dthk (04/22/83)
Thanks to those who responded to my recent request for information on Nova Scotia and P.E.I. (especially Carl Blesch, BTL, ihuxm!prgclb). Below is a summary of the replies, for others who may be interested. I have written to the N.S. and P.E.I. tourist boards and have received several EXCELLENT tour books and guides, including lists of motels, campgrounds, etc. The ferry from Portland, Maine to Yarmouth, N.S. costs $50/person and $70/car during the summer. A 4-berth cabin (in- side, without bath) is $42 extra. ------------------------ Excellent choice for a vacation! We traveled from N.J. to Portland, Maine and caught an overnight ship to Yarmouth, N.S. The boat we took was the M.S. Caribe, a Caribbean cruise ship during the winter but, at that time, a Maine-Nova Scotia ferry during the summer. Alternatives include the Canadian National from Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth. We got an excellent package price on the ferry, which included our car, two passenger fares, an inside stateroom, and breakfast. We took the south shore route (ocean side) to Halifax the first day. A whole day's trip if you stop to sightsee. You'll see a lot of fishermen's houses with lobster cages stacked up -- very photogenic. First major touristy stop is Peggy's Cove, perhaps the most painted and photographed spot on earth. Spend time there crawling on rocks and shoot lotsa pictures. Also, try to have lunch/dinner at the Sou'wester Restaurant. Usually crowded with tourists, but hang in there. All the provincial parks are well-kept, and a pleasure to stop at. Halifax/Dartmouth is quiet. Certainly not a cosmopolitan city. The north shore is also called the Anapolis Valley, along the Bay of Fun- dy. If you're in to hiking, go out to Cape Split (an easy two-hour hike from the trail head to the tip of the cape) and watch the tide come in. DRAMATIC!!! Call the N.S. Dep't of Tourism for tide times on the dates you'll be in the area. On the third day, we drove to Cape Breton Island. As a Bell Labs per- son, I found the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck very in- teresting. Spend at least two days driving the Cabot Trail around the island, and stop for some easy hiking in Acadia National Park. Also, you might want to see a REAL Maratime fishing village (as opposed to Peggy's Cove, which is a TOURISTY fishing village). I'd suggest White Point. Some easy hiking to the end of the point. Tourists rarely come there. We tried to go to a restored Fort Louisbourg near Sydney which is sup- posed to be Parks Canada's eastern flagship park, but we got rained out. Sydney, too, is a dull town, but it's truly Canadian! On the last day, we drove straight from Sydney to Bangor, ME, through New Brunswick. It took us 13 hours, but the scenery along the St. John river in N.B. is lovely. We took the Trans-Canada to Woodstock and picked up I-95 at the state/province line. If you have the time, you'd probably rather take local roads thru Saint John and Bar Harbor. Not only should you try the potatoes, but also the local apples. Gravenstein, I think they're called. Crunchy and slightly tart, like McIntosh. We went in September, when apples were in season. ---------------------- The ferry from Portland, Me. to Yarmouth, N.S. is an overnight trip (leaves ~9 pm & arrives ~8 am) that covers 200 miles between the two cities. Going by land to Nova Scotia from Portland is about a 500 mile drive. So taking the ferry one way and driving the other gives you a lot more time in N.S. and still lets you take in the scenery of northern Maine and New Brunswick. --------------------- True, the ferry from Portland to Nova Scotia cuts hundreds of miles, but the ferry drops you off in Yarmouth, N.S., all the way at the southwest tip of the Province. Most of the good stuff in Nova Scotia starts around the middle of the province (e.g. Peggy's Cove, Kentland and Cape Split, Halifax, and on to the Northumberland Strait and Cape Breton Island). So to be fair, you have to add the 200 km or so that you spend driving from the ferry dock in Yarmouth to the heart of the province. This reduces the mileage differential. Nevertheless, I'd still vote for taking the ferry over (overnite) and driving back thru New Brunswick. Both routes have their scenic merits. Besides, when your ferry leaves Portland Harbor and you get into international waters, the casino opens up and you can play black- jack all night! --------------------------- Come prepared for rain. Being a maritime province, you'll get a lot of it! Don't get too discouraged, they sometimes have sun too. -------------------------- Be sure and drive around Cape Breton Island at the end of N.S. It's quite a nice drive.