PEI Recommendations

PEI is one big tourist trap. That's how they make there money, tourism and potatoes!

#1 beat me to it - you're a tourist, like 99.9% of other people visiting PEI in the summer, and yet want to avoid the "tourist traps"? Huh? Buy a guidebook, rent a car, go explore...in other words, be a tourist.

i don't remember the name of it but there is a provincial park that you have to walk in a ways over marshes and then there are some great sand dunes and then a FABULOUS beach. i think it was on the east side of the island. if you ask at a tourist information place, hopefuly my description will give them enough to name it. when we were there, there was only 2 other people on the beach. i thought it was a very romantic spot for a couple. it is about 1/2 hour (i think) walk from the parking lot to the beach. most of it is in open area so bring lots of water. it was about 30 above when we did it and boy that water was appreciated.
if you like to go out fishing, i'd head to north rustico by cavandish beach and go hang out at the harbor asking if anyone is going out the next day and would take out some tourists. that's a fun way of spending a few hours and usually doesn't cost too much.

sltt means Greenwich National Park near St. Peters Bay. It is worth a visit for sure.

Don't go near Cavendish, home of all things Anne, but it is easy to avoid the worst of the tourists if you don't go there. The beaches are best on the north shore or down east, near Souris or Montague, but the water is warmer on the south shore. Some parts of the national park beaches are crowded (the eastern end by Dalvey is less so), but you can just walk farther to get away from that. Or go to almost any of the provincial parks to access the beach and walk as far as you want.

For restaurants I like The Corner at Prince and Water, which is casual but usually good. If you want to go more upmarket, I like the Dundee Arms. Both are in Charlottetown, and there are a couple of good pubs and more restaurants there as well.

Anna's Country Kitchen in Crapaud (next to the Red Rooster on highway 1) is a neat restaurant. Dirt cheap good home cooked food, mostly patronized by locals.

PEI is a place to putter around and take things slowly, chat to people (they mostly like to talk). Drive around the back roads and the scenic drives. Visit the lighthouses at East Point and North Cape. There are many music and theater performances, so take in one or two. Rent bikes, go fishing. There are lots of things to do if you are interested.

I did not find PEI to be one big tourist trap. I found it to be a beautiful, peaceful, and interesting place with many different fascinating areas. Green National Park is a must-see, as is the St. Peter's Bay area. Charlottetown has so much history, being the birthplace of confederation. We really enjoyed wandering through Victoria by the Sea, it has a nice little coffee place with tables on the porch. I think the restaurant in old Charlottetown was Fishbones, very good. Do eat some PEI mussels, they are wonderful. Take it slow and enjoy the tranquility of the Island.

I personally think PEI is the most relaxing place on earth. As aero says, if you want to avoid being beaten over the head with Anne and surrounded by tour buses, stay away from Cavendish. The beach there is beautiful but there are lots of others that are just as beautiful and much less well known.

There used to be a restaurant in Charlottetown that served only things made with potatoes (okay, maybe mostly things made with potatoes). Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Is it still there? It was a lot better than it sounds.

We stayed in Stanley Bridge south of Cavendish and had a great time. Mind you it was after the long weekend in September and things were closing in a hurry. There are access points to the Cavendish beaches which local know about, so at least you don't have to pay for the experience. Lobster dinner in New Glasgow was a treat, but try to beat out the tour buses if you can...

Another vote for Greenwich Beach. The main beach is nothing special, but if you do the dunes walk that sltt describes than you will find one of the most beautiful and usually quiet beaches on the Island. I went there a few times last summer and never seen more than 10 people there.
As for avoiding tourists, it's kind of impossible, but don't be put off by it. If you stay away from Anne's house and and the traps in Cavendish then you'll find that despite being filled with tourism, the Island is still authentic and peaceful. And even on Cavendish Beach, at the boardwalk, attending the theater etc... you'll find a large percentage of the people are locals anyway, who enjoy these things as much as the visitors. Even the lobster suppers, which are a major tourist attraction and get there share of tour buses, are patronized by many locals at least a couple times a summer.

And yes, you can wear a "I hate Anne" shirt and no one will blink an eye. While I wouldn't say that most Islanders hate Anne at all, many of us do get rather annoyed by the fact that it's our claim to fame and the only image that many have of the Island. It was particularly painful when our license plates had Anne's face on it, and alot of people scratched her out or put stickers over her.