Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - NB & NS Itinerary

LOL... I once drove round-trip from Boston to spend 24 hours in Nova Scotia... but it was enough time to keep me coming back.

Desires like yours are reasons to remind that the roads through Nova Scotia are NOT like those interstate highways that Americans know and rely upon to carry them at 60-70mph in areas where there is little or no traffic.

IF driving is a given... (and I generally like the idea of driving from the U.S. to the Maritimes)... and IF the Yarmouth ferry to return is a given... THEN I think YOU should go through with at least two of your original three listed desires.

You are also perfect examples of visitors who should have the tide tables pre-printed for a few various spots around the Bay of Fundy, with the data stored in the glove box of your car. (you just CAN'T get the tides to cooperate with you completely, so you may need to improvise on the fly)

https://www.tides.gc.ca/en/stations/00170

There's the tide guide to Hopewell Cape... set it to July 22, and then do a screen-grab of the listed tide times... and prepare by doing that for a handful of spots around the Bay!! to be in your glove box upon departure (you can get it DONE NOW)

Advocate (Harbour ) is in an awkward spot that would slow your path down considerably... and I am guessing that its appeal in your mind has something to do with the boats tied to docks while sitting on the ocean floor, with the tide waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out beyond.

SO, I think you should substitute the town of Alma, New Brunswick, for the same seeming phenomenon.

That would let you see it on the way toward Hopewell Cape and you'd have reason to cut down through Fundy National Park... and IF you studied details and found one or two interests in the National Park... maaaaaaaaaaaaybe you could time everything so that you could get to Alma during a window surrounding low tide, when a ship or two might be tied to the dock there.

There ARE other locations dotted around the Bay where you might find the similar scenario timed better for your path through... AND no doubt you'll want to visit Hopewell Rocks very near to LOW tide... so that has to factor into your plotting of your course as well.

(here is the feed for a webcam at Hall's Harbour, which isn't likely a place you'll visit... BUT the camera itself sometimes has the fun-to-view ocean-going ships tied to docks while sitting on the ocean floor) (there are other, USEFUL Nova Scotia webcams connected to this link as well) https://www.novascotiawebcams.com/we...alls-harbour-1
(later click on "by region" and see various webcams)

Last time I went to Hopewell Rocks, I was with family who had the impulse to go down to the shoreline at low tide, and then walk/climb all the way around the... Cape (is it?)... and then returning to the Park trails from that odd-seeming direction. It was fun... but a decent amount of mobility is required. (most random people in decent shape would do fine)

One way to get a LOT from a relative little bit of time would be to spend a night at the lighthouse at Cape D'or (considering you have to spend each night SOMEwhere... and that you are going to be on that general path... then it can give you a good sense of Fundy without setting you back too much time) Advocate Harbour ONLY makes sense IF you are inspired to spend a night at Cape D'or lighthouse (otherwise it is on slow, out-of-the-way roads).

Lemme try to plot your hotel nights... as would be MY (first impulse, if not general preference).

July 22 Maybe in the St. John area
July 23 Cape D'or Lighthouse (IF you are interested) (or perhaps Truro area)

(otherwise maybe somewhere between Truro and Wolfville... on the path toward Cape Split)

(I just mapped St. John to Wolfville (via Alma, NB and Hopewell Cape)... and it requires SIX HOURS of driving time at minimum) (about 4.5 hours to Truro on that path)

( I don't especially love Truro... but the number of nights I've spent there is mind-boggling relative to all nights in the Maritimes) (only because of its strategic convenience)

IF you opt for the Truro idea... you'd get up the next morning in Truro and drive on slow country roads between Truro and Wolfville
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...20df14fc77.png
i WOULD NEVER opt for that 'fastest route' over faster roads, just to save 8 minutes... (this is just to illustrate the likely moderate pace you'll keep on the slower roads)

and IF REALLY INSPIRED... you should go to Burntcoat Head... at LOW TIDE... where you can walk all over the ocean floor.

(one more thing to SLOW you down on that slow path... when you still want to allocate 6+ hours (perhaps) to Cape Split hike)

(IF a miracle happens you can still save TWO nights for Halifax, where at least you can catch your breath... and if you feel at all like driving on the evening of your 'off' day, you drive 30 slowish miles for dinner at the restaurant by the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove)

July 24 Halifax
July 25 Halifax

then, back on the road again... down to Lunenburg... pause in Mahone Bay for (lunch?)... but save the bulk of your time for Lunenburg in the evening and then the next day.

July 26 Lunenburg
July 27 Yarmouth

** and before I forget, much of the hiking to Cape Split (2.5 hours each way, for a total of 5)... is just through wooded area... and it's only out on the end of the cape, where the impressive views are to be had. I hiked it when there was a little snow on the ground... but that made the then-trail much easier to recognize. (things are likely different now since I went there long ago).

It would be fun to bring some picnic-like stuff and spend a bit of time out on cliff that overlooks the 'split' part... there were picnic facilities tucked back from the WINDY edges.

It's pretty awesome to stand there and know that as much water flows between there and Parrsboro on the other side in one day, as flows through ALL of the rivers on earth, combined, in one day.

Don't forget... some nearby rivers turn around and flow UP stream because those currents are pushing them so hard at the right times. Many river beds are only (muddy) at low tide, and fill-up impressively when the powerful tides roll in. (time a pause for THAT, IF the unforgiving tide schedules make it convenient for you NEAR TRURO) (look for "tidal bore" schedules)

Here, Truro tidal bore times for your window:

https://www.tides.gc.ca/en/stations/...?tz=AST&unit=m

Now lets not kid ourselves... you will have to maintain a lively pace to (ultimately get yourself to Halifax for TWO well-timed nights in the middle-ish of your journey, but I think you CAN fit it all in and have a great time.

AS for a raw, mathematical analysis of your BF's idea to "drive" vs. fly into Halifax base...

the stuff you generally wanna see... IS in such great amount ON the drive UP and around... that said factor greatly weighs in favor of (causing yourself to get NEAR to the most appealing sights, so that you'll at least pause to see them).

(this way you can save your future impulse to fly to Halifax for the time when you'll then drive up to Cape Breton)

Tethered to this thought process is whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy I think the Yarmouth ferry is NOT a grand convenience for most visitors... sure, if you live in Maine and want to "get away"... then an hours-long ferry ride to a foreign country right out the back door might be interesting to a point... but then where are you???

For YOUR uses, the ferry does make sense... but of course it's because you have the car, and have already MADE yourself see many of the sights.

At the start of a day, if you have ANY interest in the Bay of Fundy... the highest priority is rightfully given to Hopewell Cape... because it's the best place to get the most vivid sense for what the tides can do. "Flower Pot Rocks" are evidence enough of that.

Hope this helps...