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Looking for a launching point for an Island vacation? Visitors who have taken the Confederation Bridge over to PEI can head northwest, around the coast, and into Summerside. The city boasts a waterfront boardwalk, plenty of shopping and accommodations, and a marina for seafaring vacations. You can also find arts and culture at the Jubilee Theatre and the Eptek Art and Culture Centre, and waterside restaurants on Spinnaker's Landing.

The North Cape Coastal Drive, a 186-mile route circling the Island's western end, starts and ends in Summerside. Take Route 2 to begin the journey "up west" and into Acadian country. Descendants of the original French settlers live here and the language is still vibrant. Their history includes the expulsions in the mid-18th century by the British. Some Acadians settled in Louisiana, under French rule at the time, and formed the basis for the Cajun culture. Check out the bilingual Acadian Museum in Miscouche.

Following Route 11 from Miscouche will bring you to the Mill River Provincial Park, which has full-service camping and a top-shelf golf course. Take Route 143 to Route 14, cross West Point and the Cedar Dunes provincial park, then head north until land's end at North Cape. Here, huge windmills swing PEI into the future at the North Cape Wind Site, also known as the Wind Energy Institute of Canada. It currently supplies about 10% of the Island's power. An onsite centre details the wind farm, the wildlife on the longest natural rock reef in North America, and the area's history.

Follow Route 12 south through Alberton, perhaps spending a night at the four-star Northport Pier Inn overlooking the harbour. Consider stopping at the Lennox Island First Nation, on Route 163, the largest Mi'qmaq population on PEI. The café serves traditional Mi'qmaq dishes. From there head back to Summerside.

Heading east from Summerside will take you to nearby Kensington; check out the Frosty Treat dairy bar. Continue along Route 13 to Cavendish, anchored by the legacy of author Lucy Maude Montgomery, creator of the Anne of Green Gables novels. Visit the Green Gables Heritage Site, the setting for the stories of Anne's adventures. Off the dunes are amusement parks, museums and three golf courses, including the Eagles Glenn golf resort.

If Route 2 from Kensington is your choice, at Hunter River detour onto Route 13, stopping in New Glasgow, home to the 50-year-old and world-famous New Glasgow Lobster Suppers. The nearby PEI Preserve Company serves up homemade jams, preserves, teas, and sauces.

Route 6 follows the northern curve of the Island to PEI National Park. The newest addition is the Confederation Trail. Several roads lead south into Charlottetown, the provincial capital. Check out Province House, PEI's legislature, which bisects University Avenue and Great George Street. It's the birthplace of Confederation. Here in 1864, 81 years after the Treaty of Paris ensured the United States' freedom from British rule, the first meeting of the four British colonies that formed the underpinnings of Canada was held.

A short walk under Great George's centuries-old chestnut trees will take you to the busy Charlottetown waterfront, with shops, a boardwalk and boat cruises. The downtown streets offers shops, churches, restaurants, and entertainment, including the long-running Anne of Green Gables musical at the Confederation Centre for the Arts.

To see the spectacular Island vistas at Desable and Victoria-by-the-Sea, drive west from Charlottetown toward the Northumberland Strait. Stop in Victoria for a taste of life in an artists' village. It's home to a summer theatre festival, a chocolate factory, a lighthouse museum, arts and crafts studios and galleries, and world-class dining. Try a kayak tour available on the seaside hamlet's waterfront to cool off.

The Points East Coastal Drive is a 213-mile circuit around the eastern coastline of PEI. Round East Point's dramatic cliffs and wind-twisted spruce overlooking an often raging ocean. Follow Route 311 to Route 2 and check out Basin Head beach and its "singing sand," which squeaks underfoot. The white sand, which has a high quartz content, has been polished into a spherical shape that squeaks or whistles when walked upon. But the real draw is the warm water and the beach, separated by an artificial lagoon.

Not far is the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown and the Brudenell River golf resort. Route 17 leads to Montague, the hub of eastern PEI. It's filled with shops, restaurants and services.

The fishing village of Murray Harbour is home to Tampa Bay Lightning and Stanley Cup-winning forward Brad Richards. Further along on Route 18 is the Cape Bear Lighthouse, which received distress signals from Titanic the night she sank. Not far is the Rossignol Estate Winery in Little Sands. Sample the award-winning Seyval Blanc and Marechal Foch wines and tour the vineyard.

Swinging past Wood Islands along the TransCanada Highway will lead visitors to the Orwell Corner Historic Village and Agricultural Museum and a glimpse into 19th century Island village life. Evening brings entertainment including ceilidhs ("kay-lees"), which are lively dances with Celtic music.

Return to Wood Islands to take one of Northumberland Ferries Ltd.'s car ferries, either the Confederation or Holiday Island, to Nova Scotia. The 14 miles separating the two provinces takes only 75 minutes to traverse, and the journey is always enjoyable and deeply relaxing.