19 August 2013 PEI Nat. Pk. and Ceilidh

It only took two miles of driving north of our campground to enter Prince Edward Island National Park, a narrow strip of land located mid-Island on the north shore of PEI. The second 10-mile part of the park near Cavendish is to the west, and the third, 5-mile part is just to the east. We visited the western part yesterday and the eastern part last week. Where we drove today has large and active sand dunes next to the shore; trees line the road just outside of the dunes. Large sandy beaches all along the shore attract many swimmers and sun-bathers during the summer, especially on the weekends. Many group of cottages for rent are near all the beaches--one couple has been renting in the same cottages for over 13 years, the month of July.

Bicycling and hiking is popular in the park--there are many marked trails. We ate a picnic lunch near the beach.

We visited Dalvay-by-the-Sea, a hotel and National Historic Site. This large, and ornate building was once the summer home of Alexander MacDonald, a partner of John D. Rockefeller.

Dalvay-by-the-Sea

Jerry inspecting the information plaque

This home was built in 1895 and features a large cedar main entry and an elegant stone fireplace.

We looked around the interior of the of the main floor. This print of a painting is over the fireplace in the restaurant. The "mark" on the belly of the horse is a reflection of a light fixture--the finish was highly reflective. We asked what kind of horse it was, and the waiter didn't remember, although he said it was a show horse from an all-white breed.

This lighthouse is owned and maintained by Parks Canada.

Covehead Bay Lighthouse

Patrice and I left the park and drove back north to North Rustico where she visited a craft shop we had missed on an earlier trip. Later we drove about five miles west and ate dinner at the eclectic "The Pearl Cafe."  It's in an older house, and the downstairs living area has tables for dinner. Lots of modern paintings, unusual art pieces, large plants, lamps on the tables--cozy and elegant. Our dinners were wonderful. We started with a halibut and lobster bisque with pieces of lobster added. I had seared scallops and lime cream mussels for an entree, highly seasoned "smashed" new potatoes, string beans (a type I didn't recognize, but wonderful), cooked greens, and mango chutney. Patrice ordered "goat cheese polenta, marsala creamed chantrelles (mushrooms), tomato jam, arugula cashew pesto, soleil and weedy garden greens." All the food looked appetizing and the flavors were sharp, unusual and blended well. It was a meal to savor every bite. Probably the best one we've had, anywhere.

This evening we all attended Cynthia MacLeod's Ceilidh held in the Brackley Beach Community Center. A ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) is a traditional Gaelic songfest. Cynthia played the fiddle with passion and personality--the woman is having fun, and the audience clapped and stomped along with her! She was accompanied by a well-known guitarist and singer, Gordon Belsher, and a young man on the tenor saxophone who is Gordon's son-in-law. A young lady did some "step dancing." This was an informal high-energy show enjoyed by the audience of about 100 people, some locals, others from the eastern provinces and a few from the US. We had a great time!

Tomorrow we move to western PEI to conclude our visit to this awesome island.