nova scotia

We went to Nova Scotia and Maine, October 1-20, 2011. Suggestions based on our experiences and on "this would have been better hindsight" : Stop at the Titanic Cemetery on the edge of Halifax before heading to Peggy's Cove - very moving to see so many graves, grave site mirrors the way the ship rests on the Atlantic floor, even though it predates the discovery of the wreck. After Peggy's Cove (still crowded even in October!) head up to Wolfville. Skip Digby and Annapolis Royal - not that much to see there....We then headed to Cape Breton Island, stayed four nights in Baddeck. Explore south of there, Bras d'Or is quite interesting and we enjoyed Fort Louisbourg. We did the entire Cabot Trail two days, once in each direction. Pretty, but not spectacular......Weather. I don't know if our experience was typical, but the weather the first week we were there was quite wild. Crossing the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island, huge waves were crashing across the roadway. The strait you are crossing is pretty much open ocean. They closed the causeway to traffic about an hour after we crossed. When we returned four days later, it was totally placid. At Louisbourg the wind was blasting so hard we could barely stand up. The northern tip of Cape Breton we were snowed on.....After that, normal October weather....Autumn colors were a bit subdued - colors were much better in northern New England. If you want to know accommodations, let me know.,,,,Due to the long skinny shape of Nova Scotia, driving distances are much longer than you would expect. I got a lot of information on Trip Advisor, also bought several guidebooks and a good map.

Cynthia, Thanks so much for the info. We just decided tonight to skip Digby so your post validated that. We do want to see the Titanic Cemetery. We will be looking for a place to stay around Truro if you have any suggestions, as well as a place to stay a bit west of Kentville. We also need a place to stay near Bay St Lawrence on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island.
Did you go to New Brunswick and/or PEI and if so, how was it?

BTW you might want to pick up a Natalie McMasters CD or download some of her tunes. She is the preeminent fiddler from Cape Breton. I would be looking for places to hear some good fiddle music while you're there. I haven't been so I can't give any suggestions. But her music is wonderful. The story as I heard from Alasdair Fraser, a Scottish Fiddler now based in the Bay Area in CA, is that at some point in the 1700 or early 1800's Scotland lost touch with it's "authentic" music. The Fiddle music still existed in Scotland, but it had lost it's grass roots base and become more formal and more ritualized. However, over the sea in Cape Breton the tradition continued. In the last 20 years there has been a blossoming of fiddlers in the old tradition in Scotland, but Cape Breton is the pace that sustained through the gap years (centuries?). So, look for a Ceilidih. Pam

Hi Pam, Check out this site: http://www.celticheart.ca/celtic-colours-international-festival this, along with the scenery is why we chose the dates we did. We have booked 2 community dinners and 2 musical venues. APparently, this festical brings in all the best fiddlers, and other celtic musicians, once a year. It is supposed to be fantastic. I cant wait.
Oh yeah, the lobsters....thats high on my list, too.

We stayed at the Annenberg Arms in Lunenburg, the Blomidon Inn in Wolfville, and the Worn Doorstep (studio apartments) in Baddeck. All three of those towns are set up for tourists - plenty of restaurants and shops....Check out the date for Canadian Thanksgiving - it's in early October. Many tourist attractions shut down on that date and don't re-open until late spring.....Be sure you take a waterPROOF parka - when it rains there it comes down hard - none of that gentle Irish or Pacific Northwest variety!

thanks! I will keep that rain jacket with me at all times. as well as golashes. Looks like the weather could be anything from sunny and mild, to heavy rains, cold, fog.....probably all of the above.

It's been a few years (2008) but we enjoyed spending some time in Kejimkujik National Park (big green spot on the map roughly between Liverpool and Annapolis Royal). If you are there when fall colors hit then I am sure it is spectacular. We also stayed in Annapolis Royal, and while in the area my husband ate some of the famed Digby scallops (and deemed them the best scallops he's ever had), we stared at the Bay of Fundy for a long while, and went whale searching (never got to watch any) down near Tiverton. A few days later we drove from Annapolis Royal to Lunenburg via Yarmouth and I recall some sort of Acadian village we stopped at, along with other fishing villages. I guess what I am trying to say is that that section of the coast is worthwhile if you have the time. There is a poster on this site named Nicole (I think) from Truro, hopefully she will see this thread and chime in. To make this thread relevant to Europe, I also seem to recall there is (was?) a section of the Berlin Wall in Truro, but I wouldn't rely on my memory 100% for that factoid.

thanks so much!!! I need to get out my map and find these places. I have heard abt the Digby scallops. I so much appreciate all this info!

Hi Shirley, Have you requested a Doers & Dreamers guide? https://www.novascotia.com/en/home/planyourtrip/travel_guides/default.aspx I visited NS in August 2007 with a circle trip around Routes 1/101 and 3/103 (first numbers the scenic older roads with the 10# being the limited access, get you there quicker version going mostly parallel to the older road). I crossed from the west to east side via Route 12 and recommend the Ross Farm Museum, if a living history museum interests you, http://museum.gov.ns.ca/rfm/en/home/default.aspx When in Halifax, I really liked the Maritime Museum, http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mma/index.html The Titanic display is good, as is the Halifax Explosion area, http://www.cbc.ca/halifaxexplosion/ (Two ships collided on Dec. 6, 1917. One was loaded with over 200 tons of TNT and other highly explosive stuff.) On the west side, near Wolfville, I stayed at the Farmhouse Inn, http://www.farmhouseinn.ns.ca/ I used one day to view the tides, visiting Halls Harbour for low tide, then driving down through Kentville until I could go back to view the high tide. One of the sights on Rt. 359 was the concrete house built by Charles MacDonald, http://www.concretehouse.ca/index.php. I also viewed some cottages that he built on Huntington Point because Farmhouse Inn provides the directions, http://www.concretehouse.ca/uncommon/BlueCottage.pdf My "visit" to Peggy's Cove was a drive in and then leave - quick. Too touristy for me. I did stop to visit the Swissair Flight 111 memorial. One more good memory is the gelato (fresh cheese curds, too, were great) at Fox Hill Cheese House - yum! - http://www.foxhillcheesehouse.com/index.htm Cheers.

I've never read Anne of Green Gables but we swung by the house anyway. I'm sure a lot of it was lost on me but the surrounding area is very scenic, hope it is still very green when you are rolling through. I also hope your hotel reservation in Charlottetown isn't at the EconoLodge, that place still gives me the willies when I think of it. I meant to say earlier that in addition to the advice you are finding here, we found the TripAdvisor.com NS & PEI forums to be a wealth of information with super friendly and helpful residents who were enthusiastic and willing to assist wayward tourists heading in their direction.

Hey - a native Nova Scotian right here! I always find around Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct 14 this year - if you are going to be in Cape Breton, you may want to book now if you haven't - it's a busy weekend) is good for leaf peeping! I think you'll be fairly lucky...early-mid-Oct is USUALLY fairly good. Weatherwise - mid-Sept/early Oct is my fav time of year - I don't really find that we get too much rain, days are sunny and mild (but I have been away that time of year for the last 3-4 yrs...lol). Peggy's Cove you can prob see in an hour/half unless you want lunch - make sure (if it interests you) to see the Swiss Air memorial (there are road signs). Make sure to stop in Chester (a favourite of NS'ians, but, sad to say, I've never been!). My fav stops on the South Shore are Mahone Bay (maybe 60-90 min to explore) and Lunenburg (a few hours). And to see Peggy's Cove in the evening (or morning) when most of the people are gone is nice. I can honestly say, I may have been to Yarmouth 30 yrs ago when I was a kid, memories are fuzzy, never been to Digby that I remember...on the North Shore/ Annapolis Valley area, Annapolis Royal/Grand Pre are nice (if you are interested in Acadians/Expulsion), love to visit Wolfville (nice university town) and I always enjoy the Oaklawn Farm Zoo. For clothes, I find a light jacket/long sleeve top is great for the days, maybe a light fleece, but then, I live here and am used to the temps...you may find it colder.

...just rereading...thanks for the shout-out...lol
There were sections of the Berlin Wall in town, they moved them to a garden at the Dalhousie Univ, Agricultural Campus (formerly NS Agricultural College) in Bible Hill - practically Truro. http://www.trurodaily.com/News/Local/2011-12-01/article-2822410/Berlin-Wall-slabs-in-Truro-moved-to-Bible-Hill/1 Victoria Park is amazing here in town, nice wooded walking trails, some waterfalls (which may not be to spectacular if it's been dry)...really the only highlight; the tree sculptures are neat, the tidal bore can be pretty 'boring'. We just visited Cape Breton in June for the 1st time in 15+ yrs...forgotten how gorgeous it was...we did an overnight. Left Truro in the morning, explored Baddeck for a few hours (Graham Bell Museum), hit our White Point B&B by 8-9pm, we were home the next day by supper time, but if you want to do some hiking trails and such, you'll want a few nights. Fortress Louisburg is interesting, but I know when we went there in late-Sept 15 yrs ago, there wasn't much happening. I want so bad to go back in the fall, but we'll be in California at that time!

Thank y'all!! It's so great to read these posts and get personal tips. Just wondering if anyone has been to Hopewell Rocks in NB or Anne of Green gables in PEI? We are thinking of Hopewell to see the tide change thing unless there is a better place to see it....and I guess really that means staying somewhere for 6 hours to see low and high tides. I love love love the farmhouse suggestions. We live in metro Atlanta but i'm a farm girl at heart. I will check out the farmhouse B&B that one of you mentioned. Good tip abt seeing Peggys Cove in the late afternoon/dusk, maybe not so crowded.
We're getting really excited abt the Celtic Colours festival. We love Celtic music....and the community suppers/meals. DId anyone experience that??????

Shirley - I am a big Anne of Green Gables fan and loved the Anne of Green Gables house in PEI. It was totally worth the trip for me.

thank you. we made overnight reservations in Charlottetown. I love Anne of Green Gables, too. Used to think I wanted to live there when I watched it years ago. So glad I get a chance to see it.

Years ago we stayed at the Markland Resort near Bay St. Lawrence on Cape Breton. See http://www.themarkland.com/. We loved the place and from the website it looks the same now. It's about halfway around the Cabot Trail, a good overnight stop if you have enough time. Baddeck is also good but not on the coast. Margaree Harbor had some motels and a nice coastal setting. Our visit was in summer but I'm sure fall colors will be great. Keep in mind, though, that the brightest reds and yellows come from sharp overnight temperature drops and dry conditions, which you're more likely to find inland than in coastal areas. You might find "better" leaves in the Appalachians tnan in Nova Scotia. Plenty of other reasons to visit NS though, and the fall colors just make it better!

thanks, Angela. We will not be staying at an EconoLodge. I appreciate your advice.
ALso, thanks for the advice abt staying near St lawrence Bay. We have tickets for a seafood dinner there on the coast that night with celtic music.

Wow, Shirley! That festival looks fantastic. I've been thinking of trying to figure out how to get to the Celtic music festival in Glasgow that happens every January, but this is closer and not in January! Report back on the festival. I'd love to know which the artists you like best. I have heard Natalie Haas play with Alastair Fraser. She was very good. She plays Celtic Cello. LOL Click here all you Celtic Music fans if you missed the link earlier. Pam

Pam, Here is one of the festival venues we have tickets for. If you look at the link you will see the 3 headliners. http://www.celtic-colours.com/shows/kellys-dream/ I will be certain to take lots of photos and post back when we return. Shirley

thank you so very much for all the information. If you think of anything that would be helpful, send it along. I will check back frequently. we are now in the process of planning the 2nd week which is on Cape Breton. Shirley

We went down to Peggy's Cove last month.(another place we haven't been to for 4-5 yrs -why? We're always in a hurry to get to Lunenburg and spend too much time buying cupcakes at Susie Shortbreads (lol - Dresden Row or Bayers Lake - if you love cupcakes). We had been going to go in the afternoon on our way to the South Shore, but I wanted to get some great pics with no people - which would never happen in the afternoon...so we got there around 8pm, lovely sunset (but it'll be darker earlier in Oct of course)...I think there were about a dozen people around...be warned tho - depending on the day of the week, if you want to see the tacky tourist shops (of which there are a few), or have a bite at the restaurant, things may be closed...we were there on a Sun evening and everything was shut up tight!

"Just wondering if anyone has been to Hopewell Rocks".....We stopped there on our way from NS to Maine. You need to check the tide tables if you want to see these. My husband went down the long steep staircase and walked around among the huge rocks. It takes about an hour to do that. (The rocks reminded me of Garden of the Gods in Colorado.) He enjoyed the experience and thought it was one of the most interesting parts of the trip....They are quite out of the way, especially if you are heading off to PEI. If you do decide to stop there, we stayed at a nearby, pleasant very friendly B & B, called Barb's B$B. Only one pub/restaurant in the area.

Add Innisfree bed and breakfast as a great place for staying for Hopewell Rocks, almost walking distance.
Also note that admission to Hopewell rocks is good for 24 hours, reenter as please. Check the tide schedule. With any planning at all you should be able to go twice, and enjoy the remarkable difference between low and high tides.

We were in Nova Scotia last summer and loved it. We were in Halifax, Peggy's Cove, Halls Harbour, Digby, and Yarmouth. (That's Yaaaarmouth like a pirate.) I loved Halifax, very cool vibe to it. Not much in Halls Harbour except the lobster pound, but we lucked into a cottage and we all enjoyed it there. We went whale watching from Freeport, and yes, saw whales. Peggy's Cove may look touristy, but it is just so cool to climb on those rocks. It's worth going to. We missed Lunenburg, so maybe next time. And I'd love to go to the northeast of the province next time as well. I'm Midwest born and raised, so I know nothing of tides. We were excited to see the Bay of Fundy and the highest tides in the world. We didn't realize that means there really is no beach. When the tide is in, it's really in, and there's no beach to walk on. When it's out, it's way out, and there are mud flats between you and the water. Take hot sauce if you like it. The food is bland and expensive.

Thanks Karen for the advice. I have also heard the food is bland. I guess they make up for it in the scenery. I will for sure take a few spices with me!

4 years ago in June had a fine 3 night stay at the Keltic Lodge. Hiked the Cabot Trail several times and did see moose, ate once at the restaurant, really enjoyed 2 evenings listening to Celtic music in the bar, and did a nice hike down the Middle Head Peninsula. We did golf at the nearby great Highland Links Course. Obviously, your weather and activity will be different in October.
Happy Travels, Tom

If you are going to Charlottetown (I can't remember the exact name.) in PEI. It's the main city. Go to GAHAN PUB. It's near the city center. Just ask a local to point it out for you. Great pub food. Homemade beer. Fair prices. One of the best recommendations a local gave us. I wish I could go back there or Gahan Pub was close to where I live. CHEERS! --Barb

thanks Tom and Barb. Tom, we have looked into the Keltic Lodge...thanks for that recommendation! Barb, we pulled up Gahan Pub on google and looked at their menu. Do you remember what you ordered or what you would recommend? Looks like this is also a brewery. Too good to be true!!!! :)

Gahan Pub = all the food is good! We had lunch there. Less busy and easier to get in. No wait at lunch time for a table. Gahan makes its own beers. There are about 7 of them from light to very dark. (Pick your strength.) I had shepherd's pie. My daughter had chicken tenders and fries and liked the honey based dipping sauce (and she can be picky!). My husband got the burger and fries. He said it was one of the best burgers and fries he's ever had. The food is not fancy. It is very well made and flavorful. Gourmet Pub Grub if you will. There are salads and healthier choices as well. I am starting to salivate. I miss Gahan Pub. Go to Province House and watch the short historical film there (about 10 minutes). Gives a brief explanation to the beginning of Canada as a Country rather than colonies of France and England. Charlotte Town is a nice place to walk around. Don't really need a car in town.

Barb..I will totally let you know. Maybe I will post a photo while Im there. it will be Oct 5-7. Thanks for the recommendation~