Sockdogg

Hi,

We're planning a 2 or 3 week jaunt to NS and Toronto in June 2007, need advice for places to visit and or stay. Personal reviews are always more reliable than anonymous websites.

We're planning on moving to Halifax (one day when we're selected!) so we're planning most of our activites around there, but if there is anything else we should see in NS please advise.

We've got a wedding in Shelburne area so we're off down that neck of the woods too, and I fancy a drive back through Annapolis Valley as Kentville & Wolfville look nice areas to possibly commute from to Halifax.

Suggestions for Toronto are welcome too as we've not looked at this area much but my area of work (molecular biology) will be easier to find in Toronto than NS so we need to look there too.

Thanks

Mat

snowgoose

Try this website:
www.bayoffundytourism.com I don't think I'd go to NS without having a look at the Bay of Fundy, or just Google Nova Scotia - you can find maps and loads of info.

dbd33

I know Toronto but I don't know you. What matters to you? How many are you? Do you want tourist attractions for small children, suggestions as to where young gay women might feel comfortable living, the best places for food at $100/plate. Do you want a B&B downtown, a suite hotel in the 'burbs, whaddya wanna know?

Sockdogg

thanks for the quick replies.

The Bay of Fundy is on our list, hope to go Whale watching, not sure how possible that is in the summer yet. I saw a place on Brier Island but that seemed quite a drive and also 2 ferries to get there.

As for Toronto, It'll be me the missus and our two young kids (3 & 4 years old). So a mix of stuff for kids and places to stay that are family friendly would be a good start.
We looked at Toronto Zoo on google earth and it looked miles out of the city, is it easy to get to?
We're not sure about hiring a car in Toronto as hopefully public transport will be readily available and easier than driving in such a big city.

Any opinions?

thanks

dbd33

It's a good zoo but getting there without a car isn't really feasible and, so long as you have a rental car, the African Lion Safari is a really good alternative; we're quite proud of the giraffe spit down the inside of our door panel. Small children also tend to like Wild Water Kingdom (need car) and the amusement park on the island (transit) as well as Ontario Place (transit) and Riverdale Farm which is really a petting zoo (transit).

sureshYYZ

For accommodation in Toronto, try University of Toronto, students residence at Chestnut Street in Toronto. Reasonable price when students are not in residence. Used to be a hotel. In downtown therefore, easy access for public transport. Another is Seneca College residence near Don Mills & Finch intersection.

Buchan6

A car is a must !!

As someone whos done the whole summer thing with kids of similar ages there is little to gain apart from over costly hotel rooms by staying in downtown Toronto. A better option would be to stay in one of the "Burbs where you are likely to settle and drive in after rushhour.

A definate must is Centreville, which is a funfair on the Toronto Islands with rides catering for younger children. You get the ferry across to it from Front Street. Probably the best day we had last summer kids loved it.

AnyaT

The South Shore is probably the most recommended area of NS to visit, and if you are heading to Shelburne to will have that covered. I am estimating Shelburne would be a 3 hour drive from Halifax, but if I understand you correctly you would like to spend a few days getting there and back. Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg are picturesque towns you might want to stop and take a look at, though I don't think you could spend more than an hour or two in the first two. Lunenburg is a bit bigger and has a shipbuilding and fisheries museum - the Bluenose, which you will see on the dime, was built there. As far as places to stay, you may want to investigate White Point Beach Lodge. It has a number of cottages right on the beach and lots of activities for kids and adults - fun place to stay though often booked up for weddings on summer weekends so check ahead of time.

You can cut up through the province to get to the Annapolis Valley instead of driving all the way around the edge. Not sure how outdoorsy you are, but doing this would likely take you through Kejimkujik (pronounced Kedgee-ma-ku-djik) National Park which has lots of opportunities for camping, canoeing, hiking, etc. The Annapolis Valley has a lot of little museums and historic houses but I am not sure how interesting they would be for 2 young children - you might want to check out Upper Clements Park outside Digby and the Oaklawn Farm Zoo in Aylesford for them. Port Royal might also be interesting - it is a recreation of one of the first settlements in the New World. For accommodation, I stayed at the Mountain Gap Inn near Digby years ago and found it pretty nice - again, it has cottages, swimming pool, bonfires and various activities. Wolfville is a very scenic little town and due to the university there has a bit more in the way of shops and restaurants than other places in the Valley - I recommend the Blomidon Inn and Acton's.

One bit of advice I would give you regarding a move to NS is that I think you will find Wolfville and Kentville much too long of a commute into Halifax. Kentville especially would take a couple hours each way and can be quite treacherous in the winter - the highway through the Valley is known for having a number of accidents and I wouldn't care to have to drive it during a snow storm. Generally Windsor is about as far as most people go for a commute into Halifax and even that takes 45 minutes. Keep in mind there is nothing along that stretch of highway between towns - no phones, service stations, etc - so if something goes wrong you can have a long wait for help to arrive.

Scouse Express

Mat,

I travel up there several times a year, as I am a Coach Driver.

Cape Breton is probably the most scenic part of Nova Scotia. If you are going up that way, be sure to visit Fortress Louisburg, and the Cabot Trail is a "must see." Lots of Trails to take a quiet walk on. Baddeck is a nice place to stay. It is the longtime residence of Alexanger Graham Bell. There is a museum there, which is well worth a visit. The Inverary Inn is a decent place to lay your head down.

Halifax, is one of my favourite places to visit. It has a good bus service, and, you may wish to consider Dartmouth, across the Harbour....which is the world's 2nd natural largest. The Citadel, which overlooks the city, is a definate must. Within a 30 minute drive, you will find Peggy's Cove, and, sadly the Swiss Air Flight 111 Memorial.

Now, you mention visiting both Halifax and Toronto. How do you intend on travelling between the two Cities? If you intend to drive, be aware that it is 2 good, long days of driving. Quebec City and Montreal are two major cities where your specialty may come in useful. You will come across them if you choose to drive between Halifax and Toronto.

As for Toronto, it has a vibrant Harbour Area. Put Casa Loma on your list of places to see, along with CN Tower, Skydome (or the Rogers Arena as it is now called) and the Air Canada Center. A good place to eat is the "Town & Country Buffet" which is located lakeside, in Toronto.

Your family may consider "Medieval Times" for a great night of entertainment, which is located in Exhibition Place, just a few miles out of town.

I would go for the Zoo, as opposed to the African Lion Safari Park. The Baboons can do a number on your car.

Hope these ideas give you something to go on.

Cheers!


Jim.

dbd33

That's why you go when you have a rental car.

aigburtharms

you're right about the work thing - I expect it woul be difficult to find work in Nova Scotia in your field though there are a realtively high number of universites and colleges here which you may find something at. Having recently moved from a big city (Vancouver) to a tiny town in Nova Scotia, I can recommend that when you come for your recce visit, that you keep in mind what type of lifestyle you want to have when you move to Canada - living in a big city will give you the opportunity to find work more easily, but we found that after 5 years in Vancouver ( i imagine the expeience would be comparable in Toronto) we still were working the daily grind like we were in England and our lives hadn't changed that much. Basically we weren't doing what we came to Canada to do - spend more time with the kids, have a big house, etc etc. Just something for you to think about anyway.