East Coast questions?

[hockey mom]

I need help please :confused3 :confused3

We would like to tour around for a few(maybe 10)
days. If anyone could answer a few questions that would be great.

1- how long a drive from Toronto?
2-what do I definetley want to see?
3-and which ones are a charge?
4-where to stay( I'm thinking a few nights here, a few nights there)
5-I love lobster-where to eat?
6- is whale watching a paid tour or is there a free area?
7-good beaches?

Thanks in advance

[nibab4]

The drive would be approx. 13 to15 Hrs. I would spend a few days in the Shediac and Moncton area. Shediac is known to be the Lobster Capital of the World they have a festival in July. Shediac also has beautiful beaches with the warmest water north of Virginia. Moncton has lots to do a water park and an indoor amusement park for those rainy days oh!! and a large mall across from that park.. From that area it's a short drive to the Fundy Park and Hopewell Rocks where there are the most amazing tides. After that you can drive thru the park towards St-Andrews for some Whale watching. You can also cross the Confederation Bridge to P.E.I also a short drive from Moncton. And the list goes on and on!!!
Here check out this site and order your own guide with a motel directory and a things to do list. www.TourismNewBrunswick.ca

Hope you come and enjoy our province!!!! :flower:

[Hockeychic]

Hey there,
We did a East Coast vacation and are doing a mini one this summer, Quebec City, Bar Harbor Maine and home via Vermont.

We went in 2002. It was a beautiful trip. 11 hours from Toronto to Grand falls NB. We worked our way from Grand Falls to the Hartland Covered Bridge which is neat, it is the longest covered bridge in the world I beleive but canada for sure. Then to Kings Landing, i wouldn't go there again....like Pioneer Village. From there we went to Hopewell Rocks they are amazing to see, in between high and low tides we did a cave tour which DH and the kids loved. I did not but I am a chicken. We went to Moncton for Magnetic Hill and there is a little wharfy thing there ...great beaver tails. Took the bridge over to PEI.....loved it!!! I am going to retire there in the summers and DIS in the winters. We went to summerside but stayed in Cavendish (Anne Shirley Cottages) went to Anne of Green Gables....I am a expert on Anne of Green Gables and there are any things that aren't true to the move....beach is beautiful however. Then went to Wood Island to take the ferry to Nova Scotia, did the Cabot Trail....got to be the most beautiful place in the world. Digby, Halifax, a grave tour in Annapolis Royal is a must...really cool. Then home. That was the trip in a nut shell. We did all of that in 10 days as well and didn't feel rushed but one twice did we spend more then 1 night anywhere. If you want more details or if I missed something let me know and I will get out my east coast stuff to fill you in.

[poohqueen]

I was going to say it would take around 13-15 hours as well. I am in Fredericton and I know it takes 10 hours from here to get to Ottawa. I have never driven to Toronto only flew.
As far as what to do in the Maritimes, it is endless. I would highlight the things the previous posters have already said. In NB I would go to Shediac and do Parlee Beach, it is beautiful as well as go to the Hopewell Rocks, that is amazing to see, really cool, when you can walk on the ocean floor. There is tons to do in Moncton, from Magic Mountain (water park) to Crystal Palace (inside amusment park) it also has some rides outside as well in the summer. Also coming through you might want to stop in Hartland to see the worlds longest coverd bridge. St. Andrews for the whale watching. Most of them cost money, in order to do them.
I would also take a trip across the confederation bridge over to PEI. The bridge itself is an experience. Once you come of the bridge there are all sorts of little shops, in Gateway Village. While over there I would be sure to take a trip to Cavendish to make sure you see the Anne of Green Gables house. They also have a great beach. At all sorts of amusments parks and attractions there as well.
Then you can always take the fairy over to NS, and do some sight seeing there. Halifax is always lots of fun, always something going on, and it has so much history.
I hope that you enjoy your trip to the east coast, as much as we love living here. If you have any questions please feel free to pm me. If I don't know the answer I will do my best to find it for you.

[hockey mom]

Thanks everyone. I just stopped at CAA and picked up a few books and now I am completely overwhelmed. Everything looks so quaint and beautiful. The drive is alot shorter than I was thinking which is great.

You all seem to agree on your spots of interest so they will be on my "must do " list.

Is Hopewell rocks a charge? DH went years ago and seemed to think this was free. Either way we are going. Are the caves that Hockeychic mentioned in this area?

Any more ideas bring them on!

[poohqueen]

hockeymom,
I did a bit of research for you on the Hopewell Rocks. If you go to this website it is the official website, and it will have all the info like the hours of operation and the prices. There is a charge now to go...how things change with time.

http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/english/planning.htm

[hockey mom]

Thanks for the link. This will be a must for us- still deciding on the cave tour portion.

[Hockeychic]

Yes the cave tour was in this area. It cost about 150 for the 4 of us. I will have to do some checking to find out the name of the tour company. Also there is a little hotel right at Hopewell Rocks we spent the night it, it was very nice and you could sit on the porch of your room and watch the tide.

I think it was some white adventure but I am sure we got it off the NB tourism site.

[SplashMom]

If you really want spectacular scenery and friendly people, you really have to travel all the way to Cape Breton and do the Cabot Trail! It really is fabulous, and not just because I live on this wonderful island. I agree with the points that everyone has mentioned but to come so close to here and not visit would be a shame. The Cape Breton Highlands National Park is a vast area of highlands, mountains and valleys with lots of animals and nature trails (that are free other than the national park fee). There are lots of whale watching tours (for a fee), hiking areas and nature walks, as well as beautiful ocean beaches. This link is a great starting point--hope this helps!
www.cbisland.com/index.php :flower:

[hockey mom]

Thanks Hockeychic- I was able to get the prices from the website that poohqueen gave me.

Splashmom- DH and I were just talking about this. We are going to add the Cabot trail on our list. Thanks for the link.

I showed DH the tour of the Alexander Keiths plant so I think we will hit that also.

[CdnDisneyNut]

One more vote for the Cabot Trail
A must see.

[mbb]

:cool1: :cool1: :cool1:

You may want to check into Port Hawkesbury's Concerts on the Grenville Green..I'll see if I can find a link for you..

And the best beach in all of well, anywhere? Not well known, no, but as my Hawaii Beach Lovin' mom put it:"This is BETTER than Hawaii!!" East side of Cape Breton Island...provincial park...again, I'll see if I can find a link:)

And don't forget, Fortress Louisburg:)

:sunny:

[hockey mom]

MBB- what is fortress louisburg? and definitley the name of that beach. Thanks.

[mbb]

Point Michaud Beach...who knew surfers knew about it!!:)
http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/North_America/Canada/East_Coast/point_michaud/

The Fortress...gotta see it:)
http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index_e.asp

And of course, you're more than welcome to visit us!!:)

:sunny:

[Baboo]

I agree with all of the suggestions so far!
You might want to get in touch with PhotobearSam here on the DIS. She and her family run a motel/cabins in Shediac and she always says she'll get DISers a good rate. She and her DH Starwarsman are a couple of sweethearts. We met them a few years ago at a DIS meet in Brockville.

[skondo10]

We went on a wonderful trip to the East coast last summer. We were gone for 15 days. We stopped in Fredericton for one night went to Magnetic Hill and then to the Hartland Covered bridge. From there we took the Confederation bridge into PEI. Stayed in Cavendish at Bosom Buddies (wonderful cottages) for three days. We spent a lot of time on Cavendish beach, went deep sea fishing from North Rustico, ate at Fisherman's Wharf (excellent lobster dinner), went to Charlottetown to see Anne of Green Gables play and visited Green Gables. We wished we had more time to spend in PEI. It was beautiful. We then took the ferry from Wood Island to Nova Scotia and drove the Cabot Trail. Awesome! We spent one night at Igonish Beach camp site. Excellent camp site right near the ocean. We did some hikes on the Cabot Trail (just short ones - the park provides you with an excellent map). Then drove to Sydney and took the ferry to Argentia, Newfoundland. The ferry ride took 14 hours but it was a good experience. From Argentia we drove to St. John's and stayed at Butterpot Provincial Park. Went to Cape Spear and Signal Hill. We also did an awesome kayak adventure with Stan Cooke's Kayaking Adventures. We stayed 3 days in St. John's and then drove around to Gros Morne National Park. This was my favourite part of the trip. It was extremely beautiful. We camped at Berry Hill camp and did a lot of hiking. Stayed here for 4 days and then took the ferry from Port aux basque back to Sydney and drove home. It was a wonderful vacation and I am so glad we did it. We did wish we had more time though!

[PhotobearSam]

Well...since I am in Shediac and I own a motel I do have a preference for where you can stay...LOL but if you want to send me your phone number, I can call you and answer all your questions at once.

Try not to plan all 3 provinces in one trip because it will be like trying to see 3 countries in Europe at once...Too much driving and the "It's Tuesday so this must be Halifax syndrome...LOL"


If you plan on only 10 days...that is not much relaxing.

email me at gaudetchalets@rogers.com if you want me to call.


Shediac is the best Lobster and the warmest beaches but I will say there is a lot of nice places in all 3 provinces.

[hockey mom]

Thanks so much for the help everyone.

Skondo10- thanks for your review. What did you think of magnetic hill? We won't be able to get to Newfoundland this trip- just not enough time. I wouldn't mind seeing Anne of Green Gables but when I mentioned it to the rest of the family :sad2: :sad2: :sad2: so I gusess thats off the list.

Photobearsam- we only plan on doing a few key things in each province, but having never been that way I have no idea how much driving that would be-and we definitely want a relaxing vacation. I also you an e-mail.

[SnowWhite]

Would this better be done as an overnight trip? Or a day trip? What is the traffic like going through Quebec in the day? I have only driven as far as Montreal on highway 8 (extension of 401). We received our package from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in the fall and it looks just gorgeous out there.

[sandraB]

We drive from Toronto to Fredericton all the time (my mom lives in TO), and it takes us 14-15 hours.

The roads are pretty good, until you hit NB! I find the drive a little boring...but it is pretty at times.

I don't know when you are coming, but one idea for combining whale watching and sightseeing....

We have taken the ferry over to Grand Manan Island, NB, and if it is late august or early sept, you can pretty much guarantee seeing harbour porpoises and whales!

You can do a day trip over and back, without your car, to save money. It is a quaint little island, with a beautiful lighthouse over looking the sea. We went last labour day weekend, and just sat at the lighthouse looking at the porpoises! We saw quite a few whales on the ferry ride too.

I love Grand Manan because it is so not touristy, and the people are great!

Anyway, just an idea!

Have fun planning! BTW, we love Kings' Landing....it is really neat, and very educational..in a fun way!

[murcor]

I showed DH the tour of the Alexander Keiths plant so I think we will hit that also.

My dh and I took this tour a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. There is lots to do in Halifax for a few days.....a beautiful small city on the harbour.

[Abba98]

:cool1: Glad you're coming our way,here's some info:
1)Louisbourg Fortress is in Louisbourg,Cape Breton,and is an old French fort.Awesome place to spend a day,and good food in the old time restaurants!
2) You must see the Bay of Fundy,highest tides in the world,and the gorgeous Annapolis Valley of NS,where I live .......Famous for our apples!
3)Lobster is great in Shediac,NB,or Cavendish,PEI
4)Whale Watching-if you're not going to Newfoundland,then I would suggest you go whale watching in Digby County,NS,at Brier Island.You can research the many places there to pay and go with,our fave is BIOS.......
Have a great trip,you'll love it here,we do! :Pinkbounc pirate: :wave2:

[hockey mom]

Thanks for the great suggestions everyone. I seen those whale watching/ ice berg tours from Newfoundland and they look awesome. We have decided that 10 days will not be enough and are trying to plan a 2-2half week trip.

[B&B Mom]

hockey mom
If you decide to come to PEI and want help with anything let me know....I'd be glad to help out.

[hockey mom]

Thanks B&Bmom- we are doing PEI so help would be great. I will PM you closer to our date.

[MickeyMacks]

I agree with Photobear Sam that trying to do 3 provinces in 1 vacation may be asking too much. NB and PEI in one trip is great, if you can get a bit of NS and Cape Breton in you're doing well! Don't forget, some highways are only 2-lane so that will slow you down considerably, especially if you're entering NB from Quebec and are stuck on the horrible 2-lane until you get near Fredericton. If you cut through Maine and enter Canada at Calais, ME/St. Stephen, NB you'll be on a faster track, only about 3.5 hours from the border to Moncton. Also, PEI is entirely 2-lane with rural folks who don't hurry (expect tractors on the highway). Add a bunch of gotta-see-it-all tourists who are used to the 401 and ... you'd better keep your wits about you!

I've lived in southern NB, Cape Breton, NS and Halifax, NS and agree with what everyone had to say about those places. You likely won't get a chance to do this on your trip but I just want to add for anyone considering a trip to the Maritimes: the coastal drive from Halifax to Lunenburg, NS (by way of Mahone Bay) is FANTASTIC! If you're camping, don't miss the Ovens provincial park near Lunenburg - cliffside camping above sea caves that you can explore in Zodiac boats and even go inside. Go inside a cave at night in summer and sea it glowing green & purple from phosphorescent sea creatures! One caveat: cliffside camping means it's probably not the best campground if you have toddlers and I wouldn't put too much faith in the old wooden fence along the edge of the cliff either!

At Lunenburg, explore the Maritime Fisheries Museum - name sounds boring but the place rocks! Outdoors at the museum's wharf are 3 floating exhibits you can board: a fishing schooner called the Mary Theresa (cousin to Bluenose) that you can climb all over and sea how they lived, handled salted cod, etc. There's a modern fishing boat with a ship's bell that was lost at sea and drug up years later in a fishing net by the son of the captain that lost it! How's that for probability! And the best part is you can also board the Bluenose II if it's at anchor there (she's a travelling exhibit and sometimes visits Halifax, etc.) You can even take a short cruise on the Bluenose at Lunenburg (separate charge from your museum admission) and it's spectacular being out on the water on the Bluenose - we spotted the caves at the Ovens from the water!

Also, between Halifax and Lunenburg there's Peggy's Cove (a bit out of the way but worth it) and the most important advice I have is to WATCH YOUR KIDS around the rocks near the lighthouse and water - there are rogue waves here that occasionally sweep over the rocks. (In peak seasons they have lifeguards, but not always.) Also, there is the Swissair 111 monument further along St. Margaret's Bay that is nice to stop at if you're going that way.

Okay, this is getting pretty long so I'd better sign off! Have fun planning!

[hockey mom]

MickeyMacks- somebody at work was just telling me today how much they loved Lunenberg. They said the caves were fantastic. Thanks for all the great tips!