Visit Fort Amherst, Argyle Shore, Victoria PEI

Since Pat is still on vacation this week, he and Nancy wanted to do some more touring. We're quite happy to join them again.

Monday night a couple of cruise ships slipped into the Charlottetown harbour without us seeing them until Tuesday morning. The Caribbean Princess is the largest liner we've seen this trip:

Caribbean Princess, berthed at the docks

And a second one anchored nearby, off the docks since only one ship this size can dock at a time:

Our main touring goal was the Fort Amherst Historical site area. The actual first stop was near there, the Blockhouse Point lighthouse. If you look at the map you'll see that this lighthouse and Fort Amherst are just across from Stratford, even though it's some 40 km drive to get there. 

There may be a good opportunity for someone to revive the old people-and-bike ferry that ran from Stratford to the Rocky Point area near Fort Amherst, with Charlottetown as the third stop. Commuters and tourists would likely use this.

Blockhouse Point is a somewhat unique lighthouse:

A 2-story house is attached. Future gift shop etc?

It must get windy here (Duh! True of most lighthouses) since the lighthouse chimney is well-anchored:

 
As usual, lots of erosion of the nearby cliffs:

 How is this little tree surviving, with most of its roots exposed?:

From Fort Amherst, those cruise ships on the Charlottetown waterfront still loom large. Remember, we've driven 40 km away from the first ship pictures. 

This pic (as with most of ours) was shot from my cell phone, with only a bit of digital zoom added. That's the bridge from Stratford to Charlottetown in the background right:

Good harbour and channel views from Fort Amherst shores

From Fort Amherst we visited the Argyle Shores Provincial Park, home of what may be the highest waterfall on PEI:

Waterfall visible on the left

 

A better view of the Falls

This is yet another nice PEI beach 

The "highest falls" claim may need further research... but PEI has few waterfalls.

Later under darkening clouds we headed to the town of Victoria, mostly for ice cream cones although the town is well worth a touring visit. By the time we got to Victoria the rain was bucketing down and the temperature had dropped, but we still managed to get our cones. Many Great Blue Herons were hunting in the nearby tidal flats, about the most we've seen in one place recently: 

Then back around to Stratford to wrap up a fine afternoon tour.

Here's a map of today's route: