Making Memories in the Maritimes

A two-week itinerary

It all started when we watched a cooking show on the Food Channel about lobster suppers in Prince Edward Island. We salivated over the luscious lobsters as the guests hungrily cracked them open on the church basement tables. We made up our minds right then and there. For the next summer vacation, we were going to the east coast to experience this delicious maritime tradition.

With a family of teens and toddlers (17, 13, 3 and 1!) we decided on an RV road trip to travel around the maritimes. And no, we’ve never ever driven one before, but that didn’t stop us! First, we flew into Halifax, and then the plan was to pick up a mid-size RV from Canadream that would sleep four adults and two kids. And so began a fantastic memory-making two-week adventure around Nova Scotia and PEI.

Day 1-2: Exploring Halifax

Before picking up our RV, we wanted to explore Halifax so we stayed downtown at The Barrington Hotel. The location was perfect as we were walking distance to the bustling waterfront. Here’s four easy and entertaining things we did with the kids in tow:

1. Wandered along the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk – lots of unique shops, excellent buskers and great views of the harbour.
2. Hopped on the Harbour Hopper – an amphibious tour bus that gives you a great overview of the city from land AND water! When the bus drove into the water and started cruising around the harbour, the kids were in awe – ok I was too!
3. Visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic – the Halifax Explosion and Titanic exhibits are fascinating aspects of Halifax’s history.
4. Grabbed a bite at an outdoor cafe by the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market – apparently the longest continuously running market in North America.

Day 3 – Peggy’s Cove and Lunenburg

With Halifax behind us, we picked up our RV and immediately hit the road south to visit the world famous Peggy’s Cove. The sight was right out of a postcard – the lone lighthouse standing tall amid the foggy, rocky coastline. As we admired the view, we held on to the toddlers tightly as there were many signs warning people to steer clear of the black rocks that have darkened from the splashing surf. Many a rogue wave has come up and swept an unsuspecting visitor out to sea, and not all have made it back to shore.

Then it was off to Lunenburg to soak in the fishing and ship-building heritage of this quaint and vibrant coastal town. At the dock we boarded the Bluenose II and toured the legendary ship commemorated on our Canadian dime. Once we were done, we had a quick pit stop for ice cream, and then it was back on the road to begin our trek across Nova Scotia to the west coast of the province.

Day 4: Kejimkujik National Park

We stopped for the night right in the middle of Nova Scotia at at Jeremy Bay campground in Kejimkujik National Park. It didn’t take us long to find a path through the lush Acadian to find Kejimkujik Lake, where we could relax with a swim.

Day 5: Up the Annapolis Valley along Bay of Fundy

We headed north along the western part of the Nova Scotia peninsula known as the Annapolis Valley. Our goal? To find a campground where we could stop to walk on the ocean floor of the Bay of Fundy, one of the seven wonders of North America. We found Land of Evangeline Family Camping Resort just outside of Wolfville and right on the water, which was perfect for spending a day exploring the muddy tidal pools while the tide was out. The ocean retreats for as much as three miles in some spots, so there’s lots of seabed for everyone to explore.

Day 6 – 7: Prince Edward Island

Next stop was Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables and endless red sand beaches. Head across the Confederation Bridge, the world’s largest bridge over icy waters connecting New Brunswick and PEI and make your way to the north shore. We stayed at Cavendish Beach Campground where there are oceanfront sites to snag if you plan far enough in advance to book one. The beach is perfect for building sandcastles, wading out into the warm, shallow water and digging your toes into the warm, red sand. Before we left PEI, we stopped in at the Anne of Green Gables Museum to glimpse Lucy Maude Montgomery’s life in nearby Kensington.

Day 8: Ferry back to Cape Breton

It was time to make our way back to Nova Scotia to explore the next leg of our trip: Cape Breton. We took the ferry from Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, N.S and once we disembarked we drove a little further north to stay at Linwood Harbour Campground near Havre Boucher.

Day 9: Louisbourg

We heard how impressive the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site is, so we made our way up the east side of Cape Breton to visit this magical place. The minute we entered the fortress gate we were transported back to the 1700s. Actors in character welcomed us, portraying various roles of the fortress inhabitants of this time. You couldn’t help but feel what it may have been like to live during this part of Canada’s history.

And finally, we found our lobster supper!! No question you have to work hard for this meal but the wonderful mess was extremely satisfying to the tastebuds!

Day 10-11: Miners Museum and Cabot Trail

Next stop on the itinerary: Glace Bay. Here, we visited the Cape Breton Miners Museum, where we took a tour of the coal mine, including a section of the mine that went right under the ocean floor! Our tour guide was a retired miner, who painted a grim picture of the dangers and discomfort working as a miner in the wet, cold, noisy and cramped environment.

After our tour we headed north along Cabot Trail, which loops around the top of Cape Breton Island. We stopped at Ingonish Beach for a night and then carried on the next day on the Trail. At the top of the island, we decided to stray off the beaten track and visit Meat Cove at the northern tip of Cape Breton. But halfway there we asked ourselves if this was a good idea in an RV. The road was rough and rugged and very difficult to navigate. However, we managed to make it and it was worth the stress! The view from the point at Meat Cove was magnificent. (Although I couldn’t imagine camping here with little ones as the steep cliffs surrounding the site were extremely close!)

As we travelled across the top of Cape Breton and down the west side on Cabot Trail the views were nothing short of breathtaking. You truly appreciate why this stretch of highway is known as one of the most spectacular loop drives in North America! We happily pulled off the Trail at one of the viewpoints to watch whales breaching off the coast. Next stop was near Inverness for an overnight at MacLeod’s Beach and Campsite.

Day 12: Baddeck

From Inverness, we travelled down the west side of Bras d’Or Lake, the huge inland sea in the middle of the island. Luckily enough we stumbled across Baddeck Lobster Supper, a fabulous seafood experience that not only had the lobster we craved, but all-you-could-eat mussels. Let’s just say we asked for refills a few times over! With our tummies full, we pulled in to Baddeck Cabot Trail Campground for the night.

Day 13 – 14: Back to Halifax

It was time to head back to Halifax, so we made our way down the east coast to Clam Harbour. Then, it was back on the road. We made our last stop Halifax West KOA campground, as we needed to drop off the RV bright and early the next day before catching our flight. When all was said and done, we actually covered about 2,500 kilometres in our two-week road trip! No question, it was a long way to travel to satisfy our food lust for lobster supper, but it was worth it. Because we made memories on our Maritime adventure to last a lifetime.