Rene's Twin

I'm thinking about taking my husband and 4 kids (ages 13, 10, 5 and 3) to Nova Scotia, driving up from Boston. Any suggestions as to what attractions,etc would be likely to interest them? My 10yo son has heard about fossils and would like to check that out. Ideally I'd like to spend two weeks, but 10 days is probably more like it. Most likely we'll take a ferry, too. Also, any recommendations for lodging places that kids would like and would like kids? Thanks!

Bob Brown

I have two suggestions on activities. <BR>1. Visit the old fortress at Louisbourg. The staff dresses in period costumes and does a little re-enactment of events. But it depends on when you go. The costume show is usually on during the summer vacation months. <BR> <BR>2. Go whale watching off of the northern tip of Cape Breton where the boats go out farther than our did from Cheticamp. We saw whales, but only those that come close to shore. <BR> <BR>As a third one, we saw/visited a fossil museum that was south of the highway in a little town just off the Bay of Fundy. <BR>Ask at the visitor center or check the guide. It was a fabulous collection of fossils. <BR> <BR>We stayed a motel in Cheticamp that was quite good. As I recall the name was <BR>Auberge Doucet. I know the Doucet family runs the place.

sharon

MOTHER TO MOTHER ADVICE - <BR>Think carefully before heading out for a maritime vacation with four kids. Here's why: <BR>Last summer (1999) we decided to head to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick for our annual family trip. At the time our boys were 14 months, 4 years and 7 years. We were very excited and looking forward to the beaches and beautiful scenery. We were terribly disappointed. The drive was so long I thought we were going to go nuts (this from a family that travels from Toronto, Ont to Hilton Head Island every year with no complaints!) I would never, never do it again with kids in the back seat. The highways were not scenic, the hotels were substandard (especially compared to the US), restaurants were hit and miss and "beautiful" sites were so far and few between we became depressed within the first few days. The beaches are not nearly as beautiful as the ones we found in Mass (Salsbury Beach) or where we normally travel to the Outer Banks of NC or even Myrtle Beach SC. The water was so cold it was ridiculous - our eldest son kept asking when he could go swimming - the answer was a sad "never". In the end we travelled 30 hours one way (help!) and truly we didn't see anything that made us happy we went. Maybe you should wait and go when you have no kids - I'm serious that the drive was a killer. If you do go concentrate on the Peggy's Cove area, take the ferry across and then stop. Don't venture any further (especially to PEI which was a huge disappointment) it's simply not worth the drive. If I were you I'd concentrate on your own beautiful coastline along Cape Cod - I can't imagine that you'll find anything more in Nova Scotia than you'd find there (other than a rather attractive Canadian dollar). Good luck and have fun!

judi

Hello! <BR>Born and raised in Nova Scotia I must say I'm very offended by the comments above! The Maritimes are full of wonderful scenery and obviously you just didn't visit the right places! As for the highways having no scenery what do you expect? They are built for people to commute from point A to point B in as little time as possible. There are beautiful scenic "old highways" that run up and down the coasts and provide very beautiful coastal scenery. Maybe you tried to force your kids to sit too long at a time. When traveling with little ones its best to stop often to let them get out and use up their energy. Nova Scotia does have wonderful beaches as does New Brunswick and P.E.I. A few attractions I might suggest would be the Citadel Hill and Public Gardens in Halifax. The Citadel is a large fortress bulit on top of a large hill in the middle of the city. It offers spectacular views! The gardens are also right downtown and the kids can feed popcorn to the ducks in the duck pond. Upper Clemments Park is a theme park geared towards children. It has rides, beautiful scenery, local artisans and a wildlife park is right across the street.If you take a ferry from Maine to Yarmouth you can drive down one side of N.S. and then back up the other side. There are many small towns and fun things to see and do. If you would like to e-mail me I would be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have regarding shopping, attractions, hotels, etc. I travel the province frequently and would enjoy helping you plan your vacation. Don't let negative ignorance like the message above deter you from visiting! I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised!

Jack

I'd read the posted messages under Nova Scotia Must See attractions. I've never been there but will go this summer to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland just in time for Tall Ships 2000. Enjoy, Jack

Sandra

Rene's Twin and Jack, <BR> <BR>I've visited NS twice from the Boston area. The first visit was for about 10 or 11 days and we took the ferry from Portland Maine. I'm pretty sure the kids would enjoy the ferry experience, sleeping on board ship, but they are very small rooms. It's run like a mini cruise ship, casino, entertainment, ship photographer etc. We drove from Yarmouth up the western shore to Cape Breton and then back down the eastern shore to get the ferry to return. I think it was too much driving for that amount of time, we tried to cover too much of NS. It's a big island. Cape Breton Island is beautiful, the coast reminded me of California but it took alot of time to get to it. <BR> <BR>Bob's suggestions are right on, Louisburg was great, the kids would enjoy it. <BR> <BR>The NS Tourist board has a wonderful book that lists all attractions/motels etc. in a very easy format to follow for a driving vacation. <BR> <BR>My second trip to NS, I traveled a 350 mile loop from Yarmouth up the center of the Island past Kejmkujik Nat. Park to Annapolis Royal area and back down the western shore to Yarmouth by bicycle. Both trips we stayed at B&B's and small motels. If you don't book ahead there is a tourist office in most larger towns that will call ahead and help you make reservations. <BR> <BR>NS is a lovely place, the small towns remind me of life in the 50's. It's rural with lovely towns and friendly people. I found the weather cooler than Boston, usually high 60's low 70's in the summer. Don't expect a beach type vacation. Get the tourist board book and decide how much you want to cover, what interests you and enjoy yourself.

George Acosta

I think your family will enjoy the trip. My wife and I took our 2yr. and 7yr. old girls to Halifax.Then rented a minivan and drove to PEI. Stayed the night in the West point light house. The light house was fun, but is a little rustic.We drove to Charlottetown,I would stay at the Delta hotel there.What worked for us is booking hotels with pools. The kids were able to have their fun and it gave them something to look forward to during the beautiful drive. Go and do it , maybe we will see you, we are going to Cape Breton the end of June.

JimRose

I'm a big fan of Nova Scotia, but I think there is often a HUGE difference between the way adults and children view travel. Many kids are looking for the destination while adults are there for the quality of the journey. Amen to George's suggestion about getting hotels with pools and also not going on a thousand mile circle tour. Personally, I found Halifax to be very active and it has something for everyone -- including kids. The buskers on the waterfront are a hoot in the summer months. Check out the Holiday Inn Harbourview on the Dartmouth side. You can take the ferry over to the waterfront on the Halifax side and the kids will love the ride. (Heck, I do too!) Happy trails!

mark

With all due respect to Sharon above, we have found Nova Scotia to be wonderful for a family vacation and would not hesitate to go back. I cannot remember a family who has not enjoyed the Cdn Maritimes. In terms of comparison, the drive to Nova Scotia or S. Carolina are both equally long, flat, etc. etc. We have also gone to Cape Cod, Myrtle, Hilton Head and have also enjoyed them but they are different from the Cdn Maritimes (more "down to earth"). The US places are well developed seaside resorts with better facilities, more choice, more density, more "touristy", more expensive - not better, not worse, just different. Now back to Nova Scotia... <BR> <BR>We did PEI (5days), Cape Breton (5days) and Halifax area (3days). <BR> <BR>PEI is principally for beaches, golf,fishing, etc. Low key and less developed than US beach areas. A neat moderate place to stay is West Point Lighthouse - book early to get one of two rooms in the lighthouse. <BR> <BR>Halifax area - in addition to previous comments, spend a day in Lunenberg (World Heritage SIte; Fishermen's Museum is must do for children, galleries). <BR> <BR>Capr Breton was our highlight. Cabot Trail, hiking, whale watching, beaches. Its attraction is its raw beauty, space, etc. Therefore, good facilities are spread out. Duncreigan Inn in Mabou is a very nice inn -somewhat adult oriented but a couple of rooms will accomodate your family. Cambridge Suites in Sydney will give you space and is approx 45 - 60 minutes to Louisbourg (must see). We didn't stay but everyone says Keltic Lodge is great with a a good/great golf course. <BR> <BR>A last note on lodging. If you like good facilities and/or are partciular, book in advance in summer months! We mixed it up with hotels/resorts (more facilities, pool, always familiy oriented, etc.) with small inns and B&B's (limited facilities, good food, great hospitality, some are adult oriented) <BR> <BR>Enjoy!!

gail

We also live just north of Boston. Two summers ago went to Nova Scotia with our kids (then 8, 12). We drove to Bar Harbor (1 day trip), stayed there for 1 night and booked a late afternoon ferry on the Cat. That was the first summer of the high-speed ferry and it was low-speed and very late, but it was still a great experience and has improved since then. We spent a week doing the Nova Scotia loop (not Cape Breton). It was a slower paced vacation than we were used to and certainly not Disney - but the kids loved it. We stayed 2 nights in Digby, 3 nights in Halifax, and 2 nights someplace else back towards Yarmouth. We then took the all-day ferry back to Portland. If you do that, for a few dollars more you can reserve a cabin, which was a great idea. We saw whales and dolphins. One added bonus is that the exchange rate is so favorable that my kids often could order lobster for the cost of a US "children's meal" at some places at home, if you consider what it would cost in US dollars. We found all people incredibly friendly and gracious. The first night because of ferry delays we arrived at hotel after 11 PM and were worried when we saw the office dark. They had left us a note telling us to pay and check in in the AM and had left our rooms open for us - try to find that in Boston!

mwg

There's an interesting maritime museum in Lunenberg. I want to echo the lead choice of the first writer - the reconstructed French fortress and town of Louisbourg. The Citidal at Halifax may interest children who are so inclined. There's always a lot happening on the waterfront there too.

Mr. Hackenwheeze

What would kids like the most in Nova Scotia? <BR> <BR>The ride home. Leaving it. <BR> <BR>Washing the fish smell out of their clothes. Lighting on fire the tacky, folk art, carved-wood boat captains and pelicans.

marg

You MUST be sure to see the buskers festival in Halifax...I believe it's always the first two weeks in August. It's SOOO much fun for kids...including the "over-aged" variety!

Tanya

Lots to do in Halifax on the waterfront. There is a playpark your younger children will enjoy (a ship theme). Take a ferry ride or go on one of the many charters available. The kids will get a kick out of the Harbour Hopper (starts on dry land and goes into the water) Try Discovery Centre on Barrington Street - it is a science centre geared towards kids. The Museum of Natural History is a wonderful spot to spend a couple of hours - just seconds away from historic Citadel Hill. Point Pleasant Park in the city's southend is a wonderful spot for a picnic. Old forts are there the kids can play on. Right on the water. Shakespere by the sea performs there nightly during the summer (an outside play at an old fortress). Make sure you take them to Peggy's Cove, they will love climbing the rocks! Make sure you purchase the french fries from Bud the Spud truck on Spring Garden Road - ummm!

Susan

Nova Scotia has some great museums all over the province that are really geared to kids. Their website is http://museum.gov.ns.ca/ <BR>The Fundy Geological Museum is in Parrsboro on the Bay of Fundy, which has spectacular scenery. They've discovered dinosaur bones and footprints nearby and there's a lab in the museum where visitors can watch the paleontologists at work. A couple of almost-complete mammoth skeltons have been discovered near Halifax and are being put together, but I'm not sure if they're ready yet. <BR>Another fun museum is the Museum of Industry in Stellarton, which has a lot of hands-on activities for kids. <BR>The little ones might enjoy Ross Farm Museum, which recreates life on a farm 150 years ago. <BR> <BR>

Cindy

Admittedly this was a very long time ago, but I drove from Toronto to Cape Breton with my 3 youngest kids who were then ranging in age from about 8 to 12. One of the things that made it fun for them was staying at working farms along the way - they were essentially B&B's, but the kids got to see animals and we all learned a lot. The trick certainly was not to spend too many hours driving in any one day, and if the kids saw something that interested them, we stopped and looked at it. We all remember that trip with fondness (and the then 12-year-old now has 3 kids of his own so you can see how long ago it was!)

Lauren

I could not believe that anyone would write anything negative about Nova Scotia. <BR> <BR>I did a home exchange there about 9 years ago and have always wanted to return. There are friendly people, excellent tourist services (no trouble getting a room), no traffic jams (as on Cape Cod) and some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. <BR> <BR>Your two oldest kids might enjoy white water rafting on the tidal bore in Schubenacadie. The youngest children would probably be too young. It is a wild roller coaster ride and you do get filthy (but that is what washers and showers are for). They take the rafts out as the bore comes in. It is lots of fun. There would have to be an alternative activity for the younger kids. <BR> <BR>The best beaches are on PEI. <BR> <BR>The Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck is very interesting. Don't forget to have a lobster supper. <BR> <BR>Fort Louisbourg is intersting but do not eat there. The food is autnentic food from the time period. No one finds it tasty, but it is an experience. With kids, I'd plan to eat before/after you go in. The Fort was used in the recent French film "La Veuve de St. Pierre." <BR> <BR>I do agree that kids will enjoy taking the Scotia Prince overnight from Portland and sleeping on the boat. We have a photo of the kids with someone dressed up in a lion suit (The Scotia Prince is a lion apparently). If you go round trip and return by boat, they give you a break on the return trip (which is during the day). <BR> <BR>If you get to PEI, the "Anne of Green Gables" musical is worth seeing. Book ahead. <BR> <BR>I would go back to Nova Scotia any time. It was much more fun to drive around than Cape Cod and, as other posters have noted, sort of a throwback to less busy times. It does depend on what you want from your vacation, however.

Lisa

I hate to be picky, but I just have to clarify that Nova Scotia is a peninsula, not an island as mentioned in one of the earlier responses. Also, although the water can be quite chilly in some parts of Nova Scotia (on the Atlantic coast in particular), Nova Scotia is also home to the warmest waters in Atlantic Canada. There are beaches on the west side of Cape Breton with very tolerable waters - especially late July and August. Try Port Hood beach - there are actually two great beaches in Port Hood, but only one has lifeguards. Travel through the tiny hamlet of Port Hood to the court house and turn left toward the ocean - very beautiful and warm. If you are a hockey buff, Port Hood is the hometown of St. Louis Blues defenceman Al McInnis. It is about 30 minutes from the Canso Causeway on route 19.

Tanya

Further to the previous post, if you are around Port Hood for "Chestico Days", their summer festival, take it in. You'll be guaranteed a great time! Also you should check out the Port Hood Island, it is very quaint and a great little spot to explore.