Nova Scotia advice sought

[cruisincruzan]

My daughter and I are planning our trips for next year. We are going to take two weeks to go to NS. Work prevents my daughter from going in June. We were thinking the last two weeks of May or mid-July. Advice/Opinions concerning which time frame, or another, is preferred and why would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Visian]

Ride the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise for better views.

Visit the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck.

Eat a lobster at Peggy's Cove.

Ian

 

[Paul_F]

Along the way, if time permits visit the Hopewell Rocks along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.

Ride the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise to avoid left hand turns across traffic at viewing sites.

On Cape Breton, off the Cabot Trail is the Fortress of Louisbourg. When captured by the British, they razed the fortress. However the original plans were kept in France and in the nineteen twenties or so, a portion of the fortress was reconstructed. I have visited it twice and enjoyed it each time. https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg. The nearby trailer park has a few campsites.

Check the Louisbourg Playhouse schedule for a live performance when in the area. I've visited three times and have been very happy with the local performances. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/louisbourg-playhouse/1456

If camping, try Meat Cove at the apex of Cape Breton Island. Might wish to call ahead as there are only a few campsites but what a wonderful view and the best calm chowder I've ever had. (Just don't pitch your tent right on the edge of the cliff.)

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is located in Halifax and well worth a visit. If interested in the Titanic, they have information. Also in Halifax there is a graveyard for many of the Titanic's victims.

Nearby is Peggy's Cove, an oldie and well photographed lighthouse but always worth a return visit for me. As I recall the restaurant overlooking the lighthouse has OK meals. The village is picturesque and worth stopping for photographs. Along the road to the lighthouse is a memorial to the Swiss Air Victims. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/swissair-memorial-site-peggys-cove/1636

Some of the coastal back roads roads are usually paved but not always in the best repair; protect your rims by keeping your tires well inflated.

Check out the Nova Scotia's tourism website. As well, contact them and ask for maps and handouts for things to see in their province. They are more than willing to mail items to you. https://www.novascotia.com/ New Brunswick will do the same for you. https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/contact-us

Make good use of your credit card (and carry a bit of Cdn cash) as you will not always get the best exchange rate when using your American cash; found that out the hard way.

If you have a beemer problem, the closest dealer is in Dieppe NB. A former dealer working as now an independent is Adrian's Cycle (506-382-0262). On my last trip, the R1100's clutch failed. The dealer wouldn't look at it but Adrian had me back on the road.

Good meals can be found at Irving Gas Stations. If you sit at the counter you'll get faster service than at a table. When I eat on the road, I always order, give the tip at that time and ask for the bill to come with the food. Too many times (everywhere) when I'm in a hurry and wish to pay up and leave, the server seems to be always on their coffee or lunch/supper break. Beats hanging around waiting for your bill to eventually appear.

The people in both N.S. & N.B. are very, very friendly and helpful. Both provinces are very scenic, with Nova Scotia being the winner of the two.

Explore the two provinces' websites and well as what they mail to you. Visiting both provinces will not be disappointing.

I do not know about the Maritimes, but I've discovered (since COVID) that more folks are camping and motels have become more pricey. Therefore it might be advisable, even if only twenty-four hours in advance, to book the next night's accommodation. Last summer showing up at motels and campsites in Ontario did not mean there was a room or a campsite available for me.

Have a great trip in two of our four Maritime provinces!

 

[elementist]

Motoplex in Moncton/Dieppe bought freedom cycle in Halifax, so there is a BMW dealer in NS now. Freedom already did the maintenance on my F800GT while it was around before they were even a BMW dealer. Good crew there.

I always recommend riding the trail both ways if you have time. Counter has some benefits, but clockwise has some as well, including the inside away from some of the worst gravel turnoffs which is safer and cleaner if you aren't stopping at each one. I did my counter run yesterday running it clockwise today.

The run from Amherst through advocate harbour used to be amazing but I've heard the road is in bad condition now.

There is a lot of Acadian history in the Annapolis Valley and down to Claire including the first permanent French settlement in North America, site of the Acadian deportation and all that fun stuff.

The south shore has some great local artists and some amazing scenery.

Antigonish has some really good food spots, bit of a hidden gem ive found.

The eastern shore doesn't have a lot, which amusingly that's where I live. Some fun roads and sometime nice scenery but in between horrible roads and fog usually. Sherbrooke is a cute historical town if you like that sort of thing, but unfortunately out of the way otherwise.

It really depends on what you're traveling for but there is a bit for everyone here

 

[skibum69]

I don't know, I think the Eastern Shore is lovely and the Red Rooster café in Grand Desert next to Seaforth is a nice spot for a bit and coffee.

Why aren't you going to Newfoundland?

 

[elementist]

I don't know, I think the Eastern Shore is lovely and the Red Rooster café in Grand Desert next to Seaforth is a nice spot for a bit and coffee.

Why aren't you going to Newfoundland?

Is Seaforth really the Eastern Shore? Kidding but in all honesty I was referring to past Musquodoboit and that stretch up to Canso, there are some small hidden gems absolutely and the people are wonderful but the conditions of some of the roads make getting to them less enjoyable, and they can be few and far between.

 

[skibum69]

I just know they refer to all of that as the Eastern Shore. On my way to Chester a couple of summers ago I had an excellent rip through all of that at rather extralegal pace. It was fun!

 

[elementist]

Chester is the south shore

I have lots of fun but there are some rough sections you need to watch for that aren't getting fixed it seems.

 

[armycopter]

I know this is an older thread but thought it had some great info. My son and I are going to do the same trip in mid to late May 2024. We live in Southern Maine so it’s not too far. We are planning to head up the coast of Maine, explore PEI and NS and then take the Ferry back from Yarmouth to Portland, ME. Looking forward to the trip and if anyone has any more recommendations, I’d be interested in reading them. Thank you.

 

[collingsbob]

The LightHouse Route will take you past scenic harbours like East and West Berlin. There are amazing beaches all the way from Lockport to Halifax. Shelburne has the historic properties on the waterfront and the little known cold war facility that monitored listening devices for russian subs.
I’ll be in Liverpool visiting friends for 4 days in August, riding home to Winnipeg through Maine.

 

[skibum69]

Last 2 weeks of May is pretty early season. You will not be able to rely on good weather and you will hit some cold for sure. July weather wise will be a lot nicer.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

Along the way, if time permits visit the Hopewell Rocks along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.

Ride the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise to avoid left hand turns across traffic at viewing sites.

On Cape Breton, off the Cabot Trail is the Fortress of Louisbourg. When captured by the British, they razed the fortress. However the original plans were kept in France and in the nineteen twenties or so, a portion of the fortress was reconstructed. I have visited it twice and enjoyed it each time. https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg. The nearby trailer park has a few campsites.

Check the Louisbourg Playhouse schedule for a live performance when in the area. I've visited three times and have been very happy with the local performances. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/louisbourg-playhouse/1456

If camping, try Meat Cove at the apex of Cape Breton Island. Might wish to call ahead as there are only a few campsites but what a wonderful view and the best calm chowder I've ever had. (Just don't pitch your tent right on the edge of the cliff.)

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is located in Halifax and well worth a visit. If interested in the Titanic, they have information. Also in Halifax there is a graveyard for many of the Titanic's victims.

Nearby is Peggy's Cove, an oldie and well photographed lighthouse but always worth a return visit for me. As I recall the restaurant overlooking the lighthouse has OK meals. The village is picturesque and worth stopping for photographs. Along the road to the lighthouse is a memorial to the Swiss Air Victims. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/swissair-memorial-site-peggys-cove/1636

Some of the coastal back roads roads are usually paved but not always in the best repair; protect your rims by keeping your tires well inflated.

Check out the Nova Scotia's tourism website. As well, contact them and ask for maps and handouts for things to see in their province. They are more than willing to mail items to you. https://www.novascotia.com/ New Brunswick will do the same for you. https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/contact-us

Make good use of your credit card (and carry a bit of Cdn cash) as you will not always get the best exchange rate when using your American cash; found that out the hard way.

If you have a beemer problem, the closest dealer is in Dieppe NB. A former dealer working as now an independent is Adrian's Cycle (506-382-0262). On my last trip, the R1100's clutch failed. The dealer wouldn't look at it but Adrian had me back on the road.

Good meals can be found at Irving Gas Stations. If you sit at the counter you'll get faster service than at a table. When I eat on the road, I always order, give the tip at that time and ask for the bill to come with the food. Too many times (everywhere) when I'm in a hurry and wish to pay up and leave, the server seems to be always on their coffee or lunch/supper break. Beats hanging around waiting for your bill to eventually appear.

The people in both N.S. & N.B. are very, very friendly and helpful. Both provinces are very scenic, with Nova Scotia being the winner of the two.

Explore the two provinces' websites and well as what they mail to you. Visiting both provinces will not be disappointing.

I do not know about the Maritimes, but I've discovered (since COVID) that more folks are camping and motels have become more pricey. Therefore it might be advisable, even if only twenty-four hours in advance, to book the next night's accommodation. Last summer showing up at motels and campsites in Ontario did not mean there was a room or a campsite available for me.

Have a great trip in two of our four Maritime provinces!

Always Excellent advice from Paul F... who is quite knowledgeable of the Maritimes.
He actually found me once at an overlook, mid afternoon, staring at Fundy void of water.
I didn't know him, we exchanged the usual pleasantries, where he discovered... I was waiting for the water to return.
I'll never forget, he asked "Your going to miss dinner and ride in the dark"?
I promptly followed him the next few days; ate well, went everywhere and seen everything.

 

[mhines]

I know this is an older thread but thought it had some great info. My son and I are going to do the same trip in mid to late May 2024. We live in Southern Maine so it’s not too far. We are planning to head up the coast of Maine, explore PEI and NS and then take the Ferry back from Yarmouth to Portland, ME. Looking forward to the trip and if anyone has any more recommendations, I’d be interested in reading them. Thank you.

I did a PEI via NB coast and back loop, with a quick dip down and back through NS, early last Sept - amazing ride. Definitely recommend the Fundy Trail Parkway in south NB [just east of St. John's]: https://fundytrailparkway.com - I nearly skipped this based on someone's post on another site complaining re high tourist traffic and lower speed limits but omg this is a stunner. Amazing roads and no need for speed as you'll want to catch the views and it is tight!

PEI is a nice place to ride with amazing people and great food. We stayed in Cavendish [she drove up] and it was a great spot to jump off to both ends of the island. Recommend towns including N. Rustico [amazing food], Souris [biased as my grandmother is from here], Alberton [nice people, cool vibe], Murray Harbour [good eats] and Victoria Harbour [best lobster rolls of our lives and we are regular testers including all over ME, sorry!] (Lobster Barn Pub, spec.). Both the coast loop roads and interior roads are great. Don't miss the run out to N. Cape and back down the shore to Western Point, amazing views. Loved all the lighthouses. We had amazing weather, though obviously later in the season.

NB coast down to NS is nice as well but the roads are mixed [lots of construction and potholes]; enjoyed a great meal in Tatamagouche [just fun to say that name]. Only saw a bit of NS but the roads I hit were all very good [except the unpaved ones on my r1100s, lol, but they were survived]. The coast roads I saw [roughly Tangiers to Halifax] were really good. Interiors roads were also SO GOOD. Tons of twists and turns and not a lot of traffic! Passing through NB, I found both Moncton [major town] and Sackville [college town] to be good stopovers with solid hotels and a good amount to choose from, dining-wise.

I will take this opp to shout out the aforementioned Rallye Motoplex & Marine in Dieppe/Moncton [ https://www.rallyemotoplex.ca ]which also has a location in Halifax NS. I stupidly overestimated tire life prior to departing and limped into Moncton on a late Thu. afternoon Labor Day weekend [BUSY season]. The service dept. and parts dept. did me a HUGE solid by putting me to the front of the line Fri. am and getting me back on my way in a matter of a couple hours. Amazing showroom to peruse while waiting, staffed by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Cannot say enough about these folks, they saved my butt from sitting and kept me riding.

In the early stages planning of a trip back to try to loop all of NS this summer, might take the Cat from ME one or both ways to Yarmouth this go as to ensure a complete rotation of the island [it's way bigger than I'd expected, honestly]. The ride over through NB is fairly long [most of a day each way from Calais]. The whole place is pretty much like riding nirvana imo. Proud of my maritime CA roots!

Thanks to all for the tips and tricks. Enjoying ski season but hungry to ride!

 

[skibum69]

You haven't been to Newfoundland yet?

 

[mhines]

You haven't been to Newfoundland yet?

Not yet! But, the Gf's dad is known to sail up there... it's far!

 

[skibum69]

You are correct, it is not close to anything! But is sure is nice up here!

 

[bmw111]

Along the way, if time permits visit the Hopewell Rocks along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.

Ride the Cabot Trail counter-clockwise to avoid left hand turns across traffic at viewing sites.

On Cape Breton, off the Cabot Trail is the Fortress of Louisbourg. When captured by the British, they razed the fortress. However the original plans were kept in France and in the nineteen twenties or so, a portion of the fortress was reconstructed. I have visited it twice and enjoyed it each time. https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg. The nearby trailer park has a few campsites.

Check the Louisbourg Playhouse schedule for a live performance when in the area. I've visited three times and have been very happy with the local performances. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/louisbourg-playhouse/1456

If camping, try Meat Cove at the apex of Cape Breton Island. Might wish to call ahead as there are only a few campsites but what a wonderful view and the best calm chowder I've ever had. (Just don't pitch your tent right on the edge of the cliff.)

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is located in Halifax and well worth a visit. If interested in the Titanic, they have information. Also in Halifax there is a graveyard for many of the Titanic's victims.

Nearby is Peggy's Cove, an oldie and well photographed lighthouse but always worth a return visit for me. As I recall the restaurant overlooking the lighthouse has OK meals. The village is picturesque and worth stopping for photographs. Along the road to the lighthouse is a memorial to the Swiss Air Victims. https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/swissair-memorial-site-peggys-cove/1636

Some of the coastal back roads roads are usually paved but not always in the best repair; protect your rims by keeping your tires well inflated.

Check out the Nova Scotia's tourism website. As well, contact them and ask for maps and handouts for things to see in their province. They are more than willing to mail items to you. https://www.novascotia.com/ New Brunswick will do the same for you. https://tourismnewbrunswick.ca/contact-us

Make good use of your credit card (and carry a bit of Cdn cash) as you will not always get the best exchange rate when using your American cash; found that out the hard way.

If you have a beemer problem, the closest dealer is in Dieppe NB. A former dealer working as now an independent is Adrian's Cycle (506-382-0262). On my last trip, the R1100's clutch failed. The dealer wouldn't look at it but Adrian had me back on the road.

Good meals can be found at Irving Gas Stations. If you sit at the counter you'll get faster service than at a table. When I eat on the road, I always order, give the tip at that time and ask for the bill to come with the food. Too many times (everywhere) when I'm in a hurry and wish to pay up and leave, the server seems to be always on their coffee or lunch/supper break. Beats hanging around waiting for your bill to eventually appear.

The people in both N.S. & N.B. are very, very friendly and helpful. Both provinces are very scenic, with Nova Scotia being the winner of the two.

Explore the two provinces' websites and well as what they mail to you. Visiting both provinces will not be disappointing.

I do not know about the Maritimes, but I've discovered (since COVID) that more folks are camping and motels have become more pricey. Therefore it might be advisable, even if only twenty-four hours in advance, to book the next night's accommodation. Last summer showing up at motels and campsites in Ontario did not mean there was a room or a campsite available for me.

Have a great trip in two of our four Maritime provinces!

I realize this is a dated thread, but what great advice for a NS visit. Thank you.

 

[cruisincruzan]

Great suggestions, I lost track of the thread. My daughter's work limitations have changed and we will be there from 6/3 to 6/14. Have made ferry and initial hotel reservations, looking forward to it. We plan on including PEI. Thanks to all.