gail@rand-unix.UUCP (Gail Halverson) (06/01/84)
During the last week of June and the first week of July, I will be travelling (by car) in eastern Canada (possibly as far west as Quebec city). I will be making a loop from Boston. Does anyong have any suggestions what I should see or where I should go? I called the Canadian tourist bureau and they sent me a year's supply of brochures and maps. Far more than I can see in the allotted time. Help. This is an area I would really like to see, but unfortuantely the time's limited. Tentative plans: Drive from Boston to Quebec, east thru New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, spending the weekend in Cape Breton, down through the rest of Nova Scotia, through Maine and back to Boston. I'd love to go to Newfoundland too, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on that because of time limitations. Specific questions: Is this too much for the time allotted? (It definitely is for my usual travelling style.) What weather should I expect? (I'm preparing for hot for Boston portion -- how about rain, etc.?) Any comments about camping, bed-and-breakfasts, etc? The tourist board tells me I need hotel reservations in the cities (esp. Quebec). Is this true? If we drive around the Gaspe peninsula, how much time should we allow. What highlights should go on the "do not miss" list? What should go on the "maybe next time" list? Any special restaurants or food types to look for? Thanks for any suggestions and comments.
rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo) (06/06/84)
You'll be doing an awful lot of driving: altho' you can reach Portland in an hour or so on the fatest road, it's 800 or more miles from Boston to Cape Breton. Make sure you study the map: the Gaspe peninsula may be sparsely populated but it's huge in comparison with Canada's maritime provinces. Fredericton, New Brunswick's capital, is in the valley of the St. John River, which is very pretty & serene this time of year. Tank up! Ron Rizzo
2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (06/10/84)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh First, I would get the AAA maps for the area you are going. They give the distance and time to go where you mention. I will retrace some of the trips I have made with my wife and inlaws to this fantastic region: Day 1.Boston to Quebec city via Jackman, Maine..................9 hours easy 3.Quebec city to Gaspe via St Lawrence seaway...............9 hours easy 4.Gaspe to Moncton via Campbellton..........................9 hours easy 5.Moncton to Charlottetown,PEI, via ferry...................3 hours 6.Charlettetown to Cape Breton via ferry to New Glasgow.....7 hours 8.Cape Breton to Peggy's Cove, NS...........................7 hours easy 9.Peggy's Cove to Kejimkujik National Park..................3 hours 10.Circle trip from Park via Yarmouth & Digby................8 hours 11.Kej. N.P. to Fundy National Park via Truro................8 hours 13.Fundy to Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park via coast......6 hours 15.Bar Harbor to Boston via L.L. Beans(Freeport, Me).........6 hours Notes: Quebec City used to be the gem of eastern Canada but has become hostile toward English speaking tourists. Places that spoke English have forgotten how. Q.C. would require at least a day to visit the Citadel and Chateau Frontenac. See Musee Du Fort if you have time and like history. Gaspe is a beautiful drive and features cod fish tongues at Perce on the tip. While in Moncton, if you like gimmicks go to magnetic hill. On Prince Edward Island, Cavendish Beach is one of the best warm swimming beaches in the world. Plan on just driving through the countryside too. Don't miss the Cabot Trail, the coastal highway, at Cape Breton Highlands. I would allow at least a day here for that. Peggy's cove is a beautiful fishing village/artist colony. A real must for a quick stop. Kejimkujik National Park is very nice and worth a stop. From here you can take the circle drive around southern Nova Scotia to Yarmouth and back. Then over to Fundy National Park, my favorite. If it rains you can go to a craft school and make something. If it is nice you can hike, fish, swim, both fresh water and salt water, golf, lawn bowl, or just about anything you can imagine. Definitely a one day or more stop. Then a day in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park is a must. Don't forget to stop in Freeport, Maine to shop at L.L.Beans. It is open 24 hours a day except Christmas. If you still have time in Boston see Government Center and Lexington and Concord. Regards camping and weather: This is a fantastic region for camping. If it rains and you want a motel it is best to look for a motel before dinner. After dinner things get full. The weather is very changeable on the east coast in general. You can have HOT, HUMID, WET, or nice. Usually it is nice but I was camping up there during hurricane Agnes. Hotel & B&B's: B&B's are espectially nice in New England and the Maritime Provinces. They are a little hard to find. You just have to look for their signs. Boston is a tough and expensive place to find a hotel. The Swiss Chalet motels are your best bet but still need reservations. In Quebec city I would recommend camping nearby. We have gotten into a hotel without reservations, but thought we were lucky..