Saturday
Another beautiful day! It was sunny and about 15 degrees but the wind had a little bit of bite. My day started with breakfast at the Boat House – I had a classic 1 egg breakfast today and another morning of lovely conversation with Val. This time we were joined by one of her regular customers who seemed fascinated by the fact that I was walking and vacationing solo – so many questions. Liz also dropped by to check on me and confirmed the afternoon pick up time.
And then I was off to Bothwell via Elmira. It was a lovely combination of regular paved roads, small red dirt roads and beach (at Bothwell). Today’s walk was part Island Walk (although in reverse) and part my route. I stopped for a break in Elmira as it was about midway, and I wanted to check out the end of the Confederation Trail. The Elmira Railway Museum, which is at the end of the Trail, was closed for the season (but I expected that) but thankfully there was a porta-potty there (that unfortunately didn’t lock). I still wandered around the museum grounds a bit, reading the outside signs at the museum.
Random observation, I thought of PEI as being mostly flat but it’s really not, several of the roads I walked were surprisingly hilly. That being said, I quite enjoyed the 304 red dirt road, there was no traffic on it (not a single car while I was on it) and it was quite pretty with the fall colours.
Once I arrived at Bothwell, I headed down the small red dirt road to Bothwell Beach, found a log and just chilled for a bit. I always find water peaceful and one of the great parts of this vacation as I was never far from it. As previously mentioned, the wind had a bit of a bite to it, but it was still lovely to relax in the sun, listening to the surf.
But after a while it was time to retrace my steps back to the Bothwell General Store for my pick-up. First though, I bought a few things from the store (great place to stock up on basic groceries like chips and chocolate milk) before Liz came to get me.
Dinner that night was a delicious take-out roast beef dinner from the Boat House, which I enjoyed on my little porch while watching the sunset again. Then it was the Leafs game and another reasonably early night (well for me).
Side note: there was another big dog, friendly thankfully, in Elmira. There seems to be a lot of dogs that aren’t on a leash or fenced in and just roam free which doesn’t bother me as I’m not afraid of dogs but I can see why this might be a concern for walkers. I remember reading some posts in the Island Walk Facebook group about some not being so friendly…
Sunday
Breakfast and conversation at the Boat House, this morning it was only Val and I. As I didn’t feel like anything heavy for breakfast, Val suggested an omelet, which was delicious. She also gave me a slice of carrot cake when I said I didn’t need to dinner that evening (I had enough delicious leftover roast beef from last night for a meal). I cannot state enough how wonderful Val is and how much I recommend the North Lake Boat House Eatery.
After breakfast, Liz dropped me off at Bothwell so I could pick up where I left off on the Island Walk and walk to Souris. I was a bit bummed that I had to adjust the route a bit, but I needed to be at a washroom by a certain time (ah, the joys of being a woman) and the only place I knew I would find one was in Souris. Which leads me to my one complaint/feedback about the Island Walk – there needs to be more washrooms along the route, especially in the shoulder season when so many places are closed. Even a porta-potty in each section would be appreciated.
Unfortunately, that meant no beach walking today. I’d wanted to do more but it adds to the distance and time, and today I needed to finish within four hours if possible. Damn my unexpected period! I also altered the recommended Island Walk route a bit as I stayed on Rte 16 a bit longer before heading to the side roads. It wasn’t bad walking as it’s got a decent shoulder and I found the drivers were quite careful about walkers. More dogs but thankfully the only one that approached me was a friendly golden lab, I don’t think I’ve never met a lab that wasn’t friendly.
As someone who loves architecture, I love checking out all the different sorts of buildings I pass by, whether they are farmhouses, stores or historical sites. Churches are often interesting in that regard as you can learn a lot about an area by its religious buildings. Souris had a large Catholic church on a hill, so it was quite prominent, just as you’re entering from one direction and a teeny tiny Anglican one near the shore. I found the contrast in size interesting. I also spent more time watching the potato harvest during my walk today.
Then as I had some time to kill in Souris, I chilled in a park with the views of the lighthouse and Strait. It also had a memorial to the lost fisherman. Interestingly, when I went back the next day, the bench I had been sitting on was gone (I had more time to kill before the bus to Montague).
Side note – it’s not uncommon to see multiple houses, like two or three, on one property which seems weird to me but was almost common in the more rural areas.
Rambles and Walks 
Lovely photos
Thanks!