Showing posts with label PEI Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PEI Travel. Show all posts

October 03, 2024

Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island

Photograph of Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island Pamphlet from Tourism PEI

Over the summer, I received a PEI Visitor's Guide from Tourism PEI. Inside the package was a pamphlet called "Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island" with information on L.M. Montgomery and her writings and a map marked with locations for visitors to experience places important to her.

Here are photographs of the pamphlet. One side has a nice biography of L.M. Montgomery.

Photograph of Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island Pamphlet from Tourism PEI

Photograph of Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island Pamphlet from Tourism PEI

The reverse side of the pamphlet features a map marked with 18 locations and activities for visitors.

Photograph of Discover Montgomery's Prince Edward Island Pamphlet from Tourism PEI

The locations and activities include:

1. Montgomery Park
2. L.M. Montgomery Birthplace
3. Lower Bedeque School
4. Montgomery Inn at Ingleside
5. The Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead
6. Bideford Parsonage Museum
7. The Site of L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish Home
8. The Kensington Train Station
9. The Cavendish United Church
10. The Cavendish Cemetery
11. Green Gables Heritage Place
12. Anne of Green Gables Museum
13. L.M.M. Institute at UPEI
14. Shop and Play
15. Anne of Green Gables, The Musical
16. Avonlea Village
17. Anne and Gilbert, The Musical
18. The Anne of Green Gables Store

It is a helpful guide to discover places important to L.M. Montgomery in celebration of her 150th birthday this year.


Official Website:
Tourism Prince Edward Island

Image Credit:
Photographs of "Discovering Montgomery's Prince Edward Island" Tourism PEI pamphlet taken by World of Anne Shirley.

Created October 3, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

September 24, 2024

The Green Gables Diary Website

Screencapture of The Green Gables Diary website

This past summer, a website called The Green Gables Diary launched. It is a digital exhibition that accompanies the new book Becoming Green Gables: The Diary of Myrtle Webb and Her Famous Farmhouse by Alan MacEachern. The book tells the story of Myrtle Webb and her family, who owned the farm that Myrtle's cousin L.M. Montgomery based "Green Gables" upon. Once a simple farm, Myrtle's home became a tourist destination when it became known as the inspiration behind Anne of Green Gables. Eventually, Myrtle had to leave her home when Parks Canada decided to form a national park in Cavendish with Green Gables as its centerpiece.

Myrtle kept a diary from 1924 to 1954, providing a historical record of what her life was like living in "the most famous house in Canada." The Green Gables Diary contains digital scans and a transcription of her entire diary, as well as photographs and introductory materials to learn more about Myrtle Webb, her family, and the history of Green Gables.


Official Website:
The Green Gables Diary

Image Credit:
Screencapture of The Green Gables Diary website.

Reference:
MacEachern, Alan. (2024). The Green Gables Diary. Retrieved from: https://greengablesdiary.ca/.

Purchase and read Becoming Green Gables by Alan MacEachern:

Becoming Green Gables: The Diary of Myrtle Webb and Her Famous Farmhouse by Alan MacEachern

Created September 24, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

September 22, 2024

The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour

The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour Website Screencapture

This summer, a website called "The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour" launched. Its goal is "to help guide Prince Edward Islanders and visitors from around the world to learn about and visit some of the most important and meaningful places which inspired Montgomery to write. Official place names, thought-provoking key words and descriptive passages help set the stage for your real or virtual tour experience."

The literary tour includes a map that indicates 16 sites that were significant to L.M. Montgomery for visitors to explore:



The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour Map

1. Montgomery Park
2. Macneill Homestead
3. Cavendish United Church
4. Cavendish Cemetery
5. Haunted Wood
6. Green Gables House
7. Cavendish Shore
8. L.M. Montgomery Birthplace
9. Anne of Green Gables Museum
10. Lake of Shining Waters
11. Senator Donald Montgomery House/Inn at Ingleside
12. Kensington Train Station
13. Bideford Parsonage Museum
14. Sir Andrew Macphail Homestead
15. Confederation Centre of the Arts
16. Robertson Library/L.M. Montgomery Institute/UPEI

It is a helpful guide to learn about sites important to L.M. Montgomery in celebration of her 150th birthday this year.


Official Website:
The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour

Image Credit:
Screencapture of The Inspiring World of L.M. Montgomery: A Literary Tour website.

Reference:

Russell, Nancy. (2024, July 2). L.M. Montgomery group hopes to capitalize on 150th birthday to attract new fans. CBC News. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-montgomery-150-birthday-new-fans-1.7249988.

Created September 22, 2024. Last updated October 3, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

August 16, 2024

In the Time of Maud

In the Time of Maud event at the Orwell Corner Historic Village

In celebration of L.M. Montgomery's 150th birthday this year, the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation is presenting an immersive event called "In the Time of Maud" at the Orwell Corner Historic Village. Visitors can take part each Thursday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm through the end of August 2024. The Orwell Corner Historic Village is located at 98 Macphail Park Road in Vernon, PE Canada.

A costumed guide leads the participants through the historic village. Visitors can participate in historical activities, such as writing postcards with a fountain pen and learning the waltz. Participants can see the farm animals at the village and enjoy a carriage ride. The experience also includes afternoon tea and a wagon ride along a route that L.M. Montgomery traveled back in 1910.


Website:
In the Time of Maud

Image Credit:
"In the Time of Maud" event poster.

Reference:

In the Time of Maud a trip to the past. (2024, August 14). Government of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved from: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/in-the-time-of-maud-a-trip-to-the-past.

Created August 16, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

August 15, 2024

The Island Hymn

Photograph of handwritten pages of The Island Hymn by L.M. Montgomery at the Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

In 1908, before she was famous for writing Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery penned the patriotic song "The Island Hymn" for her home province, Prince Edward Island. Today, the song is the island's official provincial anthem.

The creation of the hymn was inspired by Professor Harry Watts from the Charlottetown School of Music. He envisioned a patriotic song that could capture the spirit of the island and invited Montgomery, already admired for her poetry and short stories, to write the lyrics. At the time, she was also serving as the organist at the Cavendish Presbyterian Church. Montgomery took up the task, crafting a three-stanza hymn set to the tune of "God Save the King" just months before the publication of her soon-to-be international bestseller, Anne of Green Gables. Her lyrics were set to music composed by Lawrence W. Watson.

Today, L.M. Montgomery's handwritten lyrics can be viewed at the Green Gables Heritage Place along with correspondence related to the hymn.

In 2010, over a century later, "The Island Hymn" was officially declared the provincial anthem of Prince Edward Island. A French version of the song was written by Raymond J. Arsenault. The song now stands as a timeless symbol of her love for and pride in the island.

L.M. Montgomery's lyrics are as follows:

The Island Hymn

Fair Island of the sea,
We raise our song to thee,
The bright and blest;
Loyally now we stand
As brothers, hand in hand,
And sing God save the land
We love the best.

Upon our princely Isle
May kindest fortune smile
In coming years;
Peace and prosperity
In all her borders be,
From every evil free,
And weakling fears.

Prince Edward Isle, to thee
Our hearts shall faithful be
Where'er we dwell;
Forever may we stand
As brothers, hand in hand,
And sing God save the land
We love so well.


World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner


Official Websites:

Provincial Anthem. Government of Prince Edward Island.

Location:
Green Gables Heritage Place
PE-13, Cavendish, PE C0A 1M0, Canada

Map of Green Gables Heritage Place by OpenStreetMap

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

References:
Provincial Anthem. Government of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved from: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/provincial-anthem


Created August 15, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

June 23, 2024

Tourism Prince Edward Island's Anne of Green Gables Itinerary

Tourism Prince Edward Island's 2024 Anne of Green Gables Itinerary


Tourism Prince Edward Island posted an updated Anne of Green Gables itinerary for 2024 to help visitors discover Anne Shirley's island. The itinerary recommends sites to visit in Cavendish, including the Green Gables Heritage Place, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish Home, Cavendish United Church, Cavendish Cemetery, and Montgomery Park. The guide features several other significant sites, including L.M. Montgomery's birthplace in New London and the Lower Bedeque schoolhouse where she once taught. It's a great reference if you're planning a visit to PEI.


Official Website:
Tourism PEI's Anne of Green Gables Itinerary

Image Credit:
Screencapture of the Tourism Prince Edward Island website showing the featured itineraries.

Created June 23, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

May 20, 2024

Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery featured in Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World by Richard Kreitner

My husband and I were roaming in a bookstore recently, and he was looking through a travel book of literary locations. He came over to show it to me because the book featured Prince Edward Island and Anne of Green Gables, and he knew I'd love to see it. The book is titled Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World, and it's by Richard Kreitner. I love to read and explore, so I thought the concept was really fun.

Cover of Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World By Richard Kreitner

Booked was published in 2019 by Black Dog & Leventhal, which is part of the Hachette Book Group. Here's the book's description from the publisher's website:

A practical, armchair travel guide that explores eighty of the most iconic literary locations from all over the globe that you can actually visit.

A must-have for every fan of literature, Booked inspires readers to follow in their favorite characters footsteps by visiting the real-life locations portrayed in beloved novels including the Monroeville, Alabama courthouse in To Kill a Mockingbird, Chatsworth House, the inspiration for Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice, and the Kyoto Bridge from Memoirs of a Geisha. The full-color photographs throughout reveal the settings readers have imagined again and again in their favorite books.

Organized by regions all around the world, author Richard Kreitner explains the importance of each literary landmark including the connection to the author and novel, cultural significance, historical information, and little-known facts about the location. He also includes travel advice like addresses and must-see spots.

Booked features special sections on cities that inspired countless literary works like a round of locations in Brooklyn from Betty Smith’s iconic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to Jonathan Lethem’s Motherless Brooklyn and a look at the New Orleans of Tennessee Williams and Anne Rice.

Locations include:
Central Park, NYC (The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger)
Forks, Washington (Twilight, Stephanie Meyer)
Prince Edward Island, Canada (Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery)
Kingston Penitentiary, Ontario (Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood)
Holcomb, Kansas (In Cold Blood, Truman Capote)
London, England (White Teeth, Zadie Smith)
Paris, France (Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo)
Segovia, Spain, (For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway)
Kyoto, Japan (Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden)

Image credits:
Photograph of a page on Anne of Green Gables in Booked by Richard Kreitner taken by World of Anne Shirley and cover image of Booked by Black Dog & Leventhal.

Purchase Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World:

Booked: A Traveler's Guide to Literary Locations Around the World By Richard Kreitner


Created May 20, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

May 16, 2024

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables

Photograph of The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables by Catherine Reid with a cup of tea and cupcakes


The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables: The Enchanting Island that Inspired L. M. Montgomery is a book by Catherine Reid explores the environment of Prince Edward Island and how L.M. Montgomery used nature as a source of creativity to write Anne of Green Gables. Published in 2018, the book is filled with lush photography, biographical information about L.M. Montgomery, and L.M. Montgomery's own photos and quotes. It was published by Timber Press in Portland, Oregon, which is part of the Hachette Book Group. The book was acclaimed as one of Smithsonian magazine’s Ten Best Books About Travel of 2018.

Here is the book's description from the Hachette Book Group:

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables explores L. M. Montgomery’s deep connection to the landscapes of Prince Edward Island that inspired her to write the beloved Anne of Green Gables series. From the Lake of Shining Waters and the Haunted Wood to Lover’s Lane, you’ll be immersed in the real places immortalized in the novels.

Using Montgomery’s journals, archives, and scrapbooks, Catherine Reid explores the many similarities between Montgomery and her unforgettable heroine, Anne Shirley. The lush package includes Montgomery’s hand-colorized photographs, the illustrations originally used in Anne of Green Gables, and contemporary and historical photography.

Reviews

“This book will be treasured by Montgomery’s legions of fans.” —Carolyn Strom Collins, author of The Anne of Green Gables Treasury; editor of After Many Years: Twenty-one “Long-Lost” Stories by L. M. Montgomery

“In L. M. Montgomery’s beloved book, Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada, played a role that is arguably just as important as the series’ protagonist, Anne Shirley. Wanting to bring the island to life years later, author Catherine Reid explores the very places that inspired Montgomery and became immortalized in her prose.” —The Smithsonian Magazine

“There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing gorgeous pictures of sunsets, shores, and gardens alongside snippets of Montgomery’s musical, flowery prose. Reid’s love letter to Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery, and Prince Edward Island is sure to delight. Anne enthusiasts will learn more about what inspired Montgomery, while nature lovers will find a kindred spirit in Reid, who clearly has a passion for all things green and growing.” —Booklist starred review

“This is not just a book filled with beautiful photos; it’s a satisfyingly rich and layered combination of the visual and intellectual. Readers will gain a new appreciation not only for Montgomery but also for the landscape that meant so much to her.” —Library Journal

“Whether you read the Anne saga growing up (particularly popular with young girls) or are brainstorming now for a summer vacation jewel, this new The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is certain to delight. Author Catherine Reid exuberantly jumped into Montgomery's archives—her journals, scrapbooks, photographs—to create this lush tribute to Montgomery, Green Gables and PEI. It is graced with positive quotes, poems and anecdotes; festooned with fascinating history; dressed in scores of images from yesteryear and today. . . . Reid herself deserves ample applause for this wet-kiss, well-crafted ode to all that makes Prince Edward Island and its most esteemed native resonate with readers and visitors. Oh, Canada!” —Forbes

“For readers looking for a deeper understanding of the book, the author, and how they both came together to create a timeless classic, this is a must-read. Filled with beautiful colour images and original illustrations from the book's 1908 edition, The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables is an easy, enjoyable read, but it is packed with much more fascinating information than your average coffee-table book. . . . readers are prompted to reflect on how the landscapes of their worlds speak to their own internal lives.” —The Cardinal Press


Image credit:
Photograph of The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables by Timber Press.

Purchase and read The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables:

The Landscapes of Anne of Green Gables by Catherine Reid


Created May 16, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

May 09, 2024

Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island

Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island Travel Guide

Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island is a guidebook that features locations that inspired L.M. Montgomery to write Anne of Green Gables. The travel guide was published by Ragweed Press as part of their "Island Pathways" series. The book was edited by Kathleen Hamilton and Sibyl Frei. The color photography is by John Sylvester, and the book includes many archival photos from the Prince Edward Island Public Archives.

It's a small spiral bound travel guide. I own a copy of the third printing, which was published in 1998. The guidebook features quotes from L.M. Montgomery's journals and from the Anne of Green Gables novels. The book's introduction states:

"This guidebook is designed for all those who are looking for ANNE and her creator, L.M. Montgomery, and it features the Island locations that you will most want to visit. The chapters are arranged alphabetically by location; each describes a different community on the Island, outlining the places of importance to L.M. Montgomery, and the ANNE attractions to be found there. Entertaining quotations from Anne of Green Gables and the other ANNE books are sprinkled through the chapters."


The contents include the following chapters:

Introduction
Belmont
Bideford
Cavendish
Charlottetown
French River
Hunter River
Kensington
Lower Bedeque
Malpeque
New London
Park Corner
Anne Day Tour
Select Bibliography
Index of Featured Attractions

Each chapter is subdivided into three sections: (1) The Setting, (2) About L.M. Montgomery, and (3) Attractions and Activities. Although so much information is readily available online, I still like to have a guidebook on hand when traveling. I like this one because it is focused on L.M. Montgomery's experiences and perspectives.


Image credit:

Photograph of the Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island book cover by World of Anne Shirley.

Purchase the Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island travel guidebook:

Finding Anne on Prince Edward Island Travel Guidebook


Created May 9, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

July 17, 2007

Green Gables Heritage Place

Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Nestled in the picturesque village of Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, the Green Gables Heritage Place is a charming farm that inspired L.M. Montgomery to write the beloved novel Anne of Green Gables. Now a designated National Historic Site within Prince Edward Island National Park, Green Gables Heritage Place offers a unique celebration of literature where reality and fiction seamlessly intertwine. Explore the enchanting grounds that inspired Montgomery's timeless story and experience the magic of stepping into the world of Anne Shirley.

The farmhouse was the home of David Macneill and Margaret Macneill (pictured below), two siblings who were cousins of L.M. Montgomery's grandfather. In 1896, their niece Ada Macneill and her 13-year-old daughter Myrtle returned to Cavendish to help on the farm. L.M. Montgomery lived nearby and became friends with her cousin Myrtle. Montgomery often walked through their property. She called the spruce grove by the farmhouse the Haunted Wood, and she was fond of spending time in a forested pathway that she called Lover’s Lane.

Photograph of David Macneill, Margaret Macneill, Myrtle Macneill Webb, Ernest Webb, and Marion Webb at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

After Anne of Green Gables was published in 1908, readers recognized that this location had inspired the setting for L.M. Montgomery’s novel. Fans of the story began visiting the farmhouse, which became known as “Green Gables.” In 1909, Myrtle Macneill Webb and her husband Ernest Webb bought the farm. In the 1930s, Parks Canada developed the region into a national park with Green Gables as the centerpiece.

On January 27, 1911, L.M. Montgomery wrote in her journals about how she had not drawn any of the characters in her stories from real life although she “used real places and speeches freely.” She continued, writing, “Nevertheless I have woven a good deal of reality into my books. Cavendish is to a large extent Avonlea.”

Montgomery went on to write, “Green Gables was drawn from David Macneill’s house, now Mr. Webb’s—though not so much the house itself as the situation and scenery, and the truth of my description of it is attested by the fact that everybody has recognized it.”

Later in the same entry, L.M. Montgomery wrote about Anne Shirley, saying:

“When I am asked if Anne herself is a “real person” I always answer “no” with an odd reluctance and an uncomfortable feeling of not telling the truth. For she is and always has been, from the moment I first thought of her, so real to me that I feel I am doing violence to something when I deny her an existence anywhere save in Dreamland. Does she not stand at my elbow even now—if I turned my head quickly should I not see her—with her eager, starry eyes and her long braids of red hair and her little pointed chin? To tell that haunting elf that she is not real, because, forsooth, I never met her in the flesh! No, I cannot do it! She is so real that, although I’ve never met her, I feel quite sure I shall do so some day—perhaps in a stroll through Lover’s Lane in the twilight—or in the moonlit Birch Path—I shall lift my eyes and find her, child or maiden, by my side. And I shall not be in the least surprised because I have always known she was somewhere.”


Although Anne Shirley may not have been a real girl, L.M. Montgomery's creation feels close to real in this setting. Anne is somewhere in this space. You can almost feel Anne’s presence when exploring the grounds, strolling down Lover’s Lane, or walking through the Haunted Wood. You think of Anne when you see the geranium plant she named “Bonny” on the kitchen window sill or peek into her cheerful bedroom where her cherished puffed-sleeve dress hangs prominently.

You can tour each room in Green Gables. The rooms were thoughtfully decorated with Victorian pieces and with special touches from the novel. It feels like Anne, Marilla, and Matthew just stepped out and left visitors to explore their home. Each room was corded off, so sometimes I found it difficult to take good photos that captured the spaces, and it felt crowded when other visitors were nearby.

Here are some photos I took during my visit in 2006. This is a view of the horsehair sofa and decor in the parlour.

The parlour at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

This is the formal dining room at Green Gables. It has pretty lace curtains and diamond-patterned vine wallpaper.

The dining room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Here is the kitchen table with the stove in the foreground. Anne, Marilla, and Matthew would have spent much of their time here.

The kitchen at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

I smiled seeing the geranium on the window sill in the kitchen, thinking of the scene in Anne of Green Gables when Anne asks Marilla about the geranium's name:

"'What is the name of that geranium on the window-sill, please?'

'That’s the apple-scented geranium.'

'Oh, I don’t mean that sort of a name. I mean just a name you gave it yourself. Didn’t you give it a name? May I give it one then? May I call it—let me see—Bonny would do—may I call it Bonny while I’m here? Oh, do let me!'

'Goodness, I don’t care. But where on earth is the sense of naming a geranium?'

'Oh, I like things to have handles even if they are only geraniums. It makes them seem more like people. How do you know but that it hurts a geranium’s feelings just to be called a geranium and nothing else? You wouldn’t like to be called nothing but a woman all the time. Yes, I shall call it Bonny. I named that cherry-tree outside my bedroom window this morning. I called it Snow Queen because it was so white. Of course, it won’t always be in blossom, but one can imagine that it is, can’t one?'"

The geranium plants on the kitchen window sill at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The dairy porch is a small room off the kitchen.

The kitchen dairy porch at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

This is Matthew Cuthbert's room on the ground floor.

Matthew Cuthbert's room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Upstairs is Anne Shirley's bedroom. You can see her cheerful room with a geranium in the window. Hanging on the closet door is the deep brown dress with puffed sleeves that was a gift from Matthew. There's even a broken slate in the room (My photograph of it was blurry, so I haven't posted it).

Anne Shirley's room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Here is Marilla Cuthbert's bedroom. I liked her bedspread.

Marilla Cuthbert's room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The spare room was very comfortable looking and had a lovely quilt.

The spare room/guest room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The sewing room was a pretty and practical room. The sewing machine was located in front of the window and a spinning wheel was nearby.

The sewing room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The hired boy's bedroom was a simple room located upstairs.

The hired boy's room at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Outside the house were several barns. Matthew's buggy was in front of one, and you could sit in it and pose for a photo.

A barn and Matthew Cuthbert's buggy at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Here's a photograph of the inside of a barn at Green Gables.

The barn at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

There was a large plot of vegetables being grown in front of a barn.

The vegetable garden at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Lastly, here's a view of the flower gardens at Green Gables. I think Anne would have enjoyed the blooms.

A flower garden at Green Gables in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Green Gables Heritage Place has a large visitor centre with exhibits on L.M. Montgomery that opened in 2019. I visited back in 2006 when the centre was much smaller. The exhibits included L.M. Montgomery's typewriter, which she used to prepare the typeset version of Anne of Green Gables, and her handwritten lyrics for "The Island Hymn," which is today the official provincial anthem of Prince Edward Island. I have not seen the new visitor centre in person, but the photos of it online look impressive.

After touring the house and vistor centre, you can stop by the restaurant on site to buy snacks and raspberry cordial. There is also a gift shop that sells Anne-related merchandise and L.M. Montgomery's books.

In addition, the Green Gables Heritage Place includes two special trails. You can take a walk in Anne Shirley or L.M. Montgomery’s footsteps on the Haunted Wood Trail and the Lover’s Lane and Balsam Hollow Trail. Both places were important to Montgomery, and she portrayed these settings in Anne of Green Gables. The Haunted Wood Trail connects with the Cavendish Cemetery, where L.M. Montgomery's grave is located, as well as the Site of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish Home, where Montgomery once lived and where she wrote Anne of Green Gables. You can visit these sites and the nearby Cavendish Post Office, which has a great exhibit on Montgomery, and then return to Green Gables along the Haunted Wood Trail.

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Websites:
Green Gables Heritage Place, Parks Canada
Green Gables House, Parks Canada
Virtual Tour: Green Gables Heritage Place

Location:

Green Gables Heritage Place
PE-13, Cavendish, PE C0A 1M0, Canada

Map of Green Gables Heritage Place by OpenStreetMap

Image credits:
Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

References:
Green Gables House. Green Gables Heritage Place. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/activ/maison-house

MacEachern, Alan. L.M. Montgomery’s Green Gables. The Anne of Green Gables Manuscript. Retrieved from: https://annemanuscript.ca/stories/l-m-montgomerys-green-gables/

MacEachern, Alan. Myrtle Webb & Her World. The Green Gables Diary. Retrieved from: https://greengablesdiary.ca/myrtle-webb-her-world/

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. L.C. Page & Company, 1908.

Montgomery, L.M. The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Volume II: 1910–1921. ed. Mary Rubio and Elizabeth Waterston. Oxford University Press, 1987. page 38–40.

Virtual Tour: Green Gables Heritage Place. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/OgXR54HZxKGSfQ?hl=EN


Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 15, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

The Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place

L.M. Montgomery's Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Embark on a spine-tingling adventure through the eerie Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Prince Edward Island National Park. As a child, L.M. Montgomery believed these woods were haunted, a fear she vividly brought to life in Anne of Green Gables. In the novel, Anne Shirley's overactive imagination transforms the path between Green Gables and the Barry home into a realm of ghosts and shadows. Experience the haunting beauty of the trail that inspired such unforgettable scenes, and let your own imagination wander as you walk in the footsteps of Anne and Diana.

The interpretative trail is a short, 1 mile (1.6 km) path that begins in front of Green Gables and heads east through the forest. Along the trail, you can see the site where L.M. Montgomery's Cavendish School was once located. It inspired the Avonlea School in Anne of Green Gables. The Haunted Wood Trail winds past the Cavendish Cemetery, where L.M. Montgomery's grave is located, and it connects to the Site of L.M. Montgomery’s Cavendish Home. You can visit these sites and the nearby Cavendish Post Office and then return to Green Gables through the Haunted Wood.

Sign describing the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Interpretive signs placed along the trail provide L.M. Montgomery's own descriptions about her imagination and inspiration.

As a child, L.M. Montgomery shared many adventures with two little boys who came to board at her grandfather's house to attend school. Their names were Wellington and David Nelson, and they were known as Well and Dave. Well was the same age as Montgomery, and Dave was a year younger. The two boys are pictured on the sign below.

Well and Dave believed in ghosts and loved to tell frightening stories, and their stories "infected" young L.M. Montgomery with a belief in ghosts. The trio shared a deep fear of the spruce grove near their home, especially after dark. These childhood memories inspired Montgomery's "Haunted Wood" in Anne of Green Gables. In her autobiography, The Alpine Path, Montgomery writes:

"Readers of Anne of Green Gables will remember the Haunted Wood. It was a gruesome fact to us three young imps. Well and Dave had a firm and rooted belief in ghosts. I used to argue with them over it with the depressing result that I became infected myself. Not that I really believed in ghosts, pure and simple; but I was inclined to agree with Hamlet that there might be more things in heaven and earth than were commonly dreamed of — in the philosophy of Cavendish authorities, anyhow.

The Haunted Wood was a harmless, pretty spruce grove in the field below the orchard. We considered that all our haunts were too commonplace, so we invented this for our own amusement. None of us really believed at first, that the grove was haunted, or that the mysterious 'white things' which we pretended to see flitting through it at dismal hours were aught but the creations of our own fancy. But our minds were weak and our imaginations strong; we soon came to believe implicitly in our myths, and not one of us would have gone near that grove after sunset on pain of death. Death! What was death compared to the unearthly possibility of falling into the clutches of a 'white thing'?"


Photograph of a sign along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The inset shows a photo of Wellington and David Nelson and an unknown girl. Photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

In Anne of Green Gables, Anne's imagination goes too far and she frightens herself in Chapter XX ("A Good Imagination Gone Wrong"). She describes the "Haunted Wood" and her fear of "white things" to Marilla, saying:

"Diana and I just imagined the wood was haunted. All the places around here are so—so—commonplace. We just got this up for our own amusement. We began it in April. A haunted wood is so very romantic, Marilla. We chose the spruce grove because it’s so gloomy. Oh, we have imagined the most harrowing things. There’s a white lady walks along the brook just about this time of the night and wrings her hands and utters wailing cries. She appears when there is to be a death in the family. And the ghost of a little murdered child haunts the corner up by Idlewild; it creeps up behind you and lays its cold fingers on your hand—so. Oh, Marilla, it gives me a shudder to think of it. And there’s a headless man stalks up and down the path and skeletons glower at you between the boughs. Oh, Marilla, I wouldn’t go through the Haunted Wood after dark now for anything. I’d be sure that white things would reach out from behind the trees and grab me.”


Some parts of the Haunted Wood seemed very peaceful...during the day...

Photograph of a path along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

In The Alpine Path, L.M. Montgomery wrote, "Everything was invested with a kind of fairy grace and charm, emanating from my own fancy."

This next sign reminds visitors to use their imaginations: "L.M. Montgomery worked a special magic on her quiet Cavendish surroundings. Use your own imagination to discover how real-life people, places and events inspired the enchanting world of Anne."

Sign on the Haunted Wood Trail about L.M. Montgomery's imagination at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

There were many bare trees along the path, which were a bit spooky.

Photo of bare trees taken along L.M. Montgomery's Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Keep an eye out for birds, chipmunks, and other woodland creatures as you walk through the Haunted Wood. I saw this downy woodpecker.

Photograph of a downy woodpecker on the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

This sign explained that L.M. Montgomery had an imaginary friend in her childhood named Katie Maurice. She later used these memories to give Anne Shirley an imaginary friend with the same name in Anne of Green Gables.

Photograph of a sign about L.M. Montgomery's imaginary friends on the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

I didn't notice any ghosts here.

Photograph of a path along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

L.M. Montgomery went to school in a one-room schoolhouse called the Cavendish School. In her autobiography, The Alpine Path, L.M. Montgomery wrote,

"The Cavendish school-house was a white-washed, low-eaved building on the side of the road just outside our gate. To the west and south was a spruce grove, covering a sloping hill. That old spruce grove, with its sprinkling of maple, was a fairy realm of beauty and romance to my childish imagination. I shall always be thankful that my school was near a grove — a place with winding paths and treasure-trove of ferns and mosses and wood-flowers. It was a stronger and better educative influence in my life than the lessons learned at the desk in the school-house."


Photograph of a sign describing L.M. Montgomery's one-room school along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

Although L.M. Montgomery's old school no longer stands, you can visit the site where it once stood, which is marked by a sign. L.M. Montgomery's school inspired the Avonlea School in Anne of Green Gables where Anne Shirley, Diana Barry, and Gilbert Blythe attended class.

Photograph of a sign indicating the location of L.M. Montgomery's one-room school along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

L.M. Montgomery, like her fictional creation Anne Shirley, often gave the places around her special and fanciful names. Some of the fictional places she described in her stories are based on real ones like Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood.

Photograph of a sign explaining how L.M. Montgomery gave names to special places just like Anne Shirley on the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

I found these bare trees pretty spooky. Maybe it was just my imagination taking effect. For fans of Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables miniseries, exterior filming was done along this pathway.

Photo of bare trees taken along the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, photograph copyright World of Anne Shirley

The Haunted Wood Trail is a special place where you can use your imagination and pretend to be Anne Shirley or a young L.M. Montgomery. Just watch out for the spooky ghosts and "white things!"

World of Anne Shirley's Anne of Green Gables Travel Guide Banner

Official Websites:
Haunted Wood Trail, Prince Edward Island National Park, Parks Canada
Trails at Green Gables, Green Gables Heritage Place

Location:
Haunted Wood Trail
8619 Cavendish Rd. 9 (Route 6), Cavendish, PE C0A 1M0, Canada .

Map of the Haunted Wood Trail at Green Gables Heritage Place by OpenStreetMap
Image credits:

Photographs by World of Anne Shirley.
Map copyright OpenStreetMap.

References:
Haunted Wood Trail. Hiking PEI. Retrieved from: https://www.hikingpei.ca/Trails/PEIPark/Cavendish/HauntedWood.html

Haunted Wood Trail. Prince Edward Island National Park. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/pe/pei-ipe/activ/sentiers-trails/haunted-hantee

Krzewinski, Agatha. The Original Homes of Lucy Maud Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables. Sullivan Entertainment. Retrieved from: https://www.anneofgreengables.com/blog-posts/the-original-homes-of-lucy-maud-montgomery

Montgomery, L.M. The Alpine Path. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, 1997.

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. L.C. Page & Company, 1908.

Trails at Green Gables: Green Gables Heritage Place. Parks Canada. Retrieved from: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/activ/sentiers-trails


Created July 17, 2007. Last updated August 12, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com