Out and About in the Maritimes

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Originally posted by jrose:
[b]I've just booked my first trip out East (for October), flying in and out of Halifax. We will be there for six days/five nights and I'm realizing that flying in and out of Halifax might not have been the smartest idea (Forgive me, I'm not an avid traveller). In hindsight, we should have flown into Halifax, migrated somewhere else in the Maritimes and then headed home from there. Oh well, flight is booked.

So, I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for getting the most out of five or six days in Halifax and the surrounding area. We're thinking of jumping on the VIA and heading to Moncton for a night or two of our trip.

Suggestions are very welcome! [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img] [/b]

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For October I highly recommend touring the Cabot trail, if you can rent a car for a day. The fall colours will be out and it is absolutely stunning. I was there for the first time last october and absolutely loved it! If you can make it to PEI, there is a ferry that leaves from caribou, NS and it is also beautiful here!

I should add that [url=http://www.rossignolwinery.com/g-1.html]this[/url] is about 5 minutes away from where the ferry arrives on PEI [img]smile.gif" border="0[/img]

My fave restaurant in Halifax is
[url=http://www.thewoodenmonkey.ca/]The Wooden Monkey[/url], located downtown. It is local and organic, with only free-range meats. Delicious!

[ 06 August 2008: Message edited by: Ghislaine ]

I've travelled with Acadoian. They are generally on time other than in the winter and reasonably priced. You could take the ferry from Digby to Saint John, N.B. if you want to see that province as well. Saint John is still doing a steady cruise ship business in October.

If you are travelling by bus line jrose, I would just caution that on PEI there is no public transit whatsoever outside of Charlottetown. Acadian Bus Lines stops in Chtown, S'Side and Hunter River I believe and no where else.

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Originally posted by jrose:
[b]

Okay great, that's good to know. Are any of those places worth the drive to check out, or would you recommend I stick in either Nova Scotia or New Brunswick?[/b]

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Charlottetown is definitely worth checking out and you would be driving through central PEI on the way, ie the highlands and wonderful fall foliage. But without a car, I would say NS and NB would be more worth your time - depending on what you want to do.

Personally, I think the view from most of the places the bus goes sucks royally.

Nova Scotia is not very big, and signage is pretty good.

You can get a 90 page atlas that has every road on it, for as little as $10. That and the regular highway map, and taking your time, and you don't need to get lost at all. We go off the beaten track to areas of NS and NB that we don't know at all.

When in October?

You won't need to worry about reservations by the way. And if you rent a car there are still plenty of campgrounds open. All you have to take on the plane is a small tent, 2 sleeping bags and an air mattress.

Ditto, ditto, ditto Cape Breton, and the car rental. Don't waste your time working around Acadian Lines scheduling - you've only got 5 nights, and the buses run on our equivalent of the 401. You're inland, on highways built for convenience and speed, not to see anything interesting -- long stretches of scrubby spruce woods.

I think you're stretching too far to try to pack in New Brunswick.

Halifax - eastern Annapolis Valley - Cape Breton - Halifax is more than enough! If you do go to Wolfville, you absolutely have to eat at Tempest there. You just have to. You'll remember it for the rest of your life.

If you do want to get out of Nova Scotia, I'd do a loop through PEI on the way up to Cape Breton. It's lovely, and very different from Nova Scotia. Here's what I'd do, if I had 5 nights:

Day 1/night 1: Halifax
Day 2: Putter around Halifax in the morning. Drive up to Pictou, take ferry to PEI.
Night 2: Charlottetown
Day 3: PEI National Park - the dunes at Greenwich and a long walk on the shore (note I did NOT mention Cavendish and Green Gables ;-)). Back down to ferry. Drive to Cape Breton.
Night 3: Stay in a country B&B in the Mabou/Inverness area. Find a local ceilidh!
Day 4: Drive around the Cabot Trail. Hike the Summit Trail on the western side.
Night 4: Stay in Iona/Grand Narrows area - there's going to be more music around.
Day 5: Back to Halifax. If you've gotten used to the local roads, you can take the coast road along the Eastern Shore. Get the world's best smoked salmon at Krauch's Smokehouse in Tangier. Otherwise, a 3.5 - 4 hour drive back along the main highway.
Night 5: Halifax. Look at thecoast.ca for music listings. Halifax has very lively night life - tons of clubs, pubs, and very good restaurants.
Day 6: If the weather's nice, and you're on an evening flight, get on a boat and out into the Harbour - you've your choice of old schooners ( e.g., Mar II), or more modern whalewatching and/or deepsea fishing boats. Or go over to Eastern Passage and get the boat that runs over to McNab's Island, and go for a hike out along the Devil's Island spit.

I rent cars a fair bit, and I generally find National has the best rates, and very good service.