofgreengables.cc/ Both of these stores are open year round.

 

The Bike PEI might appeal to the others in our party. Do you know anything about that trip? How long is the bike ride and how level? It seems to stop at GG too.

 

Thanks!

As for the biking trip, I really don't know anything about it. I see that it's 4 hours long. You'd probably lose 1 - 1.5 hours in getting to the jumping off point and gearing up. It looks like it goes along the north shore and if it stops at Green Gables, it will be fairly level going with a few good hills thrown in just to get the heart pumping. Unless they are really, really keen cyclists, I'd avoid this one. It limits the amount of things you will see but mostly, keeping in mind you will be there in late October and this is along the north shore of the Island, you could get some bitterly cold winds at that time of year, I mean freeze your nose make your eyes tear up kind of stuff. Also more likely to get rain that time of year as well.

Mona, thank you for the recommendation of Shining Waters Family Fun Park. Our daughter had a great time!

 

Glad to have helped, can't go wrong with an amusement park for kids, did you get to see anything else?

[hisfirstm8]

Yes, Beth

we are both going to become "Honolonnies" I guess. We can't wait!!!!!

I have never been to Hawaii or to Canada/New England, so these will both be new territories.

 

Barbara

[Two if by Sea]

Glad to have helped, can't go wrong with an amusement park for kids, did you get to see anything else?

 

Oh, yes. Of course, the Canada Day celebrations were going on. We went to Founder's Hall and saw the exhibits there (for free). We had a lovely drive through the countryside, and stopped for a wonderful lunch in New Glasgow I think it was? Anyway, definitely not on the major tourist route. And I went to SandLand, which was interesting enough for a quick stop.

[nanaguide]

Thank you all for such a helpful thread. We will be there on October 5 this year and have found all the information invaluable.

 

We are also on the Eurodam on your cruise and we sail on Disney often as I work at Epcot. Hopefully we'll meet up on the ship. I usually put Mickey ears on my door to find my cabin but don't think I can that on this new Eurodam!!!

 

Colleen, I can't thank you enough for all your wonderful information. It has been so helpful. Right now I think I'll stick with the cruise excursion (by myself) - The Island's Finest, Anne, Lobster, and Scenic Drive. I tried to rent a car but being there on Sunday and it being the last day of the Fall Flavors Festival I didn't have any luck. None of the men want to tour so we'll just let them wander downtown and enjoy the Flavor's Festival. We were there 3 years ago in our RV. Coming over the Condederation Bridge was a treat. We camped next to Anne of Green Gables (froze as it was middle of Oct.) but I fell in love with all your little villages, churches, coastline. I tell everyone it was like being back in the 50's - not rushed, friendly people and so laid-back. I also loved having lunch at the Preserve Co. I can't wait to return. If you ever come to Orlando I'd be glad to return the favor and give all sorts of suggestions.

[MonaCD]

We are also on the Eurodam on your cruise and we sail on Disney often as I work at Epcot. Hopefully we'll meet up on the ship. I usually put Mickey ears on my door to find my cabin but don't think I can that on this new Eurodam!!!

 

Colleen, I can't thank you enough for all your wonderful information. It has been so helpful. Right now I think I'll stick with the cruise excursion (by myself) - The Island's Finest, Anne, Lobster, and Scenic Drive. I tried to rent a car but being there on Sunday and it being the last day of the Fall Flavors Festival I didn't have any luck. None of the men want to tour so we'll just let them wander downtown and enjoy the Flavor's Festival. We were there 3 years ago in our RV. Coming over the Condederation Bridge was a treat. We camped next to Anne of Green Gables (froze as it was middle of Oct.) but I fell in love with all your little villages, churches, coastline. I tell everyone it was like being back in the 50's - not rushed, friendly people and so laid-back. I also loved having lunch at the Preserve Co. I can't wait to return. If you ever come to Orlando I'd be glad to return the favor and give all sorts of suggestions.

 

Hi nanaguide, glad the information was helpful.

 

I will take the cruiseline excursions if I’m travelling by myself too, just feel safer that way. Besides it’s not really much fun driving yourself around with no one to share the experience. Now if I was still going to be living here I’d might just come on down and meet you at the pier but I’m moving to the Halifax area Sept 12.:cool:

 

Sounds like a good excursion, you’ll get a bit of everything.

 

I kind of have to laugh when you say it’s not rushed, friendly people and so laid back. It’s a little different when you live here, LOL, not so great when you’re trying to commute from Summerside to Charlottetown and get to work on time when you get caught behind a farm tractor hauling a load of hay or tourists sightseeing in their RVs:p

 

Glad you enjoyed your time when you were here previously, you must try to come when it’s a bit warmer, it’s so much more pleasant.

 

I actually was in Orlando over last New Years. Was on a cruise on the Carnival Glory over Christmas then a bunch of my family rented a house in Kissimmee for a week and they went to Disney everyday, while my partner and I only went twice. Didn’t go to Epcot this trip so I guess we didn’t cross paths.

 

Thanks for the offer of suggestions, may get a chance to take you up on it some day. My next trip is to Ft Lauderdale, going to spend a few days pre-cruise in November on Celebrity.

 

Oh, meant to mention, you should check out the Fall Flavours schedule for Oct 5, might be something there that would strike your fancy, looks like some good stuff. http://www.fallflavours.ca/about-fall-flavours

[MrsBBuffalo]

Colleen, we don't stop in Halifax until later in October. ;) By then you can have some suggestions for our visit there! LOL

 

Best Wishes!

[Sue's Mom]

The FF Festival sounds relly great. Just love the idea of Day in the City - it sounds fascinating. So that's Charlottetown sorted out. Thanks for the link.

 

Looking forward to meeting you Nanaguide - glad you found the Roll Call.

[MrsBBuffalo]

Hi Colleen! We will be visiting your fair shores in just 3 1/2 weeks! :D

 

I would appreciate a Fall Foliage report, please. Are you at peak yet? Are we going to miss it?

 

And we hope you are well and safe! I know several of the storms have finished up in your area recently. Certainly hope they get it out of their systems before we arrive! ;)

 

Just to let you know, the non-Anne fans in our party of five took your advice and booked the Panoramic Island Drive. Two of them are excellent photographers, so hope they get some good views. Since no one wanted to come with Mom and I, we decided to take the Ultimate Anne tour. It will probably be our only chance to experience all-things-Anne together. :)

 

Thanks again for your help!

Beth Anne

[MonaCD]

Hi Beth Anne, I am living in Halifax area now, just moved a couple weeks ago. Was at our cabin east of Halifax over the weekend and while there noticed that the trees are starting to change colour now. Certainly not at peak yet but maybe in a couple weeks. There might be some colour left by the time you get here, that's if Kyle leaves any leaves on the trees, will let you know after he blows through tomorrow.

 

We haven't been affected too much by recent storms but Kyle threatens to do some major tree damage, flooding and we're being warned that we may be 3 days without power. Not too bad, we're prepared as well as we can be, however, my partner is Navy so if things do happen I may be left here on my own for awhile.

 

I'm glad I was able to help you with some planning, just hope you're happy with the outcome.