We go from Harrisburg PA to Cape Breton every year. Our must-sees might be
different from yours, but we take 91 to just before Augusta (Hallowell).
Great antiquing off the beaten path and cut over to route 1 to Calais, route
9 is always under construction. The inexpensive Covered Bridge Motel is
Sussex is a stop. The countryside is beautiful and the town is just the
right size. When you enter Nova Scotia, be sure to ask about festivals.
Mid-September is slow, so any activities will be for the locals. Take the
Cape Breton Trail clockwise. Cheticamp is a fishing town with reasonable
motels. When you take the trail, be sure to stop at McDonald's - the best
and most colorful restaurant on the trail. A few miles after McDonald's take
the road out of the park to WhitePoint - a fishing village not yet
discovered. Continue on this road to Neal's Harbor - another village and
where you get back on teh trail. Stop at the DriftWood Lodge in Ignonish -
inexpensive and run by a Polish womann older than your mother - tell Wanda
that Jim and Linda sent you. You could go to Louisberg, but we always head
straight towards the mainland with lots of views of the lake. When you
return to Nova, you can head to Halifax Harbor and Peggy's Cove. Check with
the travel bureaus - you might be able to get a 1/2 price ticket on the
ferry from Yarmouth to Maine. September - cool days, chilly nights. Also,
the real bargain in Nova Scotia is Bed and breakfast - get a book at the
border. Good Luck (and if you hadn't planned to go to the Trail, The
southern cost of the mainland is nice, too. If you want a more detailed
intinerary (haha) just email. Jim and Linda Krall

I did a similar trip in late August and early September of 1997 with a friend -- we flew into Boston and drove up through Maine to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and back through New Brunswick and through Maine back to Boston. We had a fantastic time. The weather in early Sept. was cool at night (50s-60s) and seasonable in the daytime (60s-70s). We had no rain but some clouds and fog. We were surprised at how much we LOVED Halifax. We had originally planned to spend only one night there and loved it so much we spent two. In fact, I would say it was one of the highlights of the trip (highlights in Maine were Camden, Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor, and the Lawnmeer Inn in Boothbay Harbor). The public gardens in Halifax are gorgeous. We adored the inn where we stayed in Halifax: the Waverley Inn (www.waverleyinn.com). It is old and very well-kept and filled with beautiful antiques and only a couple of blocks to the waterfront. Reasonable rates and a nice continental breakfast. The best restaurant we found for dinner in Halifax was called Salty's I think -- it was on the water and had delicious seafood pie and garlic mashed potatoes. And yes, Peggy's Cove is worth seeing -- very cute.
In Maine we loved the Lawnmeer Inn near Boothbay Harbor (www.lawnmeerinn.com) -- it has a beautiful waterfront setting and a fantastic dining room overlooking the water.
Have a great time.

When we were in Nova Scotia 2 summers ago, we went without reservations because we didn't know how far or in what direction we would go each day. While it is a risky way to travel, we got a fabulous book from the Nova Scotia dept of Tourism which has an "800" number for hotel reservations. We didn't always get our first choice, but we stayed in some interesting and pleasant places we never would have gone to if the larger "name brands" had been available. There are hundreds of such places. Try to get the book when you arrive - there should be a tourism office at your entry point. As for a must see, we loved the coast from Peggy's Cove to Lunenberg. Nova Scotia is much bigger than I had imagined -- we actually covered less territory than I had anticipated because there's lots of distance between towns and sights. If we go back, we will try to concentrate more in one or two areas, rather than try to make a full circuit.