Hmmm...well, I'm not much of an expert on NL or NS, but I live in Saint John NB and have a cottage over on PEI, so I can give some advice about those areas (I also currently work at a national historic site and have worked in visitor information in the past). You asked about "gems" that are NOT in the brochures, so I won't mention any of the "touristy" places to go.
NB: If you're into museums, visit the
Quaco Museum in St. Martins. It's small, but the people who work there are SO nice and very dedicated to what they do. The vilage of St. Martins is beautiful, and of course there is the Fundy Trail nearby.
Saint John: I must put a plug in here for the place I work...a visit to Carleton Martello Tower National Historic Site of Canada is a must! I know, it sounds really dull and boring, but it's a rare, REALLY neat War of 1812 site that has a new exhibit area and some VERY friendly, knowledgeable guides!
It's truly a rare gem that is very much underappreciated. A bonus is that we're right off the highway (oh, and we have maps and tourist info, too!).
PEI: Ah, PEI. I spent 13 summers of my youth here and worked for 7 of them. As I mentioned before, I worked in tourist information, so I have a fairly good grasp of where to go. The Western part of the island has the
West Point lighthouse and windmill farm. It's DEFINITELY worth the drive up; there are walking trails, picnic areas, a museum and a restaurant. On the way, there are also several provincial parks to stop at.
No visit to Southwestern PEI is complete without a stop at the
PEI Potato Museum/ O'Leary Community Museum in
O'Leary. I love this place SO much that I try to make it there every couple of years. You will learn EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about the potato and be able to sample some unique potato "treats". Oh, and there's a new Tims on the corner!
The
Bottle Houses in
Cap Egmont are also a really unique gem that are not to be missed. I think they actually made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for some reason or another! They are various buildings that are made completely out of bottles; wine, beer, you name it!
In Burlington,
Woodleigh Replicas is a one-of-a-kind place that has full-size and miniature replicas of English castles and houses. It's SO neat to be able to walk through a stone castle and see replicas of crowns and jewels! It's a classic attraction that I haven't been to in years but plan to return to this summer.
In the Eastern part of PEI, visit St. Peters/ Greenwich and the
Greenwich Interpretation Centre. It's part of PEI National Park and has a stunning beach, eco-friendly beach complex and a really amazing visitor centre with all kinds of interactive displays. Oh, and there are places to rent bikes and ride around the
Confederation Trail, which is a biking/walking path following the old torn-up railway tracks. The section in this area is one of my favorites; every summer, my family tries a different section of the trail.
I hope this has helped...if you have any more questions, just ask! OH, and if you DO plan on going to NL by ferry, especially with a Motor home, I cannot stress this enough...
MAKE SURE YOU RESERVE WELL IN ADVANCE. I hear the ferry is VERY popular in the summer, and with a large vehicle, you may have trouble getting on without a booking. It's a good idea to be in the area the day before, or to give yourself lots of time to get to North Sydney; I had one gentleman at the VIC, at about 1:00 PM, mention that he was planning to catch the ferry that night at 11:30 PM or so. Not such a good idea! I hope you enjoy your vacation in the Maritimes and I hope I see you in Saint John this summer!