Sept. Vacation
Feb 9th, 2007, 06:37 AM
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Sept. Vacation
Based on some very informative input on Fordor's, we 2 retired couples from the US have narrowed our vacation destination primarily to Nova Scotia. We will spend a full day touring Montreal and a full day for Quebec City. From there we are wondering if we should drive the St. Lawerence River all the way up the tip(Forillon National Park) or cut over to Edmundston/Fredericton/Moncton. We plan to be in Nova Scotia for 7 to 10 days and would appreciate ides for people who like seafood, lighthouses, smaller village culture and sight-seeing. We will spend a couple days in the Hopewell Cape New Brunswick area and a day at Campobello prior to returning through Maine and down the coast.
Feb 9th, 2007, 05:01 PM
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I am interested as well, as my husband and I will be visiting Nova Scotia in August, from Maine. We will only have 3 nights, though - and love similar things; seafood, lighthouses, smaller village culture, sight-seeing. I am a photographer, so breathtaking landscapes is great. I've also got Scottish heritage (McKenzie) so would love to do or see anything Scottish. Shouldn't be hard in New Scotland, aye?
Feb 9th, 2007, 05:36 PM
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All I want to offer to the original poster is that I absolutely enjoyed the drive along the St. Lawrence... when opting AWAY from the main highway and staying on the smaller one that took me through many of the small towns along the way.
I'm not religious at all but was still awed by the impressive churches in so many spots.
My drive was up the north side of the river from Trois Rivieres to Quebec City, and then the south side of the river from there to Riviere-du-Loup.
I opted to cut down to Fredericton and did NOT stay on the path you are considering. HOWEVER, if you told me that quaint towns with those same unique churches dotted the path to the tip, I would certainly suggest going.
I just loved the out-of-the-way nature of those towns.
Something tells me that your instincts for your trip will serve you well enough without NS suggestions needed.
To GreenDragon, my first trip to NS was of the whirlwind variety, like yours will be.
There is still so much you can find to indulge your love for photography.
Hopewell Cape, Peggy's Cove, and the Cabot Trail ARE things you should jam-pack into 3 days.
The extreme FOG they have there could blow-up some of your plans, but I'd still recommend hauling a** on your path and taking in as much as you can.
From Maine I think I'd skip St. John and take the freeway up to the north to make time. Go to Moncton, then dip down to see Hopewell Cape (TIME EVERYTHING by the tides!!! - cuz you can't afford not to, time-wise).
I'd recommend going from Amherst/Springhill, NS area down to Parrsboro to drive along the bay into Truro. I've spotted some very picturesque settings there.
Here's the tide link, and with tides being what they are... you can plot YOUR COURSE as early as now.
http://www.lau.chs-shc.gc.ca/cgi-bin...=5&zone=30
SO, in my opinion...
Have these as 'definites':
*** Hopewell Cape
*** Cabot Trail
*** Peggy's Cove (day trip from Halifax)
*** Path from Parrsboro to Truro (coming or going)
Fill-in the rest around those (you neeeeeeeeeed to see Hopewell Cape near low tide when only going once).
I'm not religious at all but was still awed by the impressive churches in so many spots.
My drive was up the north side of the river from Trois Rivieres to Quebec City, and then the south side of the river from there to Riviere-du-Loup.
I opted to cut down to Fredericton and did NOT stay on the path you are considering. HOWEVER, if you told me that quaint towns with those same unique churches dotted the path to the tip, I would certainly suggest going.
I just loved the out-of-the-way nature of those towns.
Something tells me that your instincts for your trip will serve you well enough without NS suggestions needed.
To GreenDragon, my first trip to NS was of the whirlwind variety, like yours will be.
There is still so much you can find to indulge your love for photography.
Hopewell Cape, Peggy's Cove, and the Cabot Trail ARE things you should jam-pack into 3 days.
The extreme FOG they have there could blow-up some of your plans, but I'd still recommend hauling a** on your path and taking in as much as you can.
From Maine I think I'd skip St. John and take the freeway up to the north to make time. Go to Moncton, then dip down to see Hopewell Cape (TIME EVERYTHING by the tides!!! - cuz you can't afford not to, time-wise).
I'd recommend going from Amherst/Springhill, NS area down to Parrsboro to drive along the bay into Truro. I've spotted some very picturesque settings there.
Here's the tide link, and with tides being what they are... you can plot YOUR COURSE as early as now.
http://www.lau.chs-shc.gc.ca/cgi-bin...=5&zone=30
SO, in my opinion...
Have these as 'definites':
*** Hopewell Cape
*** Cabot Trail
*** Peggy's Cove (day trip from Halifax)
*** Path from Parrsboro to Truro (coming or going)
Fill-in the rest around those (you neeeeeeeeeed to see Hopewell Cape near low tide when only going once).
Feb 10th, 2007, 04:56 AM
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Good choice.......! Okay, now let's focus on Nova Scotia. You're going to love Cape Brenton Island. I'd suggest spending a overnight along the Cabot Trail, but you should probably make those reservation within a month or two. The Keltic Lodge http://www.signatureresorts.com/ is a government owned property that would offer a wonderful refuge, but it's a bit pricey. For further options, use the NS website http://www.checkinnovascotia.com . If you're driving a four-wheeled drive vehicle, plan on going all the way up to Meat Cove for an amazing view of the top of the island. Again, I'd recommend Baddeck with its connections to Alexander Graham Bell and the Fortress at Louisbourg for a Williamsburg type experience into this area's past. You should also plan on spending a day in Halifax. Be sure to allow time to explore the Citadel and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (I'll expect you to be able to report back to us on why this city stills sends a tree to Boston each Christmas when you return!) Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg are not to be missed and be sure to stop near Wolfville for a look at the NS Fundy tides experience.
You will enjoy your time on Campobello Island with its Roosevelt connections. Be sure to visit the Quoddy Head Lighthouse where you can walk out to it at low tide. My husband and I prefer Bass Harbor to Bar Harbor which is away from the maddening crowds and you could easily spend a week exploring each little penninsula along the Maine coast. An interesting sidetrip just west of Rockland is the Maine State Prison Showroom which is located on Route 1 in Thomaston, Maine. This facility features reasonably priced woodworking crafts from ship models to bird houses. http://www.state.me.us/corrections/i...ies/index.html
You will enjoy your time on Campobello Island with its Roosevelt connections. Be sure to visit the Quoddy Head Lighthouse where you can walk out to it at low tide. My husband and I prefer Bass Harbor to Bar Harbor which is away from the maddening crowds and you could easily spend a week exploring each little penninsula along the Maine coast. An interesting sidetrip just west of Rockland is the Maine State Prison Showroom which is located on Route 1 in Thomaston, Maine. This facility features reasonably priced woodworking crafts from ship models to bird houses. http://www.state.me.us/corrections/i...ies/index.html
