east coast visit Options

[nipper809]

We will be touring NovaScotia,P.E.I. mid June with friends from Holland. Any suggestions re: accomodations, sites to visit, scenic drives etc. would be welcome

[diboja]

Prior to my visit to Nova Scotia & PEI I found that the "Nova Scotia Doers & Dreamers Travel Guide"
was a good source of information - here is the site to order your guide:
http://www.checkinnovascotia.com/Public/ma...hureRequest.asp
and use this site to get immediate info:
http://www.novascotia.com/

as well as this site for PEI:
http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/index.php3

The hi-lites of our trip was staying at Baddeck, NS and taking a ride on on masted schooner, the drive along the Cabot trail,Digby, NS with its wonderful scallops, the beautiful Annapolis valley, Halifax waterfront.

Charlottetown in PEI was a great place to visit - very quaint, took a bus tour to take in the sites, great restaurants and attended a concert of Acadian Singers/entertainers at the Confederation Centre Concert Hall..
Visited Cavendish and area - very quaint, lots of antique shops, tea houses and everywhere in PEI and NS LOBSTER dinners to die for!

As far as accomodations - it depends on just which locations you are going to but in general we loved the B&B's as they offer a place to meet other travellers and the hosts offer ideas and suggestions.

Our favorite place was in Mahone Bay, NS at the " Edgewater Bed & Breakfast & Sea Loft Cottage"....
http://www.bbcanada.com/116.html

There is a separate building steps away from the main house called "The Loft"...it is completely private, your own deck overlooking the bay, a skylite to look at the stars as you lay in bed...a beautiful place with wonderful hosts and cheaper than any hotel....

In PEI "The Marco Polo Inn" near Cavendish was superb old mansion built in 1925.
http://www.marcopololand.com/inn_general.php

Hope this helps..




[This message has been edited by diboja (edited 03-05-2004).]

[yorkman]

Try to find time to do the Cabot Trail. Cheticamp is a good place to find accommodation on Cape Breton at the beginning of the Cabot Trail. And it has a strong Acadian heritage which is very interesting. There are lots of hiking trails too. The Skyline trail is flat - and you are bound to see lots of moose which most Europeans thoroughly enjoy. There is another, far more challenging hiking trail, just inside the park boundary if your visitors are into that.

[nipper809]

Thank you for all the great information - it has been very useful in our planning.
Did you find it necessary to reserve accomodations in advance? I would like to be a bit spontaneous as we travel and not be limited by reservations.

quote:

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Originally posted by diboja:
Prior to my visit to Nova Scotia & PEI I found that the "Nova Scotia Doers & Dreamers Travel Guide"
was a good source of information - here is the site to order your guide:
http://www.checkinnovascotia.com/Public/ma...hureRequest.asp
and use this site to get immediate info:
http://www.novascotia.com/

as well as this site for PEI:
http://www.gov.pe.ca/visitorsguide/index.php3

The hi-lites of our trip was staying at Baddeck, NS and taking a ride on on masted schooner, the drive along the Cabot trail,Digby, NS with its wonderful scallops, the beautiful Annapolis valley, Halifax waterfront.

Charlottetown in PEI was a great place to visit - very quaint, took a bus tour to take in the sites, great restaurants and attended a concert of Acadian Singers/entertainers at the Confederation Centre Concert Hall..
Visited Cavendish and area - very quaint, lots of antique shops, tea houses and everywhere in PEI and NS LOBSTER dinners to die for!

As far as accomodations - it depends on just which locations you are going to but in general we loved the B&B's as they offer a place to meet other travellers and the hosts offer ideas and suggestions.

Our favorite place was in Mahone Bay, NS at the " Edgewater Bed & Breakfast & Sea Loft Cottage"....
http://www.bbcanada.com/116.html

There is a separate building steps away from the main house called "The Loft"...it is completely private, your own deck overlooking the bay, a skylite to look at the stars as you lay in bed...a beautiful place with wonderful hosts and cheaper than any hotel....

In PEI "The Marco Polo Inn" near Cavendish was superb old mansion built in 1925.
http://www.marcopololand.com/inn_general.php

Hope this helps..


[This message has been edited by diboja (edited 03-05-2004).]

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[diboja]

quote:

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Originally posted by nipper809:
Did you find it necessary to reserve accomodations in advance? I would like to be a bit spontaneous as we travel and not be limited by reservations.

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For most of our accomodations we did book ahead, particularly at the B&B's because they fill up fast in advance. We were there in Early September which is just after the main summer crowds and you are talking about going mid June which is a busy time but just before the main July/August season. If you know of a particular place that you want to stay at I would definitely book ahead or you could be disappointed.

I agree it is nice to not be held to a strict regime because of reservations - we had some flexibility but where we intended to stay 2-3 nites we booked ahead. That was in Baddeck,Cavendish, Cheticamp, Mahone Bay and Halifax.

[This message has been edited by diboja (edited 08-05-2004).]

[justturned50]

I moved to Nova Scotia last year and I would strongly suggest a drive through Cape Breton on the Cabot Trail. The scenery is gorgeous and the people are as friendly as you will find anywhere in the world. All you have to do here is ask for suggestions and people will be inviting you over for an old fashioned ceilah in their yard. Another place of interest is in the Digby area in a small town called Annapolis Royal where there are buildings fully restored up to 400 years old. It is on the bay of Fundy where the highest tides in the world are located. Excellent whale watching tours etc. are available. If you look up the Nova Scotia tourist bureau and ask for information they will send you out a full package of information for free including the Dreamer and Doers guide which includes all festival dates, accomadations,and attractions as well as info on all the towns. There are highways which completly circle the whole province along the coast. It's a beautiful province so I'm sure you will enjoy the trip and the hospitality.

[nokomis]

Hi, we live In PEI and would be happy to help you out when you arrive.
Reservations are not necessary till early July.
The best Lobster supper on PEI is The New Glasgow Lobster Suppers.You must go there.

If you like Clams visit a small drive in Ice Cream Bar in Kensington you order your meal pick it up at the window, take it home, eat at thier picnic table or in your car, all thier food is excellent but the clam dinner is the best.

Call us if you wish and drop by, we live 10 miles east of Charlottetown and would be glad to help you out.

[lin14534]

Hi there,
I was looking for info on this message board and saw your reply to someone else's question in 2004. I am taking a vacation this August with my husband and two daughters (16 & 12). I'm also bringing my parents (75 yrs old). They took a trip to NS and PEI pulling a camper about 25 years ago and still talk about how nice it was. We are coming from Rochester, NY. I have never been up that way. I was thinking of renting a cottage or cabin/house as a home base and taking day trips. Is that a good plan or would I have to go and spend a few days here and there? I thought moving around all the time would be harder on my parents. Where would be a good place to have a rental? PEI or somewhere in NS? I'm really bewildered and very confused about where to go. Thanks for any info you can provide.

quote:

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Originally posted by nokomis:
Hi, we live In PEI and would be happy to help you out when you arrive.
Reservations are not necessary till early July.
The best Lobster supper on PEI is The New Glasgow Lobster Suppers.You must go there.

If you like Clams visit a small drive in Ice Cream Bar in Kensington you order your meal pick it up at the window, take it home, eat at thier picnic table or in your car, all thier food is excellent but the clam dinner is the best.

Call us if you wish and drop by, we live 10 miles east of Charlottetown and would be glad to help you out.

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[whitedove]

Re: Cabot Trail ..
NS.

I second everything said above
did the same trip a few years ago
and it was fabulous.. saw Eagles
flying overhead.. while on the trail
there was a beautiful hotel just out of
Baddeck .. can anyone help me here.. very elegant .. an older one..

also did Cheticamp, Pleasant Bay.. too
lovely..

Now you are making me want to go down there
again..

Grand Manan .. beautiful too

Enjoy!!!!

Whitedove

[acadianstar]

Make sure you drive the Cabot trail in Cape Breton and spend one day at The Fortress Louisbourg.It's well worth it.

[rutha]

I agree the Cabot Trail is definitely a must do.The Fortress of Louisbourgh is definitely worthwhile to see..so much history.My daughter wrote a poem about the Fortress after our visit.
I still have a small rug that I bought in Cheticamp..many artisans in the area.The Cabot Trail holds many wonders...hmm want to go back..

[paradiseporch]

I live in N.S. so can tell you a little from a local's point of view.

You will likely have to reservations for accomodations in the Mahone Bay/Peggy's Cove area, as well as for Cavendish - these are two of the most popular (and heaviest traveled) tourist areas in the Maritimes.

I'd recommend, instead, that you go to the some of the lesser known areas of N.S. For example, the North Shore's Sunrise Trail along Northumberland Strait. This runs from Amherst to Antigonish and passes through Tatamagouche, an absolutely charming village (where I live!) The bridge to PEI is about an hour north of Amherst, and the ferry to PEI from Caribou is 30 east of Tatamagouche, right on the Trail.

We have a number of B&Bs and inns here - Deer Watch Retreat B&B, Stone Garden Chalets, Kennedy Lake Chalets, Forest Haven Chalets, and so on. Amy Schmidt, who owns the Deer Watch Retreat, is VERY knowledgable about the local area and other accomodations. If she is full, she'd be able to find you a place elsewhere in the area, I'm sure.

Also, I highly recommend the Cabot Trail (allow a minimum of 2 days). Words and photographs just cannot convey the beauty and the awesome views there.

Wherever you go out here, I know you'll enjoy your vacation - and the Maritime people.

Debbie

[friendlyh]

Another Maritimer chiming in. Don't miss the historic site at Grand Pre in the Annapolis valley. The tale of the Acadian expulsion depicted in the church there is not to be missed. The Valley is beautiful any time of the year but especially so mid June.

[bochancer]

quote:

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Originally posted by nipper809:
We will be touring NovaScotia,P.E.I. mid June with friends from Holland. Any suggestions re: accomodations, sites to visit, scenic drives etc. would be welcome

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If you look on a map of PEI there is a 10 mile drive through a dirt road from Emyvale to near North Wiltshire. The road is covered in trees and is a wonderful nature drive but take the bug spray if you choose to get our and walk!!! And you must go to North Cape and enjoy the foor as well as see the Northumberland strait meet the Atlantic Ocean and occasionally you can see the seals if you bring binoculars. There is a wonderful bed and breakfast at West Cape where you can stay and eat and the views are to die for. They have reasonable rates but if you plan to stay I would book now for accomodations as this is a very popular spot.Also during the month of July and August the Summerside Garden Club has garden tours which are free on Sundays and you can get a map from any garden centre around Summerside that participates in the event. It's also a very nice drive up around Wood Island area for a day drive and you can walk around Montague or take a seal tour at Murray Harbour which is quite nice on a warm day. There is a place called Panmure Island up that way and the view is fabulous and they might like to take pictures of the area to take back to Holland. There is a dutch fella in Charlottetown who has a greenhouse and he enjoys tourist looking around his place in the summertime. Also Vesey's seeds has a tour of their gardens during the summer and you might enjoy taking them there for a looksee. Hope this is helpful and enjoy your stay on the Island.

[adlai]

If you plan to visit PEI, check this
web site for a good B&B
http://www.isn.net/~gmg/home.html

[osocose]

Hi,
If you want spontaneous, bring your bicycles and try biking on the confederation trial in PEI. We did that 3 years ago, and it was fantastic. Stayed at places close to the trail so we could continue along. You get the best of everything that way.
Don't forget to go to Rita MacNeil's tea house on the lakes in cape breton. It was as good a drive as the cabot trail and we stayed at a B&b in Baddeck to take in both routes.
Also the Fortress in Louisberg is worth the visit. Enjoy

[dawnbreaker]

If you like sailing ships the Bluenose II sails from Halifax and Lunenburg. Line up early to buy your tickets if you don't reserve tickets over the phone.

You can lso go on whalewatching tours from Halifax. Peggys cove usedto have whale watching in 1997. They probably still do.

[Guest_ss396_*]

My wife and I vacationed in Nova Scotia on two occasions; once we did the southern loop and the highlights for me were the Buskers week along the boardwalk in Halifax, Peggy's Cove, the old homes in Lunenburg, Digby, and Annapolis Royal.

The second trip took us from Halifax to Cape Breton and the highlights were the Fortress of Louisbourg, the coal mine at Glace Bay, spending two days at the resort town of Baddeck, Fin Back Whale watching off Pleasant Bay and seeing all the Moose on the drive north of Cheticamp. Both trips provide great memories but Cape Breton offered us more.

[ancient-mariner]

Well I hope all you folks do make it to Atlantic Canada this year to help us pay for our new Nova Scotia tourism promotion! The Nova Scotia Goverment has just paid $700,000 for a new slogan to promote tourism: "Nova Scotia, Come to Life"! Don't have that figured out yet, maybe we are not lively enough? And to top it off the music selected as background during the commercials promoting Nova Scotia, is a very haunting and beautiful Galic tune sung by Mary Jane Lammond. Goverment officials were somewhat red faced when it was pointed out that the words to that beautiful tune were actually about homesickness for the old homeland, and of freezing and starving in this awful new country! Anyway folks don't be put off by the Nova Scotia Government's new tourism promotion, we will come to life, and during the summer you won't starve or freeze! Do come and visit. I think you will like it here

[ajijic]

quote:

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Originally posted by nipper809:
We will be touring NovaScotia,P.E.I. mid June with friends from Holland. Any suggestions re: accomodations, sites to visit, scenic drives etc. would be welcome

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I like the north shore Tracadie Bay area. Dalvey by the Sea is a Hotel in the National Park (may be booked- $$$) There is Tracadie Harbour, May June fresh lobster landings. Bay is full of mussels. There are cottages off the Queen's Point Rd. There are more cottages on the MacIntyre Shore. Blooming Point has the north shore on one side and Tracadie Bay shore separated in places by 200 meters of sand. A great place to swim in the warm bay water or the brisk north shore water or have a good walk. Check the PEI web site.