I went a decade ago with my husband / pre kids. We flew in and out of PEI and then drove straight to Cape Breton Island (Baddeck) the next day. We loved Nova Scotia, but only did the Cabot trail. We were there in August - when the puffins migrate to sea - so I wanted to make sure to get there first and see them. Frankly they weren’t all that exciting. Very little birds busily collecting sand eels (so diving a lot). I’m not sure if they’d sit still and be more visible in other months. Baddeck was fine - I didn’t love it. Because we prioritized getting to the puffins we also duplicated portions of the drive.

From Baddeck we went to Cheticamp. We did the non-costal portion of the Cabot trail and that’s something you could certainly skip. Cheticamp was great and I could imagine my kids liking it. We did a hike right behind the ranger station that said it was hard but wasn’t bad. We also did the Skyline trail (saw lots of kids) and went on a whale watch (really good experience / would recommend). From there we drove to Ingonish. We did a long drive toward Meat Cove (pretty but wouldn’t recommend the detour). Somewhere along that route was a waterfall we could drive to with our rental car. We stopped and hiked at Middelhead (I think it was called) behind the Celtic lodge. That was a really pretty trail and there were lots of kids. The detours and hike made for a kind of long day (we also got delayed leaving Cheticamp) so we didn’t explore beaches along the way - there were some with lots of kids playing. After spending the night in Ingonish we did a morning kayak with North River kayaks which was fun (again, family friendly). From there we drove half way back toward PEI (stoping at Azelia house bed and breakfast outside Antingobish). On the way we went via Mabou which seemed really fun. We went on a short hike / walk, visited an art gallery, and saw great music in the Red Shoe Pub, but we were only in town for s few hours. It seemed like it could be a good place to stay / would have stuff (like the music) going on kids would enjoy.

We crossed to PEI on the ferry. We stayed walking distance from Green Gables and beaches. We visited a horse farm / vineyard on the way in, went to a fishing town and had ice cream, and spent time at the national park near Green Gables. We also went to the dunes in Greenwich and got eaten alive (somehow through our raincoats) by mosquitos. I liked seeing all foxes on the island and the Anne sights - and never made it to the northern part - but I far preferred Cape Breton to PEI. Unlike another poster, I’d skip PEI (or do one of the other maritime islands instead) if I weren’t into the Anne of Green gables story. If you do go to PEI, so a “church supper”. I think there are two or three well known ones and I heard people have different opinions about which to do. On a whim our last day - when we had a few hours before our flight - we went to the Canadian Goat soap factory. It was fun to feed the goats and just do something totally different.

I remember seeing the RoyalNova Scotia International Tattoo show in Halifax. Awesome pipes and drums. Perhaps there is something at the Gaelic College in Cape Breton?

In Nova Scotia's North Shore, there are a few places, Burntcoat Head Park, for one, that, if you check the tides, you can walk onto the ocean floor for a while. It's hard rock because the the tide goes through there so fast, no sand, no moss, just rock. There are islands just offshore that are 15-20 feet tall called flowerpot islands.
It's really pretty amazing and I bet your kids would think it was neat.

In Charlottetown PEI, there is a great hotel called the Sydney. It's not too expensive, ahs great rooms and a great breakfast included.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PEI is lovely and fun. NS is boring and yuck.

I just posted about Cabot trail. We covered a lot of ground in NS. I wouldn’t say yuck, but Cabot Trail and Pictou were the best parts and I would return to those places in NS.

Are you the one who posted about Mabou and the Red Shoe pub in another threat? That wasn't even in my guidebook, but now I'm more interested in the music trail on Cape Breton and trying to tap into at least one or two shows and trying to get in the Red Shoe Pub It's difficult with the rotating music schedule and then trying to figure out the clockwise vs counterclockwise issue of the Cabot Trail. I'm also wondering if it makes sense not to drive the whole thing? Like Maybe Cheticamp to Pleasant Bay and then spin around to do the Skyline Trail and back to Cheticamp?

Anonymous wrote:PEI is lovely and fun. NS is boring and yuck.

Could you provide more insight? Is it the heavy tourism of Lunenberg etc? I've decided that we can try to blow through Halifax in order to have another day on Cape Breton.

Anonymous wrote:PEI is lovely and fun. NS is boring and yuck.

I just posted about Cabot trail. We covered a lot of ground in NS. I wouldn’t say yuck, but Cabot Trail and Pictou were the best parts and I would return to those places in NS.

Anonymous wrote:p.s. recs for kid-friendly hikes off the Cabot Trail too.

Skyline trail was our favorite. I thought it might be too much for the kids, but it was fine. We brought a lot of snacks and stopped frequently. We liked chetticamp more than ingonish, partly because the kids loved crawling on the rocks. The fisherman were very kind with the kids. We were just watching the boats coming in and unloading their catches, and kids were frequently invited to come closer and /or hold the crabs. Another really nice hike with the kids had mcintosh in the name. Mcintosh brook maybe? Hikes on ingonish side were nice but I’m blanking on the names.

PEI is lovely and fun. NS is boring and yuck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Following but we're staying in Lunenberg. OP - curious how you're getting there. Fly to Yarmouth or drive?

We are ferrying from Bar Harbor. Afterwards we're staying with family in Massachusetts, so it's not as a big of a slog as trying to drive direct from DC in one fell swoop. Curious where you're staying in Lunenberg(ifhotel or inn)?

This is where we're staying: http://www.shobac.mlsarchitects.ca

Read Anne of Green Gables to your kid on the ferry/drive -- she'll enjoy it and trip all the more, and it will pass the time.

Anonymous wrote:Following but we're staying in Lunenberg. OP - curious how you're getting there. Fly to Yarmouth or drive?

We are ferrying from Bar Harbor. Afterwards we're staying with family in Massachusetts, so it's not as a big of a slog as trying to drive direct from DC in one fell swoop. Curious where you're staying in Lunenberg(ifhotel or inn)?

Go to Basin Head beach on PEI

You should read Anne of Green Gables before you go honestly and go to the musical in Charlottetown.

Following but we're staying in Lunenberg. OP - curious how you're getting there. Fly to Yarmouth or drive?

p.s. recs for kid-friendly hikes off the Cabot Trail too.

We are planning on a tour of this area next month. Making reservations this week, so looking for family-friendly activities and lodging. Hoping to catch a boat tour and some Irish music/highland arts. Our rough itinerary, following Moon Handbook's recommended 7 days: arrive in Yarmouth; Annapolis Royal; Lunenberg/Mahone/Peggy's Cove; Halifax; Baddeck; Ingonish; then winding our way down to Pictou for the ferry to Woods Islands on PEI. Gave DD (6) choice of seeing whales, seals, or puffins on various tours, and she'd like to target puffins. I noted tours out of Peggy's Cove (though mixed reviews) and near Baddeck for that. We also plan on Port Royal and the Titanic Museum. Happy to have other suggestions.

On PEI, probably will skip Ann of Green Gables (haven't read it and the site sounds tacky/built up), but we'd like to hit the national park and new walking trail. Also looking for recommendations on the lobster community dinners and teahouses. Thanks!