When I was younger, I loved reading the Anne of Green Gables books. And when a tv mini-series came out in the 80s, I was especially thrilled to see the books come to life!
Anne’s world was exactly as I had imagined it would be. Anne, with all of her earnestness, would concoct some plan that would inevitably go awry. She was an orphan with a big imagination and even bigger heart who captured the hearts of those who came into her lives.
Prince Edward Island is birthplace of the author, Lucy Maude Montgomery, and is the setting for her Anne books. So, when we put our deposit down on the cottage and started planning this trip, I knew that I wanted to absorb as much about Anne Shirley and Lucy Maude as possible.
And I was going to drag my poor family around as I did it.
Oh, I tried to interest them in the stories beforehand. Sweet Pea did read the first book in the series and all three girls did sit down to watch the movie. And they were curious to see the setting in person. But, it wasn’t quite the same caliber of interest that I had.
They went along for the ride, though, and by the end of the week, Pumpkin had her Anne Shirley doll, Peanut had a hat with braids and declared that she’d be Anne Shirley for Halloween that year and Sweet Pea knew every line to every song on the CD that we bought from the Anne of Green Gables Musical that we had seen.
And My Chandler? Well, he did get his Tim Horton's coffee!
Perhaps my most favorite spot that we visited in our Anne tour was the actual Anne of Green Gables house. In reality, this house was originally owned by Lucy Maude’s cousins and was a home that she would visit when she was younger. It had very special memories for her, so she based the fictional Green Gables home of Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert on this real-life home.
Most people enter this historical attraction from the main parking lot, through the requisite gift shop, following the paved path to the main house and surrounding farm buildings.
However, we did something a little different.
We started at the Lucy Maude Montgomery homestead in Cavendish. This is the site of the home where Lucy Maude lived with her grandparents and where she would later go on to write the first couple of Anne books.
While the house is no longer standing, we were able to walk around the grounds, taking in the beauty of the fields around us, the beautiful gardens that had been planted and the foundation of the house that used to be there.
And then we walked down a lane that took us to the Haunted Woods. For you Anne fans, this is the woods that Anne and her friends would never dare to enter because they believed it was filled with ghosts. And after walking through this forest, I can understand why Lucy Maude wrote that. It does have a bit of spookiness about it. But, it’s also a very pretty, serene area as well.
When you come out of the woods, you are met by a set of steps and a large hill that says you are now entering the site of the Green Gables home.
At first all you can see is the hill and just a bit of the roof of the house. We started to climb these steps and as we crested the top, we were met with an amazing site.
There was the home in all its glory!
All of my Anne giddiness came out at that point as I giggled and practically skipped to the house. Peanut and Pumpkin ran with me, My Chandler just shook his head and Sweet Pea tried to pretend she was not related to me!
The inside of the house was fascinating to tour because of all the antique furniture. And fans of the books will especially enjoy seeing “Anne’s Room” and see items throughout that have featured roles in the books like Anne’s worn carpetbag with the finicky handles. Or the raspberry cordial that was supposed to be on the second shelf of the pantry.
And outside, you can check out the barns, pose for pictures in the carriage or walk along Lover’s Lane, a beautiful area that was another inspiration in Lucy Maude’s writing.
It may not be quite as fascinating for those not familiar with the literary pieces, but it is a beautiful little home on a beautiful piece of property. And for dorky fans like me, it was a chance to feel like I had stepped into one of my favorite literary pieces!
So wonderfully written.....when are you going to write a series of books. You have a way with words!! Can hardly wait til tomorrow...
Posted by: MaryBeth Hibbert | 07/09/2013 at 09:38 AM