For Visitors to Our Area (repost)

Fyrman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Location
Hammonds Plains, NS, Canada
TDI
Jetta, 2001, Black
Thought I'd bump this up and make it easier to find. All the links seem to still work and I figured the rest of you ungrateful schmucks could add your favorite hot spots and watering holes to the thread as well.

Let's try and keep it clean and tidy; it's for tourist info, not our typical useless banter and babble.

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As for places to visit, for nice drives stick to the coasts... most of the routes are in good or better shape, (depending on whether you're in a tory riding or not!), with nice twisty winding roads and some really beautiful scenery. The South shore or "Lighthouse Route" is particularly nice. Watch for Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay, Chester and Lunenburg. Beautiful small towns with ample craft and antique stores. If you go into Peggy's Cove, make sure you treat yourself to the hot gingerbread and icecream.... truly decadent!

Otherwise, if you're looking for touristy stuff, maybe cut across country and check out Ross Farm on your way to Annapolis Valley. While in the Valley, you can check out things like the Zoo in Aylsford and the town of Wolfville. Right outside Wolfville is the area of Grand Pre. It's a National Historic site dedicated to the Acadians and the their expulsion in 1755. Very pretty area. There's a nice winery there as well.

If you head up towards the Eastern end of the Province, Cape Breton is an amazing drive. The Cabot Trail offers some beautiful views and a great drive up through the Highlands. There's a National Park just outside of Sydney called Louisburg. Worth checking out.

Halifax is a great place to spend a few days as well. The waterfront is full of shops and museums with all the typical seaport tours and offerings. Jump on one of the Harbour hoppers or the double decker busses for a cool tour of the city. If you want a tour that's a little cheaper, hop on the ferry across to Dartmouth and back for a great view of the waterfront and the bridges then watch for the public transit bus called FRED. It's free and does a complete loop through the city, running every 20 min or so. If you like beer, there's some great microbreweries in and around Halifax too... Rogues Roost on Spring Garden Road is one of my favs.

That should keep you busy for a while. I'm sure the guys will add to this, look them up on Google maps and plan your trip.

Let us know when you're around and feel free to give me a shout if there's anything I can help out with.
Jeff
478-6042
 
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Fyrman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Location
Hammonds Plains, NS, Canada
TDI
Jetta, 2001, Black
One of our regulars has offered to host a gps .csv file of gas stations from our regions that have Clean Diesel. Thought I'd offer it up to our guests as it'll certainly benefit travellers that follow their gps thru our area.

His post is here.
 

Fusilier

Active member
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Location
Halifax, NS
TDI
VW Jetta Wagon 2009
Good short post hitting the highlights. Just to point out though, Louisbourg is outside Sydney (not North Sydney) and it is actually about a 40 minute drive. Worth an entire day's visit too.

Oh, and my CSV file of Diesel stations only covers Nova Scotia. I'm trying to get the same for NB and PEI but it will likely be a few months to get that done.

Cheers,
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
And... anything for NL?
Thought I'd save the Nova Scotia trip for when the two of us can do it together, but I'm planning a two week solo camping trip along the trans-Labrador to the Straits of Belle Isle to cross onto Newfoundland for this late-summer.
Advice? Suggestions? My own hit-list is L'anse aux Meadows, Gros Morne, St. John's, maybe a day trip over to St. Pierre (visa required for Yanks?). Where else should I put on a must-do, maybe my last chance, visit?
 

Rob_MacCara

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2004
Location
Halifax, NS
TDI
Audi Q3 gasser
You've got the highlights already. Sounds like a nice trip! Hopefully the weather will have warmed up by late summer - been pretty cool there so far this year!
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
What about pei? Going in a couple of weeks, already done the Anne of green gables thing. Going to be staying on the north shore near Brackley beach.
 

yatzee

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Location
Montreal, Qc
TDI
see sig
What about pei? Going in a couple of weeks, already done the Anne of green gables thing. Going to be staying on the north shore near Brackley beach.
Was camping in PEI in 2008 - worst mosquitoes I have dealt with in my entire life by a long shot. 1 of the few times I regretted camping.

Oh yeah and it was beautiful. Watch out for the Jelly Fish ;)
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
My own hit-list is L'anse aux Meadows, Gros Morne, St. John's, maybe a day trip over to St. Pierre (visa required for Yanks?). Where else should I put on a must-do, maybe my last chance, visit?
Not enough time to slow down and enjoy, so no St.John's, no ferry to France, not even Twillingate this time.
Instead I will keep to western Newfoundland and have added Codroy and Buchans areas.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Hello to everyone in the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

Back in 2013, right after the TDI Fest in Bethel, Maine, we headed over to Bar Harbor, Maine in my ALH TDI Vanagon. From there, we headed to Nova Scotia. We made it to the visitor Center just over in Nova Scotia. However, due to a predicted five or six day rain event, we turned back.....

Now, fast forward to September, 2019, we embarked on a return trip with two other couples to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Among many side excursions on the way, we drove the Cabot Trail and looped back to Sydney. As part of the return trip, we took in the Fort. We headed home from Truro.....which was cut short by two days as originally planned. But, from beginning to end, we put in 12 days of good times.

So, I'd like to go back and take a Ferry over to Newfoundland and do some exploring. And, from there, take a Ferry over to the mainland of Labrador. A couple we met in Alaska in 2001 told us about driving to Happy Valley-Goose Bay on the mainland. So, we'd like to do that route on the return back to the states. We are in the planning stages at this point and not sure if this will be a summer 2020 or 2021 road trip.

Anyway, Google Maps is a good source to take a peek at local communities, etc. But, I'd would like to know where the diesel is located, location of gurus in that neck of the woods if any, parts sources, etc., and of course those places that are a must to see....

Thoughts, suggestions, etc., are welcome!
 

yatzee

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Location
Montreal, Qc
TDI
see sig
Thoughts, suggestions, etc., are welcome!
Last fall, we did this trip with my Passat.

Labrador was kinda dull. Big parts of the road are still gravel, so you've got the be a bit careful. We were a minority - using a car on the road is fine, but most are in pickups or trucks. Happy Valley-Goose Bay was pretty dull - not much to do and the hotel (whereas very clean) was very expensive.

We loved Newfoundland because of the people and the gorgeous gorgeous countryside. Lanse aux Meadows was fantastic. Gros Morne was stunning. We vowed that we will go back. We found the food outside of St. John's to be limited - often the same menu over and over (burgers, some roasted meat, etc). Saint John's was fun - loved the hike to the top of Signal Hill (lots and lots of stairs!)
 

je

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Location
Chesterton Shores, Ontario
TDI
-
Was camping in PEI in 2008 - worst mosquitoes I have dealt with in my entire life by a long shot.
I remember that year, brought the whole extended family and friends there for the wedding, and even the locals had never seen mosqitoes like that before nor since. I thought they were attacking all the CFAs.
 
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