Nova Scotia/PEI planning & camping tips

[dukester]

We are planning to spend Jul and Aug in PEI and Nova Scotia. Any great campsite recommendations? Any tips on roads or areas to avoid? And on the flip, any recommendations of places/routes to definitely do? We'll be coming up through New England. Checked the Bar Harbor ferry but it seems pricey. Given that time is on our side, we thought it might be better to just drive it all. Thanks for any advice!!

[Steve & Susan]

We did CLE to HFX three times, two with U-Haul trailers, once with our AS.
If you go up through Maine and cross into NB, take LOTS of money for the Maine Pike. Then that stretch of the QE from Holton ME to roughly Monckton has spotty cell coverage and minimal gas stations. But it is a BEAUTIFUL drive!
We sayed at the Halifax (Sackville) KOA - pretty nice.
Didn't do PEI - saving that for another trip.
Be sure to visit Peggy's Cove and fisherman's cove in HFX.
We also crossed at Calais and went through NB along the coast - also a beautiful trip!
Drink LOTS of Tim Horton's coffee and Tim Bits!
Whale watching in the Bay of Fundy is a great way to spend a day.
Take the Harbour Hopper tour of Halifax - it is a hoot!
And have some Kilkenney Ale in a pub in HFX - not available in the states and it's YUMMY!
The waterfront in downtonwn HFX has lots of good restaurants and shopping.
Have a GREAT trip - take a good camera - there are LOTS of great pictures!

[65Safari65]

Another ferry option is the St. John-Digby NS, which is mush less expensive than "The Cat". Saint John Digby Ferry Service — Bay Ferries We did this with our Safari in '04. Due to a long line at the border, we got to the ferry terminal too late for the last run, and they told us we could just park overnight and be first in line for the first run in the morning! We had fun crawling around the old fortifications (WW2?) near the terminal, and watching the 20+ foot tide blast in to the Bay of Fundy.
Luneneburg has a great city-run campground perched at about the highest point, with great harbor views. We had a wonderful time hiking around town, buying lobsters for dinner (something like $8 a pound), and seeing the area. We used Lunenburg as our base for exploration. The drive from Digby to Lunenburg was a bit rough, but as long as your rig is in good shape, you should be fine. It's a great trip- have fun!

Brad

[dstalzer]

In PEI there is an Airstream Park - Bayside RV Campground that gives discounts for Airstreams and is owned by Airstreamers.

[streamer23]

Originally Posted by dstalzer

In PEI there is an Airstream Park - Bayside RV Campground that gives discounts for Airstreams and is owned by Airstreamers.

The owners Michael and Leonard are very nice people.The campground is located in Oyster Bed Bridge PEI.

[silverbeauty]

Hi!
I am from PEI and we go camping every weekend in our Airstream. I would be happy to give some recommendations, what do you like to do?
PEI has many great campgrounds, beaches, restaurants......
I would recommend taking the ferry over to the island, do a few nights and leave the Confederation Bridge. (you pay only when leaving the Island, and the ferry is more expensive for a truck/trailer)The bridge is pretty neat, 13K, and although you can't stop on the bridge, while you are driving it is quite beautiful to see over the Northumberland Strait from your truck.

For campgrounds, I like the Provincial Campgrounds over the National Park Campgrounds. The Provincial Campgrounds are always clean, and are way less expensive than the National Campgrounds, where you have to pay the park entrance fee as well, so it is almost $50 per night and not worth it for what you get, as the beaches are not any nicer, and the roads are bad within the National Park boundaries.
(not that the roads are good anywhere in eastern Canada...but it is worth it)

I would definately recommend spending one night at least touring the east end of the Island. A great Campground in Eastern PEI is Red Point Provincial Park. It is on a really nice beach, in an area famous for "singing sands" and also close to Basin Head, where there is also a nice beach and place to jump off a small bridge with us crazy locals.

If you are just getting off the ferry and want to set up the BBQ quick and get drink, the Northumberland campground is along the shore as well, 5 minutes from the ferry, and has nice big sites, (it is very quiet there- don't get too upset if you don't get to meet many people) The Northumberland is a great starting point for a nice bike ride or drive along the shore to Murray Harbour, for some nice seafood Chowder at Brehaut's Restaurant.....a bottle of wine at Rosignol Winery

I would also recommend spending some time around the Rustico area, and you could contact Michael or Leonard at Bayside RV Park in Oyster Bed for reservations at their park. They are airstream owners and I believe that there are at least 3 airstreams there all summer. That area is beautiful, rustic, friendly. Deep sea fishing in that area would be fun. Cavendish is OK, but overrated in my books. It's small ports like Rustico,that give the Island it's character.


Some highlights of PEI you wouldn't want to miss:
-a day at the beach, a sunset on the water,
-bring your gold clubs if you like golfing.......(I can't help you in that area)
-Seafood, and fresh veggies at roadside stands and farmers Co-ops and markets
-a kitchen party or Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-lee) for local music/dance/party
-if you cycle, the Confederation trail is great
-a play at The Confederation Centre in Charlottetown
-dinner and drinks in Charlottetown (lots of great choices)
-a lobster supper at St. Ann's Church
I could go on and on. PEI is a beautiful place in the summer, with lots to do. Maybe I could better help if I knew what you like to do, and if you are travelling with children, etc..........I also know every campground on the Island, so if you have any questions.....please ask!
While you are here...if you need any advice, or help, you could also contact me......we know so many people, honest mechanics, etc.
I am excited for you. It will be a wonderful trip!

[dukester]

Added info is that it will only be my wife, dog and myself traveling. We have the two months so we were thinking of parking our RV in several spots on each island for a few weeks per spot as a base to explore from. Any additional "base location" suggestions would be appreciated. For that matter, is half our time on each island a good allocation?

Also any tips on internet/phone? Our provider (AT&T) has lousy Canadian plans with charges/min and per kilobyte. Is Wifi generally available everywhere? Suggestions about the province campgrounds sounds interesting. Do they generally have full hookups? We could bring a generator with us if necessary.

Thanks again in advance for any suggestions!

[pmclemore]

Very timely post and responses - Page and I will be about a month behind. We're heading up that way in Aug-Sep. Not sure of our plans, but this helps a lot.

Melissa, you are a valuable resource. Thanks so much.

Pat

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by dukester

Added info is that it will only be my wife, dog and myself traveling. We have the two months so we were thinking of parking our RV in several spots on each island for a few weeks per spot as a base to explore from. Any additional "base location" suggestions would be appreciated. For that matter, is half our time on each island a good allocation?

Also any tips on internet/phone? Our provider (AT&T) has lousy Canadian plans with charges/min and per kilobyte. Is Wifi generally available everywhere? Suggestions about the province campgrounds sounds interesting. Do they generally have full hookups? We could bring a generator with us if necessary.

Thanks again in advance for any suggestions!

We went to NS and PEI last year with our Airstream club to attend the Region 1 Rally and found that all but one of the campgrounds we stayed at had WiFi (though at most of them we needed to go to the office as the WiFi didn't reach our site). Our Verizon service also had / has crappy rates for Canada so we purchased a 100 minute calling card to use with our On-Star system in our truck which worked out for us as we used Skype to call out when we had an internet connection. You could purchase a MagicJack which will give you cheap inbound / outbound voice over IP too (you'll need an internet connection of course). What I missed when we traveled "up north" was the ability to use my mobile phone's interenet access while we were in transit. I could have used it but the per minute charges for this service in Canada made it cost prohibitive.

Oh, full hookups are available in most private campgrounds in NS and PEI.

[silverbeauty]

There are both 2 way/dump stations and 3 way sites at all Provincial campgrounds that I have been to here on the Island. I am not sure about WiFi, b/c we escape/ hide out from our family/customers while we are Airstreaming!
The only campground on PEI that does not allow animals is New Glasgow (private) Too bad because it is a lovely park, I have walked through, but couldn't stay- No cats allowed!
There are a few concerts happening on the Island this summer- Reba and Tim McGraw play in Cavendish at a three day event July 10-12 is a big one. It would be hard to get a campsite close to Cavendish on those dates, heads up. I would probably just stay out of that area on those dates, unless you are into Country Music.....there could be tickets still available- $60 per day.

[ticki2]

Don't miss Cape Breton , and if you play an instrument bring it with you , they will adopt you . Two months in the Maritimes will be a blast no matter where you go.

[GreggH]

Hi,
Silverbeauty did a great job introducing the Island and if you get to Rustico would like to welcome you to stop in for a visit. We live in Tn but have had a cottage in Rusticoville for 31 years. It's on Rustico bay with great views of Rustico fishing village. We will be arriving the second week in July and stay past Labor Day. Maybe we could help you to get your bearings in that area.
We always stop in the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park (don't miss the Schoodic Pennisula section of Acadia NP) area on the way up and I'd suggest driving up through NB with a stop at Hopewell Rocks and then a couple of days at Fundy National Park.
If you're interested send a pm and I'll give you some contact info. The Island is a great place, sure you'll have a great time there.
GreggH

[silverbeauty]

Fundy Park in NB wonderful for hiking and exploring. The sticky buns at the bakery within the park are worth the drive by themselves.

[65Safari65]

Little article in the NY Times today that might be helpful:
Q&A: Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island - In Transit Blog - NYTimes.com

Brad

[Pam]

We led a caravan from Maine, through NB, Cape Breton and PEI last summer. I must say one of my favorite campgrounds was in NB.

Kiwanis Oceanfront Campground
Oceanfront Camping Campground - St. Andrews New Brunswick Canada - all facilities
Ocean views, friendly, walk to the village.
St Andrews By The Sea

This was our first stop after crossing from Maine to NB. Stopping for a break in St. Stephen's. Town of St. Stephen, the chocolate capital of Canada. Shopping, museum.

Definitely get to the Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Cape, and kayak the bay at high tide and walk the beach at low tide. There are reasonable tours and kayak rentals right there.
Welcome to New Brunswick's Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy
Very nearby is a small campground, Ponderosa Pines Park Family Campground, Map of Ponderosa Pines Family Campground, Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, or stay in Moncton, which is a city and not too far of a drive. There's also the Fundy National Park, more of a drive.

Another hint....
After Nova Scotia or Cape Breton, drive to Caribou, Nova Scotia and take the ferry to Wood Island, PEI. The boat ride over is free, the pay for the trip off island, via the bridge. PEI Nova Scotia Ferry Service — NFL Ferries

Camping on PEI:
Bayside RV Campground - Prince Edward Island


Have fun...

[silverbeauty]

Hi Dukester
I tried to reply to your private message, but you are not able to receive messages on airforums and your email address was undeliverable....

...to narrow it down....

If I was coming to PEI for the first time, and enjoyed the arts and cycling, I would be in luck. As well as the other ideas I mentioned...
I would consider camping in a central location, for day trips. Bayside RV that I mentioned earlier and Marcopololand are two that I would recommend in central PEI that are both clean and dog friendly. Both of these are about 30 minutes from Charlottetown.
In Eastern PEI, Brudenell is a nice provincial Park that is about 40 minutes east of Charlottetown, it is on the Brudenell River, so it is nice for kayaking, but not for swimming. Red Point Provincial Campground is quite far east, 5 minutes past Souris and quite far away from town, but it in located on a beautiful beach....Personally, I prefer the east end of the Island to the west for a base for touring. I live east of Charlottetown now, but grew up on the western part of the Island. Definately tour it all. The windmills, for example, in West Cape are very cool.

OK- some arts culture highlilghts of the Island (that I know of...I am sure that there are many more you would enjoy that I don't know of)
-When you get to PEI, grab a free copy of "The Buzz" which is a monthy newspaper of the arts & entertainment happening on the Island. You can also read it at www.buzzon.com
also, check out www.festivalspei.com for festivals and events happening while you are here, fiddle festivals, concerts, etc.

East:
-I would recommend that you go to a ceilidh while here, and have heard that the One in Orwell Corner is fun. It is a historic village located about 30 minutes east of Charlottetown. The number for reservations is 902 651-8515. www.orwellcorner.ca
- I have heard good things about the Kings Playhouse in Georgetown, which is close to Brudenell Campground. The Georgetown Inn is a nice place to eat, to make a night of it.

In the Charlottetown area, I would recommend a meal or drinks on Victoria Row, which is downtown. The street is closed to traffic and on most weekend nights, there is live music on the street and outside tables to sit at. It is Jazz music quite often.
-Harness Racing (well, this is PEI culture, folks!)
-The Anne of Green Gables Musical is great at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
-as I mentioned before there are some great restaurants (Hunters on Kent for steaks and huge portions of grub, Sirenellos for Italien, and many many others)
-Lobster suppers- or just be like one of us, bring it back to the campground, and go to your picnic table, cover it with plastic and/or newspaper and dive in!

If you would like to read a book that truely speaks "PEI" pick up a copy of David Weale's book entitled "Them Times" and read it while at the beach. David is an Island Historian and storyteller, and if you see that he is speaking anywhere while you are here, go.

Ok..that is all I can think of for now....
oh, yes, the Confederation Trail is a cycling trail that goes from one end of the Island to the other. (used to be the railroad) They will have maps on where you can pick up a trail at Tourist Information Centre. I like the trail. It is peaceful.

[Pam]

All this talk of PEI makes me want to head north again!

[dukester]

Many thanks Pam & Melissa. Great rec's. Getting close to departure day (this Wed!). David Weale's book ("Them Times") especially sounds like a great way to while away some time by the water!

[Pam]

When you get to the East Coast, check into some of the WBCCI Units that may be hosting events. You may want to check in and visit a bit.

We are in Massachusetts and are happy to make suggestions for stopping as you come through.

Have a safe trip across. Which route are you taking? We have traveled across to Washington State and CA via 90 and 80. As well as coming back across from San Clemente. So much to see. Have a great time.

[streamer23]

I just returned from Lunenburg and while driving by the campground there spotted a beautiful late model Airstream with a couple of folks sitting out behind.I stopped to say Hi and learned it was dukester who is the streamer who started this thread.
Earlier in this thread Melissa (silverbeauty) was giving some advice to dukester on what to see and do when they get to Prince Edward Island.I had stopped in on the Canadian Atlantic Unit's rally in Lunenburg last week to say Hi and saw Melissa's trailer there but they were out at the time.
Found it to be a coincidence that dukester was parked in the exact site that silverbeauty was parked in last week.
I enjoyed my conversation with dukester and his wife and again my feeling was reinforced on what a great bunch of folks Airstreamers are.