The Anne That Ate P.E.I.

WHERE TO EAT:

• In Charlottetown: For Italian, try Sirenella (83 Water St.; entrees from less than $10), or for Lebanese cuisine, check out Cedars (81 University Ave.; $5-$15). Between meals, don't miss Cows, a P.E.I-born and bred ice cream shop that has several locations around the island.

• In Montague: Windows on the Water (106 Sackville St.) is the place for mussels and a long, lazy lunch on the wraparound deck. Live it up for about $10 at lunch; about twice that for dinner.

• In Anne's Land: The northern coast is known for its lobster suppers, which started as charitable affairs in churches. Some are now commercial and cavernous, but one that has stuck to its roots is St. Ann's Church Lobster Suppers, in the town of Hope River. Closed Sundays. A lobster dinner with all the fixin's will set you back $19.50.

• On the east coast: The Inn at Bay Fortune and Inn at Spry Point (see above) feature acclaimed restaurants that specialize in fresh ingredients and just-off-the-boat seafood. Bay Fortune (entrees $17-$21.50) is said to be the best on the island, but I preferred Spry Point's fixed-price food fest for $30.

WHAT TO DO:

• In Charlottetown: If you're a little rusty on the capital city's role as the "Cradle of Canadian Confederation," visit Founders' Hall (6 Prince St., 800-955-1864, www.foundershall.ca; $5) on the harborfront. Next door, the touristy Peake's Wharf, a dining and shopping area à la Inner Harbor, is eminently skippable -- unless you're in dire need of T-shirts and P.E.I potatoes served a dozen ways. Instead, stroll along the nearby boardwalk to the parks and grand residential areas around Victoria Park, or take a harbor cruise. Up the hill is the pedestrianized Victoria Row, flush with cafes and craft shops.

• In Anne's Land: Cavendish, a 30-minute drive north of Charlottetown, is where you'll find Green Gables (902-963-7874; about $4), the farmhouse originally owned by relatives of author Lucy Maud Montgomery that helped inspire "Anne of Green Gables" and other Anne-centric attractions. Virtually next door is Prince Edward Island National Park, (902-672-6350 , www.pc.gc.ca), which features prime beaches and pink-sand dunes. Admission $3.50.

• Touring the island: For bicyclists, the Confederation Trail, which follows a former rail line, can be picked up from Charlottetown or any other point along the way. About 140 miles of the path have been groomed; eventually it will wind 215 miles across the island. For those who prefer their mobility motorized, a series of scenic drives circles the province.

• Potatoes: In the United States, Idaho boasts "famous potatoes"; in Canada, it's P.E.I. Travel to O'Leary, near the western coast, to pay your respects to taters at the Prince Edward Island Potato Museum (902-859-2039, www.peipotatomuseum.com; about $4), which, boosters note, "has been recognized for exhibiting the largest collection of potato artifacts in the world!"

INFORMATION:

Tourism Prince Edward Island, 888-734-7529,

www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide

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-- Erica Johnston