Planning your road trip across Canada can be a daunting task. Do you focus on the history enriched museums, non-stop activities, or the interesting sights you can stop at and post to your Instagram feed? In today’s blog post, we hope to help make your decisions a little easier by discussing our top places to stop on your cruise across the country.
While every province and territory contain beautiful sights to see and interesting or fun activities, today we’re focusing on a few of our Eastern Canada favourites across Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Ontario
1. Sleeping Giant
Named one of the 7 Wonders of Canada in 2007, the Sleeping Giant is located less than an hour east of Thunder Bay, along Lake Superior. One legend of the sleeping giant tells of the Ojibway Natives and the promise that was made to Nanabijou, the Spirit of the Deep Sea Water. Aside from the legends and stories behind the Sleeping Giant, this interestingly shaped landmass is in an Ontario Provincial Park, with no shortage of activities for the outdoor-loving travelers. You can find hiking trails, a Visitor Centre that has the natural and cultural history of the area, and fully serviced rentable cabins!
2. Niagara Falls
You’ll find another of Canada’s 7 Wonders in Ontario as well – Niagara Falls! Approximately 1500 kilometres away from the Sleeping Giant, this is one of the most well-known falls in the world. Niagara Falls has a staggering 50 metre (160 feet!) drop, and is actually comprised of three different falls. The Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls all combine together to form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America, pushing through over six million cubic feet of water every minute! The city of Niagara has no shortage of activities that get you up close and personal with the falls, seeing the river gorge from a whole new perspective, and dining with a beautiful view!
3. The Diefenbunker Museum
As you head further east, Ottawa offers an indoor spot where you can dry the Niagara Falls from your hair. Originally designed as a bunker in case of nuclear attacks in 1959, the Diefenbunker is an exciting and unique cold war museum that was once an underground safe-haven. The bunker was in operation from 1961 until 1994, where it lay empty until 1997 when the museum was founded in its place. The Diefenbunker not only offers a look back at Canada’s past and our role in the cold war, but also provides interactive events and exhibitions for all ages to enjoy! Check out their Escape Room, that sprawls over 100,000 sq. ft., or sign up for a guided or self-guided tour that will let you experience the entire facility!
Quebec
4. Notre-Dame Basilica
Located in the heart of Montreal, this 190-year-old church was the first in Canada that had a Gothic Revival style. Just like the cold war museum, the Notre-Dame Basilica offers both guided and self-guided tours, where you can take in the majestic interior. Inside of this exquisite piece of architecture you’ll find stained glass windows that depict the history of Montreal, intricate hand-carved wooden statues, and a pipe organ dating back to 1891. The pipe organ is in a VIP area – reserved for those that make special reservations – where you can sit behind this enormous organ that features 7000 individual pipes! If you stop at just the right time in the evenings, you can also attend the Aura sound and light show.
5. Le Chic Shack
One thing that you cannot miss before leaving Quebec is the Canadian staple, poutine. Less than three hours to the east of Montreal is Quebec City, where Le Chic Shack is located. Featured on You Gotta Eat Here, they hand-smash their potatoes and top them with beef, chicken, or the original poutine classic – gravy. They also have handmade burger patties with venison, beef, chicken, and a veggie option. A perfect place to stop before you start heading east towards Canada’s coast!
New Brunswick
6. Village Historique Acadien
South of Quebec, along the coastline, is the city of Bertrand which plays host to the Village Historique Acadien. This is a living museum that portrays Acadian life from 1770 to 1949. Here you can wander around the village, immersing yourself into the rich history of the east coast. While there is no shortage of activities and things to see, the working 19th century kitchen and farm animals are at the top of the list! You can even stay for the night at the Hôtel Château Albert – gorgeous accommodations that feature a 1900’s style and décor.
7. Bore View Park
At the south end of New Brunswick is the town of Moncton, where the Bore View Park is located, which offers a prime spot to view the twice daily tidal bore that comes through the area. A tidal bore is tidal phenomenon that occurs when the leading edge of an incoming tide forms a standing wave of water that travels upstream, against the current of a river. In this case, the Bay of Fundy forms that wave and it travels up the Petitcodiac River. The park also offers a Visitor’s Centre and a walkway over the river for different viewing angles!
Prince Edward Island
8. Confederation Bridge
Leaving New Brunswick and heading into PEI, crossing the Confederation Bridge is the best way to go, without leaving the road. This massive bridge spans almost 13 kilometers and is the world’s longest bridge over ice-covered water and has been in operation for just over 20 years. There have been talks of providing a “fixed link” between New Brunswick and PEI since the 1870’s, but nothing more than ship transport and ferry services were used until the Confederation Bridge proposal was accepted in 1992. While the bridge serves its main purpose, getting you from province to province, it is a sight to behold on the horizon before or after you make the trip across!
9. Green Gables
The hit CBC and Netflix show, Anne with an E, which is based on the book series, Anne of Green Gables, is both set and filmed in Prince Edward Island. If you’re a fan of the books or the show, PEI is a treasure-trove full of Anne! Stop in Cavendish, where the now-famous home of Anne has been restored. You can walk through the house itself and the “haunted” woods behind, experiencing a step back-in-time to the late 1800’s when the book was originally set. You can also visit the Anne of Green Gables Museum, located in Kensington, which sits on the family property of author, L.M. Montgomery. This property belonged to L.M. Montgomery’s aunt and uncle when she wrote the Anne series, and was an inspirational source for her writings.
Nova Scotia
10. Halifax Public Gardens & Lobster
The province’s capital is a worthy place to stop and spend a day, or two! Halifax has sights to see, history to explore, and fresh food to eat. Start your day with sights and history at the Halifax Public Gardens, which encompasses 16-acres of land in the heart of the city. You can walk through the garden beds and horticultural displays, find statues and monuments dedicated to Canadians throughout history, and stop for coffee at the Uncommon Grounds Café which was once a meeting hall for the Nova Scotia Horticultural Society in the 1840’s. End your day with a trip to The Press Gang, which features the Nova Scotia Lobster Boil: 1.5 pounds of fresh and local lobster!
11. Cape Breton Miners’ Museum
Glace Bay is as far east as our road trip will take you and is home to the Cape Breton Miners’ Museum, which explores the history of mining throughout Nova Scotia. This museum, which is spread across 15-acres on the east coast, now boasts an immersive underground tour. The museum was originally opened in 1967 as a centennial project and was provided with a grant of $1.5 million for renovations and upgrades in 2017 and 2018. Not only can you head down into a coal mine, there is also a historic village and the Miners Village Restaurant which boasts a delicious pan-seared scallop dish, or try a fresh halibut dinner!
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island make up the eastern side to our beautiful country, and each of these provinces offer interesting and unique sights to take in. Some of our top spots will take you farther away from the Trans-Canada Highway than others, but they all offer exciting and once-in-a-lifetime adventures! Be sure to plan your route according to the time you have available, the weather, time of year, and what your most important stops will be. If you want to explore the western side of Canada, check out Part One of our road trip – Canadian Road Trip, the West.