New England/Canada advice

[mringenoldus]

I relaize that there is a port board - but I always seem to get a much better response on the general board - so please bear with me!

 

These are my plans and I would love some feedback on them!

 

Newport - Do the Cliff Walk on our own and wander about to see the sights

 

Boston - rent a car and do Plymouth on our own

 

Bar Harbor - we've been here a few times and will just browse the shops and oceanarium. Planning a relaxing-type day

 

St. John NB - debating between St. Andrews or the St John Trolley tour and taking in museums

 

Halifax - sightseeing at the Citadel etc. and the History and Ale tour later in the day.

[cruisequeen10]

Loved this cruise. Would do it in a heartbeat. If you are in Halifax, visit Pier 21 (if you are interested in how the immigration worked back in the 1920's to 1940's). I only mention this because my mother and family came into this pier when they came from Germany back in 1928. When we did this cruise in 1994 this Pier was not open yet as a museum, but the immigration hallway was there and it was very emotional for my mother and aunts to see this again. They remembered walking down this hallway, even though they were only 6 and 7 at that time. Halifax is a beautiful city. You can even visit the cemetery where some of the titanic passengers are laid to rest. The walk around the harbour is nice too.

[cynbar]

Well, I live outside of Boston, so I'll chime in on your Boston plans. It sounds like a great idea to rent a car and do Plymouth on your own. It should take you about an hour each way in non-rush-hour traffic (add an extra half hour in the late afternoon). The Plimoth Plantation is well worth doing, is a great taste of what life was like for the original Pilgrims, but it's small, a couple of hours tops should cover it. Then you could make the short drive into Plymouth Center, where you'll find the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock, I think they also have a museum. Plymouth is also harborside, a really pleasant New England seaside town with some wonderful choices for restaurants. This is a neglected area of the New England cruise, I always feel --- I know they offer an occasional tour but few people talk about it. When you get back to Boston, you will probably have time for a quick trip to the Faneuil Hall area, which is close to the pier and a great spot for history and shopping and restaurants and just people watching. Enjoy -- the fall is by far the best time to visit our part of the country!!!

[mringenoldus]

Thanks to both of you - this is just the kind of info I was hoping to receive!

 

Does anyone have any advice about St. Andrews? Is it worth the trip?

[susancruzs]

I give a vote, too for the Halifax pier. So many people I talked to on the ship after we were there walked right by and didn't check it out! Very interesting! The museum in Halifax is interesting, too.

 

I enjoyed St. Andrews, I did the ship's tour, it was nice. The bus ride back got a little old as you were seeing the same scenery but I enjoyed the day.

 

Enjoy your planning!

 

Susie

[mii]

We also did the ships tour of St. Andrews and like the above poster said the drive to St. Andrews was so-so but St. Andrews is a pretty fishing village and wonderful old homes. We thoroughly enjoyed the place and wished we would have stayed longer.

 

Marilyn

[mringenoldus]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm a bit surprised my husband chose it over some of the other tours. I had us on the ride the rapids boat but he thought it might be too jarring for his back.

 

He is a history buff (particularly military or political). Are there any spots that shouldn;t be missed for a guy like that?

[Pam in CA]

Thanks for the feedback! I'm a bit surprised my husband chose it over some of the other tours. I had us on the ride the rapids boat but he thought it might be too jarring for his back.

 

He is a history buff (particularly military or political). Are there any spots that shouldn;t be missed for a guy like that?

The Plimouth Plantation is a great suggestion. It's really interesting for history buffs who like to place themselves as it would have been hundreds of years ago.

 

Another suggestion is the Salem/Marblehead area which has a LOT of American military history. Did you know that 'Headers rowed George Washington across the Delaware; and rescued him from Brooklyn Heights. There is Fort Sewell which was built and provisioned to protect the coast during the Civil War.

 

There is a LOT to do in the Boston area for history buffs, particularly military buffs. I remember going to the top of the John Hancock building years ago (I don't know if they still have this but if you're in Boston, I think it's worth it) where they had a diarama of the history of Boston and where the battles took place, which areas were original and those that were landfill, etc. Interesting stuff. Since you're at the top of the building, you can visually see where everything took place, including the Battle of Breed's (excuse me, Bunker) Hill. :)

[Totter]

In Halifax, the Citadel is a great tour and the Keith's brewery tour is a definite thing to do! I've done it several times and still enjoy it! It's more than just a brewery tour, it's a trip back in time with actors showing you the way.

 

Stroll the boardwalk and even head to the casino!

[geoherb]

We toured Halifax on our own. You can purchase tickets for Alexander Keith's brewery tour there. We also toured the Public Garden, Citadel, Province House, and the Maritime Museum.

 

I think you must plan on visiting at least one of the mansions in Newport. We saw five the day we were there: the Breakers, the Elms, Chateau-Sur-Mer, Rosecliff, and Marble House. The Newport Preservation Society's webpage has info on the mansions it oversees. We purchased a membership to the society a couple of months before our cruise. It includes entrance fees to the mansions and a 10% discount in the gift shops.

 

http://Here's my review of our entire cruise.

[cruisequeen10]

In Boston, we visited the Cheers bar. I hope it is still there. It is a lovely walk from the pier. So much history in that City.

[mringenoldus]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm still considering what to do in St John NB...any feed back?

[lucymae28]

We did a ships tour in St John, NB which we loved and would do again in a heartbeat. It was the kayak/lobster cookout. Family run operation. We got a 2 person kayak so it wasn't too stressful for me, and I had neck surgery about a year before. The food was Wonderful. The mom did the cooking, the dad and son took the kayaks out. Fairly small group did the tour, maybe 20 people. Lovely day, great scenery too.

[Joy2Day]

He is a history buff (particularly military or political). Are there any spots that shouldn;t be missed for a guy like that?

 

There are some interesting military sites in Saint John. Originally founded by the French, it was occupied by the British around 1755. American revolutionaries destroyed Fort Frederick in 1775. British loyalists, including Benedict Arnold, moved to this area after the establishment of the United States. You can find more history at http://new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/history.html

 

The ship tours would be pretty generic, I'd suspect. Perhaps with a call to the Saint John tourism bureau, you could find a private tour guide to take you to some of the more historic sites. Or you could do your own research and planning and rent a car to get around town.