Nova Scotia Maritimes

Day 1

Join Lamers Tour & Travel for this tour of classic beauty to Canada's southeastern province - Nova Scotia. Named for Scotland, Nova Scotia's largest ethnic population is of Scottish descent. Our travels today will take us around the southern end of Lake Michigan to Plymouth, MI for our overnight.

Day 2

Ontario's countryside provides a picturesque setting for our travels today. We stop for lunch and a bit of shopping at Eaton Centre in Toronto. The Eaton Centre is a place like no other with a soaring glass galleria above more than 200 stores, shops and eateries. Later we travel to Kingston, Ontario for our overnight.

Day 3

We travel along the St. Lawrence River on the way to the historic city of Montreal. This afternoon a local sightseeing tour of the city will be provided for our enjoyment. Dinner will be included at a local restaurant this evening as we prepare to spend the night here.

Day 4

Again we travel along the shores of the St. Lawrence River as we head to Quebec City. As we take a guided tour, we will notice a distinct European flavor in Quebec, especially in Vieux Quebec (Old Quebec) east of the fortification walls. Winding streets are lined with stone buildings housing restaurants and shops. Our overnight is in Quebec.

Day 5

Continuing our travel along the St. Lawrence Seaway, we enter the first of three Maritime Provinces today as we arrive in New Brunswick. Our overnight accommodations will be in Fredericton, NB. This noted cultural, artistic and educational center, Fredericton is home to three universities, the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and more. Remaining in Fredericton our hotel accommodations are at a local hotel.

Day 6

This morning we travel to Saint John, NB. Located on the Bay of Fundy and the Saint John River, Saint John is the largest city in New Brunswick. We will view the fascinating Reversing Falls. During high tide, water in the Saint John River is forced to reverse flow because of the tidal force. Underwater ledges create the "falls" regardless of the flow direction. Our local guide will point out unusual and unique sights like the famous Flower Pot Rocks carved from the rock by the very high tides and Fundy National Park. Later we head to Charlottetown. Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown will be our home for the next two nights.

Day 7

A local guide will join us for our exploration of Price Edward Island. Learn the history of Anne of Green Gables. Written by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery, the novel was inspired by her childhood experiences on Prince Edward Island. Visit the Kensington Tower and Waterfall Gardens. One of the most unusual attractions on PEI is Woodleigh Replicas. The vision of one Lt. Ernest Johnstone was to share his passion for Great Britain with the folks back home. Johnstone and his son Archie began building replicas of some of Britain's most important castles, cathedrals and other buildings. Some are large enough to enter.

Day 8

We visit the third maritime province today. A ferry ride ends at the docks of Caribou, Nova Scotia. After lunch at Antigonish, we will visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site at Baddeck. Famous for the invention of the telephone, we can view the largest collection of Bell's artifacts and inventions. Our accommodations for the next two nights will be in Baddeck, NS.

Day 9

A nearly 200-mile adventure is in store for us today as we travel through the Cape Breton Highlands via the famous Cabot Trail. Take advantage of picture stops along the way to view the rugged coastline along the ocean. Our ride will take us through Cape Breton Highlands National Park with a stop at the Keltic Lodge for a delicious lunch.

Day 10

The massive fortifications of Fortress Louisburg await us this morning. This citadel was to have saved New France from the British. After a 47-day siege, it was captured and demolished by the British in 1760. Today, one quarter of the colony has been restored to its 1744 appearance. Later we will travel through the lush countryside to Halifax, NS where we will spend the next two nights.

Day 11

A local guide will show us the city of Halifax this morning including the famous Citadel and Maritime Museum. After lunch at the artists' colony of Peggy's Cove, our afternoon is free to explore on our own.

Day 12

We will follow the northern coastline today and visit the Grand Pre National Historic Park. Commemorating the Grand Pre area of Nova Scotia as a center of Acadian settlement, the park is home to the statue of Evangeline, the heroine in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem. Port Royal Habitation Historic Park is on our agenda for this afternoon. We arrive in Digby, NS for the ferry crossing into St John's for our last Canadian overnight in St. John New Brunswick.

Day 13

We will cross back into the United States. We have a special dinner planned this evening at a Floating Restaurant and overnight in Portland, ME.

Day 14

We begin our journey homeward today; quaint, quiet countryside's paint the perfect background for our drive through New Hampshire. Our overnight will be in Syracuse, NY.

Day 15

We will pass through Upstate New York and along Lake Erie on our way to the Toledo, OH area for our last night on the road in Toledo, OH.

Day 16

Soon our adventure to the Maritime Provinces will come to an end. But our memories of this trip will live on.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D =Dinner