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Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland

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We got off the ferry at New Sydney in Nova Scotia around 6 or 7 am in the morning and made a beeline for Dartmouth where we again stayed at Shubie Park campground. We parked there a couple days in order to again see our friends who live not far from Halifax.

We also wanted go to the Halifax Public Gardens which we missed during our previous stay there, but unfortunately we spent so much time with our friends that we again missed the experience. Judging from photos on the web this is a must-see thing to do in Halifax.

 
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Shubie Park Campground
30 John Brenton Dr, Dartmouth NS B3J-3S9
Ph: 902.435.8328
Email: Webmaster@ShubieCampground.com
Website
20 September @ 3 nights, ?? C$ / night

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We stayed here before, but I had forgotten a few things that I noticed earlier. A lot of the slots are hard for big fifth-wheels to get into; they are parallel to each other rather than being at an angle to provides easier access. The site they originally scheduled for us (# 12) had a large tree on the corner which made it very hard for our rig to turn into without hitting the tree. So I asked for and got a different site. I also scraped some overhanging branches of a big pine tree trying to make a turn on the way in. Why can't these people think of these things?

There's no sewer hookup but the dump station on the way out is very convenient. They charge for the showers.

The campground was about 85% full during our stay. One reason is its convenient access to the Dartmouth/Halifax area, which is the shopping Mecca of Nova Scotia. If you need to get electronic equipment or find stuff you can only get at Costco (there are two in the area) this is the place to be. There are other facilities like Canadian Tire, PetSmart, Staples, Home Depot, Walmart and Best Buy, as well as plenty of places to eat. Oh, by the way - there is a Tim Hortons on 318 [Waverly Rd] pretty close to the campground, with a Subway, a pharmacy and a hair place across the street. Sorry, we couldn't seem to find any diesel close by.

There is sufficient room between sites, with room to park your truck or toad. The grounds were about 90% full when we left. Speaking of room, there is a long rock wall on one of the exits. Because some unthinking driver parked his truck right next to the road, I had to squeeze by and scraped the trailer on the wall. It tore off our water heater door and 50A outlet, and added plenty of scratches to boot. I guess the good news is that the event will provide more opportunities for How-To videos for this site .

For more info and photos of this campground refer to our original stay there on August 3rd.


Dartmouth NS to New Glasgow PEI
[91800] 21:00 pm - [--] xx
23 -26 Sept 2018

Following our stay at Shubie Park we headed in the homeward direction, by way of Prince Edward Island.

We elected to take the Confederation bridge from NS over to PEI rather than the ferry at Pictou. I don't remember why I made that particular decision, but on reflection I think it would have been more interesting to take the ferry. I guess I was just trying to get a stopping point in PEI. A friend that did says the PEI ferry is large enough carry tractor trailers, so it would accommodate big rigs. It is free going over to PEI, but getting back off the island is a different story; you either pay for the return ferry trip, or you pay to take the Confederation bridge back to NS. If you do take the ferry, a friend warns to be careful to make sure you are in the correct lane, as there is a road right next to the ferry approach which, if you take it, you will have to turn around to come back to the approach, which is actually to the left of that road.

The trip from the Halifax/Dartmouth area to PEI was uneventful for the most part. The scenery was unremarkable and the drive was rather boring by NL standards. We took route 102 up to Truro, then the TCH [104] up to Aulac and then route 16 to the bridge. On a 104 bridge there was a 5.25 C$ toll for our rig. There was also a toll on the Halifax bridge but I forgot to write down how much it was.

There is a big Irving truck stop on 102, about 21 miles from the campground. The town of Stewiacke's claim to fame is that it is halfway between the equator and the North Pole. There is an RV dealership there. There is also a Leisure Days in Truro. The town of Oxford advertises themselves as the Blueberry capital of Canada.

We saw around 15 windmills up on the hill in the Amherst area off the TCH. There are some bad stretches of road along route 16.


Confederation Bridge
Website

The Confederation Bridge to PEI is a thing to behold. It is about 13 km long and takes around 12 minutes to cross. Each way is two-lane, and lane changing is not premitted. Speed limit is 80 kph. It is interesting that it is the longest bridge in the world which crosses ice-covered water (in winter). We found this bridge reminiscent of the 7-mile bridge in the Florida Keys between Marathon and Big Pine Key, but the 7-mile bridge is basically flat while the Confederation Bridge is arched.

This is a toll bridge, but you only pay on the way off the island; the trip onto PEI is free. We paid 63 C$ for our truck and 2-axle RV. Pedestrians and cyclists are not permitted to cross the bridge, but a shuttle service is available.

Although I took a couple quick photos from the truck, it was impossible to get good shots of the whole majesty of the bridge while driving. Hence, I lifted a few photos from this website just so you can see just how magnificent the bridge really is. I hope they won't mind.

 
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Click here to see photos of the Confederation Bridge.


New Glasgow Highlands Campground
2499 Glasgow Road, Hunter River RR#3, PEI C0A-1N0
Ph: 902.964.3232
Website
23 September @ 3 nights, 48 C$ / night

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This is a pleasant, heavily wooded campground. There are cabins nestled in the woods, along with some areas for tents and RVs. Some sites are pull-thru and some are back-in. We had site # 42 and it was an easy back-in with 30/50 amp, water and sewer. Unfortunately the trees didn't allow our roof-mounted DirecTV to work, but that's ok. The site was dead level when we unhooked.

The wi-fi signal was strong but very slow, even though there was almost no one else in the campground. Things aren't so nice there when it rains, however. The ground is made up of some kind of red clayish material much like you find in the state of Georgia. When you take your dogs out for a walk it is quite a job to clean them before you come in. Same for the soles of your shoes. It would be nice if the roads were graveled.

All of the campgrounds in Atlantic Canada, even PEI, are a little-to-a-lot rustic so you have to expect to commune with nature while you are there.

Temps got down to 34 F at night while we were there. During the day they were in the mid-50s to low 60s F.

An apology: while I did take pics of this campground, I can't seem to find them.


Cavendish

This town seems to be oriented toward tourism, with amusement parks and lots of restaurants.

We ate at the Blue Mussel Cafe in North Rustico Harbour [902.963.2152]. Phyllis and I both had lobster for the first time during our trip. They were good but expensive. The meal, PEI mussels appetizer and drinks ran $162.84 C$. This place was actually a nice surprise. The ambience was in character with what you might expect for a harbor seafood eatery. I highly recommend it. Everything we had was superb and the staff were very friendly and helpful. One even went to the trouble to draw a map to the place where they were having the Ceilidh that night. Although we had no trouble getting in late in the season, it was almost to capacity and they said there is usually a 1-2 hour wait during high season. There are other restaurants in the marina area as well as many scattered through and around town. I understand that PEI mussels are somewhat of a theme throughout the island.

We went to the Ceilidh that same night and were pleasantly surprised. Ceilidh, pronounced "kay-lee", is a Gaelic term for a gathering, meeting or visit. In traditional Ceilidhs there can be song, dance, story telling, poetry reading and so on. The Ross family performed Scottish music and dance, along with some other surprises thrown in. They are quite talented. They have a new facility that used to be an old dairy barn. It has been completely refurbished and looks great. There is also a bar that serves alcohol and soft drinks. I have placed some clips of their music in the photos gallery. Here is a link to their info. Make sure to call to see what nights and times they play, as well as directions - you won't find it on your own without gps.

You will undoubtedly be surprised by the numerous red cliffs in the area of Cavendish. They are reminiscent of the red clay found all over north Georgia, something we are intimately familiar with as that is where my wife and I grew up.

I understand there is a potato museum in Cavendish. This might be interesting since the potato has been a mainstay of the area for a long time.

 
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Click here to see photos of the Ross Family Ceilidh. /td>


Green Gables Heritage Place
Website

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My wife Phyllis is a long time fan of the Anne of Green Gables book and movie. We looked forward to seeing the original farm and house for a long time, and were hence a bit disappointed to be told that the place was basically a tourist trap. We understand that there is a play there, but we didn't go so we have nothing to report.

If you still want to go they do have some activities there. There are interpretive trails, picnics and games, and you can talk with a red-haired Anne about her history and adventures. There is also a ceilidh where you can sing and dance to Irish and Scotish music.



Ft. Amherst

Since we didn't go to Green Gables, I looked around for something else to do and ran across Ft. Amherst. It sounded interesting so I took a look at Google Photos and liked what I saw. While there I had a chance to have a nice conversation with a woman of original Mik'mac heritage. Turns out they hate that pronunciation and say it's supposed to be pronounced like Mig-maug. The Mik'mac pronunciation is actually a bastardization by the Europeans, but I will continue to use the term Mik'mac due to its widespread acceptance.

They also have an exhibit at the museum, with beautiful Mik'mac regalia (costumes) which they make themselves. Each is quite different, very colorful, and very personal to the creator. Each one tells a story about the creator's tribe, family, culture and so on. Indoors they are also building a replica of a real birch bark canoe, and outdoors they have a realistic replica of a wigwam that the indigenous people have been using for thousands of years. The fort itself is gone and the grounds aren't particularly exciting, but if you want to learn about authentic Mik'mak culture and history, this is a good place to go.

 
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Click here to see photos of Ft. Amherst and St. John.



Things and places we misssed in PEI

As our time in PEI was up, we headed back over the Confederation bridge and drove straight to New Brunswick.

Because we only spent a couple days on PEI we didn't have a chance to visit some of the more interesting places. If you go there and have time, consider the following places.

  • Saint Peters Park at Peters PEI. The East Point Lighthouse and St. Peters Campground are near St. Peters Bay.
  • Prince Edward Island National Park near Stanhope By The Sea. The Whispering Pines RV Estate is nearby.
  • Cape Bear, located on the southeast tip of PEI. They say this is a good place to see seals.
  • Brudell River Provincal Park on the eastern shore, close to Montague and Georgetown.

Given how much you hear about PEI, you would think that it is a most beautiful place to visit. We don't share the feeling. Perhaps because we went through Nova Scotia, the Cabot Trail and Newfoundland first, we found PEI to be somewhat of a disappointment. I think it would be best to visit PEI first after leaving New Brunswick, and then go on to NS, CT and NL. That said, we may have changed our opinion somewhat if we had taken the time to go to some or all of the places listed above.

Click here to see photos of our short stay on PEI.


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