Climb aboard on a road trip to Nova Scotia!

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There’s something magical about going on a road trip in Canada; with the rhythm of the road, the variable weather conditions, and the constantly changing scenery providing endless entertainment. We rode the Greyhound back from the United States to Quebec after a wonderful New Year’s celebration, and grabbed a hire car to spend close to a week exploring the Maritime Provinces situated on the east coast of Canada. We clocked up some serious kilometres on the highway, and it was a memorable trip with the best possible travel companion.

Border crossings are such a hassle nowadays, constant reader, and we spent the first day in Quebec Province skirting around the State of Maine before heading down the highway into New Brunswick. I think it’s fair to say we pretty much winged our road trip; with no detailed maps we just decided to hit the road and see what happens. Perhaps we wouldn't get top marks at a military academy with this approach to planning, but it sure was fun! The amazing thing is that random adventures can lead to some of the best highlights of a road trip. After all … we had the car, we had the time, we had the desire, so the rest could take care of itself.

We checked the weather forecast closely before setting off, and there was a storm warning in force for Quebec Province, as well as the Maritime Provinces we hoped to visit. The road trip started off OK, but we missed the Trans Canada turn off into New Brunswick, which made for some challenging driving conditions for my travelling partner, but she did a superb job as usual. The snow got heavier, and the driving got slower and trickier off the main highway. Winter travel in Canada is serious business, so we decided to call it quits at the end of a long but slow day on the road in the New Brunswick town of Edmundston. The guy at the Gas Station gave us the good oil on accommodation options, and before long we were happily ensconced in the Comfort Inn just off the Trans Canada. We jumped in the car for a great dinner at a nearby restaurant, and the storm was still seriously blowing when we went to bed.

Next morning we woke to an impressive covering of fresh snow, but the weather had cleared. So we charged on to the Trans Canada for a big day on the road, because there was a full day's driving ahead to get to where we hoped to visit. It’s extraordinary how quickly the weather changes in a Canadian winter; you can be driving through driving snow at around 60-70 kilometres per hour when suddenly the weather clears and it’s good for 110 or so. However, the second day was still tough going with severe snow on the Trans Canada at times, we saw one car off the road and flipped on it’s side, and another had slid off the road but not rolled. If drivers make a mistake they will be off the road in a flash, so you definitely need to have your race face on in these conditions. It really is quite a serious business!

We arrived in New Glasgow in the early evening after a long day on the road, and decided to call it a day as we had already arrived in Nova Scotia, and made up a lot of time after the storms of the previous day. Life on the road was settling into an easy routine, and we looked forward to dinner at a nice restaurant again after spending the whole day driving. We got to chatting with the friendly waitress about our options for Cape Breton the next day, and she confirmed the Highlands National Park was not an option in winter, with the highest peak at nearly 1800 metres. So we planned a scenic drive and the waitress said she had been chatting to her mum about the weather in Sydney. I smiled and said. “That’s where I’m from.” She just looked at me like I was simple before gently correcting me “No, Sydney Nova Scotia.” How could I be so misinformed!

So we headed off nice and early to clock up some more serious k’s on our road trip. We crossed the Canso Causeway into Cape Breton, and the scenery during our drive was breathtaking. We had lunch in Sydney, and I was amazed to discover the main street even has the same name. Try getting your head around George Street, Sydney Canada if you're from Australia! We looped back on the other side of the lake and the scenery was probably even better, but we still had a lot of k’s to eat up before we arrived in the capital Halifax for dinner.

I find it hard to believe we did the entire road trip without detailed maps, but everything worked out fine. We stumbled across the very heart of Halifax after making only one wrong turn. We enjoyed a superb meal at a Mongolian Grill, parked the car at a station overnight, and then headed to the HI International to get some zee's in the centre of town. Everyone was super friendly, and it was great to experience hostel life again. We were up bright and early to explore the historic maritime centre of Halifax, and the wharf is full of maritime history. Taking a walk along the wharf is great for taking photos and educational at the same time. We then explored the main city park and admired some impressive houses within the city. But we had to get moving again, so we jumped on the Trans Canada for another long day driving back towards New Brunswick.

The weather was much improved, so we were able to complete a day’s drive without having to slow down much. We crossed the border back into New Brunswick and headed back for our second visit to the capital Fredericton. We enjoyed a good meal at the same restaurant where we had lunch on the way out, and then checked in to a super impressive hotel at reasonable rates. Next morning we were back on the highway early for the trip back to Quebec Province and my partner’s home in Quebec City. The snow became very heavy as we entered La Belle Province, but you soon get used to lots of snow when visiting Quebec! The journey was a wonderful experience, and we clocked up 3,236 kilometres on our epic road trip! We arrived back at the Quebec apartment in the afternoon, in time to have a celebratory home cooked dinner and a nice bottle of wine to toast an excellent adventure together.

I have a further night in Vancouver to look forward to, before flying home to Sydney via LAX. My visit to Canada has been wonderful, and I couldn't have enjoyed all the superb sights and activities packed in during this trip without my kind and generous lover. We managed to find a perfect travel rhythm for a third time on the road, and are so well suited to sharing adventures together. A big kiss to you with all my thanks as I think about all Canada has to offer, basically all of you should be here now!

Ah me old son. We don't be takin' nothin' from the sea. We has to sneak up on what we wants and wiggle it away." Quote from an old Newfoundland seam

It's home time so until next time, I'm signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Fredericton at dawn
Pretty colours in the morning light.

Barber Shop, Antigonish
What a wonderful old building, and I gave the barber the thumbs up as he was working his magic on a client.

Tall ship, Halifax Wharf
The historic maritime city exudes a sense of history.

Halifax at night
A decorated building on the main street.

Antigonish house
Having no fences is a unique feature of gorgeous North American houses.

Our trusty hire car
3,236 kilometres and not a drama.

Alma, New Brunswick
A gorgeous seaside town right next to Fundy Bay National Park.