lindmar

Hello:

I have posted before about our 30th anniversery trip to NS. We have 6.5 days and here is what we have come up with. We want to do a lot of sight seeing by car so driving isn't a problem.I would appreciate any feedback on the pros or cons and maybe recommendations if we should change something.
Day 1 - arrive in Halifax at 4 pm.
Day 2 - Halifax,Peggys Cove.etc.
Day 3 - Early morning drive to Louisbourg
Day 4 -Louisbourg to Ingonish or Dingwall - which is better ?
Day 5- Ingonish to Baddeck via Cabot Trail
Day 6 - Ealy morning drive to Truro ,Truro to Airport

Is it doable and does it make sense ? Are we trying to do too much ?
Any help or comments along with recommended accomodations at the stops would be appreciated. Thank you.

shanechappy

For reference; Halifax to Louisbourg is probably a 5 hour drive and Louisbourg to Ingonish is about a 2.5 hour trip (plus your stops). I would say it depends on what you want to do; if you plan on visiting the Fortress in Louisbourg that is probably at least a full afternoon/ day. I would also recommend Ingonish.

keymom

I would start your time in Halifax with the trip to Peggy's Cove. It gets more crowded as the day progresses. If you are there in time for lunch, try Murray's Lobster Pound (chowder & lobster). Spend the afternoon in Halifax on the waterfront.
It's your 30th anniversary, so I would encourage you to stay at the Keltic Lodge in Ingonish and have a celebratory dinner in the Thistle Room.
On day 5, you aren't going to really have time to see Baddeck. I would press on to Truro so you don't have to worry about your flight.
I would trade an afternoon in Halifax for more time in Cape Breton. Think about leaving from Peggy's Cove to Cape Breton and see what that does to the itinerary.

ltt

doesn't sound like a fun 6 days to me.
halifax deserves more time then a few hours.
fortress louisbourg will take at least a 1/2 day. that was good for me but some people say you need a full day.
i left baddeck early morning and drove to the fortress. spent several hours there and then drove to port hawkesbury for the night. next morning it was only a few hours drive back to halifax. this was an enjoyable schedule.
why are you going to truro?
when calculating travel time in nova scotia/cape breton, plan on 60-70 km/hour. sometimes you'll be going faster but found that a good average.

LJ

I agree with ltt, this is an ambitious itinerary with much more driving post-Halifax than I personally would enjoy...but if you are used to it then have fun...IMHO, you are wise to go to Peggy's Cove early to avoid crowds (if you left Hali at 8 am, you would be there to do coffee/breakfast- an hour would be plenty.) Then keep going along the coastal road to Mahone Bay/Chester and end up in Lunenburg (a Unesco World Heritage Site). A day of sightseeing like that would still put you back in time, driving the highway this time, to enjoy dinner at Il Maurizio's (fancy, yuppie Italian) or my personal favorite The Esquire, a genuine mom-and-pop with homemade pies and fresh fish out on the Bedford Road.

lindmar

ok thanks for your feedback>Maybe it is too ambitious so here is what we would like to see:

HaLIFAX,PEGGYS COVE,LUNENBOURG
FORT LOUISBOURG
DRIVE THE CABOT TRAIL
WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TIDES

Everything else is lower on the priority list. Can this be accomplished in 6.5 days or is it still to agressive ?

Also we were considering the Keltic Lodge but there was a lot of negative reviews on Trip Advisor.com . Some of the comments were overated,overpriced,dated,stuffy . Is this correct ? Any other opinions ? Many thanks for your help.

By the way I am typing on a new Mac laptop so forgive any spelling and cap lock mistakes>

wow

Congratulations on your 30th Anniversary!
I like your Day 1 & Day 2. You can cram a lot of Halifax & the surrounding area into a day and an evening! Halifax is a "University City" which is home to Dalhousie University and St.Mary's University(affectionatley known as SMU...pronounced "smoo&quot. Mount St.Vincent University (aka "The Mount&quotis also closeby. And, there are others. The place will be hopping with university students returning for the Fall semester! I believe that the weekend that you arrive(Sept 8) will be the beginning of the end of Frosh Week! When you leave Hfx on Day 3, I wld encourage you to drive to Baddeck & stay there overnight. Baddeck's Inverary Inn is a very nice place to celebrate your 30th. Depending on what time you get to Baddeck, you may even be able to squeeze in a visit to Louisbourg. If it were me, Day 4 wld find me heading out from Baddeck to Ingonish right after breakfast. Take your time as you begin the Cabot Trail from Baddeck proceeding in a counter-clockwise direction "around the Trail". Make sure to reserve a room @ Keltic Lodge for that night. Ask to stay in "The Main Lodge" (not "The Inn" which is very ordinary by comparison to "The Main Lodge" @ Keltic Lodge.) Enjoy a wonderful dinner in "The Main Dining Room" in "The Main Lodge". Keltic Lodge is situated on a peninsula which juts out into the Atlantic. The setting is absolutely spectacular. When you sit in the dining room you have water on both sides. There's not a "bad table" in the place! Next morning(Day 5), after breakfast hike out to Middlehead from Keltic. Then walk (or drive) down to the beach. Bring a picnic lunch which Keltic will pack for you. Stroll the beach, feel the surf roll in & fill your lungs with the saltiness of the Atlantic. (Do I ever wish I were there right now!)
Then after lunch, continue on your way around "the rest of the Cabot Trail" ending up back in Baddeck @ The Inverary Inn for the night. Day 6 you can head for the airport from Baddeck. You mention Truro & I assume you are hoping to see the tides. Is that why you want to go to Truro?
Anyway, that's my two cents worth!
Have a wonderful time & we look forward to your "trip report" when you return home in mid-September ( Where do you live?)

lindmar

Wow-great recommendations. Thanks for taking the time respond. Another question about the Keltic- should we decide not to stay there can you still stop in for dinner or is it for guests only ? Thanks again

wow

Lindmar: I don't know! I have stayed there many times over the years. I wld think that they wld accept your reservation if the dining room is not fully booked for guests. It's a spacious DR & they have a couple of "seatings" so unless they are hosting a wedding or some special occasion you shd be ok if you are not staying there....but you shd stay there! You will not regret it & will want to return for your 50th & 75th anniversaries!! I will find out & let you know. I will try to post back tomorrow or sometime over the weekend(holiday weekend). Are you arriving Hfx on Sept 8?

wow

I just checked! You do not need to be a KL Guest to have dinner inThe Purple Thistle DR. Call 1-800-565-0444(Keltic Lodge). Press
"Make a reservation for the "Purple Thistle Dining Room". The Dining Room Manager is Robert Campbell. Or, call (902)265-2880 X3272 or X 3271. Ask for Robert or Alice.

wow

Sorry I hit "Post" by mistake...typo in the (902) #. Correct one is:
(902) 285-2880 X3272 orX 3271 (.... not 265)

wow

If you are interested, go to www.signatureresorts.com to get pix of Keltic Lodge & more info.

keymom

What are you expecting from the tides portion of your trip? As I understand it, Truro has a tidal bore (i.e., wave going up river) but not the dramatically high and low tides that you would see at Hopewell Rocks and other places. Have you checked the tide tables? If day 1 is Sep 8, then day 6 is the 13th, yes? The morning of the 13h has the tidal bore at 5:10 am. You say early morning but I can't imagine leaving Baddeck early enough to get to Truro for that. You may need to save the tides for a 31st anniversary trip.

lindmar

Thans everyone for your help.It is becoming more obvious that something has to go. The Cabot Trail is a must and we have decided to go from the Peggys Cove area directly to Baddeck,next day drive the trail clockwise until we get to the Keltic Lodge where we will spend the night,and the remainder of the trip we are going to "wing it" depending on how we feel after a few days of driving.I would really like to see the tides and am willing to sacrifice the Fort .

wow

Sounds like a good plan! Are you going to stay @ Keltic?

lindmar

Hi - yes I am booking a night at the KELTIC. Thanks for your help it is all coming together !!

lindmar

Also looking at the Inverary Inn in Baddeck for a night. I noticed that there are many room options-can anyone make a recommendation ? Thanks

wow

No, not really. I have not stayed there for a few years but the many times I did stay there over the years,the room was great. I never made any special requests! But @ The Inverary Inn they are very accomodating so after you review all of the options, you will probably get what you want if you ask. I love their dining room! Baddeck is a charming little village. You may want to consider booking a cruise on the Bras d'Or Lakes.(Bras d'Or =Arm of Gold). When I was last there the Captain's name was John ( Captain John!). John & his Dad had a lovely boat & we spent a beautiful "Blue Sky" afternoon out on the lake! Really beautiful! You can see Alexander Graham Bell's home. Also, I hope that you will take a tour of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck. If you & your bride are golfers you'll be interested in knowing that there's amazing golf in Baddeck. Ditto for Ingonish!
I am getting very excited about your trip!

granitepoint

We arrived in Halifax and spent the day exporing the gardens and the Citadel. Next day (rainy) we drove to Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, etc. The next day we drove to Inverness via Pictou (probably a mistake). We then moved on to Ingonish and stayed at the Lantern Hill & Hollow which is terrific. We hiked from the Keltic Lodge but didn't go in. One night in Baddeck was enough though don't miss the Alexander Graham Bell museum. We then moved to Dundee and played golf..then back to Halifax for 2 nights. We were able to see the tidal bore on our way back to Halifax..only go if the tides are right! We had a great time and hope you do, too!