Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:45:22 -0700
Reply-To: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Malcolm Stebbins <mwstebbins@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Camping and places to go the maritime provinces of Canada
In-Reply-To: <E1BvTNU-0002xS-00@smtp02.mrf.mail.rcn.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
From New England:
Joy: I'd suggest that you search the archives for (author) stebbins and (Subject) Scotia (and
then Newfoundland) since 1 jan 1998 and you'll get most of what I have to say. If you are VERY
adventuresome, and have time to get to Newfoundland, then there is a GREAT loop trip that goes
north through Quebec and Labrador with ferries over to Newfoundland and ferries back to Nova
Scotia and then ferries back to Maine. If you again search the archives for Stebbins and
Newfoundland you will get what I have to say on that subject. here are my main posts (the road
is now open).
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0202D&L=vanagon&P=R18700
and
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0301A&L=vanagon&P=R5959
and
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0301A&L=vanagon&P=R13441
and
In July 2004 we did the trip from Wash DC to Halifax you can read our trip report at:
http://gerry.vanagon.com/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A2=ind0407D&L=vanagon&P=R18106
We live in Halifax and my wife and I are both University profs at the VERY small Mt. St. Vincent U
(nothing like MIT). You are welcome to stay with us (non-smoking, no pets, no drunks). At the
least we can offer you a driveway and toilet/shower & internet.
I HIGHLY recommend that you purchase the Lonely Planet Canada's Maritime Provinces ISBN:
1740590236 and the Lonely Planet New England ASIN: 0864425708. After reading these you will know
more about these areas than anyone on the list, except me of course :-)
There are MANY ways to do an Atlantic Canada trip. This trip can be a nice loop trip clockwise or
counter-clockwise. I'll describe the clockwise trip:
Head up the Maine coast, in Freeport Maine there are many outlet stores (LLBean & the like).
Then US 1 (past Portland) is slow but scenic in places. It is possible to cross into Canada where
Maine and New Brunswick (NB) meet by the ocean. (Lubec Maine, Not at Calais). This will put you
on some NB islands: Campobello and Grand Manan isle. Eventually you can make your way (via
several ferries) to the NB mainland. St. Andrews by the Sea, is worth a look and there is a good
camp ground right on the ocean in town (Kiwanis maybe). Going up the NB coast, take Highway 915
down to the Fundy Nat'l Park & Hopewell Rocks.
Here one can decide to go up through NB to Quebec’s Gaspe Penn. and, if one is so inclined the
Quebec-Labrador-Newfoundland loop. I will leave this out of this discussion and assume that you
are heading into NS & PEI.
When you enter Nova Scotia (NS) you can hop over to PEI on the bridge and then do PIE and come
back to NS on the ferry from Wood Island to Pictou. This makes it a loop trip. If you skip PEI,
you can just drive along the northern coast of NS while driving over the Cape Breton Island (North
East, NS). A drive around the Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands Nat'l Park is worth a drive
and also a visit to Louisbourg Fort (Nat'l Park) is interesting (a working outdoor museum on the
east coast of Cape Breton Island).
Now is a good time to decide if you are going to Newfoundland as the ferries leave from Sydney
Mines on Cape Breton’s north shore. Take one ferry over and the other ferry back, that way it is
a loop trip. While in Newfoundland be sure to visit the Gross Morne Natl Park and L'Anse Aux
Meadows (both on the NW Nfld coast line). The law in Newfoundland is that the first 10 feet (or
so) of coastline is public so you can stop and camp anywhere.
My preference is to NOT miss Newfoundland, as it is unspoiled beauty. PEI is spoiled (crass
commercialism) flatland (but with some nice beaches).
So now it is time to head back home. So I'd suggest coming down the east coast of NS along
highway 7 to Halifax, Visit us, and the picture perfect Peggy's Cove, then down along 'the south
shore" where you can cut across to Kejimkujik Nat'l Park (nice canoeing and some wilderness camp
sites out in the lake). Then you can either cross back into NB at Digby to St John, or continue
south to NS's Yarmouth and take (an expensive) ferry to either Maine's Bar Harbor or Portland.
Then it's up to you to get home.
Of course this could be done in reverse.
This trip will take you about a good month PLUS to do, unless you like driving 10 hours/day, day
after day after day. Longer if you do the Quebec-Labrador-Newfoundland loop.
Get a hold of the AAA NE Campground and the one for Canada, and/or Woodall's Eastern Campground
Directory and if you like KOA and/or Don Wright's Guide to Free Campgrounds: Eastern Edition (
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0937877409/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/102-5038717-0474524?v=glance&s=books&st=*
)
If you like to “Stealth Camp” then the New Brunswick Atlas ISBN 1551094371; The Nova Scotia
Atlas ISBN 0887805213 and Atlas of Newfoundland & Labrador ISBN 1550810006 will show you EVERY
little side road that you can take to stealth camp in NB & NS & Nfld
So, you have your work cut out for you in the next little while to do your MIT research and plan a
great trip. IT can take you 10 days or 10 weeks, it’s up to you.
I’m in Halifax and you are welcome to stay. Call us at 1-902-457-9499. OK? Malcolm & Patricia
There is a looming strike of CDN Nat’l park employees so you may get free camping at all Nat’l
parks if you’re willing to cross a picket line.
I’ve taken all of the joy out you planning your own trip. If I do much more for you, I’ll be
driving your van. Enjoy, Malcolm,
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