Nova scotia

[Virgil Jones]

JI'm finally headed out in four days full time on the road. Leaving Asheville headed for nova scotia and then across Canada to the Rockies, then south to the Arizona desert for the RTR in January.  I don't know Canada at all.  Other than  Banff Park, any thoughts or suggestions? I have no other agenda
Thanks
Ps I have a passport and am not carrying animals, guns, drugs, or alcohol

 

[rvpopeye]

Since you have the time.
Stay off the interstates...........
Slow down.................
And really see it all !

 

[slynne]

I have a friend who has a cottage on Cape Breton Island to which I have been invited a couple of times. It is near a town called Baddeck. I’ve only been there twice but loved it. There is a restaurant called Baddeck Lobster Suppers which I LOVED https://www.baddecklobstersuppers.ca/. I haven’t been there in 10 years but loved it and I suspect that it hasn’t changed much. Get there early. Baddeck also has a nice Alexander Graham Bell museum that is worth checking out and in general is just a pretty neat small town. One of my favorite things to do there is to go to ceilidhs which are informal music events. I *highly* recommend Baddeck. Also, good swimming in Bras D’or lake. It is just sooooooo beautiful. I am jealous of your trip. Have fun!

 

[slynne]

And of course, between NS and the Canadian Rockies are just too many cool places to mention. But there is the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick which has spectacular tides. Northern New Brunswick and Quebec have French speaking people so that is fun. I expect that you will be driving along the St Lawrence Seaway and there are lots of things to do and see there. Quebec City has a bit of an old world feel to it. Montreal and Toronto are cities that I love too. Too much to do there to mention.

Once you in Ontario, if you are seeking a route, I recommend hugging the lakes as much as possible. Hard to do with Huron but you can drive up the Bruce Peninsula then catch a ferry from Tobermoray (a very fun if somewhat crowded touristy town) to Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. From there, it is pretty easy to get to Sault Ste Marie and then follow the road that hugs the northern shore of Lake Superior. That is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Don’t forget to try the poutine!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you take the Trans-Labrador Highway, you'll have a chance to see the way the Alaska Highway was before it got all paved and civilized.

 

[Virgil Jones]

Thanks for the suggestions 
I'm making a list and will keep an eye out for things as I go

 

[Almost There]

Oooh!

I just did the trip across Canada from North Bay to British Columbia so have I got a list for you!

Ontario - anywhere except in the GTA - but then I detest big cities. Kingston and the Thousand Islands, then drive north through the Kawarthas or head up the Ottawa River valley`as far as Algonquin Park and then north again to pick up the TransCanada. There is no other choice for getting across northern Ontario but it's mostly all just 2 lane highway anyways. The trip up the side of Lake Superior and across the top of it is stunnning. Be prepared to stop frequently. Check Freecampsites.net for places to stay. Terrace Bay is worth the stop.

Manitoba - Riding Mountain National Park

Saskatchewan - kinda like Kansas but better...   I missed Grasslands NP due to broken rear windows - lesson learned - do not haul cargo trailer without putting mudflaps on the van....sigh!

Alberta - start at the south and work your way north - Waterton NP - don't miss the scenic drives. Then up through Banff to the Icefields Parkway and in to Jasper NP.

BC - when you cross at Jasper you'll come in on the Yellowhead Hwy. After you're in BC I'll give you another list because I just got here and will be exploring

 

[Virgil Jones]

Thanks...sounds great.  I'm starting to get more and more READY!!
Last thing I have to do is install the bicycle inside the back of the van and say my goodbyes.

 

[Almost There]

Ohh and I how could I forget - Dinosaur Provincial Park - if nothing else drive to the entrance of the park to see the absolutely stunning view of the badlands.

The park itself is ok, has a nice driving trail and a bunch of hiking trails. If you want a free place to camp the free is at the far north end of the park some 20 miles drive from the paid section. The park uses it as an overflow when the park is full to the brim. When I was there there was 4 or 5 of use a couple of nights, only 2 of us the rest of the time. None of us were using it as 'overflow'.

 

[cyndi]

The bay of Fundy
http://bayoffundytourism.com/worlds-highest-tides/

 

[karl]

Love Nova Scotia, except the cost of...everything.
Drove the Cabot Trail- eagles are everywhere! People are great. Seals on the beach at a campsite, a huge Scottish museum, unblemished coastline.....I bet you will love it.
I don't frequent pay to see sites, but the Bay of Fundy is worth the fee.
Go slow, enjoy

 

[Howiet]

JI'm finally headed out in four days full time on the road. Leaving Asheville headed for nova scotia

http://roadslesstraveled.us

Search their old posts as they were in Nova Scotia a year or two ago.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

If you take the ferry over to Newfoundland, you can visit the not only the archeological site where the Norse landed in North America, but a few miles down the road there is a sort of "Colonial Williamsburg" Norse settlement with live re-enactors called Norstead.

http://www.norstead.com/main.asp


Oddly enough, if you're in Newfoundland, you're only a hop, skip and a jump away from France.  There are a couple of islands off the coast, reachable by passenger ferry, that are still part of France.  St. Pierre and Miquelon.  You need a passport to visit, not a passport card. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Pierre_and_Miquelon

 

[rvwandering]

Go to all of the national parks. Admission is free this year in celebration of the 150th  anniversary of the Canadian park system.

  If you like history and museums get a pass for the provincial parks in Nova Scotia -  https://museum.novascotia.ca/our-museums  There's a lot of variety and they're all interesting.

  This is a beautiful boondocking spot - 45.9827, -60.81243

  If you have the time and money for the ferry ride Newfoundland is definitely worth the trip.

  Here's a link to my blog posts for Nova Scotia -  http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/search/label/NOVA SCOTIA

  And Newfoundland -  http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/search/label/NEWFOUNDLAND

  Have a good trip!

 

[slynne]

Optimistic Paranoid: Wow! So technically a person can drive to France That is totally going on my bucket list for when I am on the road.

 

[Virgil Jones]

Optimistic Paranoid: Wow! So technically a person can drive to France  That is totally going on my bucket list for when I am on the road.

Me too!