We are traveling from Boston up the coast of Maine to Camden and on to PEI. From there our destination is Quebec with a short stop in Riviere Du Loup for whale watching. What is the best way to get from PEI without going all the way around the Gaspe Peninsula to Riviere Du Loup? I was going to go from Moncton to Campbellton but that looks like 10 hours (I'm not sure I calculated correctly.) Many people on this web site have advised against New Brunswick in favor of Nova Scotia. How far is it from Mocton to Campbellton and then from Campbellton to Riverie Du Loup? Are there better whale watching areas? We are going in August and have have 2 weeks. Thank you.

Jocelyn, <BR> <BR>Moncton to Campbellton NB is much less than 10 hours, and it is a beautiful drive. Are you planning to be in Campbellton for any reason, though? If you are just travelling through from Moncton to Riviere-du-Loup, I think it would be quicker to go from Moncton to Fredericton, then north up Route 2 through Edmundston to Riviere-du-Loup. This would take about 6 hours. <BR> <BR>If you don't mind the longer trip & you're looking for scenery, I woudn't want to steer you away from the north shore & Gaspe region - its quite scenic there and a beautiful drive. Just not as direct. <BR> <BR>Another good whale-watching spot, and one a little more accessible than Riviere-du-Loup, would be Grand Manan Island off the coast of New Brunswick/Maine in the Bay of Fundy. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps a bit. Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>Tim

Hi Tim, <BR>Thank you for your very helpful response to my questions. After looking at the map again, I decided that your way to Riviere-du-Loup is more direct. I went to www.maps.expedia.com and decided to let them do the mileage and hours. Expedia indicated that departing from Charlottetown in PEI to Campbellton (by way of S-11 and S-8 is 269 mi, 7 hrs 53 min) From Campbelltown to Mont-Joli (by way of S-132 is 95.6 mi, 2 hrs 44 min). And from Mont-Joli to Riviere Du-Loup(by way of 32 and C-20 is 86.5 mi, 2hrs 23 min min.) <BR>The route you suggested (taking TC-2 toward Fredrickton and Edmundson, etc. is 448 mi, 10 hrs 15 min.) Either way, the route takes you to Riviere-du-Loup on the way to Quebec City (an additional 132 mi 2hrs and 13 min whichever route you take). According to the calculations I got from expedia (mapquest.com is another good one too), the Campbellton/cut across Gaspe way is a total of 583 miles, 15 1/2 hrs to Quebec City. The way you suggested is 580 miles but only 12 hrs and 33 minutes. It looks like the mileage comes out about the same but your way is three hours shorter. How can this be? Hope this is all clear as mud. <BR>Anyway, all said and told, do you think the drive up the coast of New Brunswick and through the short part of Gaspe peninsula is worth the extra distance (time)? Is it that much nicer than going through the midland of New Brunswick? The goal is the same. To end up in Quebec City. <BR>Also thanks for your suggestion about whale watching in the Bay of Fundy. <BR>Thanks again for all your help. <BR>Jocelyn

Jocelyn: <BR> <BR>Yes, the mileage is roughly the same (actually, I had no idea the distances were THAT close, though!), but the reason for the time difference is the quality of the roads and the speed limit. The Trans-Canada from Fredericton to Edmundston is mostly 100km/h, whereas the route through Campbellton is mostly secondary roads with some stretches of 100km/h, but mostly its 80-90km/h. <BR> <BR>Personally, I love driving trips and don't think too much about time; I consider the route & what I'd like to see. Both routes are scenic in their own way - the route through northern NB & Gaspe has the typical coastal views & scenery, coastal villages, etc., and is one of the province's best-kept secrets as far as scenic drives. The drive through the middle of the province from Moncton to Fredericton isn't really spectacular (it has its moments), but the River Valley Route from Fredericton to Edmundston is quite scenic, with the rolling hills & farm fields and the Saint John river snaking through - it is very picturesque in some places (Hartland, Perth, for example). I actually live in Florenceville, which is right on Hwy 2 north of Woodstock, so maybe I'm biased! I guess whichever type of scenery interests you more, and whether the extra 3 hours is worth it. <BR> <BR>The drive from Riviere-du-Loup to Quebec City is very scenic in places too, following along the St. Lawrence River and passing through some very cute villages. I personally enjoy that stretch of highway very much. Sounds like you've got an ambitious trip ahead of you - enjoy! If I can help any further, please let me know. <BR> <BR>Tim

Tim, <BR>Yes, this is a very ambitious trip, even for me, and I love to travel and plan travel. I live on the west coast of Florida and will be flying into Boston. From there, we'll rent a car and visit Kennebunkport, Camden and Acadia National Park, respectively. Someone wrote about how much fun Acadia is (next to Bar Harbor), with it's 27 mile "loop", hiking up Cadillac mountain, a ferry to Cranberry Isle for seal watching, then a stop at Jordon Pond Teahouse for popovers and homemade lemonade. That whole thing sounded great to me. From there we'll go to St. Andrews, NB and through St. John and Moncton to PEI for three days. I am going to modify my route to take the way you suggested. On a trip of this magnitude, the 3 hours is definately worth saving, and you made some charming points about the Frederickton-to-Edmundson area. (Even if you are biased, that's okay). Do you know if it's better to go to Riviere du Loup or to Tadoussac for whale watching? This will be the part of the trip where there will be enough time for it, although the Bay of Fundy have a bigger variety of whales. Have you ever gone on a whale watching excursion? If so, where did you go? <BR>After 2 days in Quebec, we're going to Grafton, Vermont then Concord, Massachusettes (I was an English major in College and I can't wait to get to Thoreau's Waldon Pond!!!!!!!!), followed by 2 days in Boston and then back home. Do you recommend any hotels, B&B's, special sites, or restaurants you especially liked along my route? <BR>Thanks again for all your time and help. You are enormously knowlegeable about just the drive I was wondering about. <BR>Jocelyn <BR>Jocelyn

Jocelyn: <BR>Sorry - I can't be much help with the whale watching....I've never been! I honestly didn't know they had whale-watching on the St. Lawrence; I guess growing up on the Fundy shore had made me a little ignorant! I'll talk to some people who may know & get back to you on that. When are you planning to be here? <BR> <BR>As for places to see/eat/stay, have you planned where your nights will be spent, or are you playing it by ear? Acadia NP is beautiful; I haven't been there since I was young, but I remember it vividly - you'll love it. Saint John is a nice city, very historic. I was born & raised there, and there are several nice hotels & B&B's there (Hilton, Delta Brunswick, and Mahogany Manor B&B stand out...all downtown), as well as restaurants (Grannan's Seafood, Il Fornello Italian come first to mind). <BR> <BR>PEI is very tourism-oriented, and there are plenty of hotels/B&B's there, but I haven't spent a lot of time there. The beaches are great, but being from FLorida, I doubt you'd see anything that would amaze you. Cavendish, Cabot Beach, and Cedar Dunes Provincial Parks are all very scenic and nice. PEI is relatively small, so you'll be able to see a lot in 3 days. Charlottetown & Summerside are the larger centers and are centrally located for exploring the island, but there are a number of very charming small communities on the island which offer small inns and B&B's. If you have time before your trip, go to "www.peiplay.com" and check out their site - its excellent and very informative, and I think they offer free vacation planners. <BR> <BR>Up this way, on the Fredericton/Edmundston route, there's an excellent B&B in Hartland (about an hour north of Fredericton) called the Hatfield Heritage Inn - its a beautiful & historic country inn, with private baths, and the restaurant & food is excellent. My wife & I go there quite a bit for dinner, and we know the guys that run it quite well. Hartland is a cute little village & is also home to the world's longest covered bridge (they're quite historic around here). In Perth, there's a nice restaurant called York's - excellent food, and guaranteed not to leave hungry! In Grand Falls, there's a nice restaurant called Pres du Lac, which has excellent food too. The one in Hartland is still my personal favourite in the area, though. <BR> <BR>Whew - this is getting long! Hope this helps; I'll post more as I think about it, or you can feel free to send me an e-mail to my address above if you have any other specifics. My wife wants to go to Florida soon, so I may need your help sometime soon! Ha! Which city are you in/near? I've been to St. Petersburg & Clearwater when I was young, and it was a beautiful spot. <BR> <BR>Talk soon! <BR> <BR>Tim

Tim, <BR>Yes, this is a very ambitious trip, even for me ... and I love to travel and plan trips!! I live on the West Coast of Florida and will be flying into Boston and renting a car for the trip. From there we'll go to Kennebunkport, Camden and then Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor). I got intrigued by Acadia Park when I read that someone had gone there, hiked up Cadillac Mountain, took the 27 mile "loop", took a ferry to go seal watching, then had popovers and homemade lemonade at Jordon Pond Tearoom. That all sounded so great to me that I incorporated it into the trip. Next we're going to St. Andrews, then through Saint John and Moncton for three days in PEI. I'm going to take the route your suggested to get to Riviere-du-Loup. The 3 hours driving time is definitely with saving and I was charmed by your descriptions of the area between Fredricton to Edmundson. (You may be biased -that's okay.) Do you think the whale watching would be better in Riviere-Du-Loup or Tadoussac? Have you been to either? Actually the Bay of Fundy might be better still - more variety of whales - but the time period when we are around the Riviere-du-Loup is when the time allows. After that we have 2 day stay in Quebec then down to Grafton, Vermont for a day. On to Concord, Ma (I was an English major in college and am so excited to go to Thoreau's Waldon Pond!!!!) Two days in Boston after that and then home. I guess it does seem ambitious. <BR>Thanks again for all your time and help. You have enormous knowledge about just the things I was wondering about. And you write so well about travel, I'm wondering if you should write a travel book. <BR>Thanks again. <BR>Jocelyn

Tim, <BR>I'm having quite a laugh here. I sent you the last message which for some reason fodors.com indicated to me did not post. So I thought, okay, I'll need to recreate it as best I can from memory and send it again. <BR>Afterwad, to check, I pulled it up again and there was my original message followed by your reply followed by my message all over again. It cracked me up. I started laughing so hard ... my 11 year old daughter came walking through the room and asked me what I was laughing about. I told her "this guy is going to think I'm a real yo-yo." <BR>Anyway, I will be glad to help you and your wife plan a trip to Florida. I live in Dunedin, just north of Clearwater, but have visited many parts of Florida. <BR>I'll write more later. Jocelyn