(the back of Green Gables)

Okay our whole reason for going to New York was because it was our layover city before going to Prince Edward Island. I have always dreamed of going to PEI because of Anne of Green Gables. I grew up on the movie and books and always wanted to go. So my sister, mom and I decided to make a trip and man was it worth it. New York was only the beginning. We then flew into Charlottetown (sound familiar any Anne of Green Gables fans) and started our journey there. May I say that I have never been to a more beautiful place before. I was in complete awe of the green hills and fields, the red sand and the blue water. It was awesome. We stayed in Charlottetown and then drove to Anne of Green Gables shore our first day. Our first stop was Green Gables. The house that the she based the book on. Man I could just picture Anne there. Most of the history was all about L.M. Montgomery. It was so cool to learn so much about her and find out about how and why she came up with the different characters in the book.

Sarah and my mom in front of the Haunted Woods. This is the view from the front of the house.

The front of Green Gables.

(in front of Haunted Woods)

Can't you just picture Matthew working in this field. This is the view from the front of the house on the right side of the Haunted Woods. Funny enough a few minutes after I took this picture a couple of golf carts appeared. It is actually a golf course. But when they aren't there I can see Matthew in the field.

(Sarah and my mom in the Haunted Woods)

My mom and I in Lovers Lane. It was so green and lush but with all the greenery comes very very large bugs. I think I could live there except for the bugs.

Our next stop was the house of L.M. Montgomery's cousins. They have set it up as a museum and the Lake of Shining Waters is located by it. The house is actually still run by her cousins and so we were able to talk with them and find out more of what she was like. Really very nice.
At the house we took a carriage ride by the Lake of Shining Waters. Many mosquitos but fortunately never of us have ever been bit by a mosquito.

After the carriage ride I started my quest for finding a lighthouse like the one in the movie. We took the scenic route and on the map they had lighthouses scattered all over it. But everytime we drove to one it would be located on a private road and so we couldn't get to them. Then the ones that we were able to get to were located no where near the water. Like the one above it was just next to house. I couldn't figure it out because I really wanted to find a lighthouse to get a picture with the red sand. But I was having no luck.

Then we happened onto this lighthouse and it was the closest one to the water we had seen. So we were out in front taking pictures when this man came over and asked if we wanted to go in. Of course we said yes. He was a very happy drunk man who liked to get in a person's personal space but he let us go to the very top of the lighthouse so it was worth it. That is Sarah and I in the window. The stairs were very narrow and I have no idea how they carried kerosene up them. But from this gentleman we finally learned why most of the lighthouses weren't next to water. It turns out there were many reefs located in the water that were dangerous for ships to pass through. Usually there was a narrow opening and the way the boats found it was by the lining up of 3 lighthouse lights on the same point. Does that make sense. Anyways the gist of it was that the lighthouses weren't just shining on the water, they needed to be lined up with other lighthouses.

Then just as we finished our scenic tour I found this lighthouse from a distance. I used my huge zoom and this was as close as I got but at least it was next to the water with the red sands.

This is how much of the trip was spent. Me getting out to take pictures of the scenery and my mom and sister reading a book.

On our last day we drove to a place called Avonlea. It is a town they have set up to look like Avonlea with a school house and church and any other buildings that might have been there. They let you wander around and dress up and do all sorts of activities. Unfortunately we were a few weeks before they were open for business, but they let us walk around. Above I am Anne holding my suitcase. It was quite a cool place and we enjoyed being there.

Seriously the green grass, red sand and blue sky made for a gorgeous combination. It was a perfect trip. One of my most memorable ones. We started in New York where it was so beautiful with their huge skyline but no grass except in central park and then ended our trip in a whole different kind of beauty. Wide spans of green. I told Eric we should sell our house and move there and become farmers and I actually meant it. Someday I will go back and make Eric do it all with me :)