Sept. Trip to the Atlantic Provinces
 

My brother and I (both retired) along with our wives are planning a 3-week trip to Canada's Atlantic provinces, primarily Novia Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick as well as Quebec starting in mid Sept. It will be our first trip in that part of Canada and would appreciate any advice such as Sept. dates(will it be too cold), where to stay/eat, things to see(we have traveled throughout the US and enjoy scenery--shoreline, lighthouses, etc.). We will leave from Detroit and can either go out or come back through Maine. Is three weeks enough time?

Some of my favourite places are:
Lunenburg NS
Mahone Bay NS
Halifax - much to see and do.
1 - Maritime Museum
2 - Point Pleasant Park & Titanic Memorial
3 - Cruise around the Harbour
4 - Tour the citidel.
5 - "Salt Box" Houses in Old Halifax that survived
the explosion.
Malpaque Bay PEI
- world's best oysters

Peggy's Cove NS

Cavendish Beach PEI
Charolottetown PEI
Ilse de Madelines and Cap Meux
(5 hour ferry ride from Souris PEI)

Other things:
Friendly People - esp Newfoundlanders
Lobster dinners in PEI
Fresh baked bread in restaurants
Houses painted bright colours

Places I'd like to go and do:
Cape Breton Island
Newfoundland
Whale watching from Yarmouth NS.
Highland games
Bay of Fundy


You could go to the Maritimes from Maine/Vermont and return through
Quebec and Ontario visiting Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa on the return. Ottawa or Montreal to Detroit is about 8-9 hours down the 401.

Three weeks would be ideal.

Detroit to Frederickton NB - 2 days.
New Brunswick - 4 Days
Nova Scotia - 1 week
PEI - 3 Days
Mount Alison NB to Gaspe & Quebec City 2 Days
Quebec City 2 Days
Montreal 3 Days
Ottawa 2 Days
Ottawa - Detroit 1 Day
Floater Day/Rain etc 1-2 Days

you could drive up from maine through new brunswick, go onto pei via the confederation bridge, onto nova scotia via the ferry, then circle nova scotia (pictou area, cape breton, southern coast, nova scotia, digby). then if you like boat rides, from yarmouth, take the cat ferry to bar harbor, maine or the scotia prince ferry to portland maine.
three weeks is a decent amount of time -four would be better if you could get that.

HogtownJim and ITT
Thanks for some really great ideas. My brother's wife is somewhat down on long ferry rides so the Newfoundland and Cape Meux may be out. We'll see. We could extend the time if we need to.

Shediac New Brunswick...

Lobster Capitol of the World and warm beaches.

Check us out at www.shediac.org and www.shediac.com

Really nice place.

Everyone has given you great suggestions although I'm sure you are feeling a bit overwhelmed.

As for weather, September will be a great time to go. It's usually one of NB's best months. It can obviously be quite cool, but it always seems to me that we have more sunny days in September than in July. Plus, it shouldn't be as busy as during the peak tourist months of July and August.

New Brunswick
Bay of Fundy - the drive from St. Stephen through St. Andrews through Saint John and finally to Fudy National Park is very nice with lots of touristy things to do. Whale-watching in St. Andrews is great.

Fundy National Park is a wonderful park right on the Bay of Fundy. Alma is the small town on the Eastern side of the park. Lots of nature hikes, camping, cottages, B&B's, lobster and seafood.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nb/fundy/index_e.asp

http://www.fundyweb.com/fundy/

A half hour away from Fundy Park is the Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park (also known as the Flower Pot Rocks). This is one of the best places to see the "highest tides in the world". Difference of about 40 feet between high and low tides. When the tide is in, these rocks look like little islands in the water. When the tide is low, you can walk on the beach in between them all.

http://www.thehopewellrocks.ca/

http://www.thehopewellrocks.com/

About an hour and a half away from there is Shediac New Brunswick. Lobster Capital of the World (although my family prefers Fundy for lobster). Great beaches, lots of nice places to stay and eat.

Another hour past there is the Confederation Bridge to PEI. I think it's 9 miles long. PEI is fantastic. Spend time just driving and enjoy Cavendish and Charlottetown. You can either take the bridge back to NB and then drive on further to NS (about 1/2 hour from the bridge) or you can take a ferry from PEI to NS.

http://www.confederationbridge.com/b...50&lang=en

Nova Scotia:
Highlights for me are: Halifax, Mahone Bay and Cape Breton.

Now that you have lots of suggestions, be sure to post back with more specific questions.

Good luck with your planning.

The fall is my favourite time of year here, though the leaves won't be at best until October. That's one of the reasons why the Celtic music festival on Cape Breton, which is held in October, is called the Celtic Colours.

It won't be too cold. Daytime temperatures in September are typically in the low 70s F, night-time can be cool, but above freezing.

Enjoy your trip!

If your trip still has 'wiggle room', I would suggest you include the premier seaside resort in Canada - the charming little town of St Andrews-by-the-Sea. There are many many options for accommodation, a wide and mouthwatering range of dining, beautiful scenery around the peninsula and Bay [Passamaquoddy, in the Bay of Fundy], great shopping and artisans, great old Loyalist homes & museums and the beautiful Kingsbrae Horticultural Garden - 27 acres, with lots of themed gardens and over 50,000 perennials, trees & shrubs! A real Dutch windmill, cedar maze, forest walking trails... cafe etc etc. In September, there is always lots still in bloom. Really a must-see area, altogether!! St Andrews is 30 minutes from the Maine border at St-Stephen,NB and Calais, ME.