Dreaming About Vacations Is Good for You!
My Ideal Vacation is Prince Edward Island. What’s Yours?
Have you always dreamed of visiting a particular place? Unfortunately, many of us have been forced to place our ideal vacations on hold, because of closed borders and lockdowns due to the pandemic. However, the rollout of vaccines will probably make the possibility of travel more promising soon.
Don’t despair. Surprisingly, this is the perfect time to plan a trip! A University of Sussex study, published in 2002, shows that people are actually at their happiest when they have a vacation lined up.
Clinical psychologist, now writer Alice Boyes, says that planning a trip is good for anxiety. She always works out certain specifics of her journey before she gets there, but says that a general approach to planning is best during a pandemic. This could mean learning more about a national park that you want to see, she states.¹
I Dream of Visiting Prince Edward Island
I have wanted to see Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) since I was eleven, because of a certain red-haired orphan called Anne. My grandmother bought me Anne of the Island (the third one in the Green Gables series), and I soon read the rest, even adding an ‘e’ to my second name of Anne. The great singer Aretha Franklin also dreamed of visiting P.E.I. because of Anne, who she called a “can-do kind of girl”, but unfortunately, she never made it.²
Anne certainly was a “can-do kind of girl.” She taught school while studying at night, gained her teaching diploma in double-quick time, and went on to do a Bachelor of Arts degree. All this in the late 1800s when it was unusual for girls to study at all, let alone go to university. Anne still inspires countless girls.
Prince Edward Island is located off the coast of eastern Canada, north of Nova Scotia and east of Quebec. Here are some of the places on the island I would love to visit.
The Anne of Green Gables Heritage Place is First on the List
Although L.M. Montgomery didn’t live here, this is the house that inspired Anne’s beloved Green Gables. The white house with its pretty green trim was the house of the MacNeill’s, Lucy Maud’s cousins. They were a brother and sister not unlike Marilla and Matthew.
Any fan of Anne will be thrilled to see Anne’s simple bedroom with its floral wallpaper, and a brown dress with puffed sleeves hanging up. Other rooms also look interesting, such as Marilla’s sewing room, and the country kitchen. Here, you can imagine Anne looking for raspberry cordial when she was playing host to Diana.
I’d love to walk through Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Woods behind the house, with its maples, birch trees, starflowers, and lilies-of-the-valley. Anne named this “Lover’s Lane” because there was a Lover’s Lane in the book that she and Diana were reading. She thought that this was so romantic. Lucy Maud’s grave is at the end of the trail through the Haunted Wood, a peaceful and beautiful location for the author who loved the island so much.
L.M. Montgomery’s Birthplace is a Popular Attraction
This small museum, located in New London, P.E.I., contains a lot of information about the famous author. Here you can see scrapbooks of her time as a student, writer, and teacher, and her photographs. There is also a replica of her wedding dress, and samples of her delicate needlework.
I would Like to Stay at Dalway by the Sea
This elegant hotel built with the island’s famous sandstone was the residence of the businessman Alexander MacDonald. He called it Dalway by the Sea after his home in Scotland.
This hotel was the White Sand’s Hotel in the 1984 series with Megan Follows. There is a scene in which Anne goes to a recital there, and then loses her manuscript. Papers fly all over the wide, sandy beach. The hotel is visible in the beautifully photographed background.
Enjoy Musicals In Charlottetown
Anne visits Charlottetown sometimes in the novels, but she prefers the country. There are two musicals to see in the city, which are based on Anne’s life: Anne of Green Gables — The Musical and Anne and Gilbert. Unfortunately, the first one was canceled this summer because of the pandemic.
Charlottetown also features the Confederation Centre of the Arts with a historical site, an art gallery, and walking tours. This is where the Founding Fathers of Canada met to form the Federation.
The Victorian Gothic cathedral, St. Dunstan’s, is nearby, and there are also many other historic houses and sites to visit. Dine on delicious, fresh seafood in the plethora of restaurants, and dip into the elegant shops.
Hopefully, this pandemic will soon be over, so that I can travel to Prince Edward Island, and walk in Anne’s footsteps.
References
¹ Here’s why planning a trip can help your mental health
² Why Aretha Franklin found a kindred spirit in Anne of Green Gables
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