PEI

Note to future travellers headed to the maritimes- it's not Southern Ontario- Fill up on gas when you are in a city. Some places seem to have no gas stations for ages. Particularly when the red light is on on the gas tank and you are miles from Charlottetown. 

We have visited several provincial parks, enjoyed our own private beach, seen some lighthouses, gotten a lecture from a fisherman on the illegality of catching your own oysters(wasn't gonna! ) because apparently they've all leased the rights to the ocean. Well, who knew you could do that? Maybe I'll lease a piece and give people crap for using it and littering in it.

Our cottage is really lovely, but the floor's a bit rough in spots/gappy and I managed to slit my toe the first night, which hurt like crazy and made it hard to walk the first two days, but it's healing enough now to be alright. The beach isn't so much of a beach, as a seaweed respository, but it's ok. I've been clearing an area every day for the kids so they can walk to it and play on the beach so that's enough to keep them happy.

We've seen so much of this lovely island, and yet I feel like there is likely so much more we haven't seen!

We went to the Confederation/parliament building- which was lovely, visited the harbour at Charlottetown, went to Panmure island lighthouse and provincial park, Thunder Cove, Cabot beach, Summerside, and we ate supper at the New Glasgow Lobster supper. It was so much food, I can't imagine eating it all, but the waitress assured me that not only do people eat it, they have extra buckets of muscles, and some courses that we were too full to eat!   Pictured is B. realizing that if she eats her whole soup, after already eating mussels and fresh bread, and salad, she will be too full to eat her meal. 

Day 1 is done!

We made it approximately 759 km today. Got in the car by 7:30 am and pulled into the hotel at 7:38pm.   We spent 2 1/2 hours playing at the museum, made 3, or so bathroom stops, and still had time to get some swimming in!The kids enjoyed their brief visit to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester.   http://www.museumofplay.org/    We've been there before, and they knew they were basically taking a break to stretch their legs, so they picked the parts they wanted to see the most before we hit the highway again.(Be warned, the exit is under construction as of July 24, and had a detour that I missed, which threw me off a bit)   We then spent the next 5 1/2 hours on the road to Massachusetts.
Surprisingly there wasn't a massive amount of whining, though one teen with an upset stomach was still periodically sick throughout the day. I blame the gravol.
We got off the highway in Westfield, MA for the night. The Hiexpress
This Holiday Inn express is decent. It seems fairly new,the bedroom is two double beds, and then a separate area with a sofa bed as well, some benches to rest our stuff, or us on, and a nice chair/ottoman combo. A desk, fridge, etc as well.  The pool's ph or something is a little off, but it's nice and warm, we were pleasantly surprised all around. The kids think the big aquarium in the lobby is neat too.  At this point, I'd stay here again. Of course I have no intention of driving this far again for  a while...
 Well, not until the way home anyway! Tomorrow we head for NH. Live Free or Die. Is that the best state motto ever or what?

1800+ km to go!

Dawn has arrived and is gloomy and cold.  Not sure whether to be glad it won't be scorching in the car or not.  4 days till we hit PEI ! Currently one preschooler is crying because daddy can't go with us.  Another is crying in bed because he has to get up (usually he's up ages before the rest of us). One teen likely never slept, and the other has taken gravol and is nursing an anxious upset stomach.  Woohoo! It's time to hit the road!  Maybe I should go without the rest of them. At this point it might be more fun 😛.

Approximately 750km to our first night stop- hoping to squeeze in a stop at the Rochester Museum of Play to break the ride up a bit.  

Start your engines, cause this road trip is about to begin!

This is Z and I on the carousel at the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester.  I was actually trying not be be sick. Rides and I are not friends, but he's usually terrified to go on, and wanted to, so I braved it.