Question for those in Eastern Canada

[Dragonrider]

Hey you Northern members - anyone ridden around the maritimes? It's on my bucket list, so what's to see and what's to avoid?? I've been to Halifax and Charlottetown (in a cage), but that's about all..

 

[Netminder]

Haven't yet, but it is on my bucket list also! Have been to Newfoundland (flew there) but have yet to get to Nova Scotia. Sure it would be a great ride on Spyder and scenery would be great!

 

[mpsicon]

i'm not from canada(from northeast pa) but did go through new brunswick and up through quebec along the st.lawrence and out to gaspe. some of the most remote and beautiful scenery i have experienced. routes 299 and 198 through the chic-chocs mountains is a must do. and route 132 around the gaspe peninsula is very scenic, but you will want to go counterclockwise around the peninsula so you are in the lane nearest the water. but be warned they have a short construction season, so there is a lot of construction. severa bridges were being redone, they shut down the bridge completly and bulid a temporary road down the embankment then up the other side mostly mud and gravel(they had a lot of rain when i was there so it might not be so bad if it is dry). also get to know some french, while many do speak english-and they are very friendly and helpful-french is there language and it will be much easier.

 

[gypsy_100]

Hey you Northern members - anyone ridden around the maritimes? It's on my bucket list, so what's to see and what's to avoid?? I've been to Halifax and Charlottetown (in a cage), but that's about all..

We're from PA but have done Nova Scotia and Newfoundland twice and the Gaspe Peninsula once, all on the Gold Wing. The Gaspe is nice, as mentioned in another reply. Nova Scotia is also really good and worth the trip. Too many good things to list them all here. The Cabot Trail is the famous motorcycle ride around a beautiful peninsula at the "far" end of NS. Stay in Baddeck at the Telegraph House motel for two nights and spend a full day on the Trail and loop back to Baddeck. A little less than 200 miles without side trips and lots to see. As with the Gaspe, ride counterclockwise so you're on the outside lane. Many, many other things to see in NS as well.

For us, the highlight is to then continue beyond Baddeck to North Sydney and take the ferry to Newfoundland. Fantastic, and off the map for most people. Just beautiful and lots of things to see. The "short" ferry is 5 hours to Port Aux Basque, reservations required. First time there we took the "long" ferry to Argentia (14 hours) which is on the far end of Newfoundland, southwest of St John's. That way we rode back across the main part of Newfoundland to Port Aux Basque without having to retrace our route. Little villages and back roads along the coast, fishing towns, etc. Second time we took the short ferry both ways and rode a loop up the northern peninsula to L'Anse aux Meadows where the Vikings landed in 1,000 AD and settled for many years before leaving again. World Heritage site and great scenery, too. Made a side trip to Labrador while en-route and rode all 55 miles of paved road that exist in Labrador. And Gros Morne National Park at the lower end of the northern peninsula is not to be missed.

You get the idea -- too many things in both NS and Newfoundland to list them all here. Great scenery, great seafood, good reasonably priced accommodations. Be prepared for rough roads as maintenance is a bear up there and funds are short. Send me a pm with your e-mail and I'll send you a link to our photo albums for both trips plus Gaspe. That's the best way to see our route and sights and decide for yourself what interests you. I'm sure we just scratched the surface. We thought we might get back again last year on the RT but didn't make it. I think 2013 will find us in Newfoundland. Sure hope so.

 

[NorthStar]

Motorcycle Journeys Through Atlantic Canada

Hey you Northern members - anyone ridden around the maritimes? It's on my bucket list, so what's to see and what's to avoid?? I've been to Halifax and Charlottetown (in a cage), but that's about all..

Following is a link to a very informative book called "Motorcycle Journeys Through Atlantic Canada. I saw a copy a while back and it was very informative.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...keywords=Motorcycling+through+atlantic+canada

"The book is broken down into 33 trips covering Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia mainland, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Each trip is clearly described with easy-to-follow maps and over 300 color photos, which give the reader a good idea of what to expect."

The Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia is by far the highlight of any motorcycle tour of Atlantic Canada in my opinion. Google " Motorcycling in Atlantic Canada" and you will find a wealth of information on favorite routes through this part of Canada.

I would suggest avoiding traveling these parts during the months of July and August if at all possible. The volume of tourists is significant and accommodations can be tough to find. I have found mid May to the end of June to be the best time to ride. Traffic is less congested and finding a room is much easier.