Regions in Brief

Cavendish

Cavendish is the home of the fictional character Anne of Green Gables. If you mentally screen out the tourist traps constructed over the past couple of decades, you'll find the area a bucolic mix of woodlands and fields, rolling hills, and sandy dunes -- a fine setting for a series of pastoral novels.

However, the tremendous and enduring popularity of the novels has attracted droves of curious tourists, who in turn have attracted droves of entrepreneurs who've constructed new buildings and attractions. The bucolic character of the area has thus become somewhat compromised. There are wax museums and loud amusements, all of which would probably alarm Anne, along with a surfeit of motels and cottage courts. The new developments don't approach the garishness of, say, Niagara Falls, but they're quite unavoidable, especially along Route 6 west of Route 13. Happily, most attractions are set off the road and spread well apart from one another. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the new developments harmonize with the landscape, but the collateral damage has been slight compared to what might have occurred. And the development is rather limited -- you need only head east or west of Cavendish on Route 6 for a few miles to be back into the lovely landscapes of rolling farm fields that made the region famous in the first place.

Of the village of Cavendish, you should be aware that there's no there there, to steal from Gertrude Stein. There's no discernible village center; everything is sprawled out along the approach roads. A commercial development called Avonlea is seeking to manufacture a new village center, but it's just not quite the same. Those who like their villages quaint and are not terribly interested in the cult of Anne are better off steering for North or South Rustico, among other villages in the area.

Cavendish 2008: Anne Hits the Century Mark -- As usual, the biggest news in 2008 on the island is Anne-related. The island will go gaga for the 100th anniversary of the June 1908 publication of Montgomery's novel -- and that means (hold your breath) even more Anne! You would think the Olympic Games are coming to town . . . but no, it's just a precocious, redheaded girl in pigtails. The very full program of events from spring through fall will include a children's literary festival, readings, plays, and the release of a new prequel novel written by a local children's author. Check the provincial tourism office's "Anne" page at www.gentleisland.com/anne for details and schedules. Not so much into Anne? Grin and bear it. You have been warned.

North & South Rustico to Brackley Beach

A few miles east of Cavendish are the Rusticos, of which there are five: North Rustico, South Rustico, Rusticoville, Rustico Harbour, and Anglo Rustico. The region was settled by Acadians in 1790, and many residents are descendants of those original settlers. This was one of the first Canadian regions to be populated by Acadians following the Treaty of Paris, and is the oldest Acadian presence on PEI. North and South Rustico are both attractive villages that have fewer tourist traps and are more amenable to exploring by foot or bike than Cavendish. Although out of the hubbub, they still provide easy access to the national park and Anne-land, with beaches virtually at your doorstep.

North Rustico clusters around a scenic harbor with views out toward Rustico Bay. Plan to park and walk around, perusing the deep-sea fishing opportunities and peeking in the shops. The village curves around Rustico Bay to end at North Rustico Harbour, a sand spit with fishing wharves, summer cottages, and a couple of informal restaurants. A wood-decked promenade follows the water's edge from the town to the harbor and is a worthy destination for a quiet afternoon ramble or a picnic. Also here in the bright yellow wharf building is Outside Expeditions (tel. 800/207-3899 or 902/963-3366; www.getoutside.com), which offers sea kayak excursions of the harbor and surrounding area.

In South Rustico, turn off Route 6 onto Route 243 and ascend the low hill overlooking the bay. Here you'll find a handsome cluster of buildings that were home to some of the more prosperous Acadian settlers. Among the structures is the sandstone Farmers' Bank of Rustico Museum (tel. 902/963-3168), beside the church. The bank was established with the help of a visionary local cleric, Reverend Georges-Antoine Belcourt, in 1864 to help local farmers get ahead of the hand-to-mouth cycle; the father and his parishioners actually built it themselves, timber by timber, stone by stone. It then operated for some 30 years and helped inspire the credit union movement in Canada and North America before it was forced to close by sweeping bank reforms. Renovations to the building have been ongoing for several years, and it's looking much better these days; the bank is open for tours June through September, Monday through Saturday, 9:30am to 5pm, and Sundays 1 to 5pm. It's free.

Next door to the bank are two more structures worth investigating. Doucet House, a sturdy log building of Acadian construction dating from 1772, was the home of one Jean Doucet, who arrived in these parts by boat. (The house was moved from its waterside location in 1999 and completely restored -- which it badly needed.) Period furnishings have been added to bring back that 2-plus-centuries-ago flavor.

Then there's the handsome St. Augustine's Parish Church (dating from 1838, with a cemetery beyond). If the church's door is open, head in for a look at this graceful structure.

Brackley Beach is the gateway to the eastern section of the national park, and has the fewest services of all. It's a quiet area with no village center to speak of; it will be best appreciated by those who prefer their beach vacations unadulterated.

Orwell

In southeastern Queens County, the village of Orwell offers a historic detour off speedy Route 1 between Charlottetown and the Wood Islands ferry. Both sites mentioned below are near each other on a side road; there are few landmarks other than simple signs directing you here, so keep a sharp eye out.

The Orwell Corner Historic Village (tel. 902/651-8510) is one of the most aesthetically pleasing historic villages in the province. It's one of several sites island-wide managed by the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation. Set on a gentle slope amid a profusion of leafy trees, the village re-creates life in a small agricultural town in the 1890s. You can visit the general store, stop by the blacksmith shop, or wander the lush gardens. If it works out, plan to visit around lunchtime and pick up a picnic from the community hall to enjoy under a shady tree on the grounds. Ask about the lively ceilidhs (Scottish concerts) with traditional music, held Wednesday evenings in the community hall (extra charge). It's open 9:30am to 4:30pm daily in July and August, the same hours but weekdays only in June, and Sunday to Thursday from September to mid-October. Admission is C$7.50 (US$6.75/£3.75) for adults, C$3 (US$2.70/£1.50) for children 6 to 18, free for children under 6, and C$20 (US$18/£10) families.

A few minutes' drive from the village is the modest, white-shingled home of Sir Andrew Macphail, a gifted polymath born here in 1864. Macphail found renown as a medical doctor, pathologist, professor, writer, editor, and agricultural tinkerer. You'll learn about his exceptional career while walking through the house, which includes a handful of exhibits and period furniture. (There's also a restaurant.) But the real allure of the site is a stroll through the 56-hectare (138-acre) farm grounds, which are accessible via several trails. They're lush and pastoral, filled with the summer sounds of crickets and songbirds. Admission to this national historic site (tel. 902/651-2789) is free, with donations happily accepted. It's open daily in summer, shorter hours in the shoulder seasons.