Have you ever dreamed of visiting Anne Shirley in the quaint town of Avonlea or running along the iron red beaches of Prince Edward Island? What about driving along one of the most beautiful Cliffside roads, the Cabot Trail or kayaking in the waters with the highest tides in the world?
If so, then the Canadian Maritimes are for you.
On our 13 day road trip in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick, we saw the top attractions, wondrous parks, and enlightening historic sites. I’m here to tell you that you there is something for everyone in the Maritimes.
We drove 3239km across Nova Scotia including Cape Breton, PEI, and southern New Brunswick. As it was Canada 150, all the parks and historic sites were free entry. So as not to overwhelm, I will split up our trip into a couple blog posts to give you more info.
Halifax – Day 1
Early in the morning we started at the Citadel in the middle of Halifax, where the reenactment soldiers shot off the cannons and the bagpipers played. The Halifax region is full of historic sites, so if you’re a history buff, you’ve got a lot to see. We went on a walk at the Point Pleasant Park, then for a tour of the Alexander Keith’s Brewery, where you learn and celebrate with a Ceili (a celtic celebration usually with fiddlers and beer), and then explored the night scene with a few bars down by the pier.
Day 2
The next day, we visited the village of Peggy’s Cove. This is a must see. Not only will you get your next profile picture, but if you take some time to sit and enjoy the crashing of the fresh ocean waves against the rock, that salty air will invigorate your spirit.
We then did a Costco trip for some food essentials and drove up to the southern tip of Cape Breton for our farm AirBnB. Make sure you have data on your trip, we used it constantly for Google Maps.
Day 3
The next day, we consulted our Parks Canada map, and headed out to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Bell spent a lot of time in Nova Scotia where he worked on his significant inventions. We then drove to the Louisbourg Lighthouse Trail, which faces the Fortress of Louisbourg and where my favourite lighthouse is located (it’s the cover photo of this post). It’s really a beautiful spot to sit and listen to the ocean. We then went to the Fortress of Louisbourg, which was rebuilt in 18th century style with French and English interpreters. This historic site was by far our favourite of the trip and honestly, my favourite of any historic site I’ve seen. The actors are invested in their roles and teach you but are also comedic, and they just make you proud to be Canadian and learn about our history. While we were still in the spirit, we attended the Beggar’s Banquet; a private re-enactment dinner event where everyone wears 18th century clothing and dines on lobster, which actually used to be the food of the poor. At first you feel a bit ridiculous in your bonnet, but then you just have fun. Bonnet photos will not be posted on this blog…
We stayed the night in Sydney Mines at an AirBnB with amazing, kind, and welcoming hosts who cooked us a full breakfast. The people in Cape Breton are my favourite.
Day 4
The next day, we journeyed back to Fortress of Louisbourg to learn more, see the original ruins, and for me to shoot a musket. We then drove around Cape Breton, where there are amazing view points and beaches at every turn and finally ventured to the farthest point north at our favourite campground.
Day 5
After watching the sunrise on our cabin porch, we hiked up the nearest cliff to watch the world below. We then drove over to the Skyline trail at Cape Breton Highlands National Park for a stunning panorama of the ocean. Later that night we camped in an equipped tent at Ingonish Beach (Parks Canada sets up the tent and provides the dishes, fire pit, and lanterns needed; it’s a really good set-up if you’re flying to the Maritimes).
Day 6
The last day in Cape Breton, we woke up early and made our way down to the Celtic Music Interpretative Centre in Judique for a guided walk by a local fiddler who played for us and told us about types of jigs and some local stories.
We then stayed at our favourite AirBnB in Havre Boucher.
If you want details on the accommodations, send me a message, I’d be happy to share.
The next post will cover PEI and New Brunswick!
Canadian Day Dreaming 