In 2023, we made a run for the northern border to see the wonderful changing leaf colors of fall and explore Acadia National Park and Maritime Canada before winter set in.  Some of the highlights of the trip that we would recommend to anyone visiting these same areas:

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Acadia National Park: If you are in shape and a regular hiker, rock climber, and outdoor enthusiast, we definitely recommend the Precipice Trail.  It was a "two-fer" trip for us (a two for one first and last trip) but we are so thankful we did the trail from start to finish.  Thunder Hole is a great place if the water level is right for the sound.  If not, there are many other stop off points along the Ocean Path Trail that are beautiful and give similar scenery. Of course, the views from Cadillac Mountain are worth trying to get a ticket to drive up there.  Be sure to stop in Bar Harbor for a bite to eat, but plan to give yourself plenty of time to find parking and walk back to your restaurant of choice.

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New Brunswick: Not going to lie, we didn't spend the majority of our time here.  I can say they had the BEST flavor of TimBits at first the Tim Horton's we stopped at over the border, it was called something like a snowball and was a chocolate TimBit rolled in powdered sugar.  TimBits are the one thing I'm willing to risk getting a little sick eating.  I generally don't feel bad if I only eat a few - so, I really need them to head south so I can enjoy them more often (or just move to Mexico where they also have Tim Hortons!)

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Prince Edward Island: Truly our favorite province so far (we've been to five), they're the home of COWS Creamery (which also has sorbet for my fellow non-dairy friends!), the Green Gables Heritage Site, and the Bottle Houses.  When visiting Green Gables, please take time to visit all the museum spaces in addition to the house, walk along Lover's Lane and the Haunted Wood Trail, and continue over to the site where LM Montgomery lived with her grandparents.  There are amazing educational signs all throughout the trails, which really add to the beauty of the natural surroundings.  I also found the giant spider in the photos below, who acted as my security guard in the women's restroom at our campground there.  We stayed at Tranquility by the Sea, a campground in Cavendish, which was located close to the Heritage Site, but also in a very convenient place to explore the rest of Prince Edward Island.

 

Nova Scotia: We had two portions to our stay in Nova Scotia.  One part in Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the other spent in the areas of Halifax and Lunenburg.  For Cape Breton, our recommendations (in order driving from west to east) are Le Buttereau, the Veteran's Memorial Overlook, The Lone Shieling, Big Intervale Campground, Green Cove Trail (be sure to look for the seals!), and Middle Head Hiking Trail (we saw bald eagles here at the very end of the trail!)  In our more southern stop, some of our favorites by area include the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Salty's Seafood, and Peace by Chocolate in Halifax, Peggy's Cove for the Lighthouse, the artists, and sitting and enjoying the waves crashing into the rocks, and finally for Lunenburg visits to the Salt Shaker Deli, Bluenose II Ship if it is in port, all the cute bookstores and the general cute design of the UNESCO Heritage Site (be sure to stop to see the marker!), and of course, stop by the Visitor's Center to see the amazing tribute to the founding families of Lunenburg (two of which are related to a friend of ours!)

 

Check out a gallery of some of our favorite experiences below! ​​

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