Cavendish, Prince Edward Island National Park

Cavendish’s National Park ran along the northern side of Prince Edward Island facing the Gulf of St Lawrence. It was a small national park. Its longest trail ran from Cavendish Beach to North Rustico, a little over twelve kilometres one way. What made this site busier than any I had visited on the island was the sandy beach that faded into the distance, especially on the misty morning I visited.

Prince Edward Island National Park

This national park on the northern side of the island was established in 1937 to protect the beaches and sand dunes as well as the region’s wetlands and marshes. The twenty-seven square kilometre park faced the Gulf of St Lawrence and consisted of mostly access to its many sandy beaches. But there were some trails away from the dunes.

Bouctouche

In the late 1700s French Acadians settled in the area which explains why so many street names were in French, as well, it was the most common language spoken in the small town located by New Brunswick’s Bouctouche River. (featured image) And as one of the town’s locals told me, the British may have burnt their villages and expelled them centuries earlier, but they had survived and thrived.

Miles Canyon and further south

I left Whitehorse for Miles Canyon that was not far from the Yukon’s capital. A trail led to the Yukon River, still flowing at a reckless speed past the reddish cliffs. From there, I lazily zigzagged towards Skagway, stopping at scenic spots along the way and crossing into British Columbia and then the U.S. where the three borders were set close together.

An hour of sand dunes

It didn’t matter in the end that I missed the sand dunes because for the first hour on a bus heading north from Mui Ne to Ninh Chu, I saw nothing but sand dunes. They hugged both sides of the road while not far off, the ocean glistened.

A stream with a sour ending

I was keen to tour Mui Ne’s famous sand dunes but my first stop was the Fairy Stream.

Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area

We whipped through Lincoln City and Florence because my friend was keen on a buggy ride over the sand dunes.

We booked a tour with one office and when we arrived, were told the other people in the group were going to be an hour late so we’d have to wait till they arrived. Excuse me! We weren’t late, we chastised the woman and demanded our money back.

The north island’s sand dunes

New Zealand’s sand dunes weren’t far from Cape Reinga. The route south bounced down a dirt road to dunes rising majestically to meet the blue sky.