I hope to spend about 10 days in this area in June and am looking for suggestions of places to go. It's a vacation trip for my wife and I but we always spend a lot of our time on photography. I'm mainly interested in landscapes, mountains, shores, anything with water. I also enjoy wildlife photography and a little bit of historic sites. I find other nature photographers have the best suggestions. We enjoy hiking and 10 - 15 mile day hikes are not a problem.
Thanks in advance.
Posted by Eva McDermott on December 30, 2010 at 9:12 AM
Hi Richard - I have gone to NS every October since 2005 (my favorite place http://evamcdermott.zenfolio.com/p897286868) so I can give you some suggestions. I usually fly into Halifax (less than 1 hour from Boston) rent a car and drive to Cape Breton (2 - 3 hour drive) and spend 8 to 10 days there for photography and the Celtic Music Festival around the island. This year I drove from Massachusetts with Sandy Richards (another NPN member), through Maine, New Brunswick all the way to Cape Breton Island (a lot of driving and not recommended if you only have 10 days). I took the ferry once but still a lot of driving. BTW - The ferry no longer runs from Bar Harbor or Portland ME to Yarmouth NS.
I can also suggest places to stay if you like (Inverness Beach Village (cabins or camp sites: I stay in the heated cabins because even in the summer the winds can be brutal. Close to the Cheticamp entrance to Cape Breton Highlands NP), Sea Parrot Manor (B&B or cabins with very cordial hosts) near St Ann's Bay http://www.seaparrotoceanviewmanor.com/ (also a B&B or cabins; very comfortable and close to the Ingonish entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park), Amherst Shores Country Inn http://www.ascinn.ns.ca/ (northwest Nova Scotia across the Northumberland Strait from PEI with great food and not far from the Confederation Bridge to PEI and many of the Bay of Fundy attractions in NS and NB).
Must see places - Cape Breton, NS
Cape Breton Highlands National Park (a lot of great hiking trails, wildlife near dawn and dusk) with breathtaking views and white knuckle driving) http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx
Inverness Beach (my favorite beach on Cape Breton Island (or anywhere) for sunset, sunrise over the dunes, and eerie light in general)
St Ann's Bay (sunrise on a cobble beach)
Bras d'Or Lake (eagle flying over glistening waters of an inland sea) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras_d'Or_Lake
Louisbourg Lighthouse and Fortress http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg
Isle of Madame (fishing village)
Make sure you also go to a céilidh while on Cape Breton Island even if you are not Scottish or Irish. The people on Cape Breton are so friendly and make you feel part of their culture. If you happen to pass through Mabou, stop at the Red Shoe Pub..... good food and music.
Must see places in mainland NS
Joggins Fossil cliffs
Five Islands
Bay of Fundy
Digby and Annapolis Royal Fort
many other places as well but if time is limited go for Cape Breton.
New Brunswick
Bay of Fundy National Park
Hopewell Rocks
Acadian Coast
Again 10 days is not a lot of time for this area and I would spend all 10 days on Cape Breton Island.
I can give you more details if you want. Just let me know.
BTW - I have not been to PEI (I always seem to run out of time) but it is on my list. Also, you can get free guide books on line for all three provinces.
Posted by Greg Lessard on December 30, 2010 at 4:22 PM
Hi Richard,
Its been a while since I have been to Nova Scotia. We last went in 2000 and did a figure 8 around the coastline of NS, starting and ending in Yarmouth, because we took a ferry from Portland, Maine. Some of my recommendations may no longer be viable but here they are:
Cape Breton Island
Cheticamp Island (may be closed to the public or covered in windmills at this point stunning sunset views over the ocean and cliffs. Saw a bald eagle here and a cattle rustler in an old Hyundai excel. No joke!)
Meat Cove to look for passing whales and some beautiful solitude. Very remote. Only a campground here.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Margaree (beautiful fishing harbor)
Fortress Louisberg (reenacted fort from the 1700's not be missed. Eat lunch in one of the taverns. A highlight of the trip.)
Black Brook Beach (beautiful beach w/ a seasonal waterfall keep your eye open for moose in the area)
Take every dirt road that you can find. They always lead to something good. (just watch out for enraged buffalo - another story for another time
Keep your eye open for wildlife, I was fortunate to see among others: deer, fox, bald eagles, moose, and one of my friends spotted a bear and later a whale from shore at Meat Cove, which is apparently a fairly common occurrence.
Definitely join in a ceilidh
Mainland
Peggy's Cove before 9AM and after 5PM simply rocks between 9-5 you will mix in with an army of tour buses. hundreds to thousands of tourists visit this postage stamp size village every day. before and after those hours, you not only have the place to yourself, you have some amazing light. The fishing boats and village are fantastic, the lighthouse is stunning and the drive to and from is great too. We stayed 5 minutes up the road in Indian Harbor, an out of the way village with a motel or two. It was a great location. There is beautiful coastline to be seen there. It is worth at least one day, maybe two. There is however, little in the way of creature comforts. The rest of the family might get bored after a day.
Halifax was OK. The fort was interesting. The shopping district was fun. If we went to NS again, we wouldn't stop again, but it was fun to see once. The schooner the Blue Nose was in port while we were there. That was exciting. (the bluenose is a legendary fishing/racing schooner that is pictured on the canadian dime.)
East Coast
Lunenberg was a quaint old town with a fun shopping district along the harbor. It is the home of the Bluenose, but it is rarely in port in the summer.
The rest of the east coast was settled in a thick unpenetrable fog, which I am told lasts from May through Sept. with few breaks. We were disappointed. The few times we did see anything, we weren't very impressed.
West Coast
The Bay of Fundy and the flower pots were fantastic!
Digby was fun, but a long way out of the way unless you take the ferry from NB
The rest of the West Coast was very agricultural and quaint, but not worth the drive in my opinion.
An outright disappointment was the tidal bore. Its interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. It might be more fun from a river raft!! A friend of mine rode the tidal bore on the Shenectady River in NB and had a blast. They even had lobster and a clam bake afterwards. It might be worth checking out.
My knowledge of NB is limited and non-existant in the case of PEI. In NB, I highly recommend Campobello Island. Great history and beautiful. Be sure to visit the out of the way fishing harbors and the lighthouse on the north end of the island. You can walk to the lighthouse during low tide.
If you go to Campobello, it may also be worth stopping in Maine to visit the puffins on Machias Seal Island. The rest of Downeast Maine is not worth stopping, until you reach Acadia which is worth 10 days on its own.
Campobello and the puffins (Jonesport and Cutler area) are out of the way from a route 95 drive, but they could be a good start to a visit in NB.
If I were to visit NS again, I would spend most of my time on Cape Breton with a side trip to Peggy's Cove. Cape Breton doesn't look very big, but it is larger than it appears. Make sure that you plan well for travel time from one point to another, especially, because there will be many impromptu stops along the way.
I would drive 95 from Boston through NB to Cape Breton. (I live south of Boston) Boston to Cape Breton is roughly 14 hours pedal to the metal with few stops.
If I lived outside of the New England region, I would fly directly to Halifax, visit Peggy's Cove, then Cape Breton and PEI, then ferry and drive back to Halifax. If I could find the time, I would definitely try to see the Bay of Fundy. With ten days, I would skip NB. That's just my 2 cents. There are probably 1000 other possible ways to do this trip. Just keep in mind that these places look small on a map, but are fairly spread out. I would rather travel less and see a place more in depth.
Are you flying or driving from TN? The current replies cover NB and Cape Breton, so I'll make a short note on PEI. PEI is a wonderful patchwork of colored farmland on gentle rolling hills with a coastline of beaches and lighthouses. If driving up through New Brunswick definitely take a day for the Hopewell Rocks. Near the NS border take bridge to PEI, do the loop around it (one overnight). Closest comparison is the Palouse Valley shots posted here (I've never been). Take the ferry into Pictou, NS, go down to Peggy's Cove or follow RT104 directly east to Cape Breton. Takes a minimum of two days for the Cabot Trail if you want to do any hiking. Have had moose within five feet of me during one of those hikes. Cape Breton has the most dramatic scenery of shoreline and mountains along the Cabot Trail. Be sure to make reservations since there are that many motels on the trip. During summer there are plenty of hiking trails, waterfalls, etc on the Cabot trail.
If you have the time the Maine coastline is very beautiful and has many lighthouses. When you get closer to making plans, email me and I'll outline our usual route from CT. We have a house in NS, but it is on the eastern shore and a little out of the way for vacationers with time constraints.
Discussion
3 repliesThanks in advance.
I can also suggest places to stay if you like (Inverness Beach Village (cabins or camp sites: I stay in the heated cabins because even in the summer the winds can be brutal. Close to the Cheticamp entrance to Cape Breton Highlands NP), Sea Parrot Manor (B&B or cabins with very cordial hosts) near St Ann's Bay http://www.seaparrotoceanviewmanor.com/ (also a B&B or cabins; very comfortable and close to the Ingonish entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park), Amherst Shores Country Inn http://www.ascinn.ns.ca/ (northwest Nova Scotia across the Northumberland Strait from PEI with great food and not far from the Confederation Bridge to PEI and many of the Bay of Fundy attractions in NS and NB).
Must see places - Cape Breton, NS
Cape Breton Highlands National Park (a lot of great hiking trails, wildlife near dawn and dusk) with breathtaking views and white knuckle driving) http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx
Inverness Beach (my favorite beach on Cape Breton Island (or anywhere) for sunset, sunrise over the dunes, and eerie light in general)
St Ann's Bay (sunrise on a cobble beach)
Bras d'Or Lake (eagle flying over glistening waters of an inland sea) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras_d'Or_Lake
Louisbourg Lighthouse and Fortress http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg
Isle of Madame (fishing village)
Make sure you also go to a céilidh while on Cape Breton Island even if you are not Scottish or Irish. The people on Cape Breton are so friendly and make you feel part of their culture. If you happen to pass through Mabou, stop at the Red Shoe Pub..... good food and music.
Must see places in mainland NS
Joggins Fossil cliffs
Five Islands
Bay of Fundy
Digby and Annapolis Royal Fort
many other places as well but if time is limited go for Cape Breton.
New Brunswick
Bay of Fundy National Park
Hopewell Rocks
Acadian Coast
Again 10 days is not a lot of time for this area and I would spend all 10 days on Cape Breton Island.
I can give you more details if you want. Just let me know.
BTW - I have not been to PEI (I always seem to run out of time) but it is on my list. Also, you can get free guide books on line for all three provinces.
http://www.novascotia.com/en/home/default.aspx
http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/
http://www.tourismpei.com/index.php3
Eva
Its been a while since I have been to Nova Scotia. We last went in 2000 and did a figure 8 around the coastline of NS, starting and ending in Yarmouth, because we took a ferry from Portland, Maine. Some of my recommendations may no longer be viable but here they are:
Cape Breton Island
Cheticamp Island (may be closed to the public or covered in windmills at this point stunning sunset views over the ocean and cliffs. Saw a bald eagle here and a cattle rustler in an old Hyundai excel. No joke!)
Meat Cove to look for passing whales and some beautiful solitude. Very remote. Only a campground here.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Margaree (beautiful fishing harbor)
Fortress Louisberg (reenacted fort from the 1700's not be missed. Eat lunch in one of the taverns. A highlight of the trip.)
Black Brook Beach (beautiful beach w/ a seasonal waterfall keep your eye open for moose in the area)
Take every dirt road that you can find. They always lead to something good. (just watch out for enraged buffalo - another story for another time
Keep your eye open for wildlife, I was fortunate to see among others: deer, fox, bald eagles, moose, and one of my friends spotted a bear and later a whale from shore at Meat Cove, which is apparently a fairly common occurrence.
Definitely join in a ceilidh
Mainland
Peggy's Cove before 9AM and after 5PM simply rocks between 9-5 you will mix in with an army of tour buses. hundreds to thousands of tourists visit this postage stamp size village every day. before and after those hours, you not only have the place to yourself, you have some amazing light. The fishing boats and village are fantastic, the lighthouse is stunning and the drive to and from is great too. We stayed 5 minutes up the road in Indian Harbor, an out of the way village with a motel or two. It was a great location. There is beautiful coastline to be seen there. It is worth at least one day, maybe two. There is however, little in the way of creature comforts. The rest of the family might get bored after a day.
Halifax was OK. The fort was interesting. The shopping district was fun. If we went to NS again, we wouldn't stop again, but it was fun to see once. The schooner the Blue Nose was in port while we were there. That was exciting. (the bluenose is a legendary fishing/racing schooner that is pictured on the canadian dime.)
East Coast
Lunenberg was a quaint old town with a fun shopping district along the harbor. It is the home of the Bluenose, but it is rarely in port in the summer.
The rest of the east coast was settled in a thick unpenetrable fog, which I am told lasts from May through Sept. with few breaks. We were disappointed. The few times we did see anything, we weren't very impressed.
West Coast
The Bay of Fundy and the flower pots were fantastic!
Digby was fun, but a long way out of the way unless you take the ferry from NB
The rest of the West Coast was very agricultural and quaint, but not worth the drive in my opinion.
An outright disappointment was the tidal bore. Its interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. It might be more fun from a river raft!! A friend of mine rode the tidal bore on the Shenectady River in NB and had a blast. They even had lobster and a clam bake afterwards. It might be worth checking out.
My knowledge of NB is limited and non-existant in the case of PEI. In NB, I highly recommend Campobello Island. Great history and beautiful. Be sure to visit the out of the way fishing harbors and the lighthouse on the north end of the island. You can walk to the lighthouse during low tide.
If you go to Campobello, it may also be worth stopping in Maine to visit the puffins on Machias Seal Island. The rest of Downeast Maine is not worth stopping, until you reach Acadia which is worth 10 days on its own.
Campobello and the puffins (Jonesport and Cutler area) are out of the way from a route 95 drive, but they could be a good start to a visit in NB.
If I were to visit NS again, I would spend most of my time on Cape Breton with a side trip to Peggy's Cove. Cape Breton doesn't look very big, but it is larger than it appears. Make sure that you plan well for travel time from one point to another, especially, because there will be many impromptu stops along the way.
I would drive 95 from Boston through NB to Cape Breton. (I live south of Boston) Boston to Cape Breton is roughly 14 hours pedal to the metal with few stops.
If I lived outside of the New England region, I would fly directly to Halifax, visit Peggy's Cove, then Cape Breton and PEI, then ferry and drive back to Halifax. If I could find the time, I would definitely try to see the Bay of Fundy. With ten days, I would skip NB. That's just my 2 cents. There are probably 1000 other possible ways to do this trip. Just keep in mind that these places look small on a map, but are fairly spread out. I would rather travel less and see a place more in depth.
Good Luck!
Greg
If you have the time the Maine coastline is very beautiful and has many lighthouses. When you get closer to making plans, email me and I'll outline our usual route from CT. We have a house in NS, but it is on the eastern shore and a little out of the way for vacationers with time constraints.