Maritimes Vibe

Peggy’s Cove

Sean Cavendish — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:11:34 +0000

One of Josie’s and my favorite haunts when we venture northeast (far too seldom these days) is just less than an hour southwest of Halifax, NS, and it’s well worth the drive. Peggy’s Cove, still an active fishing village and home to approximately 50 Nova Scotians, is perhaps most famous for the red and white Peggy’s Point Lighthouse (and most infamous for being so near to the site of Swissair Flight 111′s crash 11 years ago, when 229 lives were lost). The lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is indeed a classic Maritimes landmark, and one of the most photographed and recognized lighthouses in Maritime Canada. The area surrounding the lighthouse, though, to Josie and me, is every bit as picturesque as the light itself, and we make our way there every time we stay even one night in Halifax.

When Josie and I first visited Atlantic Canada in 1995, we had no idea that we would become such fans of lighthouse hunting, but we got the bug pretty quickly. My sister has always loved lighthouses, and we’ve since met another couple who actually seek them out as target destinations for their vacations. We’re not quite that obsessed, but we definitely are big fans of these standing monuments to maritime history, and we have our favorites, for sure. In fact, for a lighthouse to merit a long drive out of our trajectory, it has to be a pretty impressive sight to behold and have some interesting history and be situated in a climate we find welcoming (e.g., that of Maritime Canada). Peggy’s Point definitely meets those criteria.

But, as I mentioned, there’s really more to Peggy’s Cove than its famous and classic lighthouse. The stone at and leading up to the area is primarily smooth and rounded granite jutting up out of sparse but green vegetation, giving the landscape an almost eerie sense. However, the quaint, wooden homes built into the shoreline of the cove and the colorful fishing boats that line its docks do counter that spooky first impression.

There is a restaurant and gift shop a short distance from the light, and parking is plentiful. You can enjoy the usual delicious Maritimes fare — plenty of fish and chips; hot, steaming bowls of creamy chowder; a bold cup of tea; and, of course, other, more hearty drinks, as well. Of course, they don’t serve Josie’s cherished Raspberry Cordial, which is one strike against them, although they can’t really be blamed in that PEI does not even export the beverage outside its provincial borders. The gifts are reasonably priced for a tourist area — no gouging here.

One attraction for many visitors is the fact that there exists a functioning post office within the lighthouse itself. One can buy a postcard, either from the gift shop or the post office, and have its postage canceled with the lighthouse’s image. This is an especially nice treat for all you ardent philatelists out there, or even just a postman (or even this postman’s son) on holiday. If you do venture out to the point to post your mail, however, be careful of the waves, which have actually drowned their share of unwary tourists over the decades since the cove’s popularity began attracting so many. There are well-placed signs all about the area warning against venturing too close to the edge of the rocks. If you heed them you’ll be just fine.

Peggy’s Cove is situated approximately 27 miles outside of Halifax, along the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay. She was chartered in 1811 (as “Peggys Cove”), and the origin of its name is disputed. If you’re planning to spend any time in the Halifax area, esp. during the Summer months, I do recommend a visit to St. Margaret’s Bay and its delightful seaside villages, the crown jewel of which, in my opinion, is our beloved Peggy’s Cove.

I’ll be in touch…
Sean

Links of interest:

Raspberry Cordial

Sean Cavendish — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:43:00 +0000

Hi, folks. It has been far too long since we visited, and I’m truly sorry for that. Guess you all thought I’d drifted off and fallen off a cliff in PEI Nat’l Park or some such foolishness. In truth, coming back to North Texas after a visit to Prince Edward Island sometimes puts Josie and me into a bit of a funk that only beginning to plan for the next trip there can cure.

Well, it’s not going to happen this coming year (2009) unless things really change for us. This is to be an income-building, debt-paying, scrimping-and-saving year, I’m afraid. Still there’s always 2010, if we’re lucky, and we might as well go ahead and plan for that!

One of Josie’s favorite “simple pleasures” on PEI is to sip an Island-only soda called “Raspberry Cordial”. The beverage is produced and bottled — never canned — right on PEI and is not exported. So a trip to PEI is the only way to enjoy a bottle! (OK by us. Everything tastes better on PEI, anyway.)

Raspberry Cordial In PEI

It doesn’t take much effort to find the beverage, though, once on the Island, as it tends to be served at most restaurants, is sold at Cows chain of ice cream parlors, and can also be found in grocery and convenience stores all over PEI. Now, I have to confess that I am not a fan of anything raspberry — cordial or not — and have only ever tasted a sip of my wife’s beloved elixir. That taste test was partly for the purpose of appeasing Josie and partly born of a desire to say that I’d at least tried the Island’s signature drink. That said, I find that just the sight of the red, bubbling soda decorated with an illustration of the little red-haired girl who made it famous to thousands of readers, puts me in a mood that it’s hard to describe. (Let’s just call it “merry”, in honor of the current season.)

I am pressed for time and find that I must cut this short today, but I do hope to be writing again very soon, now that PEI fever has its grip on me once more. Should I miss my next self-imposed deadline, however, allow me to wish all my readers a very merry Christmas, 2008. While I’m at it, why not a blessed, healthy, and prosperous 2009?

I’ll be in touch…
Sean

Review: Inn at the Pier

Sean Cavendish — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:56:00 +0000

Accommodation Review:

Inn at the Pier
9796 Cavendish Road
Stanley Bridge, PE C0A 1E0
Canada
e-mail: thepier@isn.net
phone: 1-877-886-7437

On our fourth trip to Prince Edward Island (2003), Josie and I discovered what has become our favorite lodging situation on the Island, the Inn at the Pier. On our previous visits, we had tried a delightful B&B with a breathtaking view of Charlottetown Harbour called the Tea Hill (review forthcoming) and a “housekeeping unit” (which was a new term for us) at Anne’s Windy Poplars. Jean Drake, the gracious hostess at the Tea Hill provided a delightful, personal lodging experience, and we still have fond memories of her home-baked scones and pleasant conversations. The Poplars provided no such personal touches, but did afford us comfort, a private bath, and closer proximity to Cavendish Beach.

In 2003 we discovered the perfect amalgam of the features the other accommodations had provided us at Dale and Lorna’s Inn at the Pier overlooking the tranquil waters of the New London Bay. Innkeepers Dale and Lorna Larkin have been in the hospitality business for 20+ years and have, in our opinion, perfected lodging Island-style. In fact, Dale’s roots are in hospitality, his brother and mother also having been restaurateurs at fine dining establishments within minutes of Dale and Lorna’s inn.

Inn at the Pier is clean, charming, and definitely full-service. We have been fortunate enough to have rented luxury suites on the north side of the Inn each visit, thus affording us the spectacular views and romantic sunsets we treasure. The suite in which we have stayed during our last 3 visits was very spacious and provided a large window as well as a patio/deck. With our window open, we could even hear the sound of the water gently lapping against the boat deck and the shore. Gulls, ducks, and other waterfowl grace the New London Bay, and their calls can be heard from time to time throughout the day.

The suite offers a small kitchen and dining area, complete with dishes, utensils, microwave, toaster, and mini-fridge. The star of the show may well be the over-sized spa tub in the roomy, modern bath. Our suite boasted generous amounts of closet and drawer space for your clothes and other luggage items. And on-site coin-op laundry helps with the logistics of an extended stay. (Josie and I highly recommend an extended stay.) A mock fireplace in the corner of the suite gives off heat and a cozy glow on a chilly PEI evening, and there is air conditioning for use during the warm afternoon.

Each morning found Josie and me in the breakfast/dining area for either a complimentary continental breakfast — various muffins, bagels, and cereals with coffee and/or juice — or one of Dale’s special breakfast treats. (You can’t say you’ve experience PEI’s famous spuds at their finest until you’ve tasted Dale Larkin’s home fries!) The Inn offers a swimming pool throughout most of the summer and water sports such as parasailing, kayaking, and jet skiing. I can’t be sure whether Dale’s passion for cooking is trumped by his love for water sports or whether it’s the other way around. He tried fervently to get Josie and me to go out on one of his excursions until we finally convinced him that we’re not water folk.

Dale and Lorna’s Inn is situated in one of the most convenient localities for day excursions throughout the Island. Stanley Bridge is located almost exactly in the center of the Island’s north shore in the Anne’s Land section of Queen’s County and along the Blue Heron Coastal Drive. Only 30 minutes from Summerside and 40 from Charlottetown, Stanley Bridge is still remote enough to “get away from it all”. Some of the Islands fine beaches are just a few minutes’ drive away, and one walk along Cavendish beach at sunset is enough to make you a lifelong addict!

The Inn at the Pier offers numerous package deals (including one featuring a water taxi to a private beach), luxury suites, regular rooms, and off-site cottages. For pricing and other details, we’ll leave you to the Inn’s informative and well-organized website. If you’re able to make it to Prince Edward Island soon, please call on our friends Dale and Lorna. Tell them we sent you. You definitely won’t regret your choice!

Links:

Inn at the Pier
PEI Visitors Guide
Stanley Bridge
Blue Heron Coastal Drive

Location:

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