Would like help planning trip to Nova Scotia
 

We’re planning to visit Nova Scotia in July, arriving in Halifax on Sunday, July 7, and staying for around 10 days. It seems that there is plenty to see in Nova Scotia, so I don’t think we’ll go to New Brunswick or PEI (unless convinced otherwise). We are planning to rent a car for all of most of the time. We’ll probably spend at least a full day in Halifax. Other places we’d like to visit are Cape Breton (for national park, hiking, bicycling the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail, Alexander Graham Bell Museum), Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg, Annapolis Royal, Kejimkujik National Park, and Burntcoat Head Park (for Bay of Fundy tides, possibly kayaking near the Three Sisters).

We like hiking (especially with knowledgeable interpretive guides and also their evening programs), bicycling on car-free bicycle paths, kayaking, flora and fauna, music, and museums.

I’d appreciate suggestions of routing and places to stay along the way.

We will probably only bike 20-30 miles of the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail. I’d appreciate recommendations of the best section of the Trail and also where to rent bikes.

Judilie,

I posted a lot of information on PEI here:

https://www.fodors.com/community/can...d-pei-1664364/

Many folks who live in Nova Scotia vacation in PEI because it is very different with beautiful beaches ie red sand, small place you can get a feel for the place in 3-5 days, many trails across the entire island to walk and bike on, outstanding seafood, music and friendly folks, not crowded even in tourist season, etc. If you have any questions let me know.

Tom

Thanks, Tom. I'll look into that. I'm close to working up an itinerary (Nova Scotia only) and would very much like to hear your reactions to it (and possibly how we might fit PEI in).

OK when you get NS worked out let me know how much time you have left and I can give you a few suggestions on PEI. PEI is about a 4 hour drive from Halifax via the bridge.

Tom

I recently visited PEI and Nova Scotia and mention many of the places that you are wanting to go to in my blog article. My article is on my blog called Simplywanderfull. The article is called The Maritimes: A Food Lovers Journey. if you want to look further. We E-biked, kayaked and hiked, and it was amazing! We also had amazing culinary adventures. I hope that you enjoy your trip!

Just back from a 10 day trip to Maritimes so some things are fresh in my mind. We spent 2 days in Halifax and stayed at Cambridge Suites Hotel. Its a good location, walking distance to Citadel Hill and the waterfront although walking to the waterfront requires walking up and down a rather steep hill. The trick to getting back up the hill is stopping for a rest at Durty Nellies- an Irish pub with great vibes. Apparently there is live music at times but we missed out on that. At the waterfront you should visit Pier 21- where immigrants were processed into the country. They have tours on a regular basis and an interesting movie.
Lunenburg and Mahone Bay are beautiful and I could have spent a couple of days there- we were on a bus tour so had to go when the bus did. We did a walking tour of Lunenburg which was very interesting. The Bluenose was docked there with the crew getting it ready for winter.
Peggy's Cove was beautiful. We got up early and we were the first bus there and pretty much had the place to ourselves. There is a restaurant just down a small hill from the lighthouse - food was not outstanding but it was a good location for viewing the lighthouse. We hit it on a beautiful clear day so were lucky.
The Annapolis Valley was beautiful. We visited the Grand-Pre National Historic Site which was very interesting- and we had a walking tour of this area too. So much history. Not sure how an individual would arrange a tour- ours was prearranged by the tour operator and definitely gives you a different perspective than just a walk through.
My first trip to the area and loved it all. Hope you will too

I highly recommend Cape Breton national park for the hiking trails and coastal scenery. Keep in mind that fog on the Cabot Trail often impedes scenic views so keep some flexibility in your schedule if you can. While in the vicinity, don't miss Fortress of Louisbourg; when we mentioned our recent visit there our grown-up daughter told us our family visit there 40+ years ago is one of her best memories of childhood! Alexander Graham Bell Museum is also great. On that same long-ago trip our son was enthralled by it. (He is now a successful inventor/entrepreneur). Kejimkujik , like all our national parks, is worth a visit.

I have fond memories of Mahone Bay from years back but on our 2022 visit it was very hot and overrun with tourists. Lunenburg also crowded but has an excellent maritime museum.

Certainly more than enough to do in ten days without having to rush it. Happy travelling!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Somebody into bicycling and who is going to NS probably owes it to themself to look deeply into the appeal to bicyclists of PEI. I am not a cyclist myself but time and again I've read how much bicyclists like PEI (it's flat-ish, it's isolated... it's laid-back, it's scenic). Maybe such research will unearth 2 or 17 reasons why YOU would definitely never consider going to PEI for bicycling purposes... and that would be fine too... but in case it has something you want that way, you really should take time to look into it.

As to the rest of your planning... I have responded to lots of threads on NS over the years here, and if you click on my name and go back, you can perhaps find some of the thread titles which pertain to your interests.

Beyond that, I shall await your effort at plotting an early itinerary.


Although a trip to Hopewell Cape, NB affords a look at a most emphatic introduction to the power of the Fundy tides.

I'd really like to stick with just Nova Scotia and have come up with the itinerary below. We live in the Los Angeles area but will be coming to N.S. from Massachusetts, where we'll be visiting friends.

Sun., July 7, 12:30 pm - 3:15 pm: Fly Boston - Halifax
Rent car
Sun. 7/7- Wed., 7/10: Stay 3 nts. at Sea Watch B&B
Sun. 7/7, late afternoon: Halifax Public Garden and waterfront
Mon. 7/8: Day trip to Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg
Tues 7/9: Museums in Halifax (or reverse order if weather better on 9th than 8th)
Wed. 7/10: Drive from Halifax to Burntcoat (1 hr 19 min (107 km) from Sea Watch)
See tides.
Drive to Port Hood (~3 hrs.)
Wed. 7/10 and Thurs. 7/11: Stay 2 nts. at the Fiddle and the Sea in Port Hood.
Thurs. 7/11 day and Fri. 7/12 morning: Bike the Celtic Trail
Fri. 7/12 afternoon: Drive to Cheticamp
Fri. 7/12 and Sat. 7/13: Stay 2 nts at Cornerstone Motel
Fri. 7/12 pm and Sat. 7/13: Hikes in Cheticamp area
Sun. 7/14 ?10 am: Guided Salmon Pool Walk
Drive to Ingonish area (1 hr 48 min (115 km)), ?hike along the way
Sun. 7/14, 3 - 5 pm: Square dance Freshwater Lake
Sun. 7/14: Stay 1 nt. at Knotty Pine Cottages, Ingonish Ferry
Mon. 7/15: Ingonish area
Tues. 7/16 and Wed. 7/17: Stay 2 nights in Baddeck at Auld Farm Inn
Tues. 7/16: Day trip to Louisbourg
Wed. 7/17: Baddeck area (Bell, …)
Drive to Halifax
Wed. 7/17: Stay at Briarwood Bed and Breakfast (near airport)
Thurs. 7/18, 11:00 am - 5:04 pm: Fly Halifax to LAX

If you are in the Turo area, the Masstown Market is a great stop. Restaurant, deli, bakery, grocery, gift shop- local foods such as lobster pie. We stopped and had lunch there twice. I was there in Sept. and not too busy- I imagine at the height of the tourist season, it could get busy.

I enjoyed the Alexander Bell museum and history more than I thought I would- Baddeck area. We ate at a family lobster restaurant there. It was good but again, imagine very busy during tourist season.

Thanks, Sunbum 1944. I appreciate the suggestion of Masstown Market and the confirmation about visiting the Bell Museum. When I posted my itinerary, I was afraid I was mainly going to get posts encouraging me to go to NB and PEI. Those sound great, but I don't think we have time for them, and there seem to be many wonderful places to visit in Nova Scotia.

There is a lot to see and do in NS. I could easily have spent more time in Halifax.
So here is some info that many don’t know. You can spend a night at Ft Louisbourg- either camping or in a room at the Ft. They provide the tents and I think cooking utensils. Would be kind of spooky to spend a night there- no mention of ghosts

judilie, given the amount of time you have, I think your decision to stay in Nova Scotia makes a lot of sense.

A couple of comments about your proposed itinerary:

- during your time in Halifax, you may want to walk around Point Pleasant Park. It's a great way to stretch your legs, and the views out into the harbour approaches and the Northwest Arm are lovely.

- the harbour front walk is fascinating; you can walk all the way from Pier 21 to the Halifax Casino; there are lots of interesting shops and restaurants along the way.

- on your Peggy's Cove and Lunenburg day, consider approaching Peggy's Cove down Highway 333 through Hatchet Lake, and then after Peggy's, continue north on Highway 333 on the west side of the peninsula to Tantallon, where you can turn west on Highway 3 and follow it all the way to Lunenburg. (I live along Highway 3. Wave as you drive by. :) ) This road provides occasional views of the ocean, and there are a couple of beaches where you can get out and walk: Cleveland Beach and Queensland. On your return to the city, you may want to drive north from Lunenburg up to Blockhouse, where you can get on Highway 103 for a direct and faster trip back.

- Back to Peggy's Cove, for a minute: the earlier you get there in the day the better, as it is extremely popular and a common destination for cruise passengers. The Sou'wester restaurant at Peggy's is nothing the write home about, but Tom's lobster rolls, although pricey, are divine. Alternatively, Rhubarb restaurant in Indian Harbour is just fine. In Lunenburg, the Salt Shaker or the Fish Shack are good choices.

- Burnt Cove: you may want to consult the tide tables to see whether to would be better to stop on your way to Cape Breton or your way back: https://www.tideschart.com/Canada/No...urntcoat-Head/

- In Chéticamp, l'Abri Café, Restaurant, and Bar is probably your best bet for an evening meal. Definitely make a reservation well in advance.

- You have probably already looked that the trails in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, but just in case, here is a list with distances and ratings: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ns/cbr...ndonnee-hiking We particularly like Salmon Pools, and I see you have already have that on your list. Le Chemin de Buttereau is lovely, and is very interesting from a historical point of view. Corney Brook is also tranquil. On the day that you transit from Chéticamp to Ingonish, you will pass the parking lot for the Skyline Trail, which is extremely popular (and often crowded). It is an easy walk leading to magnificent views (and you don't need to walk down all the stairs to see the view).

If you have a lot of time and an appetite for a challenging trail, Aspy is an uphill climb leading to a spectacular view down the Apsy Fault. If you choose to do this, use Google Maps to find the trailhead, as it is not particularly well-marked on the highway (or at least it wasn't when we walked it two years ago).

We also like Mica Hill, a pleasant, short stroll through a forest and then some distance on barrens. We really like Franey, in Ingonish, but it is one of the steepest hills you will climb in the park. The reward, however, is a breathtakin view. There is an easy descent down a fireroad.

Must run, but if I think of anything else, I will add to this.

One of the things you may have read about is the presence of coyotes in Cape Breton, including a couple of human/animal interactions this past summer. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...yote-1.6966708

There have been for years signs like this one at trailheads in the park:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60e5b2b9e.jpeg

Absent any local incidents, my wife and I will continue to hike in the park, bearing in mind the advice on the signs. Additionally, I think whoever is guiding your Salmon Pools walk will likely be able to give you the latest information on this issue.

A couple of photos to whet your appetite for hiking in the park.

On the Salmon Pools walk:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c5c5feb78.jpeg

From the Skyline Trail:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...af7e252c2.jpeg

From the top of the Franey Trail:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...641719703.jpeg

On the Mica Trail. This photo was taken in October, when the blueberry leaves turn a very rich red:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...230ef2a6f.jpeg

The Aspey Fault. Again, in October, so beautiful fall foliage. If you don't feel like walking this trail, you can get a very good view of the valley at a scenic viewpoint on the Cabot Trail between Pleasant Bay and Sunrise.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f29084ce8.jpeg

Bkmking.
I am done. the blueberries

The Clove Hitch and the Admiral in Port Hood often have live music in the evenings during the summer. Thursday evening there is a Square Dance in Glencoe Mills with traditional Scottish fiddling and stepdancing.