Canada-- Atlantic provinces.

[brewerpaul]

Looks like I'll have two consecutive weeks of vacation this summer--first time since I got out of Jr. High School! Charlene and I are thinking of a driving trip to the Maritime Provinces of Canada. We visited southern Nova Scotia twice back in the days when you could take a ferry from Portland ME, but this doesn't run any more, making for a very long drive.
We'd welcome any and all suggestions for routes, things to see and do, places to stay, etc. Two days there and two days back leaves us 10 days of touring.

[Seonachan]

First thing you should do is order the "Doers & Dreamers Guide" from the Nova Scotia tourism website. Yes it's tacky and prepackaged but it's the best single source for events, lodging, restaurants, etc. And it's free.

On the way, I suggest you take the "Airline" (Route 9) in Maine to cross the border at Calais/St Stephen, and cross New Brunswick along the Bay of Fundy. Fundy National Park is worth a visit and a stayover if timed right.

Otherwise, head straight for Cape Breton Island and make the most of it there. The Cabot Trail is a must - you can do it in a day but the longer the better - it has amazing scenery from your car window, better scenery by foot on all kinds of trails, wildlife (moose, eagles, whales), and lots of interesting communities worth exploring - Cheticamp and environs is a lively French-speaking area with good restaurants and pubs with live music. Baddeck has the Alexander Graham Bell museum (he lived there and his house is still occupied by the family). Pleasant Bay has a Buddhist monastery. There are lots of artisans who set up shop along the trail - potters, weavers, leatherworkers. Bay St Lawrence and Meat Cove are more intense scenic/isolated offshoots of what you see on the trail itself, if that's your thing.

Aside from the Cabot Trail, you'll probably want to concentrate on the west coast of the island, what the tourist board dubs "The Ceilidh Trail" between the causeway and Margaree - that's where you'll find the highest concentration of musical goings-on. There's the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre in Judique, and a bunch of popular venues for live music - The Red Shoe in Mabou, the Creamery in Port Hawkesbury, the Glenora distillery in Glenville, just to name a few. By far the best way to experience the music is to go to a dance - Glencoe and West Mabou are the best known dances (Glencoe is worth going for the night drive in the unlit woods alone) and they are the perfect places not just to dance but to hear great live fiddle music and meet people.

Depending on exactly when you're going, there are some big music festivals in the summer - Broad Cove, Christmas Island, Iona, St. Ann's. There are also a lot of classes, workshops and the like on fiddle, step dancing, Gaelic, etc. The Gaelic College is a good place to start if you're interested in that.

As a musician and instrument maker (and, I'm assuming, someone interested in the vibrant music scene there), you will have the best time just striking up conversations and making inquiries about things you're interested in. People there are very easy to talk to and if they don't share your interest, they'll take you to their cousin who does. A couple of folks you might look out for in particular are Ryan MacNeil who plays with Beolach and makes (made?) whistles, and Otis Thomas, a highly regarded luthier.

If you're interested in the history of Gaelic settlement there, visit the Highland Village museum and ask for Seumas - he'll give you the unfiltered lowdown on everything from Gaelic songs to jigging eels to the impact of institutional forces on local culture. The area around Iona and Christmas Island is beautiful too.

And on and on I could go. Not to dismiss the rest of the region, which is lovely. Halifax is a great friendly walkable port city with a lot to offer, and there's all kinds of culture, history and scenery everywhere in the Maritimes. But given that you've seen the other end of the province, and opportunities to visit don't come often, you shouldn't pass up the chance to go to Cape Breton. I guarantee you will be glad you did.

[I.D.10-t]

In the town of Lunenburg down Nova Scotia way,
In nineteen twenty-one on a windy day...

Great, I'll have that song stuck in my head all day. Although, of school choir songs it was one of the better ones.

[Tunborough]

I'll second everything Seonachan says, starting with the first paragraph, at least those things I have experience with. I haven't come up through St. Stephen, but it is certainly a route I'd love to see. I would warn you that, in my experience, the food is much more interesting on the mainland than on Cape Breton.

I'll also offer some other choices for your consideration. For starters, if you're heading for Cape Breton in July, stop off at the Highland Games in Antigonish on the way there, to get overdosed on pipes and drums.

If you prefer your scenery tame and green rather than wild, consider going over to PEI. Or, you could head up the St. John River valley to the Acadian areas in northern New Brunswick. Personally, though, I'd head for Nova Scotia.

For a vacation with less driving than all the way to Cape Breton, I'd take the ferry from St. John to Digby and drive up the Annapolis Valley, with stops in Annapolis Royal and Wolfville, then take Hwy 101 in to Halifax. If you're interested, I'll pass on our favourite spots in Wolfville and Halifax. I've never actually been in Mt. Uniake, off Hwy 101, but of the nicest people I've met, an inordinate number of them hail from Mt. Uniake. There's lots to see in Halifax, and several places, including Lunenburg, are a day-trip away.

Rest assured that there will be music a-plenty wherever you go in all three provinces. Cape Breton doesn't have a corner on the market by any means.

[brewerpaul]

Thanks for the help so far, and keep'em coming.
We'll be there the last week of June, into July. I don't guess they celebrate the Fourth there...
We're hoping to hit a bit of NS, PEI and New Brunswick.
The ferry to Digby is a good idea-- that's as far North as we got on our last visit.
Think we're OK doing this on a day by day basis, without lodging reservations?

[Cayden]

Seonachan,
"Eel jigging"? Don't think so. Well, maybe after way too many pints! Now "eel gigging" on the other hand involves taking the slithering buggers with spears. Of course, if one is really hitting the Bushmills, gigging eels then refers to a band of the slimey little musicians "playing out". Of course, I have never yet gotten to that state of whiskey induced altered conciousness and I am basing this strictly on rumor I heard along me way.

Slainte,
Cayden

[Seonachan]

They don't celebrate the 4th, but Canada Day is the 1st, so you'll want reservations around that holiday. Otherwise it shouldn't be a problem. The summer tourist season there is, strictly speaking, July 1 - August 31.

Thanks Cayden for the spelling lesson! I'd only heard the word spoken. Though the music and dance are so ubiquitous there I'm sure there are some jigging eels (and gigging, if they're talented enough).

[ytliek]

Paul, I know you said vacation is late June into July, but, here is Cape Breton's autumn festival Celtic Colours 2013 website that you may browse and glean some points of interest for your earlier trip. I haven't been to Celtic Colours... bucket list though.

http://www.celtic-colours.com/

[Cayden]

They don't celebrate the 4th, but Canada Day is the 1st, so you'll want reservations around that holiday. Otherwise it shouldn't be a problem. The summer tourist season there is, strictly speaking, July 1 - August 31.

Thanks Cayden for the spelling lesson! I'd only heard the word spoken. Though the music and dance are so ubiquitous there I'm sure there are some jigging eels (and gigging, if they're talented enough).

Seonachan,
Not really intended as a "spelling lesson". Just an opportunity to share some of my mountain man know how and more so the chance to have fun with the image of dancing eels.

Slainte,
Cayden

[Tunborough]

Thanks for the help so far, and keep'em coming.
We'll be there the last week of June, into July. I don't guess they celebrate the Fourth there...
We're hoping to hit a bit of NS, PEI and New Brunswick.
The ferry to Digby is a good idea-- that's as far North as we got on our last visit.
Think we're OK doing this on a day by day basis, without lodging reservations?

I did that about 30 years ago, arranging camping or B&B at the next stop day by day, and was surprised how easy it was, particularly in NS, where the tourism board is a well-oiled machine. Drop in the tourist information office, they make some phone calls, and you've got a place to stay. I don't know how much that's changed since. Do arrange the Canada Day weekend, June 28 - July 1, in advance, but for the rest of the time you're probably fine.

[Peewit]

I don't know where to begin... lots of good info here, but I think I'm the first to reply who actually lives in the area. 12 years on PEI and 26 and counting in Halifax. But I'm still a CFA (come-from-away), although I got points for marrying a Maritimer. Arriving in small-town Souris, PEI as a new teacher direct from grad school in Palo Alto, California branded me as exotic right from the start.

First of all, Cayden-- "eel jigging" is correct. You take a line baited with a succession of hooks and dangle it in the water, wiggling or "jigging" it up and down, to catch eels. I have done this from a fishing boat with mackerel (unfortunately, when I was very young the day after a binge, and seasick...), so I'm assuming jigging for eels would be the same procedure. As an outdoorsman, you need to know this Personally, I would much rather eat mackerel than eels, so keep that in mind, Paul, if you have a choice.

OK. Our summer tourist season officially starts the Victoria Day weekend, which is our long weekend in May (the weekend before Memorial Day). Seasonal businesses outside the cities open up then, and close Thanksgiving weekend (US Columbus Day). High season is July and August, and I agree that you'll need reservations at least for the Canada Day weekend. If you do go up Cape Breton way, you might want to go to "Stanfest", the Stan Rogers Folk Festival in early July, held in Canso (home town of Stan's mother) which is on the mainland side just across from Cape Breton Island. http://www.stanfest.com/visitor-info.asp

Cape Breton is quite wonderful, and it would definitely have the greatest concentration of Celtic music and musicians; it's also very popular and therefore crowded in the summer. A good place to stay is Baddeck, which is centrally located. Last time I was there I took some family members to Louisbourg, the restored French fortress, which is on the other side of the island from the places Seonachan described. If you like history, it's well worth visiting. It was flattened by the victorious "anglais", and has been gradualy rebuilt over the last number of decades. Ryan J. MacNeil lives in Port Hood (I think), in the Ceilidh Trail area. He doesn't make whistles any more, which is too bad. I have a very nice C that he made. If you look for him, you must specify "Ryan J", since Cape Breton is filled with Ryans and MacNeils. It would be like asking for John MacDonald.

If you opt not to make the drive to Cape Breton, I have a couple of other recommendations for you. The South Shore, south of Halifax, is lovely. I'm personally very fond of Lunenburg since I go to Boxwood almost every year. Also, farther down the way in Shelburne, if you haven't visited the workshop of Forbes and Yola Christie and Windward Flutes, you should. Make sure to get in touch ahead of time because they'll be in Ontario for the Canadian Flute Association convention, which is at the end of June.

The other area I love for its unspoiled, uncrowded beauty is the north shore of Fundy. Head west out of Truro through to Economy (home of a fantastic cheesemaker's called "That Damn Dutchman's Cheese" (usually called "That #@%! Dutchman's Cheese" for propriety's sake), definitely worth a stop. Beautiful vistas through Five Islands (and a provincial park); the road starts winding around and up & down, more like VT than NS, and will take more time than you would think from the map. Parrsboro is an interesting town with fossils and a museum, but we continued on and stayed in Advocate Harbour: my favourite town in Nova Scotia. Stay at Driftwood Cottages (owner Gloria is lovely) and eat dinner at the Wild Caraway - we were there 3 nights and ate there every night. It's an award-winning gem. There are places to hike in the area, kayaks to rent, etc., and make sure to go to Joggins Fossil Cliffs, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a good interpretive centre. The Fundy tides continually wash away the cliffs and reveal new fossils. If you don't have time for all of this, you can also get to Joggins from the main highway near Amherst, on the route to and from New Brunswick and the bridge to PEI. If you're remotely interested in geology and fossils, this is not to be missed!

One more place you might want to go: Brier Island. It's at the end of Digby Neck and is reached after 2 short ferry rides between islands. I can highly recommended the whale-watching there, and the fresh fish. My late husband used to do the audit for DB Kenney Fisheries, and Danny Kenney is the local kingpin. He and his wife Theresa are great folks. It's also a birding mecca, especially during the spring and fall migrations, but good for birding other times too. I was there so long ago I'm not sure where to recommend staying.

Halifax is definitely worth your time; you probably came here before. I can recommend the sessions I go to - Sunday afternoon at the Old Triangle (2 pm) with Irish set dancing, and Wednesday evening at the Lion's Head (8pm to whenever). In fact it would be great to meet you. We have a number of excellent museums depending on your interests, and the story of the Halifax Explosion is fascinating. The boardwalk along the waterfront is long and a lovely walk; there's a new farmer's market on the waterfront down next to Pier 21, now a National Immigration Museum. If you decide to come to Halifax, please send me a PM, OK?

I should put in a plug for PEI, which is absolutely gorgeous and really does have the warmest ocean water north of the Carolinas. You should look up PEI Tourism and order their guidebook, too. I lived in Charlottetown for 10 years. Quick tips: give PEI National Park and Cavendish a miss, unless you're big fans of Anne of Green Gables. If you are, it's worth visiting the Green Gables house where the story was based. Lucy Maud Montgomery's grave is in the cemetery at the crossroads there. Otherwise the town and the beach are touristy and crowded. My favourite public beach is up east of Souris - at Basin Head Provincial Park, about an hour and a quarter from "town" (Charlottetown). It's also very popular now, but nothing like Cavendish, and you can walk up the beach for miles. There are facilities there, lunch, ice cream, picnic shelters, showers, and a good small Fisheries Museum. When I lived in Souris in the 1970s, Basin Head was a well-kept local secret, and local kids still love it because you can jump in from the bridge over the "run" where fishing boats used to go in and out of the inner basin. My husband's father Paul Gallant owned the fish processing building there, way back in the day. Now that's where they sell ice cream. One of my daughters set a family record by jumping off the dock into the run (a long way at low tide) at the age of 4 The Charlottetown Festival http://www.charlottetownfestival.com/en is well done - the musical "Anne of Green Gables" has been running there for over 40 years, and this year they are also premiering a new musical about Evangeline and the Acadian expulsion. You can drive to PEI on a long bridge from New Brunswick. There's also a ferry from Wood Islands to Pictou, NS, closer to the Cape Breton side. You only pay when you leave. Charlottetown and Moncton, NB both have Old Triangle pubs with sessions on Sunday afternoons. If you're a golfer, there are some top courses on PEI too.

One last note, about tourist bureaus. There used to be a lot of them in NS and the government recently closed the majority of them. There's one at the airport, one just this side of the New Brunswick border, and probably still one in Digby at the ferry, and one in Sydney, Cape Breton, where the ferry arrives from Newfoundland, but that may be it.

Paul, have fun planning your trip! If the weather cooperates - no guarantees!! - you'll have a great time up here. Let me know if you have more questions.

Anne

[Cayden]

Peewit,
I personally have never used the "jigging" technique you speak of for eels though I have fished for other species using the jigging technique. I have however done some "gigging" of eels using a spearing technique. This was more a matter of imparting some humor into the imagery of dancing eels and that of personal perspective, rather than a lack of knowledge as an outdoorsman.

All for now Anne. Take care.

Slainte,
Cayden

[Peewit]

Peewit,
I personally have never used the "jigging" technique you speak of for eels though I have fished for other species using the jigging technique. I have however done some "gigging" of eels using a spearing technique. This was more a matter of imparting some humor into the imagery of dancing eels and that of personal perspective, rather than a lack of knowledge as an outdoorsman.

Cayden,
I guess I took you too literally... of course you would know all about jigging. I've never heard of spearing or "gigging" eels myself. My husband used to talk about scooping up the capelin or "silversides" during the spring run. He grew up by the water and fishing was part of the family lore.

A.

[Cayden]

Peewit,
I personally have never used the "jigging" technique you speak of for eels though I have fished for other species using the jigging technique. I have however done some "gigging" of eels using a spearing technique. This was more a matter of imparting some humor into the imagery of dancing eels and that of personal perspective, rather than a lack of knowledge as an outdoorsman.

Cayden,
I guess I took you too literally... of course you would know all about jigging. I've never heard of spearing or "gigging" eels myself. My husband used to talk about scooping up the capelin or "silversides" during the spring run. He grew up by the water and fishing was part of the family lore.

A.

Anne,
Most folks that have known me for a little while quickly learn not to take me too literally.


Slainte,
Cayden