Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick 2026: The Trip
Ksenia and I arrived on Prince Edward Island July 26 and stayed through August 2, with more oysters, lobster rolls, and Anne of Green Gables than I can count. We crossed back into New Brunswick on August 3 and spent our last two days at the Bay of Fundy. The Raspberry Point Shuck & Sea tour was the big oyster day: I must have eaten about 50, including some pulled straight from the water. We also got seals, sea caves, a lot of bookstores, and a five-star gas-station-adjacent food stop.
Where we ate
Cavendish, Stanley Bridge, and the north shore of PEI
| Place | What I thought | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Lost Anchor | Fish chowder full of fish and lobster, mussels, and excellent tiramisu and carrot-cake cheesecakes. We returned for another dinner. | ★★★★★ |
| Carr’s Oyster Bar | Lunch by the water in perfect weather, with oysters, fish chowder, shellfish, lobster and shrimp tacos. We came back for more seafood and strawberry champagne cheesecake. | — |
| Fisherman’s Wharf Lobster Suppers | The lobster and shrimp were good. The huge salad bar, chowder, mussels, and desserts were good for buffet food. | ★★★★☆ |
| Raspberry Point Oyster Bar | A fried oyster po’ boy for Ksenia and a lobster roll for me after the oyster-farm tour. | ★★★★☆ |
| Blue Mussel Cafe | Six oysters, mussels, and lobster rolls. | — |
| Malpeque Oyster Barn | Ksenia had an oyster po’ boy; I had oyster chowder and did not like her po’ boy. | — |
| On the Dock | Oysters and mussels with a view in North Rustico. | — |
| North Shore Canteen | A big family-style dinner: beans, steak tartare, mussels, quahogs, tuna crudo, sea bass, hogget, halibut, and hanger steak. | — |
Charlottetown
| Place | What I thought | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Founders’ Food Hall | California roll burrito and prosciutto sandwich for a quick lunch. | — |
| Slaymaker & Nichols | PEI mussels, mushroom appetizer, shrimp scampi, and my lobster BLT. | ★★★★★ |
| Dave’s Lobster | Ksenia’s seafood roll and my half-local, half-fancy lobster roll. | — |
| Sea Rocket | Mussels and truffle fries, lobster roll, lemon tart, and crème brûlée. | — |
| Cows | Blueberry and strawberry ice cream on one visit; we returned for more. | — |
Amherst, Maine
| Place | What I thought | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Brewing Company | Burger and scrambled eggs on the drive north. | ★★★☆☆ |
New Brunswick
| Place | What I thought | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Oh! Fries Take-out Restaurant | A rest stop, not a sit-down restaurant. Great service and hot food; five stars for a rest stop. | ★★★★★ |
| Broadleaf Ranch | Dinner after the drive from PEI: burger, kebabs, and a memorable neighboring table’s nacho order. | — |
| Kelly’s Bake Shop | My sticky bun and Ksenia’s cookies in Alma. | — |
| The Caves Restaurant | Good counter-style seafood, a great waterfront view, fish and chips, and a lobster roll. | ★★★★☆ |
| Octopus | Ice cream after dinner in St. Martins. | — |
| Spinney’s Seafood Market | Lobster rolls after exploring the St. Martins sea caves. | — |
Where we stayed
We began with a night at Elena and Gary’s in Biddeford, Maine. On PEI we stayed at Kindred Spirits Inn & Cottages in Cavendish. Verna was a treat and filled us in on all the Anne things. On August 3 we crossed back to New Brunswick and stayed at Broadleaf Ranch; the house even came with a history lesson about its builder.
Places and experiences
On PEI, we toured Green Gables Heritage Place, walked Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Wood Trail, visited the Anne of Green Gables Museum and Montgomery’s Cavendish historic site, and made repeated bookstore and chocolate stops. We saw seals, cormorants, bald eagles, and a blue heron on a boat trip from Peake’s Wharf. The Raspberry Point Shuck & Sea tour took us through the oyster beds and put us to work shucking. Thunder Cove Beach gave us warm water and singing sand, though no Teacup Rock.
At the end, Hopewell Rocks at low tide had foot-swallowing mud and amazing formations. The walk to Dickson Falls was stunning. We explored the St. Martins Sea Caves on foot and then returned in a kayak, with Ksenia steering from the back.
Day by day
- July 26: The long drive to Cavendish
- July 27: Green Gables, oysters, and Thunder Cove
- July 28: Charlottetown, Slaymaker, and ice cream
- July 29: Seal tour and Charlottetown
- July 30: Oysters straight from the water
- July 31: Mussels, mead, and gin
- August 1: Anne country and the north shore
- August 2: Montgomery’s Cavendish and a family-style dinner
- August 3: Across the bridge to Broadleaf Ranch
- August 4: Hopewell Rocks and Dickson Falls
- August 5: St. Martins sea caves by foot and kayak