Driving the Cabot Trail
 

Hubby and I are very active, healthy seniors. We are however 75 & 80 years old. We have read several articles about the challenges of driving the Cabot Trail; switch backs, curves, drop offs, and so on. While we drive Southern California traffic every day we are starting to wonder if this drive might be too challenging for us. Opinions please? Is it a white knuckle drive? We will be visiting in early October. Thanks!

In good weather, travelling clockwise, and staying behind a bus or RV when the vistas get a little too exciting ..... I would rather drive the CT over southern California any day. Though maybe it is only me who finds it so much easier to drive behind someone bigger on interesting terrain.

Take your time and you'll enjoy it.

The views will be splendid, the driving challenges will be nothing noteworthy. Hardly anybody else will be clogging the roads at that point so it should be a cinch for you.

(though I am wondering about the vacuum you might feel if coming from So Cal to a place where <I>hardly anybody else is around</i>)

Hi! You're asking a timely question because my husband and I (in our early 60s and from SF Bay in CA) are also planning an early October trip to Nova Scotia that will include driving and hiking around the Cabot Trail. Perhaps it won't be so "unclogged" as we would hope. Do a lot of visitors come that time of year and should we be concerned about too many drivers on CT?

October 7- 9th is Thanksgiving Weekend. Plus there is the Celtic Festival. A perfect time to go:

http://celtic-colours.com/

You'll still be fine with the driving. Now the SF Bay Bridge - that's scary.

We drove it last year - (counter clockwise - the "scarier" way?) -- frankly I didn't understand the concerns. Enjoy!

Thank you xcountry!

No problem at all though you might have to avoid the odd moose.
Really nothing to worry about. Great time to go. Have a wonderful trip!