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7 Day Trip to PEI and Cape Breton Islands with Vegetarian Options

7 Day Trip to PEI and Cape Breton Islands with Vegetarian Options

Old Jul 25th, 2017, 06:01 PM
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7 Day Trip to PEI and Cape Breton Islands with Vegetarian Options

We are planning a 7 day trip to PEI and Cape Breton Islands this August. We will be flying into Bangor ME, and flying back from there. We will have full 7 days and nights in between.
Having briefly read through earlier posts on this topic and inputs from @NorthwestMale and others, I have arrived at this rough plan. It would be great if I can get a reality check to see if these are doable and also if I missed anything/alternate suggestions are welcome.

Day 1

Leave Bangor, ME for St John, NB early in the morning

Saint John City Market
Irving Nature Park
Fundy National Park
Hopewell Hills / Hopewell Cape? – These seems like 2 different locations, which one to choose?
Rest in Moncton

Day 2

Tidal Bore
Charlottetown
Cavendish Area and Beach

Day 3

PEI and take the ferry to Pictou
Baddeck, Cabot Trail
Cape Breton Highlands National Park


Day 4

Baddeck, Cabot Trail
Ingonish /Middle Head Trail (Ingonish)

Day 5

Cape Breton Island, Drive to Truro, and reach Halifax by evening/night.

Day 6

Halifax Area /Peggys Cove

Day 7

Mahone Bay/ Lunenburg and head back to Bangor, ME

Need a couple of suggestions on top of this -
1. We were wondering and hoping if we can find some good places to eat, along the route that offer vegetarian choices?
2. What is a good place to go whale watching along this route?
3. Considering the above, suggestions of where (Town) to stay on each night will be appreciated.

Please let me know for any additional details/questions.
Best Regards
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 03:50 AM
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That's a lot of destinations in 7 days - I would seriously consider dropping at least one of them - i.e. either Saint John, PEI (you're really only driving thru it), Cape Breton or Halifax and south.
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 04:03 AM
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Places to stay - we enjoyed these 3 places on a trip last year to the area

Charlottetown - Ocean Peek B&B

https://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/oce...al&type=total&

Baddeck - Worn Door Step

http://www.worndoorstep.baddeck.com/

Lunenberg/Mahone Bay area - Atlantic View

http://www.atlanticview.ca/
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 07:26 AM
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VAResident,

I agree with ElizabethS. From my experience, it's too much. I feel tired just looking at it; it's like you're whizzing through, almost leaving yourself no time to actually enjoy anything. I'd remove either PEI or Lunenburg/Mahone Bay, as much as I love each of these areas. The Tidal Bore in Moncton can be dropped, especially if you're going to the Hopewell Rocks right before to see the Fundy Tides.

Best wishes, Daniel
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 07:33 AM
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Daniel - I used to go to Moncton a lot on business and thought "bore" was the operative word
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 08:38 AM
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@Elizabeth_S and @Danial_Williams, thank you so much for your inputs.

I may be able to add a day to this itinerary, a day and half at the max. Do you guys think I can make it work with an extra day?
As you suggest, I would rather take the time and 'smell the roses' than speed through the itinerary.
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 11:17 AM
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VAResident - could you say why you chose the destinations? That might help
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 12:10 PM
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Ah good question! We were thinking about exploring the Canadian East Coast for a while and had heard that PEI and Cape Breton Islands were beautiful. It is also a good gateway from the hot DC summer.
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 12:25 PM
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But why those specific choices? Is there something in particular that interests you about them?
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 02:59 PM
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Well, mountains, oceans and beaches, away from the crowds and the fact that we haven't been to this place before.
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 03:24 PM
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VAResident--

A day would help; I think what exhausted me though most was your plan to do interesting things and ALSO travel for many hours on the same day. Such as Day 7: Lunenburg/Mahone Bay and then back to Bangor. You won't be enjoying either Mahone Bay or Lunenburg because you'll be looking at that watch and all those hours on the road ahead of you.

Here's a potential plan which is a bit more "smell the roses", but keeping with the spirit of what you want to do.

Day 1 Bangor ME to Saint John NB. This way you can just enjoy Saint John, without feeling you're rushing onward. You could possibly stop in St. Andrew's.

Day 2 Saint John to PEI, stopping in Hopewell Rocks on the way.

Day 3 Spend a second night at same hotel in PEI. Explore PEI from this base...Charlottetown, Cavendish (Anne of Green Gables), Brackley Beach, Victoria-by-the-Sea, whatever catches your fancy.

Day 4 Ferry from Wood Islands to Pictou. Travel to Cape Breton (maybe Baddeck NS? Explore Baddeck.) This is a long-ish day of travel, so best not to over-plan things.

Day 5. Cabot Trail, end in Ingonish, Cheticamp, maybe same hotel in Baddeck again, so you're not always packing & unpacking, up to you.

Day 6. Cape Breton town to Halifax. A non-negligible drive. Stroll Halifax in the evening.

Day 7. Peggy's Cove & Lunenburg OR Halifax & Peggy's Cove. Spend night at same hotel in Halifax as Day 6 or Lunenburg.

Day 8. Drive Halifax (Lunenburg) to Bangor. Long day driving with border crossing, best not to plan too much.

This plan drops Moncton. I have spent time in Moncton as a consequence of waiting for trains to Montreal after PEI visits. As ElizabethS and my Monctonian friends say only half-jokingly, the Tidal Bore is known as the "Total Bore". Expecting nothing of it and since I had a morning & afternoon in Moncton anyway when I went, I found it fun in a sort of campy way, but zero expectations were key. I've had fun in and like charmingly bilingual Moncton, but I think it's ok to bypass it to focus on your twin goals of PEI/Cape Breton.
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Old Jul 26th, 2017, 04:33 PM
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@Daniel_Williams, your plan looks good. I will heed to your advice and drop Moncton. Thanks so much for your time.

Any other insider tips, please keep 'em coming.

I shall provide an update during the trip if possible, or once we are back to let you guys know how things went.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

Best Regards.
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Old Jul 27th, 2017, 02:41 PM
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Daniel_Williams/Elizabeth_S,

In looking at the route again, I was wondering if it helps to complete the Halifax areas first and then go on to Cape Breton Island and finally to PEI?
This way, we travel only 6 hours from PEI to Bangor on the last day, instead of 7 hours from Halifax area to Bangor.

Let me know your thoughts...
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Old Aug 15th, 2017, 05:24 PM
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Daniel and Elizabeth,

Thank you both for you comments and suggestions, our trip to NS and PEI was wonderful. Here is what we did in 9 days.

Day 1. Bangor ME to Saint John NB - On the way, we stopped at Kingsbrae Garden in St. Andrew's and Irving Nature Park.

Day 2. Saint John to PEI - Started with St John's City Market in the AM, with stopping in Fundy National Park and Hopewell Rocks on the way.
Spent the night in Farmhouse Inn and Cottage near Rustico. This place was wonderful.

Day 3. Explore PEI - North Rustico Beach, Cavendish Area and Beach.
Spent the night in Charlottetown.

Day 4. Explore PEI - Victoria Park, St. Dunstan's Basilica and Charlottetown shops. Point Prim Lighthouse and Wood Islands Lighthouse.
Took Ferry from Wood Islands to Pictou. Dinner at Gabrieau's Bistro in Antigonish and spent the night at the Cove Motel in Aulds Cove.

Day 5. Cabot Trail - Inverness, Cheticamp, and Pleasant Bay. It rained on this day, and hence we couldn't do much outdoor activities, but enjoyed the good views. Missed the sunset in Cheticamp, due to rain.
Spent the night in Bay Saint Lawrence.

Day 6. Cabot Trail - Sunrise at Cabot's landing Provincial Park. Zip lining near Neils Harbor. Neil's Harbor and Lighthouse Ice cream Parlor. Ice cream was OK, nothing to write home about.
Ingonish Area and Ingonish Beach. We missed doing the Middle Head Trail because of Zip lining...
Spent the night at Lynwood Inn in Baddeck.

Day 7. Baddeck Area and drive to Halifax - Usige Ban Falls and Alexander Graham Bell museum. Drive to Halifax.

Day 8. Halifax Area - Peggy's Cove, Point Pleasant Park, Downtown Halifax.

Day 9. Halifax Board walk and drive from Halifax to Bangor.
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Old Aug 16th, 2017, 04:27 AM
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VAResident,

Thanks so much for reporting back. I'm pleased you went at the pace you did, a steady clip but not so fast that you didn't have time to appreciate things--admittedly faster than I take things in that part of the world, but I understand some people want more of an overview and to see as much as possible. For me, I linger more as I know I'll make it back living in not-as-far-away Quebec and having some close friends in PEI. So glad you had a wonderful time in Atlantic Canada!

Daniel
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