| Although I suppose it's technically illegal, I found | | | | earth and wonderful wildflowers, but tidy-looking |
| several places in Canada's Atlantic Provinces where I | | | | houses and villages, pampered farmland that grows |
| camped overnight right along the coastline. I was | | | | potatoes, alfalfa and scrumptious strawberries! |
| away from towns and homes, and made no mess or | | | | You-pick is common here, and I picked and ate many |
| disturbance, of course. Quiet, picturesque. Free. And I | | | | boxes of strawberries. They were small, red all the |
| wasn't bothered at all; folks didn't even honk their | | | | way through, and exquisitely sweet-flavor that I |
| horns as they cruised by. One of my favorite places | | | | hadn't found at the market for many a year. And |
| was in sight of Confederation Bridge, which is the | | | | P.E.I. was green everywhere! I'd never seen so much |
| 9-mile long connection between mainland Canada and | | | | green in my life. |
| the Province of Prince Edward Island. I stopped near | | | | Selecting a small, unmarked road at random, I turned |
| the bridge on the New Brunswick side and did some | | | | onto it, in search of one of the hundreds of tiny |
| casual beachcombing (with practically no waves, not | | | | natural harbors all along the edges of the island. I |
| a whole lot washes ashore). I read some, and wrote | | | | wanted picturesque views of a quaint little fishing |
| in my journal. In the evening, I dragged out my | | | | port. The road led me a mile from the highway, right |
| camera and tripod because the prospects for a | | | | to the dock. Dozens of lobster boats were coming |
| spectacular sunset were good. No filters were | | | | back, having disturbed as many boondocking tourists |
| needed as the lowering sun turned the clouds orange, | | | | as they could. Talking with one lobsterman, he said |
| red and crimson. It was one of the few times I've | | | | that he had 300 traps. Current prices paid him from |
| used a 400mm lens for a sunset shot, but the most | | | | CDN. $5.50 to $6.50 per pound. The daily catch varied |
| intense colors were in a small area, so the long | | | | from 100 to 1000 pounds. All the lobstermen I talked |
| telephoto lens was the right choice. | | | | to complained about the difficulty in making a living |
| Early in the morning I drove across the bridge to | | | | because of interference by the government. |
| Prince Edward Island. The crossing was free! | | | | During one conversation, I talked to a retired |
| However, the return trip would cost a bundle (2008 | | | | government fisheries inspector who said that |
| fees are $41.50 for the first two axles and $6.75 for | | | | over-harvesting had killed off one of the best cod |
| each additional axle), but P.E.I. is worth it! | | | | fisheries in the world, and if the fishermen weren't |
| At nine miles, Confederation Bridge is the world's | | | | careful, they'd do the same with lobstering. Then he |
| longest bridge over ice-covered sea water (in winter | | | | added, "Besides, even though they complain all the |
| only). Once on the island I drove straight to | | | | time, them lobstermen all live in real nice houses and |
| Charlottetown, the provincial capital. It's a lovely old | | | | buy new pickups every year or two. Do the math." |
| city, with multi-story red brick buildings indicating a | | | | Math was never a favorite subject of mine, and |
| definite absence of earthquake activity. I was raised | | | | besides, such complications are commonplace when it |
| in California and notice such things. | | | | comes to harvesting nature's bounty. Currently living |
| The folks at the visitor center were quite helpful, so | | | | in the Pacific Northwest-where we had our own |
| off I went in search of the real P.E.I. But first, I had | | | | similar problems-I made no judgments, and after |
| to get some propane for my travel trailer. It was not | | | | another hour of poking around, I drove off. |
| that easy to do in eastern Canada because they | | | | Lobster fishing is among the few industries on Prince |
| didn't use the same propane "fill-up" valve connectors | | | | Edward Island; I'd been following the coastline as |
| that we did in the states. So I had to track down a | | | | much as possible and photographing many of the |
| propane distributor who had the parts to make the | | | | tiny, natural harbors that served as bases for the |
| right conversion. That took an hour going from one | | | | fishing boats. It was time for a lobster dinner. Hah! At |
| gas station to another. Finally, I found a place where, | | | | a very modest cafe, the cheapest meal featuring |
| with considerable searching through the parts bin, the | | | | lobster cost more than $20.00, and contained only 2 |
| man was able to come up with half of what was | | | | to 3 ounces of meat (at the store, lobster was |
| needed. He sent me to a building supply store for the | | | | selling at CDN. $45.00 per pound). And I was only |
| rest. Overall it was a pain to search out several | | | | fifty feet from the boats that trapped the creepy, |
| stores in a strange city while pulling a trailer. For | | | | crawly crustaceans! One night I made the mistake of |
| starters, where do you park at each of them? | | | | boondocking at a picturesque fishing port. Lobster |
| When all was said and done, the whole thing cost | | | | fishermen and women start work really early. I didn't |
| less than Cdn. $40.00 (the man charged no more | | | | make that mistake again. |
| than a few dollars for all the time he spent putting | | | | Considering that I'd been following the water's |
| the pieces together). It was another example of the | | | | shoreline practically from the time I entered Quebec |
| honest, friendly and helpful eastern Canadians with | | | | and the Maritimes, I had seen very few coastal birds, |
| whom I'd come into contact. | | | | such as seagulls. There seemed to be few dead |
| Leaving Charlottetown, I immediately entered the | | | | things that washed up along the shore. Perhaps that |
| rich-looking red-earth farmland that makes up much | | | | was the reason. Yet, there were many fishing ports |
| of P.E.I. But it wasn't just the red soil that contributed | | | | and canneries. Shouldn't that attract scavenging |
| to the overall beauty. There were lupines by the tens | | | | seagulls? Apparently not. |
| of thousands. The only lupines I'd seen in the far | | | | Turning into a corner gas station out in the middle of |
| west were the short, blue variety with white | | | | nowhere, I had to do a figure 8 in order to get my |
| markings. In the Maritimes, it was different. Especially | | | | fuel filler next to an open pump. After coming to a |
| on P.E.I., where they were long-stemmed and of | | | | stop, I got out of my pickup. From a group of |
| many and varied colors, and happened to make their | | | | obviously "dedicated" bicyclists sitting around drinking |
| homes alongside the highways. It really added to my | | | | cold beer, one red-headed man smiled and said, "I |
| driving enjoyment. | | | | give you eight and a half points out of ten for that |
| With the recently acquired provincial map in hand, I | | | | maneuver." I responded by saying that I only needed |
| continued my counter-clockwise circling of the island, | | | | seven points in order to get my driver's license. |
| taking every paved road that indicated it might be at | | | | At Malpeque I got some good photos of the boats |
| the water's edge. As my first evening on the island | | | | and the harbor, and struck up a conversation with |
| approached, I headed down a dirt road that went | | | | two old-timer fishermen. Like many others among |
| right to the end of a small peninsula. Finding a place | | | | the island's fishing community, they were of Irish |
| with good views of the ocean on three sides, I | | | | Scottish background. No wonder they were so |
| waited for what promised to be another lovely | | | | friendly; the Irish and Scots are among the friendliest |
| sunset. Just a few clouds were in the western sky | | | | people on earth. |
| to mute the harshness of the sun and lend several | | | | Completing my circle of the island, I paid the toll |
| varieties of pink to the clouds and the bay. | | | | (gulp) and crossed the bridge to New Brunswick. |
| Comfortable in my silent sleeping sanctuary, I was | | | | Prince Edward Island is small (only 2144 square miles), |
| awakened at the un-godly hour of "fourish" in the | | | | yet it has an extensive and rugged coastline. |
| A.M. by what sounded like dozens of insects buzzing | | | | Numerous towns have RV parks or campgrounds, |
| loudly, yet far away. Rising to my elbow to look out | | | | and there are the provincial parks as well. With short |
| into the darkness, I saw their lights. Still half asleep, I | | | | travel distances, finding suitable camp sites should not |
| decided they were nothing more than gigantic | | | | be a problem. As always, selecting one early in the |
| fireflies. But at 4 A.M. my curiosity was exceeded | | | | day is better than waiting until dusk, especially on |
| only by my desire to get back to sleep. At the grey | | | | weekends. |
| light of pre-dawn I was again awakened by the | | | | If you like small fishing villages, a rocky coast, lovely |
| buzzing, so I got up. There must have been fifty | | | | pastoral scenery and friendly people, P.E.I. should be |
| small outboard-motor-driven lobster boats noisily | | | | on your list of Atlantic Provinces worth visiting. Plus, |
| checking their traps. | | | | summer brings the best strawberries ever. |
| Prince Edward Island not only has rich-looking red | | | | |