It is such a blessing to be able to travel again. I am deeply thankful to God for the opportunity to do so especially during this pandemic time. Most of my friends have been asking about the itinerary and I decided to write about it while it is still fresh in my mind. As a Filipino-Canadian, I fell in love with Canada even more because of the endless attractions this country has to offer from coast to coast.
During the planning stage, we had to change schedules thrice because of the Covid restrictions. Atlantic Canada provinces have been very protective of its borders that it took them time to open to tourists/visitors. The original schedule was supposedly summer - July then moved to August until we finally decided to make it a fall trip, hence, October. We had to do research on the forms that we need to fill out prior to making the trip as each province has its own regulations. We constantly monitored the news and the provincial websites on any updates on the travel regulations. The week before we left, we learned about the added Covid test prior to entering one of our destinations, PEI. Even New Brunswick, a month before there was no travel pass to complete but the week prior, they implemented one. This was how things can change and so our attitude was to be flexible to whatever may come our way. With this mindset of expecting the worse or any unexpected changes, made this trip exceed our expectations. We did not expect it to be smooth and stress-free. This again is God’s favour and our hearts are just overflowing with praise and thanksgiving.
In the beginning, we were ambitious, planning to drive all the way from Toronto > Quebec > New Brunswick > PEI > Nova Scotia and back. When we were reviewing all the attractions we want to cover, it made sense to fly and rent a car instead. With the round-trip ticket of $360 via WestJet, for a few dollars we gained ourselves time, energy and even hotel/gas expenses to cover for the longer drive and overnight stays Toronto-Quebec (8 to 10 hours) and back. I was able to avail of our company discounts with Hertz. We checked Avis too however Hertz had more available cars in the city we were landing. It was surprising to us how limited cars were and we later learned that because of the pandemic, the demand for car rentals soared as people are more comfortable doing land instead of air travel. After many research and arrangements, we were able to find one that best suited us.
Our strategy was to stay on hotels that offered free breakfast and thankfully all of them did. With a good and in most hotels hearty breakfast, we only had to eat another meal as our late lunch/early dinner. The servings in the restaurants are large so definitely can last us a long way. That made us have only two meals per day which was enough for us. We had money to spare to eat in a good restaurant with seafood dishes that Atlantic Canada is known for. In addition, we stayed mostly at Best Western hotels and that earned us $100 worth of gift cards. My friend was able to spot the ongoing promo. I am a member already which provided a 10% rate discount plus loyalty points. Four of us travelling has just been right as we took one car rental (Toyota Rav 4 – I was comfortable driving as it was the model of my previous car) and then also in the hotel room – two queen size beds.
For most of my long travels here and abroad, 10 days have always been the time allotted and aligned with a holiday. If you include two weekends you already have four plus 1 holiday (in this case Thanksgiving holiday) … five, then you will need to file for leave at work for 5 days only. Budget is always between $2300-2500. In this trip, we spent about $2,000-2,200 each (all in). With so much to see and cover, what helped us plan were YouTube/blog coverages for each province and city. You would have to have your google maps ready to know the direction you are heading and the best string of attractions to cover to maximize your days. In addition, consulting with friends that already went or grew up on those destinations is also valuable. When you land on the cities, take advantage of the tourism booklets that are provided for free or visit the Tourism offices for more information of attractions you want to cover.
I am blessed too with my three travel buddies whom I have been travelling for several instances already and we have the same energy and interests. It is crucial to choose the right company as you don’t want to be in each other’s hair or lose the friendship after the trip. Better not to have the trip than lose any blessed friendship, right? I appreciate the same sense of time we all had. We leave the hotel with breakfast done and luggage stowed in the car by 8-830am. There was only one time that we stayed a bit longer as we treated ourselves to a nicer hotel that we checked out a bit later to enjoy the place and the amenities more. Another item to take note: all these provinces have a different time zone and are one hour ahead of Toronto.
Traveling during fall season vs summer has its pros and cons. The advantage is that you avoid the crowds, and it is not too hot to do all the hikes and walks. In addition, you get to see the beauty of the fall colours. However, most of the restaurants and hotels especially in PEI and Nova Scotia are closed for the season. Still, we were able to find alternatives and enjoy the seafood dishes.
New Brunswick
Highlight for us would be all the tidal phenomenon – walking on the ocean floor of Hopewell Rocks during low tide, watching the Reversing Falls’ different behaviors during high/low tide and watching the tidal bore come in with a surfer riding the waves.
Places covered in New Brunswick:
Fredericton (capital of NB): We flew in late afternoon and our Hertz rep picked us up. This is a small city, and the Hertz office is not at the airport but in downtown, so he drove us there. Our Hertz rep was so friendly and accommodating that even for the brief trip from airport to downtown, we learned more about the city. We had dinner at Wolastoq Wharf and enjoyed our seafood pasta and jambalaya. We stayed at a Best Western hotel for the night.
The next day we did the walking trail along the St. John river. We started at the City Hall, passed by the Garrison District, old houses of Waterloo Row and finally the walking bridge (formerly a railway bridge). There’s a brewery at the other end of the bridge that you can check out. We didn’t have time to do so. On our way back, you can cut through the inner downtown streets for more opportunities to see the magnificent government houses, historic houses, and churches.
Hartland: We drove about 1.15 hours to Hartland Covered Bridge known to be the longest covered bridge in the world. Note this is off the way to St. John and we only wanted to see this attraction.
St. John’s: We traveled 2.5 hours from Hartland and arrived in the afternoon in time to see the Reversing Falls during low tide. We also went to see Carleton Martello Tower. We had early dinner at Big Tide Brewing. We stayed the night at another Best Western hotel. The next day we went back to see the Reversing Falls … this time during high tide, and what a difference from swirling of water the day before to calm in the morning. We also parked in downtown to quickly check out the King’s Square, Imperial Theater, and the City Market.
Hopewell Rocks: We drove about 2 hours from St. John’s to Hopewell Cape in time for low tide. For tide information, check out https://www.tidetime.org/north-america/canada/bay-of-fundy.htm There is usually a 6-hour difference between low and high tides. What an exciting experience to walk on the ocean floor! We had our early dinner at the town called Alma and we ate at a recommended restaurant by the staff at Hopewell Rocks – Muddy Rudder – great lobster roll and clam chowder!
Moncton: We stayed the night at Best Western Hotel (an hour travel from Alma). The next day, we went to Magnetic Hill park then headed to the Bore View Park. Visit the park’s site (https://www.tides.gc.ca/eng/station?sid=175&tz=ADT&pres=1) to see the expected arrival of the tidal bore and be there 10-15minutes before. It is exciting to see the tide/wave come in and there was the surfer showing off his skills.
Shediac: This is an hour’s drive from Moncton. We came briefly to take a photo at this giant lobster and the village around it.
Prince Edward Island (PEI)
Now we are entering into another province. Highlight for us is the laid-back feel of the island in contrast to the busy traffic in their capital city, Charlottetown. The locals especially outside the city, are so friendly and will take time to converse with you about their life in the island. This is a refreshing experience for all of us. In addition, we get to see where we get those PEI mussels, Malpeque oysters, Cavendish potatoes that are mentioned in restaurant menus and in food labels.
Places covered in PEI:
Confederation Bridge: Crossing this bridge from New Brunswick to PEI is not for the faint of heart. If you are the one driving, be confident as this is a stretch of 13 kms with your view of the sky and the waters of the Northumberland Strait on both sides. This is the longest bridge in Canada.
Entering PEI, the province has set up a border where you present your approved travel pass and there is a mandatory rapid Covid test. It was very convenient as the swabbing was done inside the car and was free of charge (thank you PEI!). It was not the invasive type of swabbing. We could enter the province and if there was a positive result, we will get a call in one-two hours’ time. There is a small park just near the border that you can take photos of the full expanse of the bridge plus a cute lighthouse and train.
Cavendish: We traveled about 40 minutes from the Confederation Bridge to Anne of Green Gables Museum. I am not familiar with the works of L. M. Montgomery (author of the book) and so prior to having this trip I watched a few episodes of Anne with an E – series in Netflix. I’m sure glad I did as it brought to life the fictional character and place.
Charlottetown: We did not like the place we booked at Cavendish for the night and so better to stay in Charlottetown which is less than an hour away. We had few choices in the area because they are mostly open during summer months only. Anyway, we still had our early dinner at Charlottetown as most of the restaurants in Cavendish were closed. We had an amazing food experience at Water Prince (featured at Food Network's You Gotta Eat Here) of lobsters, clams, and scallops. It was close to Charlottetown’s waterfront and city market and so we’ve covered those as well while waiting for our table. Anyway, we did stay for our second night in PEI at Quality Inn Charlottetown in this city (no Best Western branch, unfortunately).
Thunder Cove: This place I saw in one of the YouTube vloggers’ channels and is a hidden gem. What an amazing rock stack formation! These are called teacups like the flowerpots in Tobermory (Ontario) and Hopewell Rocks (New Brunswick). The main difference is that these are coloured red. There is no designated parking area and so we parked at the nearby neighborhood and went down the beach. It was a long walk reaching these rock formations, but it was worth it as the sound of the waves and the sight of the sea calmed our hearts and minds.
Greenwich: This is another hidden gem we visited after Thunder Cove and was recommended by my co-worker. We had an amazing time here as we crossed the marshes, sand dunes and finally walked at the long stretch of the beach. My friends dipped their feet onto the cool waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We stayed the night at Quality Inn Charlottetown and had dinner at another great restaurant - Merchantman. We went for Island Seafood Boil which can be shared for two – with 1.25 lbs of lobster, heaps of mussels and clams, snow crab, scallops, baby red potatoes, corn on the cob. The sauce was just amazing!
Nova Scotia
Highlight for us would be the impressive coastal views of Cape Breton along the Cabot Trail and how well maintained the various trails are under the management of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. For a price of $16 for the 4 for us (being in 1 car), we can go to any trails and use the pass even for 2 days! Cabot Trail is one loop and so plan your travel either clockwise or counterclockwise. We did the latter.
Places covered in Nova Scotia:
Wood Islands, PEI to Caribou, NS: Two nights prior to leaving, we already booked our tickets online at the Northhumberland Ferries and this is the link to the available schedules https://www.ferries.ca/ns-pei-ferry/schedule/ We took the 9:30am schedule and we had to forego the quick stop at Charlottetown’s waterfront to make sure we were on time. You must be there at the pier 40 minutes prior to departure time. Anyway, we went there the night before but if you do have more time to spare in Charlottetown – explore the Confederation Landing Park and Peake’s Quay. Victoria Row is another amazing place to hang out with its string of restaurants and bars.
Port Hastings: Once you cross the bridge and enter Cape Breton, do visit the tourism office here to get those free booklets and chat with the reps.
Baddech: We passed by quickly at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. It is an informative place to learn more about the telephone inventor, Alexander Bell, and his other technological contributions. Something to be proud of as a Canadian. From the museum, it has a great view of the bay.
Ingonish: Along the way, there are many lookouts spread across the Cabot Trail. You won’t miss them for sure as there are signages. In Ingonish, we stayed at the charming place called The Island Inn run by a family and it was like a place away from home. You can have a glimpse of how it is living in this area. We checked out the beach while waiting for our turn at this popular restaurant, Coastal Restaurant & Pub, featured at Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here. We took a break from seafood and tried their famous Ringer Burger with fries paired it with Breton Brewing beer.
By the way, just in October, a gondola in Cape Smokey was opened. The province co-funded it and aimed to boost tourism even on winter months. We opted to pass as we still have other attractions to cover.
Beulach Ban Falls, White Point: The good thing about chatting with the locals is that you get a different set of recommendations from them. The owner of the inn we stayed in was very helpful. He recommended for us to drive via White Point road once you reach Neil’s Harbour (you’ll see this in the map). This will allow you to see more lovely coastal views. He also recommended Beulach Ban Falls which was the easiest access to a falls I’ve experienced. Just park your car and few meters ahead, you can enjoy its beauty.
Skyline Trail, Cheticamp: Skyline Trail for me was definitely one of the highlights. We took the long route/loop of 8.2 kms. You have the option to cut this short. The lookout was just amazing – seeing the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the winding Cabot Trail road, and the mountains! We took time to take in all the view.
After this we headed to Cheticamp where we had dinner at a family run restaurant, Le Gabriel, and had a very tasty fish (Atlantic salmon) and chips meal. We did not have time to explore this fishing village as it was late already, so we headed to our hotel next. Driving at night in Cabot Trail can be unnerving as there are limited streetlights and cliff/bay on your side. I don’t recommend it so avoid it if you can.
Glenora Inn and Distillery: We arrived in the evening and we were very excited because our room looked absolutely relaxing with upscale amenities. We did splurge a bit on this accommodation. The next day we did the distillery tour of their single-malt whiskey. We had a small sip/taste of their 10-year-old whiskey. The place is just stunning as it was situated near the hills and spring. The fall colours made the place look more stunning.
Antigonish and Halifax: We were planning to go to Sydney to check out the Celtic Festival and then we learned it will be broadcasted online this year (no onsite). We forego this plan and headed to Halifax which was 3.5 hours away. We stopped by Antigonish and ate at Brownstone Restaurant recommended by a friend whose husband grew up in this city. I had pan-fried haddock and friends had seafood casserole. We arrived Halifax early evening and checked out their Waterfront. Then we checked in at Best Western Hotel (yey, more points!)
Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay: The next day before heading to Peggy’s Cove (less than an hour away from Halifax), we checked out quickly the Citadel National Historic Site. We saw lots of joggers and up there you can see a good view of the Town Clock and of the city.
In Peggy’s Cove, what impressed me was not only the lighthouse but the big rocks/boulders around it plus the view of the waters. Another 1.5 hours drive, you get to Lunenburg where it is known for its colourful buildings and great waterfront. It feels like you are transported in time – 18th to 19th century era. Less than 15 minutes away is another similar place called Mahone Bay. We had our late lunch at Mateus Bistro and I had my seafood chowder and vegan sandwich. My friend was just praising her mussels with spicy Thai curry sauce. Once energized, we took a stroll in the area where they had this annual scarecrow display in most houses and shops. We also went in the museum that gave a glimpse of the history of the place. The immigrants here are mostly from Germany, southern France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. At one point in time, British officials gave an incentive to those willing to move to Nova Scotia from these countries.
We flew back to Toronto on Thanksgiving Day and we were able to buy cooked lobsters at Clearwater Seafoods in time to enjoy these for lunch with our families. They have two branches – one at the Halifax airport and the other one at Bedford. They can prepare the packaging for you so you can either check-in or hand carry.
With God’s favour that we have felt and seen throughout our trip, this was definitely something to be deeply grateful for on Thanksgiving Day and for the rest of our lives. If you do get to go, enjoy every minute of it!
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