Novel Travels: Anne of Green Gables

Since I was 11 I dreamed of Prince Edward Island in Canada. Anyone who has read Anne of Green Gables knows why: Anne's adventures and misadventures allows girls to think they can be themselves and find love while Lucy Maud Montgomery's descriptions of Prince Edward Island bring visions of a magical place before power lines and pollution ruined the countryside.

Back in 2002 I got to visit PEI for ONE DAY. I was a Holland America cruise with my mother and grandparents. They allowed me to plan the entire day, bless them. So I got online and found itineraries and books to help me plan. The most helpful book was Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island. With it as my guide, I planned a very strategic day (too bad I did not have a digital camera at the time or I would share photos).

1st stop: Green Gables in Cavendish in Prince Edward Island National Park. This is the required stop of all who love things Anne as it was LM Montgomery's setting for the novel. After seeing the house, visitors should walk along Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood Trail. And then visit the store, ahem.

2nd stop: Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace in New London. As far as sites go, this is a short stop. The house displays Montgomery's scrapbooks and her wedding dress, giving some insight into the writer's mind.

3rd stop: Anne of Green Gables Museum and the Lake of Shining Waters in Silver Bush. Its rumored to be another version of Green Gables, offers carriage rides and has an inspiring a view of the "lake." What I remember most about this stop was seeing the dozens of girls running around in their "Anne" straw hats with red braids flying--the museum had a good store. It was also where Montgomery got married.

4th stop: The Lucy Maude Montgomery Heritage Museum in Park Corner was a surprise. A simple home, it has some of the figures in the Anne books, like Magog the China dog. It has some of the history of her family and life. If memory serves, it was very close to the Anne of Green Gables Museum. No store though.

We also stopped at Green Gables Post Office and the Cavendish United Church. Neither was very exciting, to be honest.

If I were to return, I would visit Charlottetown and see a performance of Anne of Green Gables and perhaps visit Malpeque Gardens in Malpeque to see the flowers (if I could find a website for them).

Other things: Anne of Green Gables on Project Gutenberg. PEI tourism. Anne Society store at the Green Gables Museum.