Peggy's cove??? please advise

[MonaCD]

Colleen, Thank you for your wonderful review! It seems very doable to do this route for the time we have. What do you think the difference of time is between driving the loop on 329 or just taking 103 into Lunenberg? This would be from Peggy's Cove to Lunenberg.

 

If you cut out the loop on rte 329 and stick to rte 3, you probably save about 30 - 40 minutes, a bit more if you stick to rte 103 on a good day, however the road construction on rte 103 many use up any time saved.

 

For those worried about the road construction you can take rte 3 all the way from Upper Tantallon to Hubbards or even all the way to Lunenburg. It's not a controlled access highway and only two lanes, it will take a bit longer but you will not get caught up in road construction delays and it's a prettier drive. rte 103 is mostly just trees, trees and more trees on either side.

[MSUcruisers]

We saw Peggy's Cove several years ago with Kiwi Kaboodle Tours. I recommend them.

 

http://www.novascotiatoursandtravel.com/index.htm

[Cincy Gal]

Colleen,

 

Thank you very much.

 

I have printed your map and will try to do most of your excursion. We have a car rented from 9 - 3:00 so not sure that we could do the complete route if we get side tracked along the way. Lunch, sight seeing, ect...

 

Looking forward to a great trip on Monday. Will check back afterwards to let you know how all went.

 

Mindy

[MonaCD]

Colleen,

 

Thank you very much.

 

I have printed your map and will try to do most of your excursion. We have a car rented from 9 - 3:00 so not sure that we could do the complete route if we get side tracked along the way. Lunch, sight seeing, ect...

 

Looking forward to a great trip on Monday. Will check back afterwards to let you know how all went.

 

Mindy

 

Mindy, I hope you have a great day here. Forecast for Monday is a cloudy day with a high temp of 75 but that could change several times between now and then. You can keep a watch here http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?ns-40&unit=i The poor folks on the Glory this week arrive tomorrow and we've got a forecast of thunderstorms. We really need the rain though, haven't had any in well over a week and everything is tinderbox dry. We had high winds here yesterday which helped to fan a forest fire a few miles from our place, thankfully it was got under control fairly quickly and only a hectare of forest was burned.

 

I see you're in port from 8:00 til 4:00. Hopefully it won't take too long for you to pick up your rental car and get on the road. If you're planning on doing Peggys Cove on your way out and heading directly back from Lunenburg, I wouldn't leave Luneberg too much later then 1:30. They'll be telling you to be back on the ship for 3:30 and you want to leave yourself plenty of time in case of traffic delays and hold-ups returning your rental car.

 

You probably only need 15 - 30 minutes at Peggys Cove for a walk around the rocks and take a few pics. I'd leave out the loop on rte 329. If you zoom in on the map, on rte 3, before the turn off to rte 329 is Queensland Beach, a popular beach here.

 

When you reach Mahone Bay you can decide if you have enough time for a stop there or if you should head directly on to Lunenburg. There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in Lunenburg if you want to wait to have lunch there.

 

I've been on the Glory a couple times. it's hard for me to see her come in to port and not be able to depart on a cruise from here.:(

 

I'll be anxious to read all about your experience upon your return.

[maryann ns]

I'll back up what MonaCD says. If you get to Peggys Cove ahead of the busses you will only need a few minutes to take it all in. You could spend time in the shop, but it is totally touristy. I would take photos of the rocks and the scenic cove and then reluctantly leave for Lunenburg.

 

Mahone Bay is lovely, with lots of shops, etc. but I would only stop as you get near it for a photo of the three churches along the waterfront. Then drive through it and get to Lunenburg. Spend the time you have available there walking in the waterfront area. If the lineup is not too bad eat at Magnolia's at 128 Montague Street. Do be sure to allow lots of time to get back.

 

You will know after this taste that you will have to come back to Nova Scotia. I love to travel, but would not leave here in the summer. I spend time every year being a tourist at home.

[Cincy Gal]

Again thanks to all for great tips, instructions, and advise. I will be sure to check in on our return.

[MonaCD]

I watched on the Halifax harbour webcam today as the Glory came alongside at Pier 22. According to Radio who is posting live from the Glory on the Carnival Lines board here, they were about half an hour late and didn't dock til 9:30. I guess they have a different timetable then when the Glory is in next week.

 

The other thing that I realized is that ship's time is an hour earlier then local time. So when it's 8:00 on the ship, it's 9:00 in New Brunswik and Nova Scotia. Be sure to keep your watches and or cellphones on ship time and don't be relying on the clock in your vehicle or in stores and restaurants, it'll just screw you up :eek: You will have to be back on board for Ship's time 3:30.

[PA Blonde]

I might just do this trip this weekend. My MIL lives about 10 minutes this side of Peggys Cove and we're going to see her this weekend. I have an aunt that lives in Mahone Bay that I haven't been to visit since last Fall so it's time to see her. May or may not get to Lunenburg but we'll see how the day goes. I'll post my report and try to answer any questions next week.

 

 

I am contacting tour companies in Halifax and trying to decide what to see. Is it possible to get to see the Bay of Funday AND Peggy's Cove in the same day?

[bonnieg]

Peggy's Cove is outside of Halifax and the Bay of Fundy is the St. John, New Brunswick port.

[catergirl]

the bay of fundy lies between new brunswick and nova scotia. i was wondering from those that live there...is it possible to drive to peggys cove and then directly north, up to the coast at the bay? and if it is,is the view as nice from there as it is from new brunswick side?:confused: thanks for any help?martha

[MonaCD]

I am contacting tour companies in Halifax and trying to decide what to see. Is it possible to get to see the Bay of Funday AND Peggy's Cove in the same day?

 

the bay of fundy lies between new brunswick and nova scotia. i was wondering from those that live there...is it possible to drive to peggys cove and then directly north, up to the coast at the bay? and if it is,is the view as nice from there as it is from new brunswick side?:confused: thanks for any help?martha

 

Someone asked this same question awhile ago and yes, it is possible but you're going to spend 3.5 - 4 hours driving to do it. I'm not sure but you might find a tour company who would do this itinerary for you or you could rent a car. http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Halifax,+NS&daddr=Peggys+Cove,+Nova+Scotia+to:Wolfville,+Nova+Scotia+to:Halifax,+Nova+Scotia&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=44.654978,-63.575478&sspn=0.11796,0.219383&g=Halifax,+Nova+Scotia&ie=UTF8&z=9

 

Wolfville is a lovely little University town right on the Bay of Fundy and offers some pretty spectacular views of Cape Blomidon as well as the rising tides if you time it right.

 

But honestly, if you're itinerary includes Saint John, NB you could save yourself a lot of time in the car and see the Bay of Fundy from there.

 

But do come back on your own and check out Wolfville and the Annapolis Valley, great wines, cheese and apples produced in theis area.

[catergirl]

moncd and others that leave around there, approx how lond a drive to peggys cove and then from there to bay of fundy and then of course back to the ship??? am i being too ambitious:confused: would like to see those tides, but then as they say its the timing?? would we even see them? better to do peggys cove and then lunenberg?? thanks martha

[MonaCD]

moncd and others that leave around there, approx how lond a drive to peggys cove and then from there to bay of fundy and then of course back to the ship??? am i being too ambitious:confused: would like to see those tides, but then as they say its the timing?? would we even see them? better to do peggys cove and then lunenberg?? thanks martha

 

As I said in the post above yours and if you click on the link to the map route I gave, you will spend about 4 hours in the car driving this route, then you have to factor in the time you want to stop at the sites as well as getting your rental car and dropping it off. You're going to be spending more time in the car then sightseeing for sure. Also, you'd have to check the tide schedule but the chance of hitting the tide change right on are slim.

 

Honestly, yes, I would recommend doing peggy's cove and Lunenburg from Halifax ( see my review and route map further back) and come back another time to see the rest.

[6rugrats]

moncd and others that leave around there, approx how lond a drive to peggys cove and then from there to bay of fundy and then of course back to the ship??? am i being too ambitious:confused: would like to see those tides, but then as they say its the timing?? would we even see them? better to do peggys cove and then lunenberg?? thanks martha

 

You can't do everything on a cruise. I agree with MonaCD. Choose one or the other, but you really can't do both.

[catergirl]

thats why i love this site:) lots of helpful people who have been there and done that;) will do peggys cove and drive abit further on for the day. guess bay of fundy will have to wait. thanks again martha

[NS-Cruiser]

Some of my background... I live "near" the Bay of Fundy (it is about 10 minutes from my house - over the "north mountain" in Kings County NS - and I am about an hour's drive from Halifax).

 

Leaving from my house, I "can" go to Peggy's cove and make it back home in a day.... makes for a nice day trip.

 

I will probably do this trip in a couple of weeks when our son comes home from Edmonton, bringing his new girlfriend home to meet mom and dad... She has always lived in land-locked Alberta, and has never seen the Atlantic.:)

 

However, with the short time that most ships are in port, to travel the hour from Halifax to the Annapolis Valley, then over the mountain to the Bay of Fundy, spend a bit of time, then haul butt across the middle of NS (another hour +/- of travel time) to Chester, then 1/2 hour back toward Halifax from Chester just to get to Peggy's Cove, which is still 1/2 hour or so to return to Halifax, you will not have enough time to visit Peggy's Cove, and still get back to your ship before she sails.

(It would be about 5 - 6 hours of driving alone, without any "stops")

 

It is nice to watch the cruise ships as they sail out of the Halifax Harbour:rolleyes:, unless of course you are supposed to be on one of them:eek:.

 

If your cruise stops at St John NB, do the Bay of Fundy from there (it is the "other" side of the bay - but still nice) and do Peggy's Cove from your Halifax stop.

 

But if you do not stop in St John NB, then i would suggest seeing the Bay of Fundy from your Halifax stop... we have the worlds highest tides (40 feet difference between high and low tide), but you will not have enough time to see both the high and the low tide (takes 6 hours to change)...

 

We also have several wineries in the Annapols Valley, which offer tours and tasting:).

 

Grand Pre National Historic Site is near Wolfville, that is the place where the Acadians (French Settlers) were expelled from Canada over 400 years ago by the British... some of them moved to New Orleans, when they were forced to leave, where the name "Acadians" was shortened to "Cajuns" (your history lesson for today)...

 

A nice shore day trip could include a stop at Grand Pre, a Winery Tour (very near Grand Pre), and a stop at Hall's Harbour (a quaint little fishing village on the Bay of Fundy and have some GOOD local Lobster:cool:)... all this could be do-able on a Halifax port day.

[gooselace]

Allen, We'll have a rental car for driving to Peggys Cove. Do you have any restaurant recommendations for a nice seafood lunch on the water with a view? It doesn't have to be Peggy's cove.

 

If you take the advice to drive to Peggy's Cove early, instead of eating there (crowded and food was nothing special IMHO) pick up a breakfast snack to eat on the way (as I recall there are some pretty pull-off spots) and then eat in Halifax when you return. For example Salty's on the waterfront offers good views from it's lower level deck, and served a lobster roll just the way I wanted it.