Long Haul #2: Nova Scotia, June 5-24, 2018

We are Ron & Judy, owners of a 560 Ultra #873 named “AJ” since March 2017. In June we drove our 2013 Ford Edge from the greater Green Bay, WI area to Nova Scotia and back, covering 5,420 miles over 19 nights.

What fun! We drove through Sault Ste. Marie into Canada, our first time through a border crossing with a camper. Smooth sailing to Ottawa for the night, then back into the states to camp in New Hampshire’s White Mountains for a couple of days. Our drive to the top of Mount Washington – without the camper – was intense in both directions given the narrow and winding road, and the winds at the top were quite strong. We were grateful for our layers of clothing!



After a night along Cobscook Bay in Maine, we crossed the border into New Brunswick along the Bay of Fundy into Nova Scotia. The Bay of Fundy has the biggest tidal change in the world every 12+ hours, and the tidal bore is a phenomenon causing the direction of rivers flowing into the bay to change direction. What did we do? Tidal bore rafting with an experienced guide – more than an hour of riding 5 – 8 foot waves as the bore and the river challenged each other, and then the water was calm for another half-day. No photos on the bore - too busy holding on!



We explored nearly the entire island of Nova Scotia, taking in the rich history of the Scottish, French, and British influences. Driving along the Cabot Trail was breathtaking. The music and fresh seafood were amazing. We camped in the provincial parks, hiked some trails and took in the modern and comfortable feel of Halifax.



On our return route we crossed the border one last time. The agent took a look at our car, then a look at our raindrop and exclaimed, “You two must really like each other!” After a few questions he sent us on our way. We explored Acadia National Park for the first time, hiking along the coast and driving up Cadillac Mountain. We visited Niagara Falls and rode “The Maid of the Mist” for an inspiring and humble look at the power of the falls.

We listened to two audiobooks, several podcasts and lots of styles of music. We enjoyed safe travels and realized that, yes, we really do like each other.

 

You must

 

Sounds and looks like a great trip.

 

Was it a challenge finding sites each night or did you plan your stays beforehand? Looks like a great trip.

 

We were there in June while schools were still in session, so the provincial parks were fairly open. We planned our route so we knew in advance where we hoped to stay, and used online reservation tools to see whether or not a reservation was required. Most week nights were open and we did make some reservations for the weekends, if warranted.

 

Envious of this particular trip of yours. If I could click "love" instead of "like" I would have! We were in the planning stages of a similar journey to that area, but coming from SE Texas we couldn't take the time needed to get all the way up there, then still have time to explore. (Just getting to and from NH would be a long haul for us!) One day...