How to Let a Side Quest Lead the Way

One of my favourite things in the world is when I put a question into the universe and I’m rewarded with an answer. Sometimes, it’s something of great value and meaning. For example, should I take a year off and pursue other interests instead of continuing to run my company? Yes? Great. Thanks! And other times, the question is simple and more in-the-moment: What am I going to do this afternoon? Enter a bright, fluffy-haired blonde woman with not one, but two metallic scrunchies in her hair teaching me how to let a side quest lead the way.

The Set-Up to Let a Side Quest Lead the Way

Last Wednesday, I decided to book a long weekend camping trip to Prince Edward Island. Remember how I just said one of my favourite things is when the universe provides an answer? Well, the universe delivered, my friends. When I logged into the National Park camping booking site, I found there to be only one campsite left for the time I wanted to book. And just like that, I had myself 4 days and 3 nights at the Cavendish National Park Campground. Serviced, to boot, thank you very much.

I had a loose plan for the weekend, like I always have when I head out on an adventure. The plan follows the same general formula as all of my solo camping trips: travel day + nice dinner and relaxing at the campsite the first night. One activity in late morning or early afternoon on the second day, lunch somewhere, and maybe a second adventure of some kind or a beach trip. The third day is one adventure and follows more of a “let’s see where the day takes us.” “Us” being me and my cooler full of Diet Pepsi.

What Struck My Fancy on Prince Edward Island Before I Let a Side Quest Lead the Way

I won’t bore you with the mundane details of what it’s like to set up a tent trailer after driving for 7 hours. It’s exactly as much work as you think it is. My favourite part is how sweaty I get and it’s one of the main reasons I just don’t bother scheduling any kind of further activity on a travel day. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I just want to hang out and enjoy the peace and quiet.

But because I landed at the campsite much earlier in the day than I normally do, I hit the road again after dinner and made my way to the Cavendish Boardwalk. It’s not worth mentioning either. It’s a tourist trap with a capital T. I guess in this case, it’s actually two Ts, but who’s counting?

No, Friday night wasn’t anything to write home about and I was actually in bed before 10 pm, listening to the camper sway in the winds. They were high and loud. I didn’t sleep well. Such is life sometimes. You can’t control everything.

Day Two on the Island

Saturday was met with a little more excitement and I hit up several farmers markets, had lunch at a beautiful little bistro in New Glasgow called The Mill, and then took a much-needed nap before heading to Summerside to catch some live music with strangers. I decided to head to the beach near my campground to take in the sunset: something I’ve only done a few times in my life. I was excited to just hang out on the beach by myself and be alone with my — oh, oh wait. The entire campground and what looks like a lot of locals are already on the beach. What the hell?

Turns out, my idea to take in the sunset was neither original, nor well-timed because as I got to an empty log to sit down, I only caught the last few minutes before the sun went down. That was fine though, because I wasn’t watching the sun. I was watching the strangers on the beach with me. It was like a scene from City of Angels. You know the one where all the angels gather at sunset and sunrise to listen to the sun/god/sound/whatever.

Life Imitates Art…Or is it the Other Way Around?

It’s one of my favourite movies and when I recognized what was happening, I wanted to tell everyone there. Maybe they’d get it, maybe they wouldn’t. I loved it. It was like watching people come to sermon, or church, or pay tribute to something they all held dearly. Of course, everyone was there to get a great shot for the gram so everyone knew they were on vacation. I also took a great photo. Obviously. The intimate nature of being on beach with strangers all invested in the same outcome was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced, gram or no gram.

The Side Quest Is Activated

But my favourite stranger encounter came on Sunday morning while I rested at the end of a 3 km hike from my campground to a neighbouring look-off. I plopped my arse in a big red chair, famously placed throughout Canada’s National Parks at some of the best views you’ll ever see. Not a moment later, a woman wearing what I can only describe as a whimsical, pink muumuu sat down beside me and promptly started telling me about what she’d give up to spend more mornings like this one: sitting on the cliff, watching the waves in the sunshine. I couldn’t agree more.

We struck up a conversation and while I was delighted to talk to her, I found myself wildly distracted by her scrunchied hair. She had two metallic pink scrunchies in her hair. And not just in her hair, but her hair was styled like Deb from Napoleon Dynamite. If you know, you know. I thought to myself, anyone who wears their hair like that knows a thing or two about life. So I took her advice to heart: Go to North Rustico.

Go Where the Road Takes You…Because the Navigation Might Not be Working

Now the funny thing about PEI is that my cell service wasn’t the greatest. This meant another social media break, although, this one wasn’t so self-imposed. But it also meant, my navigation and directions weren’t working great either. And if you’ve ever travelled the country roads of Prince Edward Island, you know there’s no straight-answer way to get anywhere. Everything is “turn left, turn right, turn again and it seems like you’re on a different road, but we’ve actually just created some weird short cut to the other end of the same road you were just on.” It’s beautiful, but in a Disney World waiting line, kind of way. Are we there yet? It requires patience, let me tell you.

What Destination? I’m All About the Journey.

Still though, I managed to make my way to North Rustico and followed my instincts that the action was where the water was, making my way to the precious harbour that you’d miss if you kept driving through town on the “main road.” I quoted main road there because, yeah, there are no main roads to anywhere on this island. If you see a gas station, you’re probably on a “main road.” I kind of love it.

North Rustico was 9.6 km from the spot where I met the muumuu, scrunchy-wearing delight of a woman and while I could have kept hiking along the trail to get to the same spot in which I now found myself, I decided to drive. It took less than 5 minutes. The first thing I saw, besides the long lines of people waiting to go out on deep-sea fishing expeditions, was a giant gift shop at the end of the harbour, so I made my way there and was greeted by a wooden-spoon player that made me smile so hard my face hurt. I tipped him $10. He was so good.

The gift shop was pleasant and surprisingly large, but the items weren’t what caught my eye. The smell of the ocean inside the gift shop is what made me want to stay. When I finally walked back outside, I realized it was because the entire harbour structure, including the buildings, were on stilts so when the tide came in, the buildings would be flush with water.

I’m sorry I missed it mid-day when the tide was out. Still though, this side quest put me square in a part of the world I’d never been, seeing things I’d never seen, and enjoying the sounds of what I would give a 10 out of 10 when it comes to wooden spoon playing. Muumuu lady was right.

Plan All You Want, But Be Ready to Let a Side Quest Take the Lead

We can spend all the time in the world making plans for trips, whether spontaneous or not, but it’s the side quests that I think really make an adventure special. I’ve never been one to take advice from people, especially when it starts with the words, “You should do this…” but I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do after my hike and so I thought I’d be open to what might come. What came was a human being I will probably never forget. She was unique and sure and well-timed on my travels. I didn’t stay in North Rustico long and I didn’t do much more than tip a skilled spoon player, but I’m glad I went.

What followed was several hours of driving around the island just to see what I could see and boy, did I see some stuff I was not expecting to see. Not that I was expecting to run into a woman wearing a muumuu and two scrunchies, to be clear. What I found though was a beautiful art gallery, filled with some of the coolest art I’ve ever seen. Think: images made with feathers.

There Can’t Possibly Be More? Sure There Can!

If the art was cool, the Zen garden in the back of the building was epic. A Zen garden? In Butt-fuck-nowhere Prince Edward Island? What? I was speechless. It was unreal. But of course this would be tucked away in a place like PEI. The entire island is just one unexpected surprise of one kind or another.

I would never have found it if I hadn’t made the pit stop in North Rustico. I wouldn’t have gotten to see beautiful art, gardens, and a resort that I was shocked to learn wasn’t a Fairmont. Do they know about it? Because they should scoop it up pronto. Dalvay by the Sea, is not, in fact, owned by Fairmont hotels. I checked. It should be. It is right up there with other world-famous hotels owned by them. I’m not saying they are the best in the world; most of them are kind of old and worn, to be honest, but this one? It looked the part, but better.

All of this is to say that having a plan is a good idea, but make sure you leave some room to take a side quest once in a while. You might worry about missing something everyone else recommends, but if a woman with two scrunchies approaches you and tells you to do something, you probably don’t want to miss whatever she’s sharing. I could have done the usual things, but I’m glad I did the unexpected things instead. It turned out to be a weekend I’ll never forget.

How Can You Have Your Own Side Quest?

If you’re looking to ramp up your travel plans and are worried about going solo, don’t be. But also, make a plan to make it happen. Join my 5-day Solo Adventure Series via email and get step-by-step instructions on how to make an idea into reality. All by yourself.

And if you’re feeling super adventerous and want to dig into creating memorable solo trips now and in the future, consider purchasing Go Anyway: Solo Adventure Course for Women and learn how to plan an in-depth overnight, weekend, week-long and multi-week trip by yourself. You might just meet your own scrunchy-wearing spirit guide along the way.