Two Wonderful Weeks in the Maritimes
Jul 10th, 2016, 11:55 AM
#22
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Thanks for all the info. My husband and a few friends will be biking the trail in the opposite direction than you came (I will be in a car). How do you think the construction will impact the bicycle riders? Did you see many on your trip?
We too are staying near Mabou at the end of our trip.
We too are staying near Mabou at the end of our trip.
Jul 10th, 2016, 02:20 PM
#23
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Thanks so much for the feedback, LibraLeo, retired04 and Sberg.
We did see some cyclists, though more motorcycles than bicycles. I don't think the construction should be a problem. But to be perfectly honest, I just don't know.
We did see some cyclists, though more motorcycles than bicycles. I don't think the construction should be a problem. But to be perfectly honest, I just don't know.
Jul 10th, 2016, 02:28 PM
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DAY SIX--FRIDAY, JUNE 24TH
We started the day with a very nice meal in the lovely breakfast room of the Duncreigan. There was a buffet of scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry pancakes, several kinds of bread, jams/spreads and coffee and juice. I was brought a china pot of hot water and two tea bags. A nice touch, I thought. A perfect ending to our stay there.
Not too far out of Mabou, we stopped at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center in Judique. There was an $8 charge for the museum and we really didn’t feel we had time to do it justice, so we browsed their gift shop. I bought a Nova Scotia music CD, which I think was my first souvenir of the trip. The Center has a pub that features traditional music every day at lunch. I would’ve loved to do that, but it just didn’t work with our itinerary. Someday, I’m going to go back with my brother and sister-in-law who are big fans of traditional music, rent a house somewhere on the island and take in all of the music we can!
We were sad to cross the Causeway and say goodbye to Cape Breton Island. We all agreed that we wished we’d had more time there.
Back in April or early May, I’d tried to make reservations for the ferry to PEI, only to be told we couldn’t do that. It was explained to me that you don’t pay to get on PEI, you only pay to get off! I told her when we’d be there and asked if we’d have any problem. She said we shouldn’t, that we should just make sure to arrive 30 minutes before departure. We decided to take the 1:45 ferry, which was supposed to get us to PEI at 3:00. We arrived at the departure point about 12:15. The plan was to check out the situation and then try to find somewhere to eat lunch. Surprisingly, people were already lined up and we were advised to do the same. We were later to learn that there was only one ferry running instead of the usual two. So, of course, there were half as many trips per day, leading to long lines. We also learned that because of the situation, they were taking reservations. Obviously, the woman I’d spoken to early on didn’t know this was going to be the case and I hadn’t seen any reason to call again. We heard someone in the line next to us talking loudly on her phone telling someone she’d been told she might not get on the next ferry. That, of course, made us a bit nervous though we’d been given no indication that we wouldn’t get on when we came through the gate somewhat earlier than she had.
Add to that the fact that the ferry was late loading, so we had quite a wait. There’s a terminal building with a cafeteria type place to eat and a tourist information desk. We went in and walked around, but decided not to eat there. Fortunately, we did get on the ferry. As did the woman who’d been complaining loudly!
Despite the problems, I’m very glad we opted to take the ferry. It was a very pleasant way to travel and beat having to drive all the way over to the bridge. I had a hot dog, a bag of corn curls and a Coke on the ferry. It was actually pretty good! And I enjoyed the view from my window side table. DH and DS both waited in line, at separate times, to get the Cows ice cream rather than a meal. They were immediate fans!
We were obviously a little late arriving in PEI. DH really wanted to try to take as scenic a route as possible to Souris, where we had reservations for three nights. But between getting a bit lost, wanting to make a stop at a grocery store and starting to worry that the restaurants in Souris would be closed by the time we arrived, we took a mostly inland route. All of the farmland was almost culture shock having just come from Cape Breton Island. As DS said, it was like the Midwest set down in the ocean.
At one point, we talked about stopping to eat in Georgetown. I called the B&B to let her know we may not arrive until 8:00 or a little later. She was nice, but sounded less than happy at the prospect. I later learned that she doesn’t live there, so probably didn’t want to hang around, which is understandable. So we pushed on and arrived around 6:30.
As we were checking in at The McLean House Inn, as I started to hand the proprietor my credit card, she told me that they don’t have a credit card machine! She said they’d been trying to get one for several weeks but kept running into problems. I wondered aloud why I hadn’t been made aware of this when I made the reservation. But I booked through Bookingdotcom and they either didn’t know the situation or thought it’d be handled by the time we arrived. The bill for the three nights was $547 and change, which of course we didn’t have in cash! Fortunately, there was a bank about a block away. I was nervous that we wouldn’t be able to access their ATM or that my bank wouldn’t allow me to withdraw that much at once. I’m glad to say that neither of those worries proved true.
McLean House was built in 1875. It’s a lovely old home, but our 2nd floor room was certainly more “worn” than the one we’d had the night before. It was a nice, bright room with two very comfortable double beds, a desk, a dresser holding the TV, a wardrobe and a loveseat in the bay window. We had a very nice, but distant view of the water and the lighthouse. However, the house is much closer to the water on the other side. We had a private bathroom across the hall.
As we’d driven in, we’d noticed a restaurant less than a block from McLean House that was open. The innkeeper assured us that it’d be open for a while and that there were two others out near the lighthouse that were still open. We opted for Sheltered Harbour near the lighthouse which, we were happy to see, had a sign saying they were open until 8:00. DS and I each had a beer. He started with a cup of chowder and had their shipwreck platter which was basically ground beef, fries, gravy and peas. He seemed to like it! I had the island bar clams with a baked potato and slaw. The clams had good flavor but were extremely chewy. I had to ask for sour cream for my potato. DH had scallop stuffed salmon with rice pilaf and slaw, which he liked. The bill was $71.77 before tip. The service was good. Overall, this place was okay.
After we ate, we drove over to the lighthouse and were surprised to find it still open. I climbed up to the second floor. DH and DS went all the way to the top and got quite a kick out of it. I don’t think we did anything else that evening.
We started the day with a very nice meal in the lovely breakfast room of the Duncreigan. There was a buffet of scrambled eggs, bacon, blueberry pancakes, several kinds of bread, jams/spreads and coffee and juice. I was brought a china pot of hot water and two tea bags. A nice touch, I thought. A perfect ending to our stay there.
Not too far out of Mabou, we stopped at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center in Judique. There was an $8 charge for the museum and we really didn’t feel we had time to do it justice, so we browsed their gift shop. I bought a Nova Scotia music CD, which I think was my first souvenir of the trip. The Center has a pub that features traditional music every day at lunch. I would’ve loved to do that, but it just didn’t work with our itinerary. Someday, I’m going to go back with my brother and sister-in-law who are big fans of traditional music, rent a house somewhere on the island and take in all of the music we can!
We were sad to cross the Causeway and say goodbye to Cape Breton Island. We all agreed that we wished we’d had more time there.
Back in April or early May, I’d tried to make reservations for the ferry to PEI, only to be told we couldn’t do that. It was explained to me that you don’t pay to get on PEI, you only pay to get off! I told her when we’d be there and asked if we’d have any problem. She said we shouldn’t, that we should just make sure to arrive 30 minutes before departure. We decided to take the 1:45 ferry, which was supposed to get us to PEI at 3:00. We arrived at the departure point about 12:15. The plan was to check out the situation and then try to find somewhere to eat lunch. Surprisingly, people were already lined up and we were advised to do the same. We were later to learn that there was only one ferry running instead of the usual two. So, of course, there were half as many trips per day, leading to long lines. We also learned that because of the situation, they were taking reservations. Obviously, the woman I’d spoken to early on didn’t know this was going to be the case and I hadn’t seen any reason to call again. We heard someone in the line next to us talking loudly on her phone telling someone she’d been told she might not get on the next ferry. That, of course, made us a bit nervous though we’d been given no indication that we wouldn’t get on when we came through the gate somewhat earlier than she had.
Add to that the fact that the ferry was late loading, so we had quite a wait. There’s a terminal building with a cafeteria type place to eat and a tourist information desk. We went in and walked around, but decided not to eat there. Fortunately, we did get on the ferry. As did the woman who’d been complaining loudly!
Despite the problems, I’m very glad we opted to take the ferry. It was a very pleasant way to travel and beat having to drive all the way over to the bridge. I had a hot dog, a bag of corn curls and a Coke on the ferry. It was actually pretty good! And I enjoyed the view from my window side table. DH and DS both waited in line, at separate times, to get the Cows ice cream rather than a meal. They were immediate fans!
We were obviously a little late arriving in PEI. DH really wanted to try to take as scenic a route as possible to Souris, where we had reservations for three nights. But between getting a bit lost, wanting to make a stop at a grocery store and starting to worry that the restaurants in Souris would be closed by the time we arrived, we took a mostly inland route. All of the farmland was almost culture shock having just come from Cape Breton Island. As DS said, it was like the Midwest set down in the ocean.
At one point, we talked about stopping to eat in Georgetown. I called the B&B to let her know we may not arrive until 8:00 or a little later. She was nice, but sounded less than happy at the prospect. I later learned that she doesn’t live there, so probably didn’t want to hang around, which is understandable. So we pushed on and arrived around 6:30.
As we were checking in at The McLean House Inn, as I started to hand the proprietor my credit card, she told me that they don’t have a credit card machine! She said they’d been trying to get one for several weeks but kept running into problems. I wondered aloud why I hadn’t been made aware of this when I made the reservation. But I booked through Bookingdotcom and they either didn’t know the situation or thought it’d be handled by the time we arrived. The bill for the three nights was $547 and change, which of course we didn’t have in cash! Fortunately, there was a bank about a block away. I was nervous that we wouldn’t be able to access their ATM or that my bank wouldn’t allow me to withdraw that much at once. I’m glad to say that neither of those worries proved true.
McLean House was built in 1875. It’s a lovely old home, but our 2nd floor room was certainly more “worn” than the one we’d had the night before. It was a nice, bright room with two very comfortable double beds, a desk, a dresser holding the TV, a wardrobe and a loveseat in the bay window. We had a very nice, but distant view of the water and the lighthouse. However, the house is much closer to the water on the other side. We had a private bathroom across the hall.
As we’d driven in, we’d noticed a restaurant less than a block from McLean House that was open. The innkeeper assured us that it’d be open for a while and that there were two others out near the lighthouse that were still open. We opted for Sheltered Harbour near the lighthouse which, we were happy to see, had a sign saying they were open until 8:00. DS and I each had a beer. He started with a cup of chowder and had their shipwreck platter which was basically ground beef, fries, gravy and peas. He seemed to like it! I had the island bar clams with a baked potato and slaw. The clams had good flavor but were extremely chewy. I had to ask for sour cream for my potato. DH had scallop stuffed salmon with rice pilaf and slaw, which he liked. The bill was $71.77 before tip. The service was good. Overall, this place was okay.
After we ate, we drove over to the lighthouse and were surprised to find it still open. I climbed up to the second floor. DH and DS went all the way to the top and got quite a kick out of it. I don’t think we did anything else that evening.
Jul 11th, 2016, 09:38 AM
#25
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DAY SEVEN--SATURDAY, JUNE 25TH
I’d reached the point where I was no longer wearing sunglasses inside!
We were served a good breakfast that morning. There was bread, bagels (a toaster), bananas, yogurt and coffee in the dining room. We were brought plates of scrambled egg and bacon along with a glass of orange juice. I requested and was brought a cup of tea.
We took it fairly easy that day, starting out on Route 16 towards East Point where we drove out to the lighthouse. It’s a nice stop for looking out at sea and the red-tinged coastline. There’s also a very nice gift shop and a restaurant/café, though we didn’t go in the restaurant so I can’t comment on it. As I recall, the lighthouse was open, but we didn’t go in. It’s a good thing we arrived when we did because shortly after we parked, we saw something we’ve never experienced before or since. A caravan of at least a dozen vehicles, each presumably with a separate family unit, arrived, pretty much taking all of the parking spots. They all dispersed and really didn’t cause a glut at any point. It was akin to having a tour bus stop where you were, but all in separate vehicles! I’m not sure I’d want to deal with the logistics of traveling with that many cars!
Our next stop was the visitor center at the Greenwich part of Prince Edward Island National Park. One of my regrets is that we didn’t explore any of the park outside of the visitor center. But at that point, we thought we’d be back the next day. After that, we kind of meandered our way over to St. Peter’s Bay where we’d decided we’d stop for lunch. We’d heard very good things about Rick’s Fish ‘N’ Chips. We started with an appetizer size order of their Cajun mussels. This was the only time we had fried mussels and they were really good! I had a one piece order of fish and chips and I think that’s what the other two had, as well. One of the reviews I’d read said something like, “You can’t go wrong with fresh caught haddock and hand cut PEI potatoes”. And they were right. Rick’s definitely lived up to it’s hype. Once again, I can’t find the receipt. But the charge that went through on the card was $54.95, including tip.
From there, we headed to Basin Head Provincial Park which is not far from Souris and whose beach is home to the singing sands. Due to the high silica content, the white sand “squeaks” when you walk on it. This may well have been the best beach experience I’ve ever had. It’s a lovely beach with very nice facilities and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was a Saturday, so the beach was far from deserted. But it didn’t feel crowded, either. The water was cold, so we really didn’t do much more than walk along the edge. My memory of beaches so often seems to include a pounding hot sun, heating up and reflecting off of the sand. It was not at all like that that afternoon. It was warm enough to be very comfortable, but not hot. We spent a wonderful couple of hours just relaxing and soaking in the beauty.
After heading back to Souris and dropping DS at the inn, DH and I went out to run a few “errands”, including a stop at the lighthouse gift shop. It’d been closed when we were there the evening before and DH had seen a map in the lighthouse that he knew the gift shop carried. It’s a really nice gift shop.
We dropped our purchases back in the room and then DH and I decided to go for a walk. Although it wasn’t our original destination, we wound up walking to the Lobster Shack, which was a fairly good jaunt. We were planning to have dinner there later and just kind of wanted to check it out. Imagine our disappointment when we learned they were closing in less than half an hour!
However, we’d also been thinking about trying 21 Breakwater, which gets very good reviews. We knew if we were going to eat there, this was our last opportunity as they’re closed on Sundays. DS had been a little reluctant because he was getting the impression from the reviews that it was a bit too upscale for our comfort level. But now that the Lobster Shack was no longer an option, we figured we may as well give it a try. However, though none of the reviews I’d read mentioned it, I should’ve realized that this was a place that required a reservation, especially on a Saturday night. There were no tables available when we arrived. They were able to squeeze us in for an hour later. We took the reservation, but later called to cancel it. I was very uneasy about the vibe I got. They were very accommodating, but it just didn’t feel comfortable to me. I should’ve listened to DS. He has a very good knack for interpreting reviews and sensing the places that will appeal to us.
Fortunately, Blue Fin, the restaurant very close to McLean House, is open until 10:00. We’d been a bit reluctant to go there the evening before because the reviews were very mixed. But at this point, we were hungry and tired. Upon rereading the reviews, DS decided it really didn’t sound bad. And there weren’t a lot of options left! DH and I each got a bowl of clam chowder. He added a side caesar salad, I added a side garden salad. DS had hamburger steak and onions. I had a glass of merlot. And we split a piece of their very tasty lemon meringue pie, which many of the reviewers had liked. The clam chowder was a little too salty for my taste, so not the best we had on the trip. But it was still good, as were the salads. DS liked his meal. At $66.81, including tip, it was a very reasonable meal. And while the food may not have been as exciting, I think it was a much better choice for us that evening than 21 Breakwater would have been. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things still manage to work out for the better!
After dinner we drove to the beach on the edge of town in hopes that we might be able to catch the sunset on the part of the harbor on the other side of the bridge. Unfortunately, the setting sun sunk below a ridge. But we very much enjoyed walking on the red sand beach at low tide.
I’d reached the point where I was no longer wearing sunglasses inside!
We were served a good breakfast that morning. There was bread, bagels (a toaster), bananas, yogurt and coffee in the dining room. We were brought plates of scrambled egg and bacon along with a glass of orange juice. I requested and was brought a cup of tea.
We took it fairly easy that day, starting out on Route 16 towards East Point where we drove out to the lighthouse. It’s a nice stop for looking out at sea and the red-tinged coastline. There’s also a very nice gift shop and a restaurant/café, though we didn’t go in the restaurant so I can’t comment on it. As I recall, the lighthouse was open, but we didn’t go in. It’s a good thing we arrived when we did because shortly after we parked, we saw something we’ve never experienced before or since. A caravan of at least a dozen vehicles, each presumably with a separate family unit, arrived, pretty much taking all of the parking spots. They all dispersed and really didn’t cause a glut at any point. It was akin to having a tour bus stop where you were, but all in separate vehicles! I’m not sure I’d want to deal with the logistics of traveling with that many cars!
Our next stop was the visitor center at the Greenwich part of Prince Edward Island National Park. One of my regrets is that we didn’t explore any of the park outside of the visitor center. But at that point, we thought we’d be back the next day. After that, we kind of meandered our way over to St. Peter’s Bay where we’d decided we’d stop for lunch. We’d heard very good things about Rick’s Fish ‘N’ Chips. We started with an appetizer size order of their Cajun mussels. This was the only time we had fried mussels and they were really good! I had a one piece order of fish and chips and I think that’s what the other two had, as well. One of the reviews I’d read said something like, “You can’t go wrong with fresh caught haddock and hand cut PEI potatoes”. And they were right. Rick’s definitely lived up to it’s hype. Once again, I can’t find the receipt. But the charge that went through on the card was $54.95, including tip.
From there, we headed to Basin Head Provincial Park which is not far from Souris and whose beach is home to the singing sands. Due to the high silica content, the white sand “squeaks” when you walk on it. This may well have been the best beach experience I’ve ever had. It’s a lovely beach with very nice facilities and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. It was a Saturday, so the beach was far from deserted. But it didn’t feel crowded, either. The water was cold, so we really didn’t do much more than walk along the edge. My memory of beaches so often seems to include a pounding hot sun, heating up and reflecting off of the sand. It was not at all like that that afternoon. It was warm enough to be very comfortable, but not hot. We spent a wonderful couple of hours just relaxing and soaking in the beauty.
After heading back to Souris and dropping DS at the inn, DH and I went out to run a few “errands”, including a stop at the lighthouse gift shop. It’d been closed when we were there the evening before and DH had seen a map in the lighthouse that he knew the gift shop carried. It’s a really nice gift shop.
We dropped our purchases back in the room and then DH and I decided to go for a walk. Although it wasn’t our original destination, we wound up walking to the Lobster Shack, which was a fairly good jaunt. We were planning to have dinner there later and just kind of wanted to check it out. Imagine our disappointment when we learned they were closing in less than half an hour!
However, we’d also been thinking about trying 21 Breakwater, which gets very good reviews. We knew if we were going to eat there, this was our last opportunity as they’re closed on Sundays. DS had been a little reluctant because he was getting the impression from the reviews that it was a bit too upscale for our comfort level. But now that the Lobster Shack was no longer an option, we figured we may as well give it a try. However, though none of the reviews I’d read mentioned it, I should’ve realized that this was a place that required a reservation, especially on a Saturday night. There were no tables available when we arrived. They were able to squeeze us in for an hour later. We took the reservation, but later called to cancel it. I was very uneasy about the vibe I got. They were very accommodating, but it just didn’t feel comfortable to me. I should’ve listened to DS. He has a very good knack for interpreting reviews and sensing the places that will appeal to us.
Fortunately, Blue Fin, the restaurant very close to McLean House, is open until 10:00. We’d been a bit reluctant to go there the evening before because the reviews were very mixed. But at this point, we were hungry and tired. Upon rereading the reviews, DS decided it really didn’t sound bad. And there weren’t a lot of options left! DH and I each got a bowl of clam chowder. He added a side caesar salad, I added a side garden salad. DS had hamburger steak and onions. I had a glass of merlot. And we split a piece of their very tasty lemon meringue pie, which many of the reviewers had liked. The clam chowder was a little too salty for my taste, so not the best we had on the trip. But it was still good, as were the salads. DS liked his meal. At $66.81, including tip, it was a very reasonable meal. And while the food may not have been as exciting, I think it was a much better choice for us that evening than 21 Breakwater would have been. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, things still manage to work out for the better!
After dinner we drove to the beach on the edge of town in hopes that we might be able to catch the sunset on the part of the harbor on the other side of the bridge. Unfortunately, the setting sun sunk below a ridge. But we very much enjoyed walking on the red sand beach at low tide.
Jul 4th, 2017, 12:33 PM
#26
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I am so enjoying this trip report! We are planning a trip to the Maritimes this Fall. I'm wondering if you were able to document the second week of your visit? Maybe it's under another trip report title?
