Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia in October - repost from Canada Forum
 

I posted this in the Canada forum as well, but since a large part of the itinerary is in Maine, I thought I should repost here as well.

Hi all...

I am planning a trip to the Northeast in early October. There is so much that I'd like to see that I need a little help prioritizing.

A little background on me...I'm a 32-year old female and will be traveling alone. I mostly want to make this a long driving tour through Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. I would love to hit PEI as well, but don't think I'll have enough time (unless convinced otherwise). =)

I will be flying from Dallas to Boston, arriving late in Boston on the first night. I'll then have 10 days full days to spend traveling around, needing to be back in Boston sometime late on the 10th day. My flight back to Dallas is early the next day.

To clarify:
Day 1 (Friday, October 2) - DFW to BOS (arrive BOS ~ 11:30p and pick up rental car)
Days 2-11 - 10 full days to travel
Day 12 - Early flight from BOS to DFW

I will rent a car in Boston and figure it will be easiest to spend the first night either in Boston or maybe just outside of Boston to the north. I fly in on a Friday night, so I wouldn't think that I would have to worry about rush hour traffic on a Saturday morning, but I don't know how long it takes to get out of Boston...and maybe there is some advantage to driving out late at night. (Note: I have not been to Boston before and would love to spend at least half a day there, but this will not likely be my last trip that hits Boston, so I'm going to leave that for another time.)

As for accommodations, I am fine with staying in 2-3 star locations provided that I feel safe and the accommodations are clean. If there are places that cater to singles, I am interested in knowing about them. I'd prefer to keep the cost at $150/night or less. B&Bs, lodges, and other alternatives are acceptable and somewhat preferable to hotels/motels.

I've never been this far in the NE before, so I have a tendency to try to fit too many things into the time that I have, which is why I'm posting here. I am reading posted trip reports and answers to questions already asked, but truthfully, doing so just makes my list grow longer. =)

I know that I will be doing a lot of driving - and this is not the type of trip for everyone. I don't really plan on spending more than one night in the same place (maybe two occasionally). But I also want to make sure that I'm not rushing through or taking long detours for things that I probably should have skipped in order to see something more important. I am up for some adventure type things (kayaking, rappelling, cruises, etc.) and would love to hear recommendations for a single female. (FYI- I've been to Hawaii multiple times and I've seen Humpback Whales there. I've been snorkeling in Cozumel and Hawaii and I've seen lots of sea life. I do love sea life and do hope to see some, but seeing whales here would not be a once-in-a-lifetime thing for me, so I probably wouldn't take a whale watching cruise. Also, I realize the puffins are gone by October, so I won't get to see them.)

I should probably also mention that I am allergic to shellfish. So, as much as I love lobster, I won't be having any. Should I have more concern than I normally do about eating other things from the same kitchens where lobsters are cooked?

I have a long list of wishes for this trip, but realize that they may not all be possible. I'd like to see the fall foliage, historic covered bridges, lighthouses, moose, architectural interests, coastal towns, and lots of beautiful scenery. I'm not really a museum type of person and would prefer to spend as much time outdoors as possible. While I do enjoy hiking, I am also keeping in mind that I will be alone and do not want to get myself into a situation where I feel panicked or unsafe.

I realize that the exact time of the fall foliage can't be predicted this far in advance. I'm not really sure how much difference 10 days can make between weather conditions further north and fall foliage in Maine, but it seems that my best bet would be to go straight from Boston to Nova Scotia (early October weather v. mid-October weather) and then work my way back to Boston, hitting the Maine fall foliage during a week that seems more likely to be ideal.

The idea is to create a wish itinerary that is feasible, but when I'm actually there, I'll allow for flexibility.

Using Google maps and starting to work out potential day-long drives, I've come up with the following so far.

Day 1 (Saturday) - Drive from Boston to NS with some scenic detours - In Portland, ME, get off of I-95, to I-295 to Route 1. Take Route 1 up to Hwy 88. In Yarmouth, get back on I-295. In Augusta, take Hwy 3 out to Penobscot Bay. Head back to I-95 via Route 1 and then drive straight thru on the main highways to somewhere in NS. I do realize that this is a lot of driving for one day. Any stops recommended? I plan on hitting other scenic areas in Maine and NB on the return trip. What is a good stopping point in NS if heading toward Cape Breton the next day? I'm thinking somewhere in the Pictou to Antigonish region.

Day 2 (Sunday) - Do a little exploring of whatever town I stayed the night in and then head to the Ceilidh Trail. Devote the rest of the day to the Ceilidh Trail. Any concerns with this being on a Sunday? Any recommendations on enjoying the culture, the music, the views, some hiking, etc? I want to leave myself open to the possibility of experiencing the infamous hospitality of the region as well. Where to spend the night? I was thinking of staying in Cheticamp or the Margaree area. I plan on doing the Cabot Trail the next day, but realize that I need to plan for a fog day, so I plan on staying two nights.

Day 3 (Monday) - Best case scenario is that there is no fog and I can spend the day on the Cabot Trail. Any tips/recommendations for a single female traveler? If this is a fog day, I can enjoy the area I'm staying in, maybe head over to Baddeck...or Sydney. Night in Cheticamp/Margaree area.

Day 4 (Tuesday) - If yesterday fogged me out of the Cabot Trail, then I'll hope that today is fog free. Even if I was able to hit the Cabot Trail yesterday and there is no fog today, I will probably explore it again today. Either stay a third night in the same place I've been staying or start heading back toward Moncton, New Brunswick and spend the night somewhere along the way. Because low tide at Hopewell Cape is so early the next morning (8:53a), it seems best to go ahead and get as close as possible. Alternatively, I can take away the "cushion" day that I have built into day 7 and spend the entire day on the Sunrise Trail and make it all the way to Hopewell Cape so that I'm already there come morning. Is the Sunrise Trail worth a day? Or is it possible to hit PEI on this day crossing first in Pictou and then over the Confederation Bridge? If given the choice between spending the day on the Sunrise Trail or crossing over for limited time on PEI, which would you do? I have not done much research on PEI yet. Recommendations?

Day 5 (Wednesday 10/7) - Drive the rest of the way to Hopewell Cape, NB and explore the Fundy Bay. Recommendations of where to stay/what to do? Plan to spend two nights in Fundy Bay area, but not necessarily in same accommodations.
Hopewell Cape (low tide at 8:53a / high tide at 2:41p)
Cape Enrage (low tide at 8:46a / high tide at 2:35p)
Fundy National Park?

Day 6 (Thursday 10/8) - Bay of Fundy continued.
Take 111 to St. Martins (sea caves)
Fundy Trail Parkway (sea caves) - Low Tide at 9:14a / High Tide at 3:22p
Any recommendations as to the guided hikes on the Fundy Foot Trail?
http://fundytrailparkway.com/en/trail/guided_walks/
Possibly drive to St. Andrews by the Sea and stay there for the night.

Day 7 (Friday) - This is my "cushion" day. I can either spend a day in St. Andrews area or alter the rest of the itinerary to give me an extra day somewhere (Move up to day five for a quick tour of PEI?)

Day 8 (Saturday) - Morning in St Andrews. Scenic drive from St Andrews to Bar Harbor, ME. Two nights in Acadia National Park.
Drive from St. Andrews to Bar Harbor:
St. Stephen (Ganong Bros. Chocolate? Recommended?)
Columbia Falls, ME (Ruggles House - Recommended?)
Cherryfield, ME ("Blueberry Capital of the World")
Milbridge, ME (19th century architecture)
Gouldsboro, ME (Bartlett Estate Winery - Recommended?)
Winter Harbor, ME and Schoodic Peninsula
Bar Harbor (or Bass Harbor? - will see both, but which is preferable to stay the night?)

Day 9 (Sunday) - Day in Acadia National Park. Last night here.
Bar Harbor
Bass Harbor
Somesville
Hiking
Scenic views
Other recommendations?

Day 10 (Monday) - Scenic drive from Bar Harbor to Boston (inland fall foliage and covered bridges):
From Bar Harbor to Dover-Foxcroft
To Guilford (Lowe's Bridge)
To Athens
To Skowhegan
To Farmington
To Rumford
To Newry (Artist's Covered Bridge)
To Fryeburg (Hemlock Bridge)
To South Windham (Babb's Bridge)
To Cumberland (Portland Head)
To York (Sewall's Bridge)
To Boston
I realize that this is a lot of driving in one day. Truthfully, the list was longer. I don't plan on spending much time in various towns. I'm expecting that this will be more of a picturesque drive. Perhaps I'd spend a little more time in Cumberland?
Recommendations for an easy stay near BOS airport? Will need to return rental car and be on time for 9:00a flight next morning.

Thank you for all of your help! I know that I'm asking a lot!
Michaela

Your description of preferences/limitations is very inclusive - much easier to respond to than more vague questions.

BUT - no matter how much you like to drive and no matter what realization you have that you will be doing "drive-bys" rather than more comprehensive viewing of things, some of this just won't work - particularly your 2 longest driving days at beginning and end.

According to Mapquest it takes about 10 1/2 hrs from Logan Boston to beginning of NS. That in itself is a longish day for a solo driver. Add to that that you will likely not end up at hotel until about 1 AM after flight, rental car pickup, drive and check-in, you will not likely be bounding out of bed at 5 AM for a drive. Hours of daylight at that time of year are obviously shorter - it is going to get dark around 5:00. AND you want to get off the interstate a few times for stops to see a few things. Not going to happen as you planned, no matter how little sleep you need or how driving tolerant you are or how fast you drive.

Alternative for day 1 - check schedule for Cat Ferry. It leaves on alternate days from Portland and Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, NS. Puts you at the southern end of NS which may alter your plans somewhat - but saves some time and driving if it is a Portland day. If it is a Bar Harbor day then I might still do it and do some other modifications to your entire itinerary to do Bar Harbor area first and a more direct route ont he southern part.

Similar problem for final driving day. I methodically added all your hoped for stops into Mapquest and came up with 10 1/2 DRIVING hours. That does not even account for likely foliage-seekers traffic on Columbus Day weekend (that day is Columbus Day), the windy rural nature of some of the roads, nor your even slowing down to see any of these bridges and trees for which you have travelled a couple of thousand miles. A "little more time" in Cumberland - like 5 seconds instead of 3 seconds?

This day is also not just impractical but impossible.

Not trying to be harsh, but since you obviously are looking forward a great deal to this trip and have already done quite a bit of research, I am guessing you are the type person who can now go back to the beginning and make some alterations to your itinerary. You may also have to prioritize what you want to see and eliminate even more than you already have.

Sometimes going to different parts of the country transit and travel times get away from us. When we have visited the western US, I was unprepared for the vast distances between something interesting A and something interesting B. The flip side of that is often New England visitors - they look at a map of NE and see it as a tiny portion of one of the larger western states and greatly under-estimate travel times, distances and over-estimate how much they can see and do in a short time.

Revise your plans and I think you can have a wonderful trip - I also enjoy long solo driving trips - but this one will not work.

One final reminder - when you book a rental car, make sure it is one that you can take into Canada. And you need a passport for Canada now - make sure you have one.

I'd recommend the ferry from Portland to Nova Scotia. We once did a Boston/Nova Scotia/ New Brunswick/ Maine trip with the ferry and OMG I felt like we were in the car for days and days and days. Anyway, the ferry was super fun.

Just checked - Cat ferry does not run on your date 10/3 - so your redesigning of trip is going to be more complicated than just taking ferry as I had suggested.

In my opinion, going to PEI for one day would not be worth it. I've spent about ten week-long vacations there, driving up from the Boston area. At a bare minimum, I'd recommend three nights.

We took a trip that included the Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia, and PEI years ago. It took two weeks, and we felt it was too much driving for us to ever attempt again.

Thanks for all the replies. I agree that those two days are quite a bit. I was kind of thinking at the time that I've driven from Dallas to Washington, DC on my own before and done 12-hour driving days, so they are possible...but thinking about it now, I agree that they are not enjoyable.

Besides, because of the timing of some things at Cape Breton, I need to revise this quite a bit anyway. The Celtic Colours Festival takes place during my travels, but I've scheduled myself to arrive in Cape Breton too early. I'm working on a revision and will repost soon.

I do already have a passport, so no problem there. I went through the nightmare backlog from a couple of years ago.

I have already reserved a rental car and the terms and conditions do include Canada and unlimited mileage, so I think I'll be okay there as well. What is the availability of gas stations like throughout this drive? Do I need to be concerned about having a full tank before hitting any particular stretch?

And..Gail...You are right...Being from Texas, which is a huge state with lots of open space, straight roads (even the much of the backroads), and fast driving, it is difficult to understand driving in the NE without actually doing it. I can think of some extreme conditions in Hawaii, lots of in-city conditions in Washington, DC and New York City, and backroads of the South....but I think that the path I'm creating for this trip will be a different driving experience altogether.

Again, thanks for the input so far.

Oh...and I did look at the sunrise/sunset calendar. While I'm on Eastern time, sunset is at about 6p. On Atlantic time, sunset around 7p. I usually plan for about 30 mins of twilight as well. There is also a full moon on 10/4.

Also, I didn't originally account for losing an hour of time on my way north and then gaining an hour on my way back.

Just a reminder that Monday, Oct 12 is Canadian Thanksgiving so you may want to reserve your accommodations for Thanksgiving weekend early....Oct 9, 10, 11....if you will still be in Canada during that time frame. And, Celtic Colours runs Oct 9-17, 2009.

You are doing way too much driving. Nova Scotia is much larger than it looks on the map, and one day to drive from Boston to NS is not enough--especially since you have just taken a long plane flight.

If I might ask, if you want to go to NS, why are you flying to Boston? You would be much better off flying into St. John's, NB or Halifax, NS. On the other hand, you could just concentrate on Maine and go no further north than Campobello Island, NB, where you can visit the FDR vacation home. It's well worth seeing and looks as if FDR and his family just left. It is the place where FDR contracted polio.

Well, this was not really intended to be a vacation in NS. I didn't know that there was such a thing as the Celtic Colours International Festival until I started trying to plan my time on the Ceilidh Trail. Once I saw that there wasn't really much scheduled for the Sunday that I planned to be there and that there was such a thing as this festival, I realized that I wanted to change my plans to devote more time to Cape Breton.

I intended (and still do intend) for this to be a driving tour of Maine, New Brunswick, and Cape Breton (and not the rest of NS). Originally, I was trying to hit Vermont, Montreal, PEI, and the rest of NS as well...and then I saw that Newfoundland was a ferry ride away from Cape Breton and I wanted to include it, too)...So believe me, once I realized that the NE takes more time to drive through than it appears (at least to a Texan) and that the sun does go down and I do have to sleep, I cut more than half of it out...lol.

Long road trips aren't for everyone and I certainly don't do them often, but the ones I have done are some of my fondest vacation memories. Checking in and out of hotels is not a big deal for me - I don't pack a lot and don't unpack at each location. I really see this is kind of a backpacking trip of the northeast - except with a car and a suitcase.

In reality, the total round trip is right about 40 hours driving time according to Google Maps. That's not including some local driving that I'll be doing in towns and areas that I stay in - but as far as commuting goes, it's right at 40 hours - even when I tell Google Maps that I'm taking all the slower backroads. Over 10 days, that's an average of about 4 hours a day in the car. In my everyday life, I have an hour commute to work everyday, driving 2 hours a day plus working about 10 hours a day. On days with bad traffic in both directions, I've spent 3 or more hours on the road in addition to working. So, an average of 4 hours a day of driving is fine with me....it's just a matter of actually getting the time to average out rather than cramming the bulk of it into 2 days. I think I'm still going to have one long driving day, but I think it will be in the middle of the trip - and it makes the average car time of the other days lower.

If I were trying to do this in fewer days, I'd agree that I must be crazy (or if you'd seen my original plans - lol), but I still think that with 10 days I can cover this much ground comfortably. I don't expect to really get to know every town I stop in...just get a small flavor of some, just take a few pictures in others, and get to know a select few a little better.

For Nova Scotia, I'm really only hitting Cape Breton. I will not be going over to Halifax, etc. I will probably stop in Truro once just to stretch my legs and walk a short 30 minute walk that I've mapped out - it's just a good stretch-your-legs stopping point and I was able to map out a short little walk that I am interested in.

I did consider revising the trip to go through Halifax and take the ferry from Yarmouth to Portland as was suggested earlier, but since I wasn't planning on going through that part of NS, that adds a lot of driving time to get to Yarmouth plus a 5.5 hour ferry ride. It turned into about an 11.5 hour trip at the cost of about $300 USD. Driving from Port Hawkesbury to Portland is only 10 hours if you stick to the main highways, at least according to Google Maps. And it gives me the opportunity to try to hit some of the inland fall foliage.

I realize that even Cape Breton has long travel times between places, but in my revised plans, I'm trying to make it a 4 day/3 night area, which should give me time to get a taste of the area and experience at least a day or two of the Celtic Colours International Festival.

I'm flying into Boston because the ticket was about 1/3 the cost of flying into any other location. It was really an amazingly low price and finding the price is what sparked the idea of the trip in the first place. The vacations that I've taken lately (Maui and Cozumel in the last 6 months) have been somewhat pricey and I am planning pricey trips to Puerto Rico in 2010 and Eastern Europe in 2011. So, I was actually going to skip out on going anywhere the rest of this year unless I found something that was a really good value at a fairly low cost...and this popped up.

I've come across other posts and trip reports where travelers started similar trips in Niagara Falls, Montreal, or Quebec, and they spent fewer days on their trips than I am...and they seemed to enjoy theirs...So I'm hoping that if I can work out the right magic of where I should stop and how far to go each day, that I can also have an enjoyable trip.

And thanks for the suggestion of Campobello Island - you've added to my list!!! ;) Actually, I came across another trip report earlier that mentioned it, so it's already a part of my revised plans - but it did add a location to an already full itinerary.

Just make sure you leave time to really get out of the car on Cape Breton. We hiked and it was lovely.

We were in a restaurant there and a tour bus unloaded. I overheard a woman lamenting that Cape Breton wasn't that interesting, and I thought - Well, did you get out of the bus?!

wliwl - Which trails would you recommend that a single female hike alone? I will definitely be spending time out of the car in Cape Breton. It looks lovely and I can't imagine anyone not finding it interesting. Did you drive to Meat Cove?

Alright, so I've worked on revising these plans. I'm now taking a longer time to get up the coast. I cut out a few things. One that was difficult to cut was St. Andrews, but it was adding 2 hours of drive time plus stopping time.

One question - Is it common for people in this region to actually get Columbus Day off? In the Dallas area, you work on Columbus Day unless you work for a bank or the government.

This modified plan still has a few long days of travel, but I don't think they are nearly as long and completely impossible. My plans on Cape Breton are not specifically worked out yet, but I plan for at least two days on the Cabot Trail (probably spending one night at Meat Cove, another night in the Ingonish area, and spending 2-3 hours hiking each day), some time on the Ceilidh Trail, and some time at Celtic Colours events that are not too far of a drive.

Day 1 - Friday 10/2 - Late arrival into Boston. Pick up rental car. I'm considering doing the hour drive to York, ME and staying there for the night. I realize that this is somewhat crazy, but I'll still be on Central time, I sleep on planes, and it's just a one hour drive, so even though it will probably be 1-2 a.m. when I get there, it puts me at my first stop for the next day.

Day 2 - Saturday 10/3 - Probably won't be waking up early.
- Cape Neddick
- Depending on the time, might hit up the Farmer's Market in York
- ~4 hour drive to Bar Harbor, taking scenic Rt 1/Hwy 88 and stopping at the Penobscot Narrows Observatory and maybe Fort Knox.
- Spend the evening/night in Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park

Day 3 - Sunday 10/4 - Half day in Acadia National Park
~4 hour drive to Lubec, detouring through Winter Harbor/Schoodic Peninsula
-In Lubec, get lighthouse views and spend the night

Day 4 - Monday 10/5 - Cross over to Campobello Island, losing one hour of time.
- Roosevelt Campobello Park (cottage, friar's head, liberty point, short walk to rugged point)
- East Quoddy Lighthouse (not walking out to it)
- Watch and listen for whales
- Cross over to Deer Island
- Old Sow
- Some picture stops in Leonardville
~2.5 hour drive to St. Martins - probably arriving around high tide
- Fundy Trail Parkway
- Back to St. Martins (sea caves)
~2.5 hour drive to Hopewell (okay for this drive to be after dark)

Day 5 - Tuesday 10/6 -
- Start morning at Hopewell Rocks for low tide
- Quick stop in Cape Enrage for lighthouse pics
- Fundy National Park - Hike Dickson Falls Trail
- ~3hr drive to Truro via Hopewell Rocks for high tide view and stopping in Truro for a 30 minute walk to see some of the tree carvings and the Berlin Wall remnants.
- Drive on to Cape Breton (okay if it gets dark). Haven't decided where to spend the night yet...possibly Baddeck.

Day 6 - Wed 10/7 - Cabot Trail via Cheticamp, hiking Skylike trail and ending for the day in Meat Cove

Day 7 - Thu 10/8 - Hiking at Meat Cove in the morning, continue on Cabot Trail, another hike (possibly Middle Head Trail), stopping for the night in Ingonish area.

Day 8 - Fri 10/9 - Cape Breton, Ceildih Trail, Celtic Colours (concert in Part Hawkesbury)

Day 9 - Sat 10/10 - Cape Breton, Ceildih Trail, Celtic Colours (Gaelic Song Circle in Mabou)

Day 10 - Sun 10/11 - Long drive from Cape Breton back to New Brunswick - take an inland trail in New Brunswick over to Maine for fall foliage (not defined yet)

Day 11 - Mon 10/12 - Continue inland fall foliage driving through Maine. After sunset, transition over to main highway and head to Boston for the night.

Day 12 - Tue 10/13 - Early flight from BOS to DFW.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a nice trip. One suggestion for the first night would be Portsmouth, NH instead of York, ME.

As you're just looking for a place to sleep, there are some chain hotels right off 95 that are clean, safe and most likely a little less expensive than York. It's just before the border of ME.

We might be travelling to the Bay of Fundy/Camponella Island region in early August (coming from Quebec), I'll write a report about the area if we end up there.

Just a suggestion that you make absolutely sure that you can, indeed, pick up your rental car at midnight or later. Logan's pretty dead at that hour. Immediately heading an hour or so north sounds like a great idea to me.

Expect your drive to Bar Harbor to take longer than anticipated. At what point are you planning to switch over to Rt 1?

Since I was the first great negativity post, let me emphasize that I was not talking out the comfort or safety of your first and last driving day - but the actual feasibility of those specific days - the average hours/day in car is irrelevant to my comments.

Your revised plans for first and last days make it possible to cover the ground you wish to. Just randomly picked Hertz car rental at Logan and they are open 24 hours/day.

owlwoman - Thanks, I'll look at Portsmouth, NH.

One thing I'll need to do is make a quick stop at a Wal-Mart or something similar something the first day to pick up a few things that I'm not going to carry on the plane (ice chest, folding chair, etc.). I haven't checked to see if anything like that even exists in York or Portsmouth.

Once I'm done with my trip, any recommendation for an easy way to share these items with someone else rather than sending them to the landfill?


Grandmommy - Yes, the car rental place is open 24 hours. I was actually quite surprised by that.

I was only planning on the Rt 1/Hwy 88 drive between Portland and Yarmouth.


gail - I understand. I didn't think your post was necessarily negative - just more realistic.

Cutting out Halifax really makes little impact on your long drive across Cape Breton to get across NS. Please note that the route through the middle of NS is the quickest route. Going either the north or south routes is much slower.

I would be interested in reading your trip report when you get back. Personally I would not miss the museum in Bath, ME, but it would take you at least 2 hours to do. The museum is about the history of boat building. They actually train novices to build boats (small ones) on site. I just stopped there accidentally when I did a two week tour of Maine, Campobello and Gloucester, MA, in connection with 2 separate elderhostels. I was fascinated by the museum. I wished I had had more time in Maine.

Your frenetic schedule will mandate that some things get cut when things do not go like clockwork.

in answer to your question about Columbus day, I will say it is not uncommon for people around here to get it off. My company gets it, my husbands (not hq'ed in MA) does not. However, lots of people take it off, because its such a beautiful time for a getaway weekend in New England. I've been stuck in traffic, trying to get from New Hampshire into Massachusetts for 3 hours.

you might want to investigate some alternatives in case your trip is impacted by rain. some of those hikes and outdoor activities will be pretty nasty if its pouring, which is always possible.

It should be a very pretty trip.

Lauren - I'm confused by your directions for NS. I'm not really sure what you are suggesting since the furthest south I'll be going in NS is Truro and because Halifax is to the south of Cape Breton....way to the south.