A Canadian Maritime Adventure

Marcus Leach and family discover the natural beauty of Canada's Maritime provinces.

There are advantages to being on the trail at six o’clock in the morning that stretch far beyond the tranquil beauty of sunrise over Cape Breton’s rugged landscape. Not that that in itself isn’t reason enough to have made the effort to rise at such an hour. I’m talking about the opportunity to see moose, the most quintessential of Canadian animals and one we have been hoping to see since arriving in North America for our Maritimes tour.

Ever since we saw the first road sign warning us to be careful of moose we have been on high alert, hoping to see one of these magnificent creatures up close and personal. Alas, for all of the anticipation and excitement the closest we have come is seeing fresh moose droppings near our campground. However, we have been advised that the best time to see moose is early in the morning, with Cape Breton National Park’s Skyline Trail the most likely place to encounter one.

Our every step is as light as possible, so as not to scare any animals - this is also a region known for bears and coyotes - away with sudden movements. With Dorothy armed with a large stick on coyote watch - she’s convinced we will get eaten - we head deeper into the forest that the trail wends its way through. An hour passes and we begin to wonder if we will see one, our hope dwindling with each step. Then the moment comes.

We head around a bend and there in a clearing bathed in an ethereal light stands a majestic moose munching merrily. We stop in our tracks and lock eyes with it for a split second before it turns, takes one final bite before crashing through the trees, leaving us wondering if it was ever there in the first place. As fleeting as the encounter is it’s one that will live long in our memories, alongside the multitude of other experiences we’ve been fortunate enough to have on this trip.

Setting out from Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, in our spacious motorhome we never imagined that the itinerary for the three weeks ahead of us would be so varied and absorbing. The eastern side of Canada doesn’t have the vast mountains to be found in the west, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in the natural beauty to be found along a striking and rugged coastline, picture perfect villages, vibrant cultures and an intriguing history, much of which can be lived today.

Given we are well accustomed to planning our own routes and logistics (link to previous blog here) it makes for a refreshing change to have everything laid out ahead of us, all we need to do is follow the instructions and savour the suggested activities and attractions. The opening week sees us take in much of the coastline that Nova Scotia is known for, dotted along which are quaint villages characterised by their colourful wooden buildings and abundance of fresh seafood.

It’s only as we head deeper into the itinerary that we begin to see a different side to the region, our days soon filled with walks through the great swathes of forests that make up several of the national parks to be found here, often ending in swims at waterfalls and cascading rivers, ever hopeful of seeing a moose or bear venture down for a drink. We do see a bear, albeit rather unexpectedly during a drive along a quiet backroad, where she lays on the verge with two cubs. Our presence startles her and the three of them soon disappear, although the excitement of such a sighting takes a while longer to fade.

The history of the region is brought to life, quite literally, through a series of towns and villages that have been preserved and maintained as if we were still in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. These living museums offer a fascinating insight into how life once was, the myriad of characters you meet during time exploring the historical reconstructions adding to the authenticity of the experience. We even left Louisbourg, the old French garrison town, with freshly baked bread from the traditional bakery and coat hooks forged in the fire by the blacksmith.

With the days packed with activities our evenings were gladly spent at our various campgrounds, each wonderful in its own way, sat toasting marshmallows by the open fire, giving gratitude for the events of the day. Perhaps the greatest gratitude was saved for the day that we finally saw a moose.

We eventually arrived back in Halifax with a feeling that we’d seen and done enough to fill more than the three weeks we were touring around, never growing tired of all that the itinerary contained. This might have been our first self-guided worldwide tour with the Caravan and Motorhome Club, but it most definitely won’t be the last.

To find out more about the various worldwide tours that the Caravan and Motorhome Club offer, click here.