Prince Edward Island - Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island - page 317

inn. The hotel occupies 30 hectares of the family farm, with a private lane leading to
Brackley Beach, a 600m walk away. Rooms in the inn have old-fashioned simplicity.
One- to four-bedroom cottages, ranging from rustic to modern, are scattered around the
property. A children's program runs in July and August, with hay rides, games, trips to
the beach and a supervised supper hour. The dining room ( 902-672-2022; mains $22-33;
8-10am & 5:45-9:30pm) is open to outside guests; reservations are recommended for the
popular Sunday evening buffet ($40; held in July and August).
For near-the-beach budget digs you won't find better than the clean and superfriendly
Brackley Beach Hostel ( 902-672-1900; www.brackleybeachhostel.com ; 37 Britain Shore Rd;
dm/q $27/59; ) housed in a big barn about 2km from the shoreline. There are several
eight-bed dorm rooms and a few quads as well as plenty of showers and an equipped kit-
chen.
While over-the-top springs to mind, Dunes Café & Gallery ( 902-672-2586; Rte 15;
dinner mains $16-25; 11:30am-10pm) is a nice change of pace. Honestly, where else on
the island can you enjoy Vietnamese rice-noodle salad in the shade of a giant Buddha?
Come in for a coffee, a meal or just to roam the eclectic mix of Asian and island art in
the sprawling glass gallery and garden.
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Rustico
The seafront Acadian settlement at Rustico dates back to 1700, and several fine historic
buildings speak of this tiny village's former importance. Most prominent is St
Augustine's Church (1830), the oldest Catholic church on PEI. The old cemetery is on
one side of the church, the solid red-stone Farmer's Bank of Rustico is on the other. The
bank operated here from 1864 to 1894; it was a forerunner of the credit-union movement
in Canada. Beside the bank is Doucet House , an old Acadian dwelling that was relo-
cated here. A museum ( 902-963-2194; adult/student $4/2; 9:30am-5:30pm Mon-Sat,
1-5pm Sun) describing the settlement of the community and the establishment of the bank
is now housed in the two secular buildings.
In a prime location just across the street from the towering old church, Barachois Inn
( 800-963-2194, 902-963-2906; www.barachoisinn.com ; 2193 Church Rd; d incl breakfast
$140-275; ) is one of the finest B&Bs on PEI. The grand Acadian-style mansion is
decorated not only with the standard sublime selection of antiques, but also with very ec-
lectic paintings, which makes walking around the many common areas like touring an art
museum. Bathrooms are nearly equal in size to the enormous rooms, and hidden in the