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 21: Harvey, New Brunswick
Drive Time: ~8 hours. Already behind schedule, we drove back to New Brunswick as fast as possible from Cape Breton. Yet, we still pulled up the lampless winding roads and arrived at the Airbnb after ten in the evening.
If I hadn’t known I reserved an Airbnb beside a lake, I wouldn’t have guessed there was a lake, that’s how dark everything was.
After stepping out the car, we took a moment and admired the star-filled sky with little light pollution. We then stuffed our faces with food, showered, snuffed out the light, and hit the hay ASAP in preparation for the long drive the next day.
Meal of the day? Some good old Kentucky Fried Chicken, finger-licking good.
Day 11
I picked cities that we hadn’t stayed in, and by chance, I stumbled on an Airbnb right next to a lake that provided kayaks. Roy and his wife, a lovely couple that’s the host of the Airbnb, generously set the check-out time at noon and allowed us to get our rows in before leaving for the day.
It was such a pleasant experience to be out on the calm lake water first thing in the morning, very different from our first encounter with the ocean, if I may say so.
I highly recommend anyone looking for a place to rest for the night to stop by here. Roy even provided a simple breakfast with homemade marmalade; such lovely and thoughtful human beings, it’s no wonder they have a 4.98 review on Airbnb.
Stop 22 Potato World, New Brunswick
Drive Time: ~1 hour. What comes to mind when you hear the words “Potato World”? I don’t think I’ve heard of a more beautiful name.
Friendly Tip:
The Potato World museum is not necessary unless you are extremely interested in the makings of potat and the various farm tools required.
During our visit, they just begun expanding the outdoor section with games; it looked like they were experimenting with the activities.
I do highly recommend grabbing lunch at Potato World.
So. Many. Ways. Of. Making. Delicious. Potats.
Stop 23 Downtown Montreal, QC
Drive Time: ~8 hours. At the beginning of the trip, I remember stipulating to Ben that the drive back would be brutal simply because the drive toward the destinations contained so much anticipation and excitement. The drive back would feel like a chore since we’d be so worn and tired with nothing to look forward to.
At the time, Ben predicted we’d look forward to going home, and I didn’t believe him then. Well, I believe him now, he was a wise homebody indeed.
We binged through “Golden Son” on Audible, the second book of the Red Rising Saga, and enjoyed the view around us while our hearts eagerly anticipated the comfort of home.
By the time we arrived at Downtown Montreal, it was late and dark. We picked up some delicious Portuguese dinner from Restaurant Casa Vinho and hit the hay, purely looking forward to the idea that we’d be home the next day.
Day 12
I can’t in good conscience recommend the Downtown Montreal Airbnb we stayed at. I will link it in case you are in a similar situation where there aren’t many good options available, and you want to visit attractions like the Olympic Skatepark, Biodome, and Botanical Garden which is a 20-minute walk away.
All I will say is if you’re just looking for a place to rest for the night, it’s a little sketchy; our car didn’t get smashed, so I guess it was…fine.
Stop 24 Van’s Olympic Skatepark, QC
We checked out early in the morning and headed for the Olympic Skatepark, a highly anticipated landmark I’ve been waiting to skate. And skate I did, but I won’t bore you with it in this post; I’ll do that in a future post 🙂
After the exhilarating skate sesh, instead of checking out the Biodome and Botanical Garden as planned, we kept driving because the longing for home was becoming too strong.
If it were up to Ben, he would have driven throughout last night to get us home. If it weren’t for the pesky sunglasses at night situation.
Stop 25 Downtown Kingston, Ontario
With home being only 4 hours away, we were caught between wanting to be home and not wanting the trip to end just yet.
Having nagged Ben about visiting Kingston since the beginning of the trip, he finally caved, and we dropped by for lunch and a quick stroll that put a nice touch to the end of our trip.
Ben couldn’t understand my obsession with Kingston. To him, it was just another city he visited during childhood. I, on the other hand, have never been. Growing up, I always heard about family friends who visited Kingston while my mom and I stayed stationary. I guess that’s where the fondness for the city stemmed from. Deep in my memory, Kingston is where folks visited on a weekend to have a good time, and now I wanted to do that, too.
Guess what? Kingston is bumping. For a University town, it’s much more developed than my memory of London, Ontario. Although I haven’t been there for a long time, it must be very different now too.
Kingston Downtown wasn’t just “another city”; it was cool and lively, filled with unique local shops with the right vibes. It’s also a 10 minutes walk down to the harbour, and if you can’t tell by now, I’m a sucker for a short walk to the harbour.
Stop 26 Home Sweet Home
I’m 29, and I don’t drive frequently. I’m surviving as an occasional driver with a G2 license, a non-permanent Ontario driver’s license that expires within 5 years of ownership unless I take another exam to upgrade it to a permanent license. On the off chance when I do drive, especially to places I’m unfamiliar with that require the GPS, one of my favourite things is hearing the female Google Maps voice say, “Welcome Home” at the end of the trip. It’s a soft but firm voice that adds the perfect dramatic flare to turn any mundane errand into a journey where you’ve been away, and now, you’re finally returning home.
Not that it actually happened when we pulled up to our driveway. Ben drives with the GPS muted because he doesn’t like his tools talking to him without permission. It’s kind of snobby if you ask me. In any case, I imagined the melodramatic voice welcoming us home and drawing the curtains for this grand trip filled with memories. However, little did I expect that it didn’t end there.
Once we entered the door, Ben and I dispersed in different directions. I went around the house to see if my plant babies survived the two-week drought and made sure nothing horrendous happened to the house while we were away. Ben looked for his second pair of glasses, and when we reconvened, for the first time in 8 days, I saw Ben’s eyes! I watched his eyes widen as his world finally returned to its original level of brightness.
You know what else I didn’t expect? The intense feeling of gratitude and contentedness as I returned to routine mundane tasks for the next several days. When I lay in our bed, I let myself fully sink in, feeling the linens as I fluttered around, forming sheet angles. I’d roll around the bed wondering, “Why is it so damn comfortable??”.
I’d go on morning walks, stride past sceneries I’ve seen a hundred times and notice how the sunlight seeped through the leaves while the wind ruffled tall bushes, waving the branches around like one of those inflatable tube men in a parking lot. I’d close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze against my skin, and I’d be reminded how I’ve done the same while longboarding in Fredericton, standing on the boulders of Peggy’s Cove, and watching the skyline at Cape Breton. I’m reminded I can take appreciation with me everywhere I go, even if it’s a familiar place, and create a sense of curiosity and adventure in everyday life.
It’s a great thing, isn’t it, the feeling of how wonderful it is to be alive.
The End of The East Coast Road Trip Series!
Kate LSY 
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