Best of Prince Edward Island

4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

At a local restuarant

Orientation. After dinner, the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, this morning’s presentation by a local expert will provide an introduction to Prince Edward Island and its history. We will discover stories of the past with a local historian who will bring the early history of the Island alive using stories of the people who have made Prince Edward Island their home: native Mi’kmaq, French explorers, Acadian farmers, British military, and more. While Charlottetown is best recognized for its role in the founding of our nation, we will also discover on foot a vast collection of historical and cultural treasures sprinkled throughout the city. Next, we will visit Beaconsfield Historic House, a 19th-century building with a mansard roof, elaborate gingerbread trim, and crowning belvedere stands. We will learn about historic architecture with this enduring symbol of Victorian elegance.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will depart by motorcoach for Prince Edward Island National Park. The Park spans a spectacular stretch of land encompassing sand dunes, salt marshes, remnants of an Acadian forest, coastal headlands, beaches, and sandstone cliffs. We’ll meet with a Parks expert and learn about the parks ecosystem which supports a diversity of animal and plant life including the endangered piping plover. The park plays a significant role in shorebird migration in spring and fall.

At a local restaurant. We will also explore the restaurant’s 12-acre garden with the Group Leader.

We will visit Green Gables National Historic Site where Parks Canada staff will present the history of Green Gables and its significance to Canadian literary history. We will spend time at Green Gables, the famed fictional home of red-haired Anne Shirley, the heroine of Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic 1908 novel, ‘Anne of Green Gables.’ We will discover the history of the house as well as biographical information about Montgomery with a local expert. Green Gables, part of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Cavendish National Historic Site, has become famous around the world as the inspiration for the setting in Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic tale of fiction. We will travel down dusty roads and well-trod paths as we step back in time to hear stories about Lucy Maud. We will then visit the famous Cavendish Beach with its inviting white sand, waters warmed by the Gulf Stream, and striking red sandstone cliffs that tower above the beach.

At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a lobster dinner.

Prince Edward Island's famous landscape has its roots in the Permian, some 300 million years ago. Over millennia, it was shaped by immense geological forces, ice ages, and the people that eventually came to call it home. Biologist and naturalist Kate MacQuarrie takes you on an illustrated tour of the Island's formation, common fossils, post-glacial changes, wildlife that once lived here, and others that were introduced. Kate describes natural history as the story the land tells about itself, and PEI has an amazing story to tell!

At the hotel.

Via motorcoach, we will head east to one of Canada’s unique natural treasures at the Greenwich site of PEI National Park. Here we’ll meet a Parks expert and learn about the spectacular parabolic dune system that rises above white-sand beaches and acts as a stunning backdrop to an extensive trail system that includes a floating boardwalk. The Greenwich Dunes area of Prince Edward Island is a 900-acre natural treasure internationally recognized for its unique dune system, its wide variety of bird species and rare plants found in its marshes and woodlands, and the nationally important Aboriginal and Acadian archaeological sites. Keep your eyes open as we head out on a walk for the geographical features and flora and fauna we've just learned about.

We will enjoy a trailside boxed lunch.

We will continue to explore rural PEI by motorcoach as we travel south to the shores of the Boughton River near Cardigan, Prince Edward Island. Along the way, we’ll stop at the East Point Lighthouse; an iconic landmark that has protected East Point, PEI since 1867. The bird watch tower is a great vantage point to look for rare and common birds, and a hot spot for migrating pelagic birds. We will continue on to Basin Head Provinical Park and have an expert-led exploration of the Fisheries Museum. We’ll go back in time and learn the history of this inshore fishery and cannery. Afterwards, we’ll have some time to independently explore the boardwalk at Basin Head and stroll along the famous white “singing sands” beach!

At a local restaurant.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, a presentation with a local expert will focus on PEI’s agriculture and long history of farming. We’ll then head out on the motorcoach to visit a local potato farm to learn about the province’s primary cash crop. PEI continues to be the largest potato-producing province in Canada, growing approximately one-quarter of the potatoes in the country, building on two hundred years of experience growing high quality potatoes on an island that’s ideally suited for this crop.

We will continue to the Acadian Musical Village (Village musical acadien), where we will enjoy a traditional Acadian meal which includes rapure, meat pie, hominy corn, and fricot – topped off by the arrival of your very own poutine à trou.

At the Acadian Musical Village, we will learn how to make a delicious fruit pastry known as “poutine à trou” and see demonstrations about traditional dishes such as “fricot,” a hearty chicken soup that has been a staple of the Acadian diet for generations. We will explore the rich Acadian culture and culinary delights at this Acadian cultural center. Food and music shared with family and friends is central to Acadian traditions and this experience provides that and more. We’ll spend some time exploring the Acadian Musical Village as we enjoy top-notch fiddlers and stepdancers.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will head out on the motorcoach to visit the International Fox Museum in Summerside and learn from a docent how Prince Edward Island became the first in the world to raise foxes in captivity. The growth and wealth of the industry is explored as is its demise. We will then head out on motorcoach to visit a local oyster farm, Raspberry Point Oyster farm, to learn about oysters in North America; cocktail, small and large choice oysters, in the picturesque cool, clear waters of Prince Edward Island.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we will head back to the Summerside hotel. On our way back, we will stop at one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 20th century, the Confederation Bridge. This bridge spans eight miles and is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

A group transfer by motorcoach to Charlottetown Airport will set off after breakfast. Approximate arrival at Charlottetown Airport is 9:30 a.m. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!