A trip to the Canadian Maritimes with kids – perfect for first-time experiences

Canada is by far one of my favorite destinations. Much like the U.S., there’s great diversity in the landscape, cities and towns, and things to do; it’s relatively inexpensive; and it’s not overcrowded (yet). Prince Edward Island has been on my list for quite some time, so we decided to travel throughout New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia and do a trip to the Canadian Maritimes with kids (and my parents and niece and nephew) for our summer vacation. While we love visiting museums, historical sights and other attractions in our travels, we also seek out unique and unusual things to do. What we didn’t realize is that our trip to the Canadian Maritimes would be filled with several one-time (and perhaps only-time) experiences that created memories to last a lifetime.

Walk on the Ocean Floor (yes, really!):

The Bay of Fundy, the body of water between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick/northern part of Maine, has the most dramatic tides in the world. At low tide, the tide is out so far that you can easily walk around the ocean floor, which, at high tide, is covered by 50 feet or more of water. It’s a unique phenomenon that is unlike any other in the world, and definitely worth exploring. In New Brunswick you can follow the Fundy Trail Parkway, along the coastline and, during low tide, there is little to no water in the big basin. Boats sit on the bottom of the sea floor, marinas jut up high on their posts and sea birds run along the mud picking at algae and insects left behind. And in certain areas, you can actually walk on the ocean floor, too. The best place to sink your feet into the sandy, silty ocean floor is at Hopewell Rocks, near Alma, New Brunswick. After a short hike down a path, you walk down three flights of stairs to the bottom of the ocean. You’ve likely seen pictures of the Hopewell Rocks, the sandstone formations, many with trees on top, also known as flowerpots, that stand at the base of the Bay of Fundy. They’re the result of erosion to a grand mountain range 600 million years ago. Talk about some history!?!?  The kids loved pretending to swim around as a few hours difference, we would have been 30 feet underwater. Definitely one of the coolest places we have been and the only place in the world where you can see such a significant tide.

TIP: Check tide timetables. There is a daily 6-hour “safe zone” for walking on the ocean floor, but during high tide hours, water can come in at 10 feet per hour (cool to see from the cliffs, but not from the bottom!)  During high tide, you can rent kayaks to tour the coastline and wander amid the islands formed by the rocks and water.

TIP: After seeing several people wearing rubber boots on the trail, I wondered if we made a mistake not bringing any (I was thinking we’d just go barefoot and brought a couple of towels). However, the ground was easily walkable in tennis shoes, and our shoes didn’t even get very muddy or wet. They do have a water spicket to clean feet and shoes, just in case.

Visit a UNESCO Global GeoPark: 

Stonehammer/The Reversing Rapids in Saint John, New Brunswick is a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural (UNESCO) Global Geopark, a geological site that they have designated as being of “global significant importance” (The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland is another one – there are 147 around the world and only five in North America). The Rapids occur twice a day: once when the Saint John River flows out to the Bay of Fundy during low tide, and once when high tide is coming in and the Bay of Fundy overpowers the river, creating rapids, tidal waves and whirlpools and the river actually flows backwards. You’ll do a double take at this strange and awesome sight. Formed from continents colliding together billions of years ago, creating the gorge, sea birds love the area and it’s fun to watch them riding the waves. As we learned the hard way, with one car going to one overlook and one car going to another, there are a couple of viewing spots both on the east and west sides of the river. On the west side, there’s a restaurant and gift shop with an overhang you can walk on, but this acrophobe decided against it.

TIP: Another notice to check the tide timetable to ensure that you see the full force of the rapids.

Drive across one of the longest bridges in the world and take a car ferry. 

The Confederation Bridge is an 8-mile/12 km bridge that connects PEI to mainland Canada and is the longest bridge in the world that crosses ice-covered water (it has to get really cold to freeze that much sea water!). The only other option for accessing PEI with a car is via a ferry from Nova Scotia, which we also did! Driving a car up a ramp and parking it on a big boat was a new and cool experience for us. It’s a 75-minute ride (14 miles) from Wood Islands, PEI (in the southeast) to Pictou, Nova Scotia. They have a cafe, you can walk outside and watch for dolphins and whales in the Northumberland Strait, and sometimes they even have live music. 

TIP: If you are prone to get seasick, take a dramamine or wear a SeaBand. Even with relatively calm conditions, I could feel the boat rocking. 

Visit an International Park (there’s only one in the entire world!):

We love visiting US and Canadian National Parks and have chalked up seven or eight with the boys so far, but a first for us was visiting the only International Park in the world: Roosevelt Campobello International Park. A joint venture between the US and Canada, the park is a symbol of the countries’ cooperation and friendship. Technically, the island is part of New Brunswick, but the bridge and border crossing is in Lubec, Maine (the most eastern point of the US – another first to remember!). Franklin Roosevelt’s parents spent summers on Campobello, and FDR’s mother purchased the Roosevelt Cottage for Franklin and Eleanor. An Arts & Crafts style home with a gorgeous view of Eastport, Maine across the bay, I felt like Eleanor might appear at any moment with a cup of iced tea, inviting me to sit with her on the grand porch while we watched my boys play croquet on the lawn. Campobello also has whale watching tours, hiking and biking trails, stunning lighthouses (one of which is the most photographed in the world and only accessible at low tide which we found out much to our chagrin). It was a highlight of our trip!

TIP: You can easily spend a day a Campobello, so plan accordingly.

Eat at a Sugar Shack:

Pancakes for lunch? A unanimous “yes!” was our crew’s answer. If you’re going to visit anywhere in Eastern Canada, a trip to a sugar shack, where they make maple syrup, has to be on your list no matter what time of year it is. We stopped at Sugar Moon Farms in Earltown, Nova Scotia to get our maple syrup on. A traditional sugar shack, with long tables, a simple menu of pancakes, eggs and bacon, just pour the homemade goodness over everything! I tried some maple syrup lemonade which was addictive. You can also take a tour of their facility and learn how to make maple syrup. Nick and I had one of our favorite days ever in Canada at a sugar shack year ago and were thrilled to share the unique experience with our family.

A trip to the Canadian Maritimes with kids created some lifelong memories, gave us first-time fun and unique experiences and left us wanting more. These were just some of the highlights; we did so much more. More details and our trip itinerary are coming soon!