OT 2 Weeks in the Maritimes

[mejaie]

So DD said she wanted to go to the Maritimes before returning to Disney . So we are getting that out of the way this summer. Yes we booked on Airmiles before they changed the rules. We are renting a Motorhome, and planning on NS, NB, PE, and time permitting NL. Any suggestions for some "gems" that we may not read about in travel brochures.

P.S. Any ideas on what to do in or around Pearson for 5.5 hours on a Saturday?

 

[yoplit]

Hi, we live in Cape Breton, and if you want to do somethign truly breath taking you'll HAVE to do the Cabot Trail. it is just positivley amazing, and you will NOT regret doing it. WDW may have Mickey, but Cape Breton has natural beauty that you just can't caputre in mickey ears.

 

[Applemomma]

I think we need more details......where is your starting point? Will you have the motor home for the whole trip? Depending on how much driving you are willing to do covering all three provinces might be difficult if you want to spend any quality time. And Newfoundland really isn't a sidetrip.....it will take some dedicated time since just the ferry time over would pretty much eat up a day.

However, as a loose suggestion I'd say start in Halifax, travel the Evangaline trail through the Valley (wave to me as you go by!!), take the ferry at Digby to St. John, N.B.. Explore there a bit, including the Fundy Park (nice camping I hear). Travel to PEI via the Confederation Bridge from N.B., check out pretty much any part of PEI for beauty (touristy area is mostly around Cavandish). Travel back to N.S. via the ferry (by the way you only pay to get off the Island, not on!) to Pictou and then on to Cape Breton and the Cape Breton Trail (I agree...it's a must do).Then follow the Eastern shore of N.S. and stop and visit Sherbrooke Village. You can also keep going past Halifax again if you have time along the South Shore and see Peggy's Cove.

But again...that's a lot of driving and I didn't get you anywhere near Newfoundland! Think of it as a "Disney" vacation and prioritize! Most importantly have fun....you'll love it here.

 

[starrzone]

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!

 

[sandraB]

Another vote for the Fundy Trail...it is really nice. You can drive or walk it. THere are buses that will take you back to your car if you hike it. It is pretty easy to do. We did it with our boys who were 10 and 7 at the time, and then took the shuttle bus back to our car. You can do as much or as little as you want. THey even have water coolers along the way.

 

[B&B Mom]

Glad to hear you're venturing out to the east coast! There is no better place to be in the summer.

I agree with the suggestions all the other posters have mentioned, and want to add a couple of suggestions to the list for PEI.

There are plenty of great campgrounds were you can pull in with a motor home. The National parks are great, as are the Provincially run campgrounds. The ferry to NL is in the eastern end of the island. Red Point Campground is nearby and a great Provincial campground. Don't forget to check out
Basinhead Museum and singin sands beach before you leave for NL. Also, a personal favorite of mine on the North shore is Twin Shores. It's a wonderful spot if you like to combine the beach and camping.

There is also a Tourist guide with lots of info on places to stay and things to do. It's available through www.gov.pe.ca. If you need anymore info on the island just ask away!!

Enjoy

 

[pl'smama]

I am a displaced Cape Bretoner ( my mom's family is from there) and I just the Maritimes in general. Just a little side suggestion, if you happen to venture in CB. Try to get to Big Pond and visit Rita's Tea Room. As is Rita MacNeil. It has been a long time since I was there, but you just might catch the lovely songstress herself at home and snag an autograph!

When in Halifax a tour around the Dalhousie grounds is lovely and the waterfront is not too be missed.

Now I want to go to

Suz

 

[Marcy Mouse]

I was born and raised in PEI and all I have to say that my favorite beach it Tracadie Beach. If you are planning a beach day I would recommend it.

It is on the North Shore outside of Charlottetown. I spen most of my summers there. There are a couple of reasons why I prefer this beach. First, it is only a 20min drive from town. Second, it is on the North Shore east of Stanhope. It is not classified as a provincial park so you don't have to pay like you would for Brackly or Cavendish. The best is that you get the white sandy beach but you can dive from the shore and the water will be over you head. There is a channel that goes through and the water gets very deep fast. The only draw back is that the beach will be filled with locals and alot of them will be late teens to early twenties. However, if you want to swim it is by far the best.

Other then that I would say it depends on your intrests.

Marcy

 

[motherof4]

Hello, we venture East every other year as my husband is from Nova Scotia and all his family still remains there. Last year we did the Cabot Trail for the first time, and camped in Cape Breton National Park (reserve now), beautiful! We even had someone in the camp site across from us play the fiddle every night, truly Cape Breton! In the park is a hiking trail called the skyline, don't know how old your kids are, not a difficult hike but long around 3 hours, but well worth it, takes you along top of the mountain and leads you to the ocean, truly spectacular, and my 4 kids (7,9,9 & 11) made it through, we even came 5 metres away from a moose on the trail! We also went to Fort Louisburg, which was very cool, and my eldest (grade 6) is learning about the Fort in history this year, too cool there is a nice campground (provincial park) just outside of louisburg's limits, can't recall the name, but just look up provincial parks in N.S. We never miss a visit to PEI, love it there and we always camp at Cavendish Campground (not the national park), but it has a trolly that takes you to cavendish beach and back (which is across the road) and has the boardwalk right in front of it (great soviener shopping). Word of warning alot of the campgrounds national and provincial in the East Coast don't all have fire pits at all there campsites, so when reserving and you like roasting those marshmellows every night make sure the campsite you are booking has a fire pit! Well your on the Island don't miss a lobster supper in one of the many church's in PEI, pricey but very yummy! Fundy national park is beautiful as well, we camped at a private campground just west of the park (don't recall the name), we were right on the ocean, and had a short drive to hopewell rocks which is a must at high tide and low tide. Halifax is our favourite city, there is lots to do around the harbour front, including many museums,the Halifax Citidel and if she's docked the Blue Nose Scooner!
Never been to Nfld, but plan on going in 2009, so if you go please let me know places that are not to be missed! Unfortunatley 2 weeks isn't long enough to vist all of the maritimes, we focus on one thing each year, but we also have to fit in visiting family into our schedule! Enjoy planning, it is as much fun as planning Disney Vacations!

 

[Rinstah]

I'm another Cape Bretoner! I definately think you have to go around the trail. If possible stay a night in Ingonish and check out the beaches there. If you're into camping, Broad Cove Campground is our favorite, but theres definately LOTS of cabins you can stay at they are beautiful and most of them have a wonderful view. Because its a National Park there are LOADS of hiking trails and several beaches. Our favorite is definately Black Brook! It has nice big waves and lots of sand. Theres also Mary Ann Falls, you can walk in and swim at the bottom of the falls - but be warned! The water there is CHILLY!!

If you have the time and are interested you may want to stop by the Fortress of Louisbourg. Its a unique experience. In Glace Bay we also have the Miners Museum. They can take you on a tour underground.

I also suggest that if you get the chance drive to the Annapolis Valley. It is beautiful down there! Wolfville is especially beautiful. If I didn't love Cape Breton so much, I would move down to the valley.

Best of luck planning your trip! It will be worth it.

 

[mejaie]

Wow! I think we need a month now! Thanks for all of the input.

Here is a loose driving plan we have and we hope to fill in the days with all of your suggestions, and some of our own.

Arrive Halifax on a Saturday evening.
Sunday Halifax
Monday morning Halifax, pick up the Motorhome in the afternoon.
Drive to Peggys Cove, and then stay near Lunenburg, I think it is call Vissers Beach?
Tuesday llolygag over to Digby and find some Whale watching tour ( Unless someone here knows of a GREAT place to go for this).
Ferry across to St. John
Drive up to Mocton, then to Charlottetown, Anne of Green Gables, and a Culinary School. (Notice the day count has stopped)
Then across from Wood Islands and turn north to Cabot Trail, back to Halifax.

Ferry costs and hassle ($500 surcharge for Motorhome to go to NL) made us check out Airmiles to St. Johns, it was cheaper to return the Motorhome and fly over, saves 28 hours of ferry riding time. We then have about 2 and a half days in St. Johns.

According to Mapquest if I drive for 3 hours a day ( I drove straight home to Wpg. from Banff our holiday a few years ago 17 hours ) we will have 10 or so hours a day for stopping and looking.

Note DD is 11.

I also get to go to a conference in PEI in June so I will be doing some research then.