The land of sand, ice cream and lobster suppers

The memory of a two-year-old is sharp. They don't forget and they expect promises to be kept.

Before rolling into Prince Edward Island, we visited the Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy. We had told darling daughter we were going to the beach, which isn't exactly a lie when the tide is low and you can walk on the ocean floor. But the sand is gritty and there is squishy mud, which didn't exactly thrill darling daughter who was under the impression she'd have access not only to good quality sand, but some surf. After a muddy encounter at the Bay of Fundy, we promised her that the first stop we'd make in PEI was at a beach.

Immediately after crossing Confederation Bridge, we stopped at the information centre and got directions to the beach. The directions to Chelton Beach Provincial Park weren't exactly clear, but we were determined to get there. After much backtracking, we finding found this gem of a beach, which has a lovely vista view of the bridge. To say the least, darling daughter had a fantastic time playing along the surf and in the red sand. (And so did I and dear husband).

Prince Edward Island is home to the best beaches in the world. When we were visiting, we took full advantage of the National Park pass that came with our cottage. So here is the lowdown on the beaches we visited.

Chelton Beach Provincial Park. It is a supervised beach located near Borden-Carleton. We found it confusing to get to, so if you can find it on your GPS you should be good to go. My only suggestion to make this beach better is for the province of PEI to erect directional signage to the site. Some of the highlights of our visit was playing in the red sand and admiring the view of Confederation Bridge.

Brackley Beach seems to be a popular beach, but I was a bit disappointed by the garbage on the beach. It also seems to be a rocky beach, riddled with small rocks and broken clam shells, so it is a good idea to bring sandals for yourself as well as water shoes for your little one.

Greenwich Beach is a hidden gem. Not only is it a beautiful beach, it has several amenities catering to young families, including an indoor picnic area and several large change areas, which is perfect when trying to coax your toddler out of their wet swim clothes. The day we went was picture perfect: blue skies, a warm breeze and little crowds. It was well worth the drive.

f you can get through the tourist trap that seems to be Cavendish (sorry Cavendish), Cavendish Beach is a beautiful spot for a day playing on the surf. Unfortunately, it was a blustery day when we visited, but it didn't deter darling daughter and dear husband from getting into their swim wear and build sand castles. If you get a chance, a walk through the Dunelands trail is well worth it.

Although we spent a lot of time on the beach, our taste buds managed to take in some PEI cuisine. Cows ice cream was on the top of my list. I was first introduced to Cows during my visits to Banff. There is no other ice cream like Cows on the market. Unfortunately, if you aren't close to one of the handful of stores the company operates, it is hard to indulge in this divine creamy treat as it isn't sold in stores. However, you can buy the company's whimsical common cow shirts on-line. The three of us paid homage to Cows Creamery, the world headquarters of Cows where we toured the factory and had some ice cream. Yum!

Eating seafood was also on our list. Since we made most of our meals while we were on vacation, we didn't feel once ounce of guilt when dear husband and I shelled out more than $80 on supper one night. We headed to New Glasgow Lobster Suppers for dinner. This family restaurant has been serving lobster and seafood dinners to the masses since 1958. Located near Cavendish, it is open from 4 to 8:30 p.m. You have to pay upfront and while it may be a bit pricey, it was well worth the money in my opinion. Except for your dinner, it is all-you-can-eat mussels, salad, chowder, buns and dessert. I'll be dreaming about those fluffy homemade buns for the rest of my life. Best yet, kids three and under eat free!

So there is my dish on PEI. It is a perfect affordable family getaway and we hope to return soon.