Pretty Prince Edward Island and a Taste of New Brunswick
Sep 3rd, 2023, 04:22 PM
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August 25, 2023: Glass Houses, Paintings, Pottery, Gardens, and Two Lobster Rolls in One Day!!!
After breakfast, our first destination for today is the Maisons de Bouteilles, which means driving through a part of PEI we haven’t visited yet. We drove through Summerside, about 45 minutes from Rustico, and seems to be very quiet in the morning. After passing through Summerside we drove past a very unique looking church that was built during the 1890’s. We stopped our car to take some photos. The building next door, which I assume is the rectory, is very old and undergoing restoration. From here it’s about another 30 minutes to Les Maisons de Bouteilles (AKA the Bottle Houses).
The Bottle Houses were built by Edouard Arsenault. Construction began in 1980. Edouard collected his bottles from local restaurants and dance halls in the community, in addition to using discarded votive holders from Catholic churches. From 1980 to 1984 he collected over 25,000 bottles for his project. His first building is a six-gabled house. He then subsequently built a tavern and a chapel. Sadly, Edouard died in 1984 at the young age of 70. Unfortunately, all 3 buildings had to be reconstructed in the 1990’s due to damages caused by the movement of the buildings during each spring thaw.
The bottle houses are very interesting and unique, and we appreciate the hard work and creativity involved. However, what we think really enhanced this site are the beautiful gardens and sculptures.
We originally intended on driving all the way to Tignish but we realized we didn’t have the time for the drive, especially since our plans included visiting the amazing Dunes Art Gallery and Gardens in Brackley Beach. Rain was predicted for the next day, and we knew we wanted to visit the gallery on a sunny day. So, we drove back to Summerside for a lunch stop. We had lunch at the Breakwater located on the harbor. I ordered my first lobster roll in PEI, which was very good with a mixture of shredded lobster and lobster chunks. My husband ordered fried whole clams, and they were delicious, much better than the clams I had at Clam Diggers.
From Summerside, it’s about a 45-minute drive to the Dunes Gallery, Gardens & Café. This gallery is absolutely amazing!!! It’s one of the highlights of our trip. The gallery was founded by Peter Jansons, who is the potter. I felt like we were in a major art museum, and we didn’t have to pay. (Although we ended up buying pottery for our two daughters and their husbands for their anniversary gifts!) I don’t see how anyone could leave here without buying anything. 😊 We also think the prices are reasonable. I thought they would be at least twice the price.
This stunning gallery is filled with beautiful pottery, sculptures, and unique paintings. The gorgeous gardens are filled with sculptures, Buddhist statues, fountains and a pool. There is also a café that serves lunch and dinner. They don’t take reservations for lunch but reservations are required for dinner.
For dinner this evening, we decided to go to Richards Seafood Shack (highly recommended by tlc195) located at Cove Head Harbor. It was very busy when we arrived but the line moves fairly quickly. You place your order at the window and they give you a buzzer. When your food is ready, you pick it up at a different window. There is indoor and outdoor seating. We ate outdoors overlooking the harbor. We both agree the lobster rolls are one of the best, if not the best, that we’ve ever had. Large chunks of fresh excellent quality lobster with just the right amount of mayo and celery. And the fries are to die for! Probably the best I’ve ever had! So, thank you, Tom, for your recommendation!
After breakfast, our first destination for today is the Maisons de Bouteilles, which means driving through a part of PEI we haven’t visited yet. We drove through Summerside, about 45 minutes from Rustico, and seems to be very quiet in the morning. After passing through Summerside we drove past a very unique looking church that was built during the 1890’s. We stopped our car to take some photos. The building next door, which I assume is the rectory, is very old and undergoing restoration. From here it’s about another 30 minutes to Les Maisons de Bouteilles (AKA the Bottle Houses).
The Bottle Houses were built by Edouard Arsenault. Construction began in 1980. Edouard collected his bottles from local restaurants and dance halls in the community, in addition to using discarded votive holders from Catholic churches. From 1980 to 1984 he collected over 25,000 bottles for his project. His first building is a six-gabled house. He then subsequently built a tavern and a chapel. Sadly, Edouard died in 1984 at the young age of 70. Unfortunately, all 3 buildings had to be reconstructed in the 1990’s due to damages caused by the movement of the buildings during each spring thaw.
The bottle houses are very interesting and unique, and we appreciate the hard work and creativity involved. However, what we think really enhanced this site are the beautiful gardens and sculptures.
We originally intended on driving all the way to Tignish but we realized we didn’t have the time for the drive, especially since our plans included visiting the amazing Dunes Art Gallery and Gardens in Brackley Beach. Rain was predicted for the next day, and we knew we wanted to visit the gallery on a sunny day. So, we drove back to Summerside for a lunch stop. We had lunch at the Breakwater located on the harbor. I ordered my first lobster roll in PEI, which was very good with a mixture of shredded lobster and lobster chunks. My husband ordered fried whole clams, and they were delicious, much better than the clams I had at Clam Diggers.
From Summerside, it’s about a 45-minute drive to the Dunes Gallery, Gardens & Café. This gallery is absolutely amazing!!! It’s one of the highlights of our trip. The gallery was founded by Peter Jansons, who is the potter. I felt like we were in a major art museum, and we didn’t have to pay. (Although we ended up buying pottery for our two daughters and their husbands for their anniversary gifts!) I don’t see how anyone could leave here without buying anything. 😊 We also think the prices are reasonable. I thought they would be at least twice the price.
This stunning gallery is filled with beautiful pottery, sculptures, and unique paintings. The gorgeous gardens are filled with sculptures, Buddhist statues, fountains and a pool. There is also a café that serves lunch and dinner. They don’t take reservations for lunch but reservations are required for dinner.
For dinner this evening, we decided to go to Richards Seafood Shack (highly recommended by tlc195) located at Cove Head Harbor. It was very busy when we arrived but the line moves fairly quickly. You place your order at the window and they give you a buzzer. When your food is ready, you pick it up at a different window. There is indoor and outdoor seating. We ate outdoors overlooking the harbor. We both agree the lobster rolls are one of the best, if not the best, that we’ve ever had. Large chunks of fresh excellent quality lobster with just the right amount of mayo and celery. And the fries are to die for! Probably the best I’ve ever had! So, thank you, Tom, for your recommendation!
Sep 3rd, 2023, 04:32 PM
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Interesting old church built in the 1890's. The gate was built in 1924.
The church's cemetery with interesting gate
Another view of the church and cemetery
The tavern at Les Maisons de Bouteilles (Bottle Houses)
Inside the tavern
View of the six-gabled house
Pretty sculpture
Lovely gardens
More gardens
And a fountain and pool
Inside the chapel
View of the six-gabled house
Replica of the Cap Egmont lighthouse seen from the six-gabled house
Summerside harbor where we had lunch
Last edited by KarenWoo; Sep 3rd, 2023 at 04:36 PM.
Sep 3rd, 2023, 04:52 PM
#23
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Interior of the Dunes Art Gallery - so beautiful!
We were lucky to find the owner/potter, Peter Jansons, working today!
The amazing gardens at the Dunes Art Gallery
Simply beautiful!
I hope our photos show why the gallery and gardens was one of the highlights of our trip!
Just had to have my photo taken in these beautiful gardens
Buddha and hydrangeas - couldn't ask for a better combination
The cafe at the Dunes Gallery
Awesome collection of paintings
This is one of my favorite paintings! So unique!
Another gorgeous painting
And another one !
Mesmerizing!
More beautiful flowers!
Love the alligator!
Sep 4th, 2023, 01:49 AM
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Karen,
I am so happy your trip to PEI went so well and you tried some of our suggestions. I agree The Dunes is an amazing place especially the gardens outside. My wife, a long time gardener, is always amazed by the gardens and how well kept they are. We recently purchased a new home and she was trying to figure out out to landscape the home constructed some 50 years ago. She was inspired by the way they piled mounds of dirt and planted the trees and shrubs on the mounds so you can see everything. We have a large slope in the rear yard and I will be digging many holes to plant trees and shrubs when we get home!! Both of my daughters and their significant others spent time with us the last 2 weeks and they always visit the Dunes to buy stuff. I do not think of all the times we have visited the Dunes we have not bought anything! A very unique place as far as gift shops are concerned and believe me we have been to many in our travels..lol.
As far as gardens we visited The PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow the other day and the gardens were very nice. They are free to walk around they also have some goats and horses. They have a butterfly house house, admission is $10, which was amazing with many different butterflies. They fly around you and land on you if you stand still, very fun to experience. Oh the jams they sell are amazing too, free samples but be very careful they are so delicious you will spend a lot of $$ trying to decide which one. You can watch them making the jams too!
https://preservecompany.com/
Thanks again for your trip reports and amazing photos.
Tom
I am so happy your trip to PEI went so well and you tried some of our suggestions. I agree The Dunes is an amazing place especially the gardens outside. My wife, a long time gardener, is always amazed by the gardens and how well kept they are. We recently purchased a new home and she was trying to figure out out to landscape the home constructed some 50 years ago. She was inspired by the way they piled mounds of dirt and planted the trees and shrubs on the mounds so you can see everything. We have a large slope in the rear yard and I will be digging many holes to plant trees and shrubs when we get home!! Both of my daughters and their significant others spent time with us the last 2 weeks and they always visit the Dunes to buy stuff. I do not think of all the times we have visited the Dunes we have not bought anything! A very unique place as far as gift shops are concerned and believe me we have been to many in our travels..lol.
As far as gardens we visited The PEI Preserve Company in New Glasgow the other day and the gardens were very nice. They are free to walk around they also have some goats and horses. They have a butterfly house house, admission is $10, which was amazing with many different butterflies. They fly around you and land on you if you stand still, very fun to experience. Oh the jams they sell are amazing too, free samples but be very careful they are so delicious you will spend a lot of $$ trying to decide which one. You can watch them making the jams too!
https://preservecompany.com/
Thanks again for your trip reports and amazing photos.
Tom
Last edited by tlc195; Sep 4th, 2023 at 02:01 AM.
Sep 4th, 2023, 07:50 AM
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Hi Tom,
Thank you for your kind words, and I appreciate that you included the link to my TR in the other thread about PEI. And thanks for sharing about your new home and gardens. I hope you have cool, dry weather to dig all those holes!
We drove past the PEI Preserve Company but we didn't make the time to stop. Not sure where we were heading to. The jams and other products look wonderful!
Now on to the rest of my TR. We only have one day left.
Karen
Thank you for your kind words, and I appreciate that you included the link to my TR in the other thread about PEI. And thanks for sharing about your new home and gardens. I hope you have cool, dry weather to dig all those holes!
We drove past the PEI Preserve Company but we didn't make the time to stop. Not sure where we were heading to. The jams and other products look wonderful!
Now on to the rest of my TR. We only have one day left.
Karen
Sep 4th, 2023, 08:47 AM
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August 26, 2023: A Delicious Lunch, and (almost) Getting Stuck in Red Mud!
Today is our last full day on Prince Edward Island! We could use another week here! We woke up to pouring rain and wind. This is our only rainy day on PEI so a good day to visit a museum.
We walked across the street to the Farmer’s Bank of Rustico and Doucet House. The bank was in operation between 1864 and 1894. Father Belcourt, the new priest at St. Augustine’s church (which is next door), created the Bank to help the Acadians, mainly poor French-speaking farmers and fishermen. They were able to get loans at very low interest rates. The Bank is the precursor to the Credit Union movement in North America. He also created a Model School to educate young men. So his hard work and dedication enabled the Acadians to lift themselves from poverty. The Bank is now a museum that tells the story of the bank, the Acadians, and Father Belcourt.
Next door is the small Doucet House which is the oldest or one of the oldest structures on PEI. It was originally built across the bay but was moved at some point to Rustico.
From here we drove back to the Dunes Gallery for more shopping and to have lunch! We decided yesterday this place is so beautiful and the menu so interesting that we had to have lunch here. We purchased a few more gifts for our daughters and for us and for friends we planned to visit in NH on our way home. We were lucky to get a table by the window overlooking the gardens. For a starter, we both had the butternut squash soup which is probably the best I’ve had. My husband had the Balinese Pork and Pineapple Nasi Goreng, and I ordered the pizza of the day, a Thai pizza with Thai meatballs, pineapple and potatoes. Both meals are delicious!
After lunch, we drove to Charlottetown. We had not visited Charlottetown yet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best day to visit not only because of the rain but because of the wind. And my husband doesn’t like getting wet. 😊 Our umbrellas were useless in the wind. So we drove around the city to see what it looks like. Then we got out our trusty map and decided to drive to Rocky Point. Our map indicated there are 3 lighthouses there. On our way out of the city, we saw COW Creamery and knew we had to stop for ice cream! The place was mobbed with people. Our ice cream is delicious! Very creamy. There is a wonderful gift shop where we bought t-shirts for our grandchildren. And you can take a do-it-yourself tour of the ice cream factory.
We continued on our way to Rocky Point but could not find signs for the lighthouses. We did stop at the Amherst National Historic Site. I started to walk down a trail hoping to find a light house but it was much too rainy and windy. So we decided to return to our inn.
We had reservations this evening for dinner at the Malpeque Oyster Barn, about 40 minutes from our inn. I don’t know if there is a better way to drive there but our GPS took us on a route that was not paved when we were about 10 minutes away from the restaurant. We ventured down the red muddy road because we could see pavement at the end. But the pavement only lasted for a mile and then there was a very long stretch of red muddy road with potholes. As soon as we attempted this, we knew we made a mistake and were very worried we would get stuck in the muddy potholes. So we immediately turned around and I cancelled our reservations.
We decided we would stop at the first restaurant we saw on our back to Rustico. I was getting a bit worried because restaurants close rather early on PEI. Luckily, we came across the Sou’West Bar and Grill in New London, and it was wonderful! It’s located right on the water, and they have an open deck by the water, but it was getting dark and the weather wasn’t conducive to eating outside. It’s a fun place and very popular, and seems to be frequented by more locals than tourists. There were lots of young families and adults who all seemed to know each other. And the nice surprise is that they have music. There was a singer/guitarist who was quite good. And good food, too. We shared oysters (had to have our oysters)! My husband ordered a huge bowl of seafood chowder, and I ordered grilled scallops which were cooked perfectly. So this was a nice find!
Today is our last full day on Prince Edward Island! We could use another week here! We woke up to pouring rain and wind. This is our only rainy day on PEI so a good day to visit a museum.
We walked across the street to the Farmer’s Bank of Rustico and Doucet House. The bank was in operation between 1864 and 1894. Father Belcourt, the new priest at St. Augustine’s church (which is next door), created the Bank to help the Acadians, mainly poor French-speaking farmers and fishermen. They were able to get loans at very low interest rates. The Bank is the precursor to the Credit Union movement in North America. He also created a Model School to educate young men. So his hard work and dedication enabled the Acadians to lift themselves from poverty. The Bank is now a museum that tells the story of the bank, the Acadians, and Father Belcourt.
Next door is the small Doucet House which is the oldest or one of the oldest structures on PEI. It was originally built across the bay but was moved at some point to Rustico.
From here we drove back to the Dunes Gallery for more shopping and to have lunch! We decided yesterday this place is so beautiful and the menu so interesting that we had to have lunch here. We purchased a few more gifts for our daughters and for us and for friends we planned to visit in NH on our way home. We were lucky to get a table by the window overlooking the gardens. For a starter, we both had the butternut squash soup which is probably the best I’ve had. My husband had the Balinese Pork and Pineapple Nasi Goreng, and I ordered the pizza of the day, a Thai pizza with Thai meatballs, pineapple and potatoes. Both meals are delicious!
After lunch, we drove to Charlottetown. We had not visited Charlottetown yet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best day to visit not only because of the rain but because of the wind. And my husband doesn’t like getting wet. 😊 Our umbrellas were useless in the wind. So we drove around the city to see what it looks like. Then we got out our trusty map and decided to drive to Rocky Point. Our map indicated there are 3 lighthouses there. On our way out of the city, we saw COW Creamery and knew we had to stop for ice cream! The place was mobbed with people. Our ice cream is delicious! Very creamy. There is a wonderful gift shop where we bought t-shirts for our grandchildren. And you can take a do-it-yourself tour of the ice cream factory.
We continued on our way to Rocky Point but could not find signs for the lighthouses. We did stop at the Amherst National Historic Site. I started to walk down a trail hoping to find a light house but it was much too rainy and windy. So we decided to return to our inn.
We had reservations this evening for dinner at the Malpeque Oyster Barn, about 40 minutes from our inn. I don’t know if there is a better way to drive there but our GPS took us on a route that was not paved when we were about 10 minutes away from the restaurant. We ventured down the red muddy road because we could see pavement at the end. But the pavement only lasted for a mile and then there was a very long stretch of red muddy road with potholes. As soon as we attempted this, we knew we made a mistake and were very worried we would get stuck in the muddy potholes. So we immediately turned around and I cancelled our reservations.
We decided we would stop at the first restaurant we saw on our back to Rustico. I was getting a bit worried because restaurants close rather early on PEI. Luckily, we came across the Sou’West Bar and Grill in New London, and it was wonderful! It’s located right on the water, and they have an open deck by the water, but it was getting dark and the weather wasn’t conducive to eating outside. It’s a fun place and very popular, and seems to be frequented by more locals than tourists. There were lots of young families and adults who all seemed to know each other. And the nice surprise is that they have music. There was a singer/guitarist who was quite good. And good food, too. We shared oysters (had to have our oysters)! My husband ordered a huge bowl of seafood chowder, and I ordered grilled scallops which were cooked perfectly. So this was a nice find!
Sep 4th, 2023, 08:54 AM
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The Doucet House - one of the oldest (or possibly the oldest) structures on PEI
Gardens in the Rain
Butternut Squash soup at the Dunes Gallery and Cafe
Balinese Pork and Pineapple Nasi Goreng
Thai Pizza - the special pizza of the day
Our car after attempting the muddy red road
Raw oysters at the Sou'West Bar and Grill
Grilled scallops at the Sou'West Bar and Grill
Sep 4th, 2023, 09:20 AM
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August 27, 2023: Farewell to PEI – a beautiful place!
We checked out of the Barachois Inn today and started our 5-hour drive to Jonesboro, Maine, where we spent the night at the Chandler River Inn. From here we drove to NH where we visited with friends at their lake house for 2 nights. All in all, a perfect trip. And we love roadtrips, which we haven’t done for awhile. So much more relaxing than flying and dealing with airports, delays, etc.
General Impressions: We love PEI. It is very pretty and also peaceful and serene. We love the fresh seafood, the farmland, the beaches and cliffs, and I love the red sand! (My husband doesn’t. He is a neatnik and wasn’t happy with our muddy car.) I would return in a heartbeat but we tend not to re-visit places. There are many new places we haven’t been to and at our ages (we are both in our 70’s) we don’t know how much longer we have to travel. Hopefully, we have a good 10 years ahead of us, but one never knows.
Would I do anything differently in planning this trip? Probably not, except to add more days, but isn’t that always the case? I am very happy we decided to stay in two places. We were able to see a lot of PEI without doing a ton of driving. I was originally thinking of spending all 6 nights in one place and taking day trips but that would have meant too much driving and wasting time in the car.
Some highlights:
Greenwich Dunes Boardwalk
Basin Head Provincial Park
East Point Lighthouse
Dunes Studio Gallery and Café
Richard’s Seafood Shack for lobster rolls
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers
Our oyster tasting at Julio’s Seafood Market
And I would add the Sou’West Bar and Grill to the list – an unplanned stop and very memorable.
We checked out of the Barachois Inn today and started our 5-hour drive to Jonesboro, Maine, where we spent the night at the Chandler River Inn. From here we drove to NH where we visited with friends at their lake house for 2 nights. All in all, a perfect trip. And we love roadtrips, which we haven’t done for awhile. So much more relaxing than flying and dealing with airports, delays, etc.
General Impressions: We love PEI. It is very pretty and also peaceful and serene. We love the fresh seafood, the farmland, the beaches and cliffs, and I love the red sand! (My husband doesn’t. He is a neatnik and wasn’t happy with our muddy car.) I would return in a heartbeat but we tend not to re-visit places. There are many new places we haven’t been to and at our ages (we are both in our 70’s) we don’t know how much longer we have to travel. Hopefully, we have a good 10 years ahead of us, but one never knows.
Would I do anything differently in planning this trip? Probably not, except to add more days, but isn’t that always the case? I am very happy we decided to stay in two places. We were able to see a lot of PEI without doing a ton of driving. I was originally thinking of spending all 6 nights in one place and taking day trips but that would have meant too much driving and wasting time in the car.
Some highlights:
Greenwich Dunes Boardwalk
Basin Head Provincial Park
East Point Lighthouse
Dunes Studio Gallery and Café
Richard’s Seafood Shack for lobster rolls
New Glasgow Lobster Suppers
Our oyster tasting at Julio’s Seafood Market
And I would add the Sou’West Bar and Grill to the list – an unplanned stop and very memorable.
Sep 6th, 2023, 10:01 AM
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Re-reading your trip, enjoying the photos, something you wrote:
"Hopefully, we have a good 10 years ahead of us, but one never knows."
made me think of a saying in our family:
" we more years behind us than in front of us"
That's one of the reasons we try to have enjoyable travel experiences.
Travel adds to life - happy travels.
"Hopefully, we have a good 10 years ahead of us, but one never knows."
made me think of a saying in our family:
" we more years behind us than in front of us"
That's one of the reasons we try to have enjoyable travel experiences.
Travel adds to life - happy travels.
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