Many friends, in planning their own trips out East, have asked for the itinerary for our 8-week adventure so they can hit the ground running with their own preparations. Here are the places we saw, locations where we stayed and some great spots to eat so that you can borrow ideas and inspiration for your own travels!
Our route took us through Canada on the way there and the US on the way back. The drive back through inland Maine was beautiful and we’ll need to plan a whole US East Coast trip sometime soon. While on our trip, we got used to the Maritime scenery and noticed when we returned home that we missed the ocean! We had become accustomed to the rhythm of the tides and watching for whales and seals in the water and seeing lighthouses all over the place. There is definitely an Atlantic Canada charm that gets in your blood when you spend time out East.
Here are the places we stopped along the way. These places became a jumping off location for exploring many other surrounding towns and sites of interest. You can find links to the details of each location below the map.
- Québec City, Québec
- Grand Falls, New Brunswick
- Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick
- Moncton, New Brunswick
- Cape Breton National Park, Nova Scotia
- Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
- Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
- Digby Peninsula, Nova Scotia
- Central Prince Edward Island
- St. Andrews, New Brunswick
- Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick
Week 1 – Québec City
There were so many great family things to do in Québec City, including discovering one of our favourite restaurants. Our time here set a high bar for the rest of the trip!
Week 2 – Grand Falls & Kouchibouguac
This was the most peaceful week of our trip. It started with a zip-lining adventure and then continued with enjoying everything this National Park has to offer.
Week 3 – Moncton Area
We were in Moncton to visit with family and discovered some cool experiences there. Plus, it offered a launching point for exploring the sites along the northern coast of the Bay of Fundy.
Week 4 – Cape Breton Island
For those that love hiking, nature and incredible views, Cape Breton Island is the place for you! We hitched a boat ride with some local fisherman and learned all about catching lobsters.
Week 5 – Halifax & Lunenburg
Halifax is a beautiful, vibrant city and we found plenty of fun and interesting things to do in the area. Nothing felt more maritime than our day trip to historic Lunenburg!
Week 6 – Yarmouth & Digby Peninsula
We spent a quiet week parked on the shore of the Bay of Fundy in west Nova Scotia. The tides were incredible to witness and our day-trip to the Digby Peninsula was one of our favourite excursions.
Week 7 – Prince Edward Island
Our 10-year old described PEI as “one big small town” and she was absolutely right. We were wowed by the stunning red coastline, the beautiful countryside and the friendly people.
Week 8 – St. Andrews & Grand Manan Island
Our last week was spent in scenic St. Andrews on the south-west coast of New Brunswick. From here it was a short drive to the ferry that would take us on our day trip to Grand Manan Island.
Like most of our trips, this was a “life travel” adventure. That means that we lived, worked, schooled and explored all at the same time. This article on “Our Experiment in Life Travel” describes what we’ve learned through our years of living this way and may be helpful if you’re curious about embarking on your own “life travel” journey!
