Nova Scotia or Maine? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Nova Scotia or Maine?

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Looking to take a solo trip for about 5 - 6 days. I really want to see the Cabot Trail but I don't think I can do it in the time I have. Have any of you travelled to coastal Maine? I'm assuming that the scenery is going to be very similar and it's more doable in the time I have. If I ride to Maine instead of Scotia am I going to be greatly disappointed?? Thanks for any input.
 
I have a friend who lives near the Cabot and I want to get in a visit but it's about 20+ hours riding time to just get to the area.
Part 2 is the costs. While I haven't been to Maine I have always found the USA to be 2/3 the price of Canada for food, fuel and gas.

With 5-6 days all you see of the Cabot is what is visible through the windshield. If you allow for fog and rain days as well it could be an endurance trial.
 
Personally I like nova scotia roads (and people) better. I went down through vermont/maine, back up to NB, around NS, Cape Breton, PEI and NB in about a week, but there was no stopping (twice a day for food/nature, ~3-4 times a day for fuel).

How far are you comfortable riding/day? If you don't like long days and want to shorten up the ride, I personally find vermont roads/drivers better than qc.
 
Cabot will be a stretch and quite frankly it's nice but 4-5 hours is all you need for a nice loop and it can get very nasty.

Can't speak for Maine but likely to be very touristed this time of year.

BRP is nicely in range tho - 1 day down.....3 days riding in the area .....1-2 back.
 
How about New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, up around Gaspe and then back along the south or north shore of the St. Lawrence?
Here's a 4400km route heading out through the states and coming home along the St Lawrence? Easily done in 6 days.
 
Even when I lived in Montreal, I avoided the Quebec/New Brunswick route to the Maritimes. The quality of the roads and the character of the New England people make me feel a lot more "at home" than anywhere along the St. Lawrence. Everything is cheaper and the contry is far more beautiful (to me) the ride down the St Lawrence to Riviere de Loup is BORING, WINDY, WET and Brrrrr.
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine... ahh!

Nova Scotia? You can't get there unless you go through Quoi'bec/New Brunswick or Vermont, N.H. and Maine.. so I don't get the question. Do both - cross back into Canada at St. Stevens/Calais and take the ferry to Digby to enjoy the Scotian Pensula.

Oh... In my opinion, the Cabot trail is over-rated and often in Mist and Fog. Unless you have a job app that requires that you have been there, watch a video! Many will disagree, because they "enjoyed" the $$hitty weather, high costs and time wasting endurance to be able to say they "did" the Cabot trail. Sheeeesh! How many want to go back every year, Huh?
Yeah.. a real great ride!
 
mototrek said:
Even when I lived in Montreal, I avoided the Quebec/New Brunswick route to the Maritimes. The quality of the roads and the character of the New England people make me feel a lot more "at home" than anywhere along the St. Lawrence. Everything is cheaper and the contry is far more beautiful (to me) the ride down the St Lawrence to Riviere de Loup is BORING, WINDY, WET and Brrrrr.
Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine... ahh!

Nova Scotia? You can't get there unless you go through Quoi'bec/New Brunswick or Vermont, N.H. and Maine.. so I don't get the question. Do both - cross back into Canada at St. Stevens/Calais and take the ferry to Digby to enjoy the Scotian Pensula.

Oh... In my opinion, the Cabot trail is over-rated and often in Mist and Fog. Unless you have a job app that requires that you have been there, watch a video! Many will disagree, because they "enjoyed" the $$hitty weather, high costs and time wasting endurance to be able to say they "did" the Cabot trail. Sheeeesh! How many want to go back every year, Huh?
Yeah.. a real great ride!
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sry to hear about your crappy trip to nova scotia, i sure hope no one was riding with you cause you would probably make there trip as crappy as yours, geeeezzzz
 
mototrek said:
I guess I should keep my responses shorter for the simple people. I never wrote my rides to Nova Scotia were crappy. Trip through Quebec's eastern shore of the St. Lawrence sucks for the reasons indicated. Lived there for 42 years and know well of which I speak. Best route to the maritimes is through the states, again for the reasons cited.

I actually wrote "enjoy the Scotian pensula." Get the thorns out of your butt and review the text. Were you upset about my opinion of the Cabot Trail? Sniff - There is a net loss of population there - must not be just me. I try to ensure all my rides are pleasant and I learn which places to avoid.

Maybe you can take a poll and post how many riders (from here or anywhere) can't wait to do the Cabot trail over and over again - and compare that with the riders who keep heading to the Virginias, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

Interesting how you avoid the real content of my writing and reveal your own ****** feelings. You must be one real miserable SOB.
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yep, if you say so

Oh... In my opinion, the Cabot trail is over-rated and often in Mist and Fog. Unless you have a job app that requires that you have been there, watch a video! Many will disagree, because they "enjoyed" the ****** weather, high costs and time wasting endurance to be able to say they "did" the Cabot trail. Sheeeesh! How many want to go back every year, Huh?
Yeah.. a real great ride!


^^^^is this the good times you spoke about....lol


don't waste my time, so lets not make this about you or me.


thanks
 
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lucky2 said:
yep, if you say so....

^^^^is this the good times you spoke about....lol

don't waste my time, so lets not make this about you or me.


thanks
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But *you* did make it about you and me. Perhaps you didn't intend to, but that's what you did. You got personal without dealing with the contents of my message. That makes you either one sorry SOB or an incompetent reader. Maybe you'll wake up tomorrow in a better mood and get over your issues. You are choosing to waste your own time. Sad
 
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mototrek said:
but *you* did make it about you and me. Perhaps you didn't intend to, but that's what you did. You got personal without dealing with the contents of my message. That makes you either one sorry sob or an incompetent reader. Maybe you'll wake up tomorrow in a better mood and get over your issues. You are choosing to waste your own time. Sad
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really....lol, OK you did enjoy your trip to nova scotia.
 
mototrek said:
Judging by the time stamp on your messages... This forum is a preoccupation. Get a life man.
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sure:lmao:,anyway to op, nova scotia is alot of fun even not seeing cape breton. if you hit a tourist info shack they have a lot of maps and local info you can pick up if you choose to go there.
 
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Geez...didn't mean to start a fight guys! Haha. To answer earlier question I PLAN on riding 8-10 hrs a day but I can only do that if it's interesting, ie little slabbing. I'm an old fart and didn't really get the touring bug til last year so I have only been as far as Vermont, so really ANYTHING will be a treat compared to what I'm used to. I've been reading a lot of the threads and the run to Renovo via Coudersport seems quite popular as well at the BRP and Skyline Drive. I'd prefer NOT to go anywhere touristy and am reaching the conclusion that heading to Maine or nova scotia could turn into slow and busy riding. Decisions,decisions ....
 
Perhaps you both can discuss the topic and not each other?

Oh, and bypassing the swear filters gets an infraction ;)
 
I just did the Cabot run in July. I took 10 days to do it. 1 of those days was being stuck in Halifax while my bike got repaired. Cabot is a great experience especially if you enjoy lobster and the friendliest people in Canada. it is easily doable in a week if you slab it and dont go out of the way. I probably could have cut down on 2 or 3 days easily on my trip had i taken some stops out and slabbed it. but I was also touristy and visited places/sightseeing. if you want to get there quick then Slab it through Canada/NB/NS. the Trans Canada 110km speed limit paired with an extreme lack of red/blue lights will really cut time off.
 
Rob MacLennan said:
.....Oh, and bypassing the swear filters gets an infraction ;)
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Ha! It should get 4 Stars **** for creative writing and dumb ***** **** ***** swear filters Ha Ha
ROTFLMFAO

BTW... the interpreter bears total responsibility for his/her interpretation.
Intro to Psychology .00001
 
I PLAN on riding 8-10 hrs a day but I can only do that if it's interesting, ie little slabbing. I'm an old fart and didn't really get the touring bug til last year so I have only been as far as Vermont, so really ANYTHING will be a treat compared to what I'm used to. I've been reading a lot of the threads and the run to Renovo via Coudersport seems quite popular as well at the BRP and Skyline Drive. I'd prefer NOT to go anywhere touristy and am reaching the conclusion that heading to Maine or nova scotia could turn into slow and busy riding. Decisions,decisions ....
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The headache with the east coast is it's a hell of a hike to get there.

We just did it by car and it was a chore even with two drivers and an iPad to do science quizzes on.

The S Shore of the St. Lawrence is a decent winding road and kinda nice to cruise but hell 800k plus just to get to that.

Then a very long run down through NB with moose fences and trees as company.

Annapolis Valley is gorgeous and pretty along the East Coast by Peggy's Cove etc but it will eat time.

Screenshot2012-06-03atJun32012112821AM.jpg


Slab again around Halifax to get to the causeway to Cape Breton.

The centre of the island around the lakes is pretty and fun to tour. Bald eagles etc.

The coastal road on the east is a rider challenge and one of the top roads in the world as it climbs to the highland.
Our whole trip was planned around trying to time the weather and we got lucky

Screenshot2012-06-09atJun9201283627AM.jpg


But this is early June this year - that tree is perhaps 300 years old.

Screenshot2012-06-04atJun42012104443PM.jpg


You can see how high you climb ( great road - there were sport bike riders going up and down for fun )

Screenshot2012-06-04atJun42012104406PM.jpg


If the weather is bad across the top to the other side you are in for one of the worst rides of your life and there is almost nothing in the way of shelter. This year we were lucky.

Screenshot2012-06-04atJun42012102934PM.jpg


You see that bare knob - that's treeline - that's Arctic conditions - the North West coast is just terrifying in bad weather. I'm shooting just across a little valley.

Yet when it's fine ( about 6 weeks of the year ) - it's glorious.

Screenshot2012-06-04atJun42012103030PM.jpg


If this is your first long trip. I'd highly recommend PA as a warm up and shake down.
Lake Placid is another you can do in a 3 day jaunt.

BRP is perfect for slow gawky rides and afaik these days not a whole lot of traffic and no trucks at all. But you have to restrict your riding to daylight as it's infested with deer.

One longest day to get to Fort Royal and then as long as you want on the BRP which is long and slow and lovely. Less risky for weather than Cape Breton.

I've been to Cape Breton several times and for weeks at a time as I had a client there. You need to be lucky if you have a short window.
We were a one day drive away this June and we still stayed over in Annapolis Valley two extra days until we had our weather window for the Cape and it was still very cold and windy. Aus girlfriend was shivering big time. It is tundra in the highland.
Yet there is a Carolian Forest in the valley below it - 1,000 km north of where it should be.

Quite the adventure in good weather - a horror in bad.
 
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^^ i dunno I went July and they had told me that on the eastern side of the island they hadnt seen rain in 4 weeks. but ya I hear the Atlantic side gets alot of ****** weather. the Fog is brutal in the AM when in the highlands. you cannot see 20 feet ahead of you. I found second week of July was solid(for me) all sunny weather my entire trip and the entire day I spent in Cape Breton no rain(but sketchy clouds)
 
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