Across the water to PEI

After another hotel b’fast, we walked up Main Street for a short way in search of a coffee to no avail. Starbucks and Tims the only options nearby. So we loaded up the truck and made for PEI.  Stopped at the entry to the Confederation Bridge and walked along to the lighthouse for a view of the 13 km long link between PEI and the mainland.  Quite a marvel.  We had expected to pay a toll, but the only toll is to get off the island.  It was immediately apparent that PEI is a remarkable place, the countryside leading to Charlottetown was very picturesque.  We arrived early to our boutique hotel The Great George and were releived to find one of our rooms ready for check in so we could drop our bags. We walked down to the Merchant Man on Water Street for a light lunch on the patio.  Charlottetown is lovely and the old buildings of great interest.  After lunch, we made our way back to the Great George to finish checking in.  So far, our accommodation has been merely adequate with this hotel being the first “boutique” style we’ve stayed at.  I could go on about the quality of this beautiful hotel, but suffice it to say that we will stay here if we ever have a chance to return to PEI.  My friend Jake had recommended that we take in the Inn at Bay Fortune Fireworks Feast.  Unfortunately, I didn’t try to make the reservation early enough and we wound up being 87th on the waiting list for this small Inn in the middle of nowhere on PEI.  We enlisted the help of Jake’s cousin Cathy Rose to see if we could get some leverage to move up the list.  Alas, after phoning numerous times over the last couple days,  the Inn at Bay Fortune did not have any cancellations that would accommodate all four of us.  We decided to drive by anyway in the remote chance that someone would not show up.  Glad we did as the Inn is quite a spectacular spot and we could see what all the fuss is about readily.  Michael Smith (proprietor and celebrity chef) has developed the old inn on a property overlooking bay fortune in an isolated spot about 70 km from Charlottetown.  Since we were there, Cathy Rose invited us to come and meet her so we popped by her cottage on the bay to meet her and her husband (?) David.  David whipped up some great gin and tonics for Karen and the boys while I had a Copper Bottom IPA and we sat on the shore and enjoyed a great visit.  Turns out there is a local gin distillery and upon our departure, Cathy insisted that Myles have a bottle of it as a souvenir.  It was a very pleasant visit and a small taste of the renowned maritime hospitality, methinks!  We only had an hour though, as I had set up plan B reservation at Dalvay by the Sea in the event that we didn’t get a table for the Feast.  From a recommendation made by Denise, we made our way over to Dalvay.  The Inn is located in a National Park, and what a beautiful historic structure built by one of the Standard Oil tycoon’s of the late 17th century - Alexander MacDonald.  Apparently, creating a summer cottage like this in remote locations was a favoured pastime of the extremely wealthy during that epoch.  While we were very disappointed to have missed out at Bay Fortune, this proved to be a more than adequate second choice (very facetious emoticon here).  The interior was stunning and we enjoyed sitting by an open window with a summer breeze making completing the entire ambiance.  After a lobster supper, we made our way back to the Great George and while Karen and I sipped a glass of wine in the room, the boys went off to find a Ceili.  Ever since our visit to Big Rideau lake, Matthew has repeated wondered aloud why we don’t “buy an island” for the Woofter clan.  He now thinks this island would suffice.