OT ~ Nova Scotia summer trip....need your assist. THX

[SandraC]

Hi all ~ DH and DD are bugging me to plan a trip to Nova Scotia, we live in Mississauga, so that's abouit 20 hours in a car.

I'd like to rent a seaside cottage for a few days....not a week. Any suggestions? Blessings, Sandra

 

[SeanK]

Well no trip to Nova Scotia would be complete without a trip to Cape Breton!
Everyone who has asked us where they should go when looking around NS, has not regretted us saying Cabot Trail!

Check out the link below, it's not the best web site but look @ the national Park and then click on pictures!


http://www.cabottrail.com/

 

[Applemomma]

HI, keep in mind that 90% of the ocean surrounding Nova Scotia is COLD!! Not tropical swimming type COLD but barely above frozen solid cold. The major exception is the Gulf of St. Lawerence side (think of the side of Nova Scotia that would be facing Prince Edward Island) because the warmer waters are carried on the currents there from farther south they seem to head north and then take a direct left at the top of Cape Breton ).
There are a lot of cottage rental spots in that area around New Glasgow and Pictou (Caribou River is nice) and farther up the coast into Cape Breton is my family's favorite vacation spot at MacLeod's in Inverness ( www.macleods.com ). If I'm remembering my driving times correctly Pictou would be approximatly 2-2.5 hrs from Halifax and Inverness is about 6 hrs from Halifax.

You could always spend a few days either side of your vacation time exploring the city of Halifax and then rent the cottage in Pictou for a few days and even take the ferry at Pictou and go check out Prince Edward Island for a few days. Or you could head to Syndey in Cape Breton, drive around the Cabot Trail (gorgeous), even maybe spend a night along the Trail , cottage in Inverness for a few days and then back to Halifax. So many choices.

www.destination-ns.com is an excellent web site for traveling around Nova Scotia. We live in the Annapolis Valley which is in the opposite direction from everything I've just mentioned but most summers are spent hitting that end of the Province. As well, you might find some nice cottage spots outside of Halifax (google Lawrencetown Beach).

Have fun!

 

[mbb]

This is where I work in the summer...

www.capebretonresorts.com
Dundee is my resort "home". Families love our cottages

Plan on a *full* day to drive the Trail...go up the Cheticamp side, and down the Ingonish side - best views coming down Smokey

Lovely overnight along the trail is the Keltic Lodge:
www.signatureresorts.com if you plan on staying overnight.

Coming back from Sydney, take Route 4, drop in for a cuppa at Rita's Tea Room:
http://www.canada-shops.com/Stores/ritamacneil/c36057.2.html

And overnight right here in Richmond County:
www.richmondcounty.ca

Love to say hello!

 

[highland3]

Hi Sandra:

I've been living here in Ontario (Belleville, Cambridge and Ottawa area) since 1989, but was born and raised in Truro, N.S.

All roads lead through Truro

As a matter of fact, we'll be packing up the family and heading to Nova Scotia this summer too. DW is an Ontario girl and hasn't seen much of my homeland since she was a girl.

We'll be hitting the Cabot Trail, Fortress Louisburg, Cape Breton Coal Miner's Museum, Lunenburg (beautiful little town with rich history in boat building), Peggy's Cove (spectacular rocks and oceans views), Halifax (historic properties and a slew of other attractions along the harbour), Citadel Hill.

There's tonnes of other things. Have you sent away for your N.S. Tourism guide? It has lots of maps and info.

 

[TweedleDum]

Hi,

I'm not sure if you are interested in camping but.. Nova Scotia has some beautiful provincial campgrounds. You might want to look into those as well and do a few nights at one of them.

Halifax is also a great city, you should check it out while you are in NS.

 

[chasbos]

Our family of 6 is heading to NS for a family wedding and will be touring all 3 provinces afterwards!

I have been doing alot of research and I am thinking that this will be a great trip.

I will also be looking into all of your accomodation suggestions!

We are flying - just can't handle the long drive and WestJet is quite reasonably priced.

Hope your family has fun and enjoy the trip planning SandraC!

 

[djpositivek]

I'm from Cheticamp, right on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. My parents own some chalets and you cannot get a better view anywhere. They have motel rooms or new chalets facing the water. Prices vary depending on the time of year and which units you want. Some are basic, others have jacuzzi tubs and gas fireplaces. If you have any questions, let me know.

http://oceanviewchalets.com/

I live in Halifax now and will be visiting my folks in a week. They're in Florida for the winter

 

[jburns]

I can't stress how AWESOME Cape Breton is. My wife and I did a driving trip there a few summers ago and it is by far one of the most beautiful places Canada has to offer. If you like golf... play the "Fabulous Foursome" around the Cape.

Such a nice place!

 

[SeanK]

Here is another good site to help you out!

http://WWW.novascotia.com

 

[SplashMom]

I live here in beautiful Cape Breton so, of course, I think you should definitely come and visit! There are tons of summer activities and beautiful cottages to rent. Some of the suggestions already mentioned would be fabulous choices! Our side of the island includes Baddeck (Alexander Graham Bell museum, lovely shops, and great lobster dinners) and Ingonish (Cabot Trail, Highlands National Park, Keltic Lodge) Of course, there is also the national historic site at Louisburg and the Miner's Museum. There are wonderful beaches and I have to disagree with a former poster--the water isn't that cold!! If you swim in the ocean, you can expect it to be cooler than a lake but the water temperature often reaches low 70s throughout July and August.

Make sure you get the tourism guide (Doer's and Dreamer's Guide) which includes information about each of the trails in the province, as well as restaurants and accommodations. Once you decide what activities you are most interested in, you can decide upon accommodations. There is so much to do that you really need to concentrate on a few locations and do the activities there. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me!

 

[RainbowsMist]

Hi Sandra:

I've been living here in Ontario (Belleville, Cambridge and Ottawa area) since 1989, but was born and raised in Truro, N.S.

All roads lead through Truro

As a matter of fact, we'll be packing up the family and heading to Nova Scotia this summer too. DW is an Ontario girl and hasn't seen much of my homeland since she was a girl.

We'll be hitting the Cabot Trail, Fortress Louisburg, Cape Breton Coal Miner's Museum, Lunenburg (beautiful little town with rich history in boat building), Peggy's Cove (spectacular rocks and oceans views), Halifax (historic properties and a slew of other attractions along the harbour), Citadel Hill.

There's tonnes of other things. Have you sent away for your N.S. Tourism guide? It has lots of maps and info.

Very cool!! That's where I'm from....born and raised!

 

[djpositivek]

Make sure you get the tourism guide (Doer's and Dreamer's Guide) which includes information about each of the trails in the province, as well as restaurants and accommodations.

That's a great idea ! You can get it here.

http://novascotia.com/en/home/planatrip/travel_guides/default.aspx

 

[CdnMom2]

We had a GREAT time thanks to lots of research & help on these boards too.
We went to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia incl. Cape Breton & PEI for 3 weeks Sep03 -- our first trip out in our pop-up trailer with 4 kids. Hit the tail end of 3 Hurricanes (that was a bad Hurricane Season in Florida) & still had a fantastic time. Great camping out there.

Yes, it was quite the whirlwind tour. Can't wait to go back some day. It IS true that people down east are the friendliest & most helpful! Such a cliche, but really true we found.

As others have stated Cape Breton is really a must-see. We really enjoyed Baddeck's Graham Bell Museum (quite educational for all);The Cabot Trail, of course, Miner's Museum, Fortress Louisbourg. There's Joe's Scarecrow Village for a quirky stop for a bite to eat on way to Cabot Trail. Really neat to see -- lovely family photos, good story, nice lunch. We saw so many quirky things (lots in PEI) that I'm so glad I had done the research to find them. It was a life & attitude changing trip for all ages.

In Lunenburg, along with the Museum, we REALLY loved the lobsterman boat tour. $ well spent for this Ontario family.
http://www.lobstermentours.com/

If you choose to camp instead we know some great locales.
We also broke up the long, but enjoyable drive out East by stopping at Quebec City for more family fun & education.

Do get the Doers & Dreamers Guide -- fun to look at with whole family & plan. Lots of great books available at Library. So much to see & do it is hard to narrow don't. Don't miss Cape Breton!

Have a great time.

 

[RainbowGirl]

We stayed at the Four Seasons Retreat in Upper Economy. It's on the Bay of Fundy. The cottage was well equipped and the view was lovely. The beach has red clay sand that will stain everything but watching the tides go in and out was an adventure! It's on the Glooscap trail and near Parrsboro which is known for its rockhounding. We did that trip a year and a half ago.

Definitely get the Doers and Dreamers Guide as others have suggested.

We loved Lunenburg. Just beautiful. We also stayed at the White Point Beach Resort on the southern coast. Beautiful white sand beaches there. The resort was lovely and had tons of rabbits hopping around. The kids loved them for our too-brief one-night stay.

Feel free to PM me if you want more details on anything.

 

[weezy26nm]

Very cool!! That's where I'm from....born and raised!

I'm from just outside Truro. Along the Bay of Fundy.

 

[tmli]

While I am in Ontario now I was born and raised in Cape Breton....Glace Bay to be exact. My grandparents lived in Main a dieu so we spent lots of time in Louisbourg!

I can't tell you how beautiful it is!!! Also Sandra...prior to leaving head to CAA. Besides as you know you can get the triptiks and tourbooks we sell an Atlantic Canada pass...which for one price will get you admission to a number of attractions throught the atlantic provinces. Check it out and see if there are places on there you would visit and if it would be worth it for your family.

 

[chasbos]

Now that I see there are so many East Coast folk on this thread - I am going to have you pick apart my itinerary for our upcoming summer vacation!

There is nothing better than local knowledge and experience!

OK here goes - we are a family of 6 (DH, myself and 4 DD's 15, 14, 12, 9). The love to travel and experience as much as possible - we are self employed so we take time off after we get home from vacation to relax! My kids are very well travelled (Europe, Caribbean, USA & Western Canada) and like to keep busy. This is what I have planned so far - your input would be greatly appreciated.

Aug 24 - arrive in Halifax and rent a vehicle. We have accomodations booked at the Oak Island Resort (we are attending a wedding in Chester)

Aug 25 - wedding is at 6:00 p.m so we thought we could head back into Halifax and tour around before the wedding.

Aug 26 - leave for Truro - we want to ride the Tidal Bore the next day. What would be a good place to stay?

Aug 27 - rafting and head to Cape Breton (Baddeck was recommended as a stop over for the night - again where to stay?)

Aug 28 - Whale watching and stay over in Ingonish - where?

Aug 29 - head to PEI and stay where?

Aug 30 - still in PEI

Aug 31 - Head to Moncton area - we want to see the flower pot islands at high and low tide. Place to stay??

Sept 1 - head back to Ontario (or does the Bay of Fundy area require another night?)

So, what do you all think?

 

[B&B Mom]

Also...if you collect airmiles and aren't using them for airfare or Disney tickets they do offer some rewards for locations in all Maritime Provinces.
Check it out on the Airmiles site...it might help you decide on some of the stops you make.

Have fun planning!

 

[djpositivek]

Wow, that's a whirlwind tour. IMHO that's too much to try to do in 1 week. I would maybe skip PEI and do it another time. You could easily spend a week in N.S. alone. You could do Moncton on your way back. I'm from Cheticamp and highly recommend a stop there. Excellent Whale Watching and hiking trails, golf, fishing etc... If you like churches there is a beautiful church there too. I posted a link to my parent's chalets in a post earlier, check it out of you decide to stay overnight.

These guys are the best whale cruisers in Cheticamp, there are a few different ones.

http://www.whalecruises.com/

http://cheticamp.ca/

If you have time in Halifax, check out Peggy's Cove.

http://www.tourcanada.com/pegcove.htm

Now that I see there are so many East Coast folk on this thread - I am going to have you pick apart my itinerary for our upcoming summer vacation!

There is nothing better than local knowledge and experience!

OK here goes - we are a family of 6 (DH, myself and 4 DD's 15, 14, 12, 9). The love to travel and experience as much as possible - we are self employed so we take time off after we get home from vacation to relax! My kids are very well travelled (Europe, Caribbean, USA & Western Canada) and like to keep busy. This is what I have planned so far - your input would be greatly appreciated.

Aug 24 - arrive in Halifax and rent a vehicle. We have accomodations booked at the Oak Island Resort (we are attending a wedding in Chester)

Aug 25 - wedding is at 6:00 p.m so we thought we could head back into Halifax and tour around before the wedding.

Aug 26 - leave for Truro - we want to ride the Tidal Bore the next day. What would be a good place to stay?

Aug 27 - rafting and head to Cape Breton (Baddeck was recommended as a stop over for the night - again where to stay?)

Aug 28 - Whale watching and stay over in Ingonish - where?

Aug 29 - head to PEI and stay where?

Aug 30 - still in PEI

Aug 31 - Head to Moncton area - we want to see the flower pot islands at high and low tide. Place to stay??

Sept 1 - head back to Ontario (or does the Bay of Fundy area require another night?)

So, what do you all think?