1 week in Nova Scotia
Mar 24th, 2008, 09:32 AM
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1 week in Nova Scotia
My family (dh, myself, 14yo ds, 8yo ds and our Brittany Spaniel) will be driving to Nova Scotia this summer and I have a few questions I couldn't find answers to.
We've rented a cottage between Lunenburg and Digby on a freshwater lake.
We want to do a whale watching tour for sure but have no idea how to go about finding a 'good one'. which area is better for whale watching - Lunenburg or Digby? How far in advance do the tours need to be booked?
thinking of doing a round of golf too (have to keep dh happy!!) any suggestions on a course that's fairly easy and will let the 8yo play on?
What is the weather typically like at the end of July? As hot and humid as it is in S. Ontario?
Not sure yet what else we are going to see/do as this will be our first time to NS - would appreciate any suggestions.
I've ordered the travel guide for Nova Scotia already also.
We've rented a cottage between Lunenburg and Digby on a freshwater lake.
We want to do a whale watching tour for sure but have no idea how to go about finding a 'good one'. which area is better for whale watching - Lunenburg or Digby? How far in advance do the tours need to be booked?
thinking of doing a round of golf too (have to keep dh happy!!) any suggestions on a course that's fairly easy and will let the 8yo play on?
What is the weather typically like at the end of July? As hot and humid as it is in S. Ontario?
Not sure yet what else we are going to see/do as this will be our first time to NS - would appreciate any suggestions.
I've ordered the travel guide for Nova Scotia already also.
Mar 24th, 2008, 07:46 PM
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There are several in the Digby area that seem good. I'm choosing to go with the Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Watching (http://www.oceanexplorations.ca/).
After reading the various websites, this one sounded much more exciting. Although I think any of them would be good. According to Mr. Goodwin, a "reservation a few days in advance is normally OK" (I emailed and asked a while back
). I will be making mine just before I leave for my trip.
After reading the various websites, this one sounded much more exciting. Although I think any of them would be good. According to Mr. Goodwin, a "reservation a few days in advance is normally OK" (I emailed and asked a while back
). I will be making mine just before I leave for my trip.
Mar 25th, 2008, 04:28 AM
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There's a golf course across the water from Lunenburg - not sure if it's child friendly or not (I guess you could phone in advance to find out) - that you should be sure to go to to take pics of the town (looks back at Lunenburg).
If your boys are into dinosaurs, there's a museum in Parrsboro where the Curator leads walks on the beaches to show where they've found their specimens. The Curator is one of the lead people applying to get that area recognized as an UNESCO site for its paleontological value.
The man has an incredible amount of knowledge and shares it in layman's terms. On the couple of walks DH & I managed to catch there were very few people on the tours so it was interactive and the stories were very interesting.
Weather-wise, I think July can be quite foggy but definitely not as humid or hot as S.ON, esp when on the NS coast. The Annapolis Valley is a lot warmer.
Try to enjoy a church lobster supper and a local festival - in some places we found it was a town summer highlight and most locals were out to enjoy the fun. Was interesting to chat with them and see a slice of their life.
Can't help with other aspects. Have a fab trip tho!
Enjoy-la!
If your boys are into dinosaurs, there's a museum in Parrsboro where the Curator leads walks on the beaches to show where they've found their specimens. The Curator is one of the lead people applying to get that area recognized as an UNESCO site for its paleontological value.
The man has an incredible amount of knowledge and shares it in layman's terms. On the couple of walks DH & I managed to catch there were very few people on the tours so it was interactive and the stories were very interesting.
Weather-wise, I think July can be quite foggy but definitely not as humid or hot as S.ON, esp when on the NS coast. The Annapolis Valley is a lot warmer.
Try to enjoy a church lobster supper and a local festival - in some places we found it was a town summer highlight and most locals were out to enjoy the fun. Was interesting to chat with them and see a slice of their life.
Can't help with other aspects. Have a fab trip tho!
Enjoy-la!
Mar 25th, 2008, 09:20 AM
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Hi Bits...
Try http://www.brierisland.org/brierIsland.html for whale watching and http://www.nsga.ns.ca/clubs_map.html for NS golf courses.
Try http://www.brierisland.org/brierIsland.html for whale watching and http://www.nsga.ns.ca/clubs_map.html for NS golf courses.
Apr 3rd, 2008, 09:40 AM
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I agree that Brier Island is a much better place to go whale watching than Lunenburg! It was wonderful last summer; we had a blast. I would also suggest the Zodiac boat tour of sea caves from the Ovens Natural Park. That was a highlight for us. We would have liked to go kayaking in Keji but didn't have time. We did take a walking tour in Lunenberg with Eric Croft and enjoyed it very much.
Apr 3rd, 2008, 04:46 PM
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To toedtoes: we LOVED the sea caves; it was a highlight...the young man who took us out was a college student who had grown up in the area...we did it late afternoon and the weather was perfect and it is just one of those magical memories!!!
Apr 3rd, 2008, 07:08 PM
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For the Ovens, if you don't book in advance, be sure to book the boat tour when you first arrive. The boats are just zodiacs (i.e., only a few passengers per boat) so they can sell out quickly, esp during peak times.
Then you can spend your time wandering the trails, etc. It's a completely different view from the boats and it was fun for us to be able to spot where the caves were relative to where we were walking/stopping for views.
Have a fab trip - enjoy-la!
Then you can spend your time wandering the trails, etc. It's a completely different view from the boats and it was fun for us to be able to spot where the caves were relative to where we were walking/stopping for views.
Have a fab trip - enjoy-la!
Apr 3rd, 2008, 07:15 PM
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I am booking all my activities before I leave for the trip just so that doesn't happen. Captain Tom (whale watching) said a couple days' is usually good enough for his cruises, so I figure I'll do them both about two weeks before my trip. That will be at least a 3 week notice.
Apr 4th, 2008, 05:57 PM
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I haven't gotten to checking out the nightlife yet. I've got the days pretty well filled. I have some distant relations who still live in NS during a portion of the year, so I'm waiting till I make contact with them to plan my nights.
But, if you have any recommendations, please throw them out and I'll start making a list.
But, if you have any recommendations, please throw them out and I'll start making a list.
Apr 5th, 2008, 01:45 PM
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Jumping back in here - my dh would really like to take in some NS music while we are there.... any suggestions?
Brier Island looks like it's a 3 hr drive from the cottage we've rented - a bit far for a day trip - are there any whale watching tours closer to Digby that anyone can recommend?
Brier Island looks like it's a 3 hr drive from the cottage we've rented - a bit far for a day trip - are there any whale watching tours closer to Digby that anyone can recommend?
Apr 8th, 2008, 09:12 PM
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OK, so you ARE driving to NS:
Well in no way should you avoid making the detour from Moncton down to HOPEWELL CAPE... to see the "Flower Pot Rocks".
IF you can only get there ONE time... then you go at LOW TIDE... but if you can possibly woo yourself to pass by it in both directions as you drive to and from NS, then get there at high tide too... I can't imagine a single contrast that makes the tides more REAL to kids.
Unfortunately, in a perfect world, it would be great to see Hopewell Cape at HIGH TIDE first, and then at low tide (at least) six hours later.
HOWEVER, with the way that people plot their vacation courses, it is probably unwise to risk talking yourself out of getting back there at LOW tide if you saw high tide on the way through the first time.
Tricky, tricky, tricky... well, at least you ARE driving, so you can get at least one shot at Hopewell Cape.
Maaaaaaaaaaybe just bring a photo copied from the web, of Hopewell Cape at HIGH tide... and GO there at LOW TIDE, and take the obligatory pictures of you and everybody looking like little ANTS against the backdrop of the huge "flower pots", as you stand on the ocean floor at low tide.
I am sure kids will 'get' the impact of the tides once they're down there on the ocean floor.
And the sign which states:
"Warning: You MUST be off of this beach by _________ time to avoid being trapped by the incoming tides" really drives the point home to anyone who doesn't first understand...
Enjoy!
(I responded to your other post too)
Well in no way should you avoid making the detour from Moncton down to HOPEWELL CAPE... to see the "Flower Pot Rocks".
IF you can only get there ONE time... then you go at LOW TIDE... but if you can possibly woo yourself to pass by it in both directions as you drive to and from NS, then get there at high tide too... I can't imagine a single contrast that makes the tides more REAL to kids.
Unfortunately, in a perfect world, it would be great to see Hopewell Cape at HIGH TIDE first, and then at low tide (at least) six hours later.
HOWEVER, with the way that people plot their vacation courses, it is probably unwise to risk talking yourself out of getting back there at LOW tide if you saw high tide on the way through the first time.
Tricky, tricky, tricky... well, at least you ARE driving, so you can get at least one shot at Hopewell Cape.
Maaaaaaaaaaybe just bring a photo copied from the web, of Hopewell Cape at HIGH tide... and GO there at LOW TIDE, and take the obligatory pictures of you and everybody looking like little ANTS against the backdrop of the huge "flower pots", as you stand on the ocean floor at low tide.
I am sure kids will 'get' the impact of the tides once they're down there on the ocean floor.
And the sign which states:
"Warning: You MUST be off of this beach by _________ time to avoid being trapped by the incoming tides" really drives the point home to anyone who doesn't first understand...
Enjoy!
(I responded to your other post too)
