Help with trip planning
 

We are planning to drive from Maine in early July and travel to Newfoundland via Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for about 3 months. We want to camp (have a small truck camper), bike ride and hike. We would like to see icebergs, possibly kayak too. Looking for beaches, culture, scenery, traditional music, any suggestions? Should we also include visits to PEI or Labrador?

Also considering taking the ferry from NL to Labradore and driving the coast west. Has anyone done this?

<<Also considering taking the ferry from NL to Labradore and driving the coast west. Has anyone done this?>>

How far west do you want to drive? The road ends not far west of the ferry terminal from Newfoundland at Blanc Sablon. You could always take the coastal ferry to Natashquan where the road starts again.

Maybe it's time to consult a detailed map.

A further thought. If you really want to do it, you could drive north from Blanc Sablon on the Trans-Labrador highway. Personally I would go as far as Battle Harbour and back to Blanc Sablon.

However, the highway heads north to Happy Valley -Goose Bay, then Labrador City and then through Quebec to Baie Comeau on the St. Lawrence.

It's 1700km of gravel road through wilderness with few settlements along the way and no cell-phone coverage. However in the summer you'll probably meet some traffic along the way.

I'd prefer to spend my time in more populous parts of the province, but perhaps this is what you are looking for.

I have not done Labrador but from what I have heard from those who have it is better done by boat-the best views are of the fiords from the water. And the driving is boring I am told.

In Newfoundland I would suggest that you may focus on Gros Morne as the main area for your trip. Great camping and hiking.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/index.aspx

If you include PEI which is delightful I might also suggest you head to Isle de la Madeleine (also known as Magdalen Islands) It is different from PEI and Newfoundland and worth 3 or 4 days. The ferry leaves from PEI to get there. You must book ahead as it is VERY popular.

http://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine...g-696-home.cfm

Thanks for your suggestions! I am in the process of getting a better map, the one I have does not have much detail, in fact they stuck a blow up of St John's on top of Labrador. I know that there are some new parts of the highway recently opened but I am a unsure where. Hopefully my map will be here soon. We were thinking of at least driving from Blanc Sablon to Red Bay, wanting to stay on the coast as much as possible. We would be getting to NL via NS and the ferry but I wanted to see if there were any alternatives when we drive back west, again as close to the coast as possible.
I was worried that PEI in the summer would be to crowded. (?) We do plan to do some hiking in Gros Morne and not sure if it is worth it to drive all the way to L'Anse aux Meadow since we don't want to miss any other parts of NL. I will check out Madeline, thanks for all the help!

The road from Blanc Sablon to Red Bay is paved and not boring, and it is worth a stop there to see the historic site of the old Basque whaling station. There is a good interpretation centre, but you will have to use your imagination for the actual site, as the excavations, while well marked, have been covered over again for protection.

As I mentioned earlier, I would continue on to Battle Harbour. It's a gravel road, but the place is well worth seeing. Stay there overnight and return to Blanc Sablon for the ferry.

http://www.battleharbour.com/home/

As for L'Anse aux Meadows, it is a must see and well worth the drive there and back. As well as the excavations, there is a reconstruction of a Viking settlement with excellent animators playing the parts of various inhabitants. While on the northern peninsula, take the time to visit St. Anthony and the Grenfell centre. Northern Discovery boat tours has one of the best boat tours I have taken in Newfoundland. In season, you will see lots of icebergs and whales.

http://www.discovernorthland.com/location.htm

If you are pressed for time you may want to save the Iles de la Madeleine trip for another time. In fact if I had to choose, I would spend more time in Cape Breton NS and Newfoundland at the expense of PEI, which is indeed crowded in summer.

PEI is not crowded in the summer...Cavendish area is crowded with tourists...eastern and western parts of the Island are beautiful...plenty of room.

Rethinking the Labrador driving, it may be too long. Thanks for your suggestions! L'Anse aux Meadows will stay on the list. We may save PEI for the return, later in the season.

L'anse Aux Meadows a good choice.

PEI has lots of pleasant farmland, and some nice beaches but does not have the spectacular scenery you get elsewhere. I've been across on the ferry from Nfld. to Labrador for an overnight. Interesting to see the vast empty space but not a lot to linger over. As a Canadian who wants to see as much of our grand country as possible, I'm glad I went to both places but don't feel a need to return to either.

For camping, you can not beat our national parks. All are spacious, gorgeous, have lots of well marked hiking trails and large enough campsites that you don't feel crowded. Be sure to take in some of the excellent interpretative programs: most are included in the admission fee. If you want a serviced campsite, i.e. one with electricity , you should reserve ahead, others probably no need except for holiday weekends, July 1st and the first weekend in August. Our parks have been under utilized in recent years and would love to have you I believe you can get guidebooks for the various locations by mail.

www.pc.gc.ca

Thank you! We do plan to camp in the National Parks, as well as Provincial Parks and were not sure how crowded it might be. Some parks here in the US are also experiencing less visitors. Your information was most helpful.

This might just be on the outside of your timeline but this festival of traditional music in Cape Breton is wonderful-tickets sell out quickly but events are scattered over the week in different locations in Cape Breton. The fall colours are also usually peak at this time

http://www.celtic-colours.com/

Thanks for all your replies!