Perfectly balanced

Prince Edward Island National Park extends 25 miles along the island's northern shore along the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There are long stretches of sandy beaches, sweeping sand dunes, ponds and woodlands. Many years of wind and wave erosion have carved the park's sand dunes, beaches, and red sandstone cliffs. There are six entrances, one right here in Cavendish.

Our first stop was at the Cavendish Destination Centre, which also serves as the Visitor Center for the Park. We spoke with a young woman who was very familiar with the park trails and, when we told her we were interested in geologic formations, told us about a spot, about 45 minutes from Cavendish, called Thunder Cove. She recommend a couple of hikes and a place where we could get great local seafood. PEI is know for its seafood, especially lobster and shellfish, and I had not yet had any PEI potatoes. I remember from the last time I was here how absolutely out-of-this-world PEI potatoes are (it's the red soil). 

Oceanview Lookoff on the Gulf Shore Way trail. There were a couple of interpretive panels here that said the French and Acadian settlers began to arrive on the Island in the 1720's when it was a French Colony, Isle Saint Jean. 

Orby Head is one of the overlooks along the Gulf Shore Way. That white stuff is bird droppings, guano. 

We wanted something a little more dramatic, so we thought we would check out Thunder Cove. The drive out to Thunder Cove was through some of the island's extraordinary farmland. PEI inland seems mostly agricultural and the farms are exceptionally beautiful, at least to this Indiana farm girl.

I've tried to capture some of the farm landscape. Fields in the background and this lovely field of potatoes in the foreground.

This is a famous viewpoint at French River, "Where the farms meet the waves." Of course, in addition to farming, PEI is about fishing. This little inlet is typical. See the rolling fields in the background?

Another view of the fields. They seem so precise and smooth. It is also wheat harvesting time and there are huge rolls of hay in the fields. The farms are all well kept and farming must be profitable because the farm houses are large and look fairly new.

We had a little difficulty finding Thunder Cove because the sign for the red gravel road had been taken down. We stopped at a store and they were able to tell us right where to go.

In order to get to this section of the beach we had to climb up a sandstone cliff to the top. We almost didn't make the effort, but I'm glad we did otherwise we would have missed this formation.

Then, going on a little further, again we almost didn't go on, we hit the jack-pot with this extraordinary sea stack or "flower pot."

How does it stay up?

This picture should have come first. This is where we walked to the end of the beach and then couldn't go any further and had to climb up the cliff. There are sea caves at the base of this cliff.

After we explored the west end of the beach we walked about 3 km to the east. There were huge sand dunes most of the way until we came to another set of red cliffs. Notice the big blocks that have eroded off the cliff? I have no idea what the driftwood structure is all about.

This evening we had a lobster supper at Fisherman's Wharf in North Rustico. Lobster, PEI new potatoes, a 60 foot long salad bar, and coconut cream pie for dessert. Yum!