The Island Drive & Anne of Green Gables

The maritime province of Prince Edward Island is the smallest in Canada, in both land area and population (excluding the territories). The island has a few other names: "Garden of the Gulf," referring to the pastoral scenery and lush agricultural lands throughout the province, and "Birthplace of Confederation," referring to the Charlottetown Conference in 1864, although Prince Edward Island did not join the Confederation itself until 1873 when it became the seventh Canadian province.

The island's landscape is pastoral. Rolling hills, woods, reddish-white sand beaches, ocean coves, and the famous red soil have given Prince Edward Island a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty. As you tour the North Shore area, brief photo stops will be made at quaint little villages, lighthouses, and the world-class Cavendish Beach. Fronting the Gulf of St. Lawrence, this broad natural sand beach stretches for five miles, from the entrance to New London Bay in the west to the red sandstone cliffs at Cavendish East in the east. The entire beach is located in the Prince Edward Island National Park.

You will also have the opportunity to visit the Anne of Green Gables House. Anne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book. Montgomery found her inspiration for the book on an old piece of paper that she had written at a young age, describing a couple that was mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of a boy, yet decided to keep her. Montgomery also drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island. As a result, the Green Gables farmhouse was designated a national historic site for its importance in literary history and is one of the most visited historic sites in the country. The farmhouse exterior has not changed remarkably over time, and its interior decor and artifacts depict the late Victorian Period in rural Prince Edward Island. Various rooms in the house have been named according to the Anne of Green Gables story.