Canada and New England
Introduction
Old-world architecture, dramatic coastal vistas and pastoral charm captivate
visitors of Canada and New England. Predominantly influenced by the French,
Canada is a vibrant kaleidoscope of culture that plays host to both cosmopolitan
cities bursting with glass-panned skyscrapers and zealous hockey fans, and
rugged seaside villages dominated by stunning lighthouses and expert fishermen.
New England's historic prominence goes without saying. Legends of the storied
birth of the American Revolution are retold throughout this region's museums and
brewpubs, and Paul Revere, John Hancock and other revolutionary figures are
still local celebrities. New England's extraordinary history is equaled only by
its landscape, which gives way to sprawling vineyards, forested hills, beautiful
craggy beaches and coastal mountains.
Getting Around
Guided tours are the easiest way to fully digest this region's gorgeous
landscape and learn all the chapters of its history. If you have visited either
Canada or New England before, you may want to bypass the prominent attractions
and search for the next adventure on your own. But a tour guide is needed if
you're just interested in seeing the best of the best in the least amount of
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Cruise Tip
A three-or four-day cruise is a quick, inexpensive
way to rejuvenate your spirit.
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If
you do follow a guide and have time to explore on your own before or after the
tour, do some shopping, find a great restaurant and spend some time admiring
local architecture. Or visit a nearby museum or art gallery.
Examples of shore excursion opportunities in Canada
and New England include:
Sports Excursions
- Canoe the sheltered waters of the Kennebecasis
River in St. John.
- Fish off the Atlantic shores of Halifax, a
coastline famous for coastline is famous for pirates, shipwrecks, rum running
and sunsets.
- Bike the Confederation Trail in Charlottetown,
Prince Edward Island.
Cultural Attractions
- Visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in
Halifax, which houses a permanent exhibition on the Titanic disaster, along with
the world's largest collection of wooden artifacts.
- Attend an authentic lobster bake in Maine.
- Stop in at the old Corner Bookstore in Boston,
an intimate 19th-century gathering place for poets and authors where Emerson,
Hawthorne and Thoreau met.
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Adventure Expeditions
- Sea kayak to the Frenchman bay and the Porcupine
Islands in Bar Harbor, Maine.
- Raft the Jacques Cartier River in Quebec City.
- Sail past the cliffs of Newfoundland and cruise
to Cape Spear, the most eastern point in North America.
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Nature Trips
- Drive along Nova Scotia's famous Lighthouse
Route to Peggy's Cove, a rugged fishing community on a coastal inlet that is
characterized by wave-worn granite boulders and crashing surf.
- Discover Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor,
Maine, which is studded with coastal mountains, five lakes, streams, ponds and a
glacier-carved fjord.
- Walk through the Halifax Public Gardens, a
17-acre tribute to Victorian elegance that encompasses formal gardens, duck
ponds and gushing fountains.
Historical Tours
- Tour St. John's, New Foundland, North America's
oldest city.
- Visit the only walled city in North America,
Quebec City, and marvel at 17th- and 18-century stone houses, military
fortifications, Place Royale, the Citadel, the Norte Dame Basilica and the
Parliament Building.
- Walk the famous freedom trail in Boston past
Park Street Church, the Granary Burying Ground, the Old South Meeting House, the
State House and Paul Revere's House.
Wildlife Interaction
- Travel to St. John's, Newfoundland, one of the
best areas on the Atlantic coast for marine wildlife viewing, and see thousands
of sea birds.
- Watch moose, black bear, whitetail deer and 50
other species of mammals in Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor.
- Journey to the Gulf of Maine and look for
whales, seals, harbor porpoises and eagles.
Shopping Districts
- Walk the "Le Petit Quartier Champlain" in Quebec
City, one of the finest shopping streets in North America.
- Browse through art galleries, fashionable
boutiques and eclectic antique shops of the Old Port exchange, a unique district
of antiquated brick and granite buildings in Portland.
- Visit the Historic Properties in Nova Scotia, a
three-block 19th-century complex of wharves and privateers warehouses that has
been transformed into a collection of upscale boutiques.
| Enhance
your travel to Canada and New England by reading about its culture, people and
history in these novels: |
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A Dream of Islands - Philip Teece
Last Train to Toronto, A Canadian Rail Odyssey - Terry Pindell
Sacre Blues - Taras Grescoe
A Wilderness Called Home - Charles Wilkens
Wilderness Journeys - Ian & Sally Wilson
Beyond Reason - Margaret Trudeau
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