ozgirl

Hi all, I am planning our trip for mid June to mid July 2011. We will be attending a conference in Quebec City for the last few days but prior to that will have about 24 days of holiday starting in Boston.
Current plan is to drive straight to Bar Harbor and stay in self catering cottage for one week (visited BH before but only had 2 days.)
Advice please for post BH? I had thought some time in Peggys Cove environs and then maybe up to Cape Breton and time permitting maybe PEI before driving over to Quebec.

We do really like the self catering options but obviously a lot of them are minimum one week although the odd one does seem to accept 5 nights or so. We could do Inns/B&Bs or similar if appropriate. We are fairly fit, like photography, natural scenery, waterfront locations to stay, shopping, cultural stuff etc. So, my questions are:

I would be very grateful for any thoughts on how long to spend where?
Would a week be too long on Cape Breton, would 5 nights in each of Peggy's Cove area and Cape Breton be reasonable?
Could we base in one spot on Cape Breton or do you need to have a couple of bases?
How many days to save at the end to fit in PEI and the drive to Quebec City?

Lastly, we would love to see a moose!! On previous trips to USA and Canada we have seen lots of "moose crossing" signs but never a moose. My husband likes to joke that they are actually mythical beasts used as publicity to get tourists to visit!

Any thoughts on the above would be much appreciated.

Tanya

Ok, 24 days starting in Boston and 5 days in BH. That gives you about 19 days remaining - giving you one day to travel to BH from Boston.

BH to New Brunswick - if you like scenery and potential for moose sightings, I would suggest you hug the coastline and travel from Saint John to Fundy National Park. St. Martin, Alma are beautiful spots. Great hiking in the park, low tides at the rocks. Two days in this area.

Take the Confederation Bridge to PEI. The Cavendish area is nice - beautiful beaches. Spend a couple of days exploring the Island - not far from anything really. Charlottetown is 20 minutes away.

Take the ferry to Nova Scotia. Pictou county also has beautiful beaches,some great hiking trails. Or if you want to travel directly to Cape Breton and not in a huge hurry, take the turn off at Sutherland's River and travel towards Antigonish on the mini cabot trail. It is a lovely drive. You are about a days drive to Cape Breton if not in a hurry. Spend the night in Cheticamp. From there you can hike Skyline. You can also break up your trip around the trail by staying around Keltic Lodge and then the next night in Baddeck. Louisbourg is a fantastic historic site - so majestic - it really shouldn't be missed. So you have now probably spent about 5 days exploring Cape Breton Island.

Peggy's Cove really only warrants an afternoon. The surrounding area though, it beautiful - Mahone Bay, Chester, Lunenburg, Rose Bay, The Ovens. Halifax itself is a great city to explore. You could spend a couple days here, giving you time to travel to Quebec City for your conference.

Hope I haven't rambled too long.

Tanya

Oh yes, I forgot to mention - probably your best possibility of seeing a moose is during your trip around the Cabot Trail. Typically in the higher regions.

OceanBreeze1

I really like Tanya's itinerary. The only change I wld make is that I wld tour the Cabot Trail in a counter-clockwise direction as opposed to beginning in Cheticamp & taking the clockwise route. But, this is simply a matter of personal preference. Many prefer the clockwise route!

I have spent years & years in Cape Breton & I have never seen a moose!( except the ones on the bottles of Moosehead beer). I tend to agree w/ your DH's assessment! If you want to see moose, go to NL.

Erick_L

I saw 7 Moose in two days on the Cabot trail, 6 the same day. They should be relatively easy to see on the high plateaux and the skyline trail. Tracks are everywhere. Of course, you reduce your chance if you drive pass once at 80km/h. Damn and dusk are best.

Jacques-Cartier park near Quebec City is a good place to see Moose. They're often in the river.

irecommend

On my many visits to Nova Scotia and living in Cape Breton, I have seen a moose once on the Skyline Trail.
Now if you visit NL you are almost guaranteed to see lots.

ozgirl

Thanks guys! Re reading this I probably sound like the international visitors to Oz who expect to see kangaroos wandering down suburban streets! Then again, oceanbreeze is with me on this.

Tanya, your itinerary gives me food for thought, I hadn't thought of doing PEI first. So basically I can't really make it work by staying in a cottage for 5 days in one place on Cape Breton Island? Sounds like the idea is to move along. I will have to look at the places you recommend on the map when I get home from work.

My idea with the cottage near Peggy's Cove was to 'do' the southern part of NS from there - is that reasonable?

NorthwestMale

LOL @ Kangaroo humor there.

I like Tanya's itinerary too... and let me add a touch of personal flavor to her offering:

Once you get your travel window set in stone, go to the following table and print out the TIDE TABLES for perhaps 3 or 4 spots on this map, for the entire window of time you'll be in the New Brunswick/Nova Scotia area.

Include "Hopewell Cape" for sure, and perhaps Burntcoad Head or Truro in addition.

The TIDES in the Bay of Fundy are incredible (Google "Flower Pot Rocks" to get the full effect) and you should definitely visit Hopewell Cape (which IS the location of the "Flower Pot Rocks") at low tide.

In other spots, seeing both high tide and low tide from the same point would be most ideal, but with 6 hours between extremes it helps to have the tide table and time things so you can see the opposite effect on a return trip.

Get ready for the look of large, ocean vessels sitting on the bottom of the ocean floor while moored to a dock, as they await high tide a few hours later at which point they can be taken back out to sea.

Finally, I feel that you should really concentrate on the northern/central parts of NS in addition to PEI and NB.

If I were going to visit the southern reaches of NS, most of my interests would be on the Fundy side of the province and thus Peggy's Cove wouldn't make for the most ideal base camp.

For Peggy's Cove, you go there, you have dinner at the restaurant by the light house, you look at the live lobster in the tank, buy a souvenir, have your photo taken on the rocks near the light house (in the gloom or fog), you admire the quaint fishing village appeal, and then you move on.

Tanya

I have been to Newfoundland several times and only once saw the tail end of a moose going down an embankment. I have however, seen moose in the highlands of Cape Breton simply standing on the side of the road. Word of caution, don't get out of your car and walk close to take pics! Moose will charge and believe me, you won't be able to get out of the way unless there is a tree close by to climb. As with any wild animal, please respect their surroundings and recognize they are protecting their habitat.

ozgirl

Hi Tanya, I will have the utmost respect for Mr Moose if I happen across him/her don't worry!

I have looked at some accommodation at Alma that looks good (Cliffside suites..?) thanks for identifying Alma, it looks great.

DH is not keen on overnight stops - is it at all conceivable to cover Cape Breton Island from one place or would that simply involve too much backtracking? If it is possible, where would you suggest? (I had my eye on a great cottage in Skir Dhu but have just missed out!)

Thanks again.

NorthwestMale

Laugh - here is the link for tide tables in the Bay of Fundy:


http://www.lau.chs-shc.gc.ca/cgi-bin...gion=5&zone=30

ozgirl

Thanks NorthwestMale, most helpful. By the way, I just missed a kangaroo on the way home from work yesterday! We are a bit rural though.

Tanya

To do Cape Breton from one location, I would choose Baddeck. This would mean doing the trail in one day though - doable, but not enough time to hike. Baddeck is a beautiful small village that burgeons in the summer months with visitors who fell in love with the spot and return each summer(a lot of them buying property). Situated on the Bras d'or lakes, it is at the bottom of the trail. Counterclock wise around the trail would take you to Inverness, Keltic Lodge, Pleasant Bay, Cheticamp and then track back through Mabou to Baddeck.

The Telegraph House used to rent out their "McNeil House" which has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Maybe too big for you, but located in the heart of the village and walking distance to everything.

Alexander Graham Bell museum is a must. There used to be a gentleman who did boat tours from the marina. I can't remember his name, but he was so knowledgeable about the Bell family which made our visit the next day to the museum, that much more interesting. Mr. Bell's original house still stands and I believe family members still own it.

ozgirl

Thanks Tanya, I am looking at somewhere in Margaree Valley which I think would serve the same purpose but will check out McNeill House as well. You really helped put timing into perspective so many thanks again!

OceanBreeze1

Rather than "Doing The Trail" in one day (it's a long day) why not head out from Baddeck in a counter-clockwise direction?
Take your time. When you arrive in Ingonish, spend the rest of the day & the following morning enjoying the Ingonish area. Stay overnight in Ingonish. We love Keltic Lodge (the main lodge, NOT The Inn).

NorthwestMale

Wow, Tannya keeps hitting on all cylinders... Baddeck is what I usually suggest too.

And the one potential reason for not doing the Ingonish thing as suggested by Ocean Breeze, is the part where she said: "DH is not keen on overnight stops".

Tanya

We have completed the trail counterclock wise from Baddeck. We departed around 7am and stopped at the base of the route for breakfast at a little diner on the water. We stopped a couple of times and did a quick hike, before arriving at Keltic Lodge. We stopped at Pleasant Bay and tried to decide if we had time to do a whale watching tour. Did the whale watching museum. Stopped at the top of Pleasant Bay and enjoyed watching whales off the shore (oh yes, bring your binoculars). We stopped at Skyline but didn't hike. (we may have stopped at a couple more spots along the trail just to see the view) Tried to get into the Cheticamp pub for a bite to eat, but on a Saturday afternoon the place was jammed - local music. We did have a meal in Cheticamp and then drove back to Baddeck. I think we arrived around 8pm. So while not a lot of time, you get a good feel for the trail and what it has to offer.

OceanBreeze1

I guess...if that's the way you want to do it. But, it's just not for me. I like to take my time. But, obviously everybody is different. I missed the part about DH not wanting to do an "overnight" stop.

To me, the Ingonish are is the most enjoyable part of the Cabot Trail. I like to spend as much time as possible there. I would miss so much if I just "passed through it". The beaches alone require at least an afternoon for me! And, Middlehead Trail needs time (for me).

But, hey, if you like to head out at 7:00AM & "drive & stop" for 13 hours, then go for it!

ozgirl

Hi everyone, thanks for all tips - this is what I am thinking...

Original week booked in Bar Harbor
2 nights Alma, probably Cliffside Suites
3 nights PEI (any suggestions?)
5 nights Margaree Valley - visit Cabot Trail from both sides, plus Distillery, Louisbourg, Baddeck
4 nights Peggy's Cove environs
2 days (one overnighter ? where) to get to Quebec City for conference.

jannieween

I have lived in the maritimes all my life and have only seen moose in the early morning..whether it is Cape Breton or in NB just before the bridge to PEI...had one run out in front of our car last week on a trip to maine shopping...at 7:30am...enjoy your vacation...sounds like a wonderful trip...on PEI there are lots of self catering cottages in Cavendish but try not to spend all your time there..the Island is much quieter and scenic west or east of there.