luannb

We are planning a trip through NB and NS after spending a week of business in Quebec. Any input on the following itinerary would be much appreciated!
Day 1-Drive from Riviere du Loup to Hopewell Rocks and arrive for low tide exploration late afternoon. Day 2-See high tide in a.m., drive through Pictou to Antigonish for night. Day 3-Antigonish to Ingonish for night Day 4-Ingonish to Bay St. Lawrence for whale watching in afternoon, on to Cheticamp for night Day 5-Cheitcamp through Inverness (Crab Fest that afternoon) and on to Maitland for night. Day 6-Half day raft trip on Shubenacadie River, then drive to Lunenburg for night. Day 7-Lunenburg to Yarmouth to catch 1 p.m. ferry to Bar Harbor.
Does this sound too ambitious to you seasoned travelers out there? We had also hoped to tour the Louisbourg fortress, but feel we are too limited on time and have prioritized the whale watching over anything else. Thanks for you help and feedback!

laurafromtexas

I'll let the Nova Scotia/New Brunswick residents discuss your timing, but I think it's wise to eliminate Louisbourg if your main priority is whale watching. Better to have a more relaxed schedule than be all stressed out about getting to the next place! While in Antigonish, make sure to eat at the Sunshine Cafe on Main St. -- fabulous, mouth-watering food! Also, if you're in Antigonish the weekend of July 15-17, you might be able to squeeze in a couple of hours to attend the Highland Games, which are the largest highland games in the world outside Scotland. We went a couple of years ago and it was wonderful. Check them out at www.antigonishhighlandgames.com

luannb

Thank you laura. Yes, the Sunshine Cafe is on my list of must-dos! Unfortunately our dates won't mesh with the highland games...hopefully we'll make it there again someday. Does anyone else out there have a comment on the timing of our proposed schedule? Any advice for a place to stay in the Antigonish area? Thanks!

Tanya

On your way from NB to Antigonish, you can take the back roads for a more scenic drive (although the roads aren't great in some spots). From Amherst take the Sunrise Trail which will lead you through Pugwash, Wallace, Tatamagouche, River John and into Pictou. The Town of Pictou is lovely and you should stop. This would also be a great spot for you to stay the night. If continuing on to Antigonish, once you are on the TCH, turn at Sutherland's River and continue along the Sunrise Trail into Antigonish. Make sure you continue to hug the coastline. They call this portion the mini cabot trail. As you come to the very end, there is an awesome spot to stay called the Silver Glen Suites www.silverglenart.com. Or right in Antigonish try the Antigonish Victorian Inn www.bbcanada.com/5491.html

Gabrieau's Bistro is a great spot to dine - www.gabrieaus.com I have also eaten at Sunshine on Main and great food there as well. A little coffee shop is not far from there call the Tall and Small - lots of different loose teas, fair trade coffee, etc.

NorthwestMale

Hi Luannb,

I perceive you to have done so well at doing your homework for your trip that I can't be inspired to add anything important to what you already have.

Enjoy your trip!

But you could find it difficult to order a pizza in Riviere-du-Loup if you don't speak french (at least when you're at a pizza place they pretty much know you want 'pizza' - but that's only a start)

In Pugwash I went to a small convenience store next to a train car with the Pugwash sign on it, and there was some sweet young thing running the place. A true gem she was. (this relates to nothing, BTW)

luannb

Thank you all for your replies! Now one more question...do you think driving from Lunenburg to Yarmouth on a Sunday morning is too much in order to catch the 1 p.m. CAT ferry back to Bar Harbor? We have reservations on the ferry, but I can't find how much ahead of time we need to arrive, and I wonder about the "real" travel time between Lunenburg and Yarmouth. Mapquest says 3 hours. Thanks again.

china_cat

you know, I could swear the site said you need to arrive for the ferry 1 hour in advance, but now I can't find that anywhere.

anyways, although I haven't done it yet (I'm making the trip this summer) everybody I've asked said its about 3 1/2 hours from yarmouth to Halifax. So I think your 3 hour estimate from Lunenberg is pretty good. That's on the highway, without stops.

sailorgirl2001

I've done that trip many times. It's 2 1/2 hours from Lunenburg to Yarmouth on the 103.....unless of course you get stuck behind a logging truck in a no passing zone. So, allowing 3 hours would be fine.

WesJ

I am presently plannng a trip to NS, and the CAT ferry wants you there at least 1 hour prior to sailing. This is reverify your reservations. I presume it will also put you in a good place in line

Wes