Nova Scotia 4 Day
 

I'll be travelling to Nova Scotia in August for four days with my 74 year old mother (flying into Halifax) and wonder if there's anyone out there with some suggestions for a central location from which we can move easily. We're interested in Cape Breton, although would also like to see Bay of Fundy and/or Prince Edward Island; we're traveling by rental car and do not want to spend all of our time driving. My mother is pretty active, but there are limits to her energy...

With 4 days, you're going to have to limit yourself to Cape Breton. The rest is just too far for this short of a trip.

I agree with elberko, with only four days, spend the majority of your time on Cape Breton Island. I would suggest staying in Halifax your first night located somewhere near the citadel. Tour the fortress and visit the Halifax museum, then drive out to Cape Breton the next day and use Baddeck as your base. From there you could visit the Fortress of Louisbourg one day and take the Cabot Trail around the island the next. There are lots of interesting little shops in Baddeck and you can take a cruise out on Bras d'Or Lake if time allows. I would only caution you that your options for lunch are few on the Cabot Trail once you pass Dingwall if you head up towards Meat Cove, but very scenic. Enjoy your trip!

The alternative would be to skip Cape Breton altogether. The scenery is magnificent, but the South Shore (Mahone Bay, Lunenburg--a UNESCO World Heritage site--and Chester) are lovely, and so is the Glooscap Trail (Bay of Fundy, Five Islands, Pictou), and the Annapolis Valley (Evangeline and the Acadians). There are lots of little museums (historic homes and farms with costumed interpreters), craft shops, and B&Bs throughout the mainland. It depends very much on what you and your mother enjoy doing most when you travel. If you haven't already, you might want to have a look at the provincial tourism website.

By the way, there is no Halifax museum. The main museums downtown are the citadel's army museum; Pier 21, the former immigration gateway; and the Maritime Museum on the waterfront.

Thank you Cluny, I was refering to the Maritime Museum with its great exhibits on the Halifax explosion and the Titanic artifacts.