Adventure begins July 30, 2017
Three generations going on a cross country road trip to the East Coast of Canada. Hoping to see some of the more prominent tourist attractions including the Cabot Trail, Peggy’s Cove, Fortress of Louisbourg, Bay of Fundy and Green Gables in Cavendish. Whew! Well, it’s all about the journey so we’ll see how many of those things we get to and what kind of adventure we have in between.
Every trip starts somewhere….
The adventure begins tomorrow but before we go anywhere I needed to introduce our trip mascot, Banting the Beaver, to my ‘happy place’ right here at home. I think he liked Hungry Hollow almost as much as I do.
Ready to go….
Day 1 is our longest day as we want to get as far east as possible so we can linger while we’re there. This one will be all about driving so not too many scenic shots to share. But of course there were a couple Tim Horton’s stops.
Entering a New Time Zone…
Day 2 showed us that it’s the little detours off the beaten path where the treasures can be found. From migratory bird sanctuary to world’s longest covered bridge, we discovered many gems along the way. The drive as we entered New Brunswick was simply captivating. My two favourite things, trees and mountains, dotted the landscape. With Miranda in charge of soundtrack and Ed Sheeran serenading us down the highway, even the most severe of rain can’t dampen our spirits.
From New Brunswick to Nova Scotia
Today started in Fredericton with the objective being to land in Peggy’s Cove before sunset. Well, we never know exactly what will happen between A and B which is why we are calling this an ‘adventure’. Along the way we discovered a little town called Oromocto where there was a secret lake hidden behind a baseball diamond. Crazy, right?
Spectacular Peggy’s Cove
We were a little overwhelmed by the beauty that is Peggy’s Cove. A bright sunny day, gentle breeze and view to die for. The rocks were a bit much for Mom to maneuver, but she found a wonderful spot to sit and enjoy the view while Miranda and I climbed rocks and drank in the scenery. This is a bucket list destination!
Whale Watching Tour with Captain Zodiac
Today certainly was an adventure as we arrived at the base of the Cabot Trail and went straight to Cheticamp where we had a whale watching tour booked with Captain Zodiac. Mom was a real sport as she had to descend a skinny ladder to get down into the boat. The waters were pretty choppy which to most of us was a riot, but mom took it a little rougher. As advertised, they guaranteed we would see whales and we saw a pod of 7 pilot whales that came right up to the boat. Took some awesome video as it’s a challenge to get a good still shot. What an amazing day!
Navigating the Cabot Trail
The thing about the Cabot Trail is that every where you look is a postcard. Tricky when you’re driving! Thankfully there were a lot of places where we could pull over and take some lovely scenery shots. This is a tiny sampling of what we enjoyed today. Honestly, this is definitely God’s country. You must come and check it out!
Fortress at Louisbourg
The past is present at the Fortress at Louisbourg where they have done a magnificent job re-creating this 18th century community. With people dressed in period costumes spread throughout all the buildings and marching soldiers and cannon fire, the Fortress at Louisbourg really transports you back in time. Thankfully, there was a guided tour via golf cart that Mom could enjoy while Miranda and I walked around. A terrific history lesson!
PEI Day
This was our three province day. We started out in Pictou, Nova Scotia then took a Ferry over to PEI and drove to Charlottetown to do a bit of shopping and yes, have a lobster roll. That was Mom’s challenge to me before the trip so we actually did it here at a famous lobster place. Then headed off again up to Cavendish to see the famous inspiration for Anne of Green Gables. Then finally a lovely drive through the PEI countryside and across Confederation Bridge to our destination in Moncton. Whew!
Bay of Fundy
Today we enjoyed our final adventure of the trip – a walk on the ocean floor! We headed to Hopewell Rocks on Bay of Fundy and were fortunate enough to enjoy both high and low tide to get a sense of how the rocks were formed. Mom decided to rest today so Miranda and I hiked down the trail to the rocks. Between high and low tide we took a side trip to Cape Enrage just at the end of the point. It was very windy but we managed to take a snapshot of the lighthouse there before heading back to the car. What a wonderful experience and I think a couple tiny Hopewell Rocks made their way into my pocket as a souvenir.
Sun Sets on Our Holiday
It’s hard to believe this amazing adventure has come to an end. We’ve seen so much on this trip as we clicked over 5000 kilometres through 5 provinces. I’m in awe at the stunning beauty that surrounded us each and every day. I’m thankful for the perfect weather we enjoyed (although I feel for our eastern cousins that it’s been a bit of a drought). I have treasured memories and photographs so I’ll always remember this once in a lifetime trip that I was fortunate to share with my mother and daughter. Thanks for following along! Where will I go next?
