cookndoc

We have been enjoying reading all of the posts and would like some help tweaking our trip. My wife and I (early 50's, like gentle hike, quaint villages, pretty scenery) will be flying from Montreal to Halifax on Sunday, August 26 late. So far, we are thinking about:
Monday - drive to Peggy's Cove, etc.
Tuesday - Truro, Parrsboro to PEI
Wednesday - PEI
Thursday - ferry to Pictou; overnight in Beddeck
Friday - Cabot Trail; back to Beddock
Saturday - drive to Halifax for 3pm flight to Montreal

Are we biting off too much? Should we stick to either Cabot Trail OR PEI?
We want to be able to get out of the car to enjoy the places, hike a bit and wander a bit and not just end up checking off places we've visited. Is there any time in this itinerary for seeing some of the tide phenomenon?

Thanks for any input.

Tanya

Well, it is a lot of driving but you will certainly see a lot of what this area has to offer.

I would vote for experiencing the Fundy shore. The drive from Truro to Parrsboro (and beyond Parrsboro),is lovely, quaint and at times isolated.
As you take the Glooscap Trail, your first stop will be around Bass River. Raspberry Bay Stone has a unique shop with an economuseum. If you are lucky, perhaps Heather will be carving that day. Beyond there is Joy Laking Gallery - stop in and enjoy her paintings, but also the picturesque spot. Farther up the road is the Cheese man - famous for his gouda cheese and his dragon-breath blue cheese. As you drive along Economy, if low tides you will see many people out haresting clams. In Five Islands (or Parrsboro) check out the fried clams - the best I have ever had. Parrsboro is a small town with some lovely shops, the geological museum, Ships Company Theatre. A small restaurant past the Museum (Harbourview Restaurant) directly on the water offers great local seafood!

Past Parrsboro, you head towards Diligent River, Port Greville, Spencer's Island, Advocate Harbour and the finale is Cape D'or Lighthouse Look-off. It is a long drive up, but worth it - especially if the fog hasn't settled in. You are even able to spend a night in the Lighthouse.

NorthwestMale

I like your general itinerary. My only concern is the CHANCE of FOG settling in and obliterating the Cabot Trail part. You don't have much room to work with in that case.

Depending upon how much of your PEI experience you accomplish on Weds., you might consider taking a fairly early ferry on Thurs.... and then maybe having enough time to make a run for the Cabot Trail then, IF the weather happens to be fantastic.

In that case you might look to have that Thursday night lodging be uncommitted, or at least strategically located in a spot convenient whether you make part of the Cabot Trail ON Thursday or not.

(others know more about whether the fog is likely in late August, but it sure is intense there when it comes)

ltt

sounds like WAY too much time in the car for me. i would totally cut out the cabot trail and baddeck portion. it's a wonderful area but just too much driving. spend wednesday and most of thursday on pei. catch a later ferry and stay in pictou thursday night. just stick around that area on friday and head back to halifax.
the drive from pictou to baddeck will take 2 1/2 - 3 hours and then baddeck back to halifax is about 4.

or, spend one day around the peggy's cove, lunenburg area and then drive up to baddeck and spend 3 days in that area, exploring the cabot trail. this would cut out pei.

cookndoc

Thank you all for your advice. We don't want to be exhausted when we arrive home so we'll probably cut out either PEI or the Cabot Trail. It will give us a reason to return.

Tanya

If you wanted to do the Parrsboro trip, you could take the next day and return via Amherst to Pictou on the Sunrise Trail. A beautiful drive, there is lots to see and do on this shore. Drop into Jost Winery, visit Sunrise Mercantile, watch Sara Bonnyman throw pots at her pottery studio, see what artists from Atlantic Canada have to offer at the Raven Gallery. The Town of Pictou also is very quaint - you could spend a night here. Carver's is a coffee house/pub with a real wood carving studio located in its midst. The beaches in Pictou County are second to none and you can catch some of the warmest waters north of the Carolinas.

NorthwestMale

Hmmmmmmmm, "cut out PEI or the Cabot Trail".

I've been to both... and if a clear day is a given, then I would cut out PEI of the two choices.

PEI has gentle, rolling hills and lots of countryside along with water views all around, but none are as spectacular as the Cabot Trail can be.

I do like the compact nature of PEI but Charlottetown, outside of being "the birthplace of Canada", seems isolated and somewhat economically depressed. (went into a shopping mall there and was alarmed at how many empty (former) businesses there were)

And by cutting out PEI, you wouldn't have to mess with the ferry, OR the long bridge with the $40-ish toll.

Perhaps the new look to your itinerary might be as follows:

Sunday night in Halifax
Monday - Peggy's Cove, etc.
Monday night in Halifax
Tues - drive to Baddeck, etc.
Tuesday night in Baddeck
Weds - drive Cabot Trail
Wednesday night in Baddeck
Thurs - drive to Pictou
Thursday night in Pictou
Friday - drive Pictou>Truro>Wolfville-area...view the impressive tides, etc.

Thursday night in Wolfville area (in case the tide timing wasn't ideal - another chance in the morning)

Friday - drive back to Halifax early and see more of the Halifax area during much of the day.

Friday night in Halifax

Saturday - 3pm flight to MTL


PS - you can print out ahead of time (like NOW) the tide tables for the area for August 26-31, etc. using the following link

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