I Lived Out My Bookworm Desires at This Historic Inn on Canada’s Prince Edward Island

For some bookworms — of which I proudly depend myself — Prince Edward Island in Canada is synonymous with «Anne of Inexperienced Gables.» Situated between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, PEI serves because the backdrop for L.M. Montgomery’s timeless story and holds a cherished place within the hearts of guide lovers throughout the globe. Within the pages of the beloved tome, Montgomery, a PEI native, launched readers to the precocious, ruddy-haired orphan, Anne Shirley. As a pre-teen, I learn the fictional collection and was captivated by Anne’s boundless creativeness and the creator’s charming descriptions of PEI.

Guided by this love of Montgomery’s writing and a longing to expertise the world she artfully depicted, I launched into a solo literary pilgrimage to Canada’s smallest province. I yearned to see the landscapes that formed the author and sparked my wanderlust many moons in the past. 

After spending a day «nerding out» whereas visiting landmarks related to Montgomery’s legacy, I headed to my house for the following two nights, Dalvay by the Sea. The lodge is inside the Prince Edward Island Nationwide Park, a couple of half-hour drive from Charlottetown. Friends of this 25-room lodge will really feel like they’ve entered a time capsule. Initially constructed in 1895 by a Scottish-born American oil magnate as a summer time house, Dalvay by the Sea is immediately an instance of Queen Anne Revival structure and designated a Nationwide Historic Web site.

Approaching the grand property, I used to be instantly struck by the sweeping round veranda overlooking Dalvay Lake. The distinctive cobblestone base of the constructing caught my eye — its artery-red hue mirrored the sand on the seaside a number of yards away. Getting into the foyer, the preserved woodwork alongside the partitions, vintage furnishings, and décor all work collectively. Dalvay by the Sea oozes with nostalgic magnificence, and I could not shake the sensation that I would in some way stepped onto the pages of one among Montgomery’s cherished novels.

After checking in, I giggled as I autographed an old-school guestbook perched on a small stand. The clerk defined that though Wi-Fi may very well be accessed from anyplace on the property, there have been no televisions, telephones, radios, or clocks within the visitor rooms within the manor. I had a reservation for one of many three-bedroom cottages with a tv. Regardless of having extra tech, I opted to eschew any display screen time and persist with my plan to unplug and luxuriate in my environment throughout my keep.

Learn on for my evaluation of Dalvay by the Sea.

The Rooms

There are 25 visitor rooms in the primary manor and eight three-bedroom cottages on the property. No two rooms are alike on this historic lodge. «Each room is exclusive as a result of it is an outdated inn,» the lodge’s normal supervisor, David McDonald, mentioned,

Every has classic furnishings and options picket accents. McDonald added, «Most people come right here to unwind and to flee. We have no telephones, TVs, radios or clocks within the rooms. There is no mini-fridges or microwaves or something like that within the room.»

Three-bedroom cottages are inside strolling distance of the primary lodge for these searching for more room and privateness. I stayed in one of many cottages with one toilet. There have been two bedrooms on the primary degree, and the main bedroom was upstairs in a loft overlooking the lounge.

In contrast to the 25 visitor rooms within the manor, the cottages are geared up with a mini-fridge and tv. 

«Throughout peak season, the [rooms] begin from $299, and the cottages go as much as $625,» McDonald added.

Meals and Drink

The property’s restaurant, the MacMillan Eating Room, serves tasty, stick-to-your-ribs delicacies that highlights the most effective native and garden-fresh substances, some grown and picked from the on-site backyard.

My appetizer for the primary night time, the spring salad, was so pleasant that I could not resist ordering it for my ultimate dinner. For the entrée, I loved the crispy-skinned trout, complemented with a vegetable medley and smoked butter mashed potatoes. On the second night time, I savored the prosciutto-wrapped rooster paired with black lentil risotto and a wealthy puttanesca sauce.

Though I solely ate dinner, the restaurant additionally serves breakfast and lunch. Some breakfast choices embody eggs Benedict, a granola parfait, and the island breakfast, which options two eggs, Larkins sausage, home bacon, apple rosemary latkes, and sourdough toast. For lunch, visitors can select from a seafood hodgepodge, beet and goat salad, burgers, and extra. There may be additionally a full-service bar on website.

Actions and Experiences

The seaside is a number of toes from the inn, so you’ll be able to get pleasure from a day close to the Sea. For the reason that lodge is positioned inside a nationwide park, there are a number of trails for mountaineering and biking. Dalvay gives half-day bike leases for $35 and full-day leases for $60.

A number of actions are on website, and guests can have interaction in pleasant video games of croquet, horseshoe, ring toss, or bocce ball on the lawns. There’s additionally a tennis and pickleball courtroom on website. A number of classic picket board video games are saved within the foyer for anybody who prefers to remain indoors.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Two of the eight cottages have wheelchair-accessible ramps and wheel-in showers.

Location

Dalvay by the Sea is contained in the Prince Edward Island Nationwide Park, roughly half-hour from Charlottetown, PEI’s capital metropolis. You will need to hire a automobile and get a Nationwide Park parking go to get to the lodge. Learn extra on Prince Edward Island.

Dalvay by the Sea is seasonal lodge and is barely open from early Might to late October.