Note:
This is a repost of the FULL POST broken out by attractions and provinces. If you’re looking for a quick and dirty summary guide with cost breakdowns, click HERE to get in and out with the golden nuggets.
Stop 10: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Drive Time: ~4 hours from Charlottetown.
I planned to visit Charlottetown first, followed by Halifax and Cape Breton, because it had the least drive time between the three places. If you are going from PEI to NS, there is a ferry option; we opted to drive the entire way.
Friendly Reminder:
On our way out of the island, as an FYI, we paid a toll fee of $50.25. If your vehicle has more than 2 axles, each additional axle is $8.50.
In Ben and I’s exhaustion, we forgot to stop by Hopewell Rocks on the way to NS. If you are interested, don’t be like us!
During the time of booking, there weren’t good options available in Halifax, so I booked an Airbnb in downtown Dartmouth instead. It’s a 30-minute walk to downtown Halifax, and I picked this place because it was converted from an old bank that promised chocolates. Not a bad way of making decisions, if I may say so myself.
Since we skipped Hopewell Rocks, we had more time than usual to wander. We walked across the Angus L.Macondald bridge connecting Dartmouth to Halifax around sunset and found ourselves on the patio of Good Robot Brewing Co. – Taproom & Store – Lively establishment offering up brunch, bar bites & beers, plus an onsite brewery & a beer garden.
The beer was aight, according to Ben; the food was meh, according to me; the vibes, though, were prime.
After some more wandering, we stopped by Burger King for some regular chicken nuggies before returning to the Airbnb.
Why so few activities, you ask? The night has fallen, and if you recall, Ben is still wearing them sunglasses.
Day Six
Stop 11: Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia
Drive Time: ~1 hour from Dartmouth.
Looking back, Peggy’s Cove was one of my favourite experiences during the trip (get ready for the incoming wave of photos) because it involved gorgeous views, the friendliest folks, great souvenirs, enjoyable foods, and a big adorable flooooooff ball.
I will elaborate.
First off, the weather – GORGEOUS. Bright blue skies with a few specks of decorative clouds stretched from coast to coast, despite the forecast warning cloudy with a chance of rain; we felt extremely fortunate as we looked afar and watched the open sky meeting its ocean counterpart at the horizon. The sun was shining just right, and the wind added a refreshing breeze as the temperature climbed throughout the day; it was just the perfect weather to explore and hop and bop around the large boulders by the lighthouse.
We met Mary Lynne Macka, a lovely resident artist of the cove and her adorable 13-year-old Swiss German Shepherd. It must be the fresh air and the fish diet because this fluff ball doesn’t look a day older than 2 and loves to swim in the ocean (what a life). Mary told us stories about her eventful life and how she eventually ended up in Peggy’s Cove about a decade ago. At Peggy’s, she lives her best life amongst the 34 all-year-round permanent residents of the cove, where she paints every day by the sea.
In honour of this memorable trip, we purchased her painting of the lighthouse using the sword of a swordfish as the canvas.
We then stopped by the hot dog stand next door, also run by a permanent resident, where we ordered two “Seagull Screamers.” The sun was blaring by then, so we sat on giant chairs by the ocean, enjoyed an ice-cold pop, and hastily devoured the meal.
By the time we finished, we were just in time for a performance session by Mairi Rankin and Wendy Maclsaac at The SchoolHouse, where we learned about traditional Cape Breton fiddle music and its importance in Scottish heritage. At first, we weren’t sure if we wanted to attend the brief 30-minute session; looking back, I’m glad we did.
I learned it’s more fun to say yes to experiences during a trip and accept the adventures that come my way. Perhaps not a bad idea to apply it to daily life as well.
Friendly Tip:
Try to get to Peggy’s Cove early; even 10 or 11 A.M. is fine. Show up past noon, and you will have difficulty finding parking and navigating the pedestrian-filled streets.
Stop 12: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Drive Time: 1.5 hours
We didn’t plan on visiting Lunenburg but somehow wound up there despite it being in the opposite direction of Halifax.
When I google mapped Lunenburg to see how far it is, I thought I set the GPS to downtown Halifax after deciding not to go. Well, jokes on us, we drove for an hour before realizing we were well on our way. Here’s to saying yes to whatever adventures come our way. I suppose.
Friendly Tip:
Lunenburg is a walkable town with lots of novelty shops and art galleries. We only stayed for a few hours before returning to our original destination. If you have the extra time, sure, have a visit. Why not.
Stop 13: Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia
Can I just say, as someone coming from the GTA, that Halifax is bumping?? The harbour is simply prime! It’s filled with bustling local restaurants, and there are tons of boardwalks and open spaces to stroll around. We even bumped into a Beer Festival on a Thursday, on a Thursday! Once it was dark, all the bars and clubs were lined up out the door. Again, on a Thursday! Call me a grandma, but it was fascinating for someone like me who happily lives a suburban life outside of Toronto.
After 6 days of pub cuisines and seafood, we’d be lying if we said our tummies craved anything other than Asian food. If noods are our salvation, then Ramen is our saviour.
Day Seven
Before heading further East, we stopped by Halifax Harbour again to check out the Canadian KI8I battleship in WWII, a free exhibit supported by donations. We then filled our tummies with another fix of Ramen for lunch, which tied us over for the next several days in Cape Breton.
Broth House, a friendly server with a chef reminded me of Josh from Mythical Kitchen!
I briefly fantasized about what it would be like to run a two-person Ramen shop with Ben before promptly remembering we sometimes struggle to feed just ourselves. I’m definitely having a lot of learnings and revelations along the way. I started the road trip thinking Ontario would be my forever home, and I left Fredericton and Halifax thinking maybe I shouldn’t be so sure.
Stop 14: Baddeck, Nova Scotia
Drive Time: ~3.5 hours. Before we headed into Baddeck, where we’d be staying for the next couple of days as we explored Cape Breton National Park and Fortress of Louisbourg, we found ourselves at The Curious Collector – an antique shop by the side of the road that caught my eyes.
We ended up buying a second batch of souvenirs for friends and family back home and had a lovely chat with the store owner, Robert, who proudly showed us around his treasure-filled store (WWII medical stretcher pictured on the right)
Friendly Tip
If you are headed to Baddeck from Halifax, I don’t think you will miss the shop. I recommend stopping by to see what kind of gems you will find if treasure hunting is your thing. The shop’s got a Needful Things vibe. Well, minus the evil!
By the time we got to Baddeck, it’s been a week of nonstop go-go-go, and we were looking worse for wear. The homesickness kicked in around the 5th day and settled in nicely by the 7th. Hence, we dropped by Tom’s Pizza for a 16-inch Za before retreating back to our last Airbnb on the East Coast and calling in an early night. The rain was pouring by then; it was just the perfect night to catch up on some much-needed rest.
Kate LSY 
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