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• North Cape

	North Cape, Prince Edward Island

NORTH CAPE — There is a “No Exit” sign a mere 50 metres  before the Highway 12 spills into a parking lot at North Cape, Prince Edward Island.
Too late to turn around now and it’s just as well. North Cape might be as far as one can go without a bathing suit, but getting there is just the start of the adventure.
This is where the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence meet the waters of Northumberland Strait.  They’ve been meeting there for centuries, all the while creating a natural rock reef. At low tide you can walk along the reef some 400 metres, water to the left and water to the right, without getting even your ankles wet. Just wear sturdy footwear, because it’s rocky.
It’s a neat way to commune with nature as the reef is a popular spot for seabirds to gather, and seals might pop their heads up to see who’s sharing going by.
The reef takes on an entirely different appearance in stormy seas when waves from both waters crash into each other.
Storm seas push Irish moss onto the shoreline. Horses and trucks then make their way onto the rocky beach to gather the moss for sale.
North Cape’s rugged coastline is a photographer’s dream. From sunup to sunset, just rounding the tip of the Island can give camera-toting visitors another perspective.
Not only the tides meet here; this is where nature and technology co-exist. With 300-degree exposure to the winds, North Cape is a natural location for the Wind Energy Institute of Canada. Wind technology is put through its paces here.
Two wind farms also take advantage of one of the best wind regimes in the nation.
The Wind Energy Interpretive Centre and Gift Shop provide insight into the technical side of producing wind energy. The centre also shares information about the cape’s natural environment.
The black marsh nature trail leads walkers inland… Well, as far inland as one can go at the tip of the Island. The trail along the western coastline, becomes a boardwalk through a marshland — a nature lovers’ and bird watchers’ paradise.
Then it’s back to the interpretive centre’s giftshop for crafts, then upstairs to a table with a water view and fine dining in the Wind and Reef Restaurant — a suitable name for a restaurant at the tip of P.E.I.
Bon appetit!

if you go
Getting there:
Tourism planners have named Prince County, P.E.I.'s scenic route the North Cape Coastal Drive. It starts in Summerside and, whether you follow the South Shore or the North Shore, it will take you to the apex of the route, North Cape. Travel up one coast and back the other, or take the more direct route along the Veterans Memorial Highway to Tignish and follow the NCCD the rest of the way.
What to look for along the way:
Coastal scenes and harbours. Tignish Harbour is home to Atlantic Canada's busiest fishing port. Seacow Pond Harbour is near the ultimate destination. On the other coast, a road climbs up over the wharf at Skinners Pond, famous as a childhood home to Stompin' Tom Connors.
In nearby Tignish, pay a visit to St. Simon and St. Jude Roman Catholic Church to see its famous Louis Mitchell pipe organ.
What to bring:
* Comfortable walking shoes for the nature trail or the rocky shoreline and reef. There are dirt roads along the cliffs but are meant mainly for area mossers.
* Binoculars to catch a glimpse of marine life and nesting birds.
* A camera to capture North Cape's rugged beauty and possibly even some Irish mossers at work.
* An inquisitive mind to learn about the area's natural history and its contribution to the development of wind energy technology.
* A healthy appetite for the restaurant, or acquire one during the nature trail walk.