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From
Route 23 onto Route 1 -TransCanada Highway to Wood Islands
Ferry |
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| This
part of the tour takes you along the TransCanada Highway.
From Route 23 onto Route 1 heading east towards Wood Islands
ending at the Northumberland Ferry Terminal. (the end of this
section of the on-line tour) |
This
small crossroads community starts from Route 23, just
off the TransCanada at Orwell Corner Historic Village,
which protray’s a museum of the islands past farming.
You can explore the shingle mill, blacksmith shop, General
store, Old school house and the farm yard which is always
a popular area for visitors, especially children. In
the barns and surrounding pastureland you will find
chickens, sheep, pigs, goats and draft horses. At the
heart of Prince Edward Island is its rural heritage.
Orwell Corner Historic Village preserves and interprets
this rural heritage by capturing the mood, the flavor
and the activity of a small, rural Prince Edward Island
community of 100 years ago. |
Orwell Corner Historical Site |
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MacPhail Walking Trail |
Just
down the dirt road is Macphail Historic Homestead, which
was the home of one of P.E.I.'s most famous writers,
physicians, and scholars, Sir Andrew MacPhail who donated
this historical homestead. This restored 1850’s
12-room gabled house combines history and nature in
perfect harmony with study exhibits that reflect the
life and time of Andrew MacPhail. The home offers a
restaurant and conference facility. The 140 acres that
surround this historic home has lovely gardens, ecological
forestry project, native tree and shrub nursery, walking
trails, bird watching and an adjacent nature center.
Throughout the summer you can experience a guided owl
walk along the wooded trails. |
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| Continuing
east on Route 1 you will travel along the coast viewing the
scenic landscape of Orwell Bay inlets and stretches of farmland
mingling with groves of wild flowers. Your next community of
Eldon is where you can find Pinette Studios on Route 159 just
off Route 1. They feature painting and prints that portray Island
landscapes, wildlife and also surreal landscapes. The Scottish
heritage is very evident in this part of the island as the Scots
settled this area in the early 1900’s. During the summer
you will find highland dance competitions, bagpipe, fiddle music,
sporting events such as caber toss, shot putt and log toss. |
Belfast
was settled in 1803 by the settlers from Scotland, the
drive through this community your view will be of rolling
hills and coastal scenery. For a full day of fun stop
in at the Lord Selkirk Provincial Park , excellent family
park that has pools, mini golf, playground, campground
and an exceptional 9-hole golf course on the coast.
The site of the golf course and the Lord Selkirk Park
is where the 800 Selkirk settlers from the Isle of Skye
arrived in 1803. Each of the holes on the golf course
has been named after some aspect of the settler’s
arrival except for hole-number 8. It bears the MicMac
name "Megwasa" which means "red cliffs"
The native Micmac people used to camp on the site of
the park during the summer because of the abundance
of seafood available close to shore.
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Belfast Golf Course |
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| There
is an old Acadienne cemetery that has been restored near the
entrance to the park. The local Arcadians were rounded up by
the British in 1756-58 and sent back to France on two ships.
Unfortunately both ships foundered at sea and all but a few
of the 600 souls on board were lost. After the expulsion of
the French the cemetery continued to be used into the 1840's
when new cemeteries in Mt Buchanan and Belfast were established.
Some of the old headstones have been preserved. The old Church
of Scotland building, which was located in Belle River, was
moved to the site and refurbished in 2001.
Still
heading east on Route 1 you will come to Route 209, which
will take you to the Point Prim Lighthouse. This lighthouse
guards the outer approach of Hillsborough Harbour entrance.
Built in 1846, Point Prim is Prince Edward Island's oldest
lighthouse and one of the few lighthouses of brick constructed
in Canada. Though now covered with wooden shingles, the brick
construction may be viewed from the interior. At low tide
you can walk the shelving of rock on the rugged shore and
pick up pieces of coal that are still there from years ago
ship wrecks that didn’t make it up the harbour entrance.
Watch your step among the rocks as you may come upon some
seals basking in the sun.
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Point Prim Chowder House
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At
the end of the point relax on the deck of the Point Prim
Chowder House where you can get homemade chowders, seafood
dishes, and be sure to try their famous Irish Moss dessert.
They pick the Irish Moss themselves to make this interesting
dessert. Even though the shores around the lighthouse
are rugged you can still find beautiful white sand beaches
in the area. These beaches are excellent for clam digging.
There have also been fossils found in the cliffs in the
general area. |
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| Back
on Route 1 again heading east to Pinette there is a day park
available for you to relax and enjoy a picnic. The Scottish
heritage is seen in this area as well when the harness drivers
exercise their horses in their kilts; stop by to watch a race
or two. After Pinette you will come to Flat River where you
will find the Fiddle Farm, some of the island’s best fiddlers
use LePage fine string instruments, which are island made. At
the Fiddle Farm there is also a studio with fine prints and
a fiber store that spins cashmere goat, angora goats and rabbits.
In the community Flat River there is brother and sister team
that create fine pottery, jewelry, and batik, paintings and
sculptures are also on display at the Flat River Studio. |
The
next community along this Route is Belle River where
you will find some Bona Vista Summer Savory at Ryan’s
Farm. The age-old flavor and aroma of summer savory
is used to enhance poultry stuffing, soups, stews, fish
and pizza. They grow, process and package it at the
farm so be sure to drop into the farm and purchase this
pesticide free island product.
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Summer Savory Farm |
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Aerial of Murray River |
This
part of the on-line tour is complete; you are approaching
the Northumberland Ferry terminal at Wood Islands. If
you started your tour heading east from Wood Islands
you have completed part of the South Eastern section
of eastern Prince Edward Island. You will have traveled
over rivers and streams, viewed some of our picturesque
unspoiled island with its natural beauty and experienced
the islands history and culture. If you should see the
island from the air, its red soil, green fields, blue
waters makes this small unique island look like our
famous homemade patch quilts…… |
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| Hope
you have enjoyed this section of the tour…… visit
us again as we will be adding new tours in the up coming days! |
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