One week in Nova Scotia
Jun 25th, 2004, 04:35 PM
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One week in Nova Scotia
Hi everyone,
I am hoping if you guys could help me plan a trip to Nova Scotia. I am planning on visiting both Bar Harbor Maine and Nova Scotia and have just about 7-8 days to do both. I have read some posts which say not to try to do all of Nova Scotia in this time. Do people think that planning on staying in three different spots (i.e., moving every couple days) is a good plan? If so, what spots would anyone reccomend? I def. want to see the cabot trail. I suppose i am looking for a recomendation for a "great six day tour of nova scotia". I will be starting in Yarmouth.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
I am hoping if you guys could help me plan a trip to Nova Scotia. I am planning on visiting both Bar Harbor Maine and Nova Scotia and have just about 7-8 days to do both. I have read some posts which say not to try to do all of Nova Scotia in this time. Do people think that planning on staying in three different spots (i.e., moving every couple days) is a good plan? If so, what spots would anyone reccomend? I def. want to see the cabot trail. I suppose i am looking for a recomendation for a "great six day tour of nova scotia". I will be starting in Yarmouth.
Thanks in advance for any and all help.
Jun 25th, 2004, 07:56 PM
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Day 1: Assuming you're taking the 8am ferry from Bar Harbor, it will drop you off at Yarmouth around noon (remember Atlantic time zone). I'd take Highway 101 along the northern shore, visit Annapolis Royal. You don't need to visit Halifax at this time, so can take the highway 14 bypass and head towards Truro and New Glasgow. Overnight wherever...
Day 2. Continue drive towards Cape Breton Island. Overnight around Baddeck.
Day 3. Cabot Trail. Overnight in Sydney or surrounding areas.
Day 4. Louisbourg. Then start head back towards Halifax. If you have lots of time, may take Rte 7. If not, 104/102.
Day 5. Halifax
Day 6. Peggy Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg. Then back to Yarmouth for 4pm ferry. You probably need to start early this day if you don't want to miss the ferry.
Day 2. Continue drive towards Cape Breton Island. Overnight around Baddeck.
Day 3. Cabot Trail. Overnight in Sydney or surrounding areas.
Day 4. Louisbourg. Then start head back towards Halifax. If you have lots of time, may take Rte 7. If not, 104/102.
Day 5. Halifax
Day 6. Peggy Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg. Then back to Yarmouth for 4pm ferry. You probably need to start early this day if you don't want to miss the ferry.
Jun 26th, 2004, 07:11 PM
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Your allotted time for NS is adequate. When you alight in Yarmouth off the ferry, the traffic will split, with about half angling east and driving up the lighthouse route towards Halifax. The other will angle towards Annapolis Royal/Digby Neck area. You don't mention your age, whether you'll have kids, your interests, etc. Here's my stab:
-There's a number of whale watching tour boats along Digby Neck on the Bay of Fundy. Weather permitting, lots of different whales can be spotted (bring jackets). It's fun to drive down Digby Neck as there are 2 small ferries to encounter to get you to the island at the bottom: time of trip is about an hour. Annapolis Royal is a pretty town (cradle of Canada) and boasts a smallish but beautiful gardens.
- Driving due east from Annapolis Royal and about mid-way to Halifax will bring you to Kejimkujik Nat'l Park. While smallish (150 sq. miles or so), it baosts very fine canoeing on flat waterways.
-Halifax- fun city with lots of activities. Be sure to take the "hopper" tour. It's a converted military amphib vehicle which gives you a 2-hour tour on the city highlights, then drives into the harbour for a tour from waterside-great fun.
-while staying in Halifax, you can drive to Peggy's Cove which boats a beautifl (really) lighthouse with a very harried postal clerk inside (it's a Canadian post office, too. Scads of tourists want to buy past cards and have them cancelled there. My suggestion is to make this particular trip late in the afternoon when most of the tour busses have departed and the parking lot is only half full. Again, bring a jacket.
-Lunenburg seemsto also be a must-see, though I was under impressed with it. Mostly geared towards tourists. I like Mahone Bay much better (stop in at Amo's Pewter Shop -famous).
-to view the Cape Breton area, we stayed at Baddeck, a convenient locale for doing so,and prettily located on a large lake (has the Edison Museum and a great lobster dinner place). I didn't stop off at the Nat'l Park on the Cape, but there's very good hiking, etc. Other than viewing the majesty of the area, not a lot to do.
- Glace Bay has the Miners Museum. Run by retired coal miners and the tour will take you down a shaft. This is about a 45 minute drive from Baddeck. Very interesting and my kids really liked it.
-taking a puffin tour out to Bird Island is fun. There are 2 touring companies (we used Bird Island Boat Tours run by former Canadian Coast Guard officer. Lots of puffins and bald eagles for those who enjoy these critters.
Driving times between Yarmouth and the southern part of the Cape Breton area is something like 7-8 hours, if you don't dawdle. because of the distances involved, as well as limited timeframe, we spent one night down Digby Neck, 2 nights adjacent to Kejimkujik Park, 2 nights in Halifax, and 2 nights in Baddeck. But we then went on to take the ferry to PEI. You'll, of course, have to drive back down NS to get the ferry at Yarmouth. Hence, you, too, might consider staying in Halifax and somewhere central near Cape breton and using them as your bases for day trips, saving precious time. If you have time, go to NS's website and order their Doer's and Dreamer's vacation planner. Very well done and informative. Have fun!
-There's a number of whale watching tour boats along Digby Neck on the Bay of Fundy. Weather permitting, lots of different whales can be spotted (bring jackets). It's fun to drive down Digby Neck as there are 2 small ferries to encounter to get you to the island at the bottom: time of trip is about an hour. Annapolis Royal is a pretty town (cradle of Canada) and boasts a smallish but beautiful gardens.
- Driving due east from Annapolis Royal and about mid-way to Halifax will bring you to Kejimkujik Nat'l Park. While smallish (150 sq. miles or so), it baosts very fine canoeing on flat waterways.
-Halifax- fun city with lots of activities. Be sure to take the "hopper" tour. It's a converted military amphib vehicle which gives you a 2-hour tour on the city highlights, then drives into the harbour for a tour from waterside-great fun.
-while staying in Halifax, you can drive to Peggy's Cove which boats a beautifl (really) lighthouse with a very harried postal clerk inside (it's a Canadian post office, too. Scads of tourists want to buy past cards and have them cancelled there. My suggestion is to make this particular trip late in the afternoon when most of the tour busses have departed and the parking lot is only half full. Again, bring a jacket.
-Lunenburg seemsto also be a must-see, though I was under impressed with it. Mostly geared towards tourists. I like Mahone Bay much better (stop in at Amo's Pewter Shop -famous).
-to view the Cape Breton area, we stayed at Baddeck, a convenient locale for doing so,and prettily located on a large lake (has the Edison Museum and a great lobster dinner place). I didn't stop off at the Nat'l Park on the Cape, but there's very good hiking, etc. Other than viewing the majesty of the area, not a lot to do.
- Glace Bay has the Miners Museum. Run by retired coal miners and the tour will take you down a shaft. This is about a 45 minute drive from Baddeck. Very interesting and my kids really liked it.
-taking a puffin tour out to Bird Island is fun. There are 2 touring companies (we used Bird Island Boat Tours run by former Canadian Coast Guard officer. Lots of puffins and bald eagles for those who enjoy these critters.
Driving times between Yarmouth and the southern part of the Cape Breton area is something like 7-8 hours, if you don't dawdle. because of the distances involved, as well as limited timeframe, we spent one night down Digby Neck, 2 nights adjacent to Kejimkujik Park, 2 nights in Halifax, and 2 nights in Baddeck. But we then went on to take the ferry to PEI. You'll, of course, have to drive back down NS to get the ferry at Yarmouth. Hence, you, too, might consider staying in Halifax and somewhere central near Cape breton and using them as your bases for day trips, saving precious time. If you have time, go to NS's website and order their Doer's and Dreamer's vacation planner. Very well done and informative. Have fun!
Jun 28th, 2004, 06:07 AM
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falcon: I recall seeing tourist postings for an outfit which runs small boats through the tidal bore. I looked around and all I could find was reference to Cobequid Bay near Maitland, NS. You can probably find them simply by going to NS's website and rummaging around til you trip over it. Or perhaps by doing a Google search.
As for whale watching, the consenses seems to be that whale watching is better in the Bay of Fundy than in the Atlantic. This is because the great tides sweep lots of food into the Bay and hence more variety of whales to feed on the food. Last summer we elected to go whale watching with a company way down Digby Neck on Breier Island. I think there's a handful of such companies along the Neck, and I doubt if one is better than another. Unfortunately, the day we had set aside for it was very foggy and high winds (a common occurrence in the Bay in summer). Even though the company gave us the courtesy of a later booking for no extra charge, the weather wouldn't cooperate. Which ever you choose, be sure to bring medium weight jackets/sweaters as it gets cold on the water.
As for whale watching, the consenses seems to be that whale watching is better in the Bay of Fundy than in the Atlantic. This is because the great tides sweep lots of food into the Bay and hence more variety of whales to feed on the food. Last summer we elected to go whale watching with a company way down Digby Neck on Breier Island. I think there's a handful of such companies along the Neck, and I doubt if one is better than another. Unfortunately, the day we had set aside for it was very foggy and high winds (a common occurrence in the Bay in summer). Even though the company gave us the courtesy of a later booking for no extra charge, the weather wouldn't cooperate. Which ever you choose, be sure to bring medium weight jackets/sweaters as it gets cold on the water.
