In summer 2015 we drove for nine days from Ontario through Vermont, Cape Cod, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI, and back to Toronto in a Subaru Forester XT.
Why road trips
Road trips are a great experience that should be taken more often. You get to enjoy driving on great roads, spend quality time with your family, and view scenic landscapes.
Traveling to many countries gives you a new perspective and understanding of how people choose to live their lives. However, the US and Canada are so vast that it seems like they are composed of small countries.
For any road trip to be enjoyable, great roads are a must. Experiencing the vast range of the interstate system and highway network in the US and Canada is a satisfying feeling. This great infrastructure lays the foundation for a prosperous country.
The car
Great roads require a great vehicle to maximize the fun. The 2015 Subaru Forester XT is an excellent example of a balanced road trip machine. Here are a few reasons why it was so awesome:
- The suspension was firm enough for the curves
- The ride was comfortable over the bumpy roads
- The turbo provided adequate power for passing
- The HID Headlights illuminated the road well
- The large sunroof contributed to a bright cabin
- The power tailgate was very convenient when loading luggage
Day by day
The road trip lasted nine days and I have described each day below:
Day 1: Ontario to Vermont
Beautiful scenery along the way and visit to Dartmouth College
Day 2: Vermont to Cape Cod
Visit Ben and Jerry’s Factory, drive along Kancamagus Highway in the White Mountain National Forest, tour of Harvard and MIT, and finally arriving in Cape Cod
Day 3: Cape Cod to New Brunswick
Early morning visit to Race Point Beach at the tip of Cape Cod, then to Marginal Way Walkway in Maine, and finally arriving in Saint John in New Brunswick
Day 4: New Brunswick to Nova Scotia
Starting the day at Irving Nature Park then to Reversing Falls. Then a drive to the famous Peggy’s Cove and an evening in Halifax
Day 5: Cape Breton
Spent the morning in the Halifax Public Gardens then a drive on the world famous Cabot Trail and arriving in Sydney to see fireworks at night
Day 6: Nova Scotia to PEI
Left Sydney and then off to taking the ferry between Caribou, NS & Wood Islands, PEI. Drove on the coastal drive and made our way into Charlottetown. Taking the fireworks cruise was a great idea.
Day 7: PEI to New Brunswick
Made our way to Cavendish beach and Green Gables heritage site then the Giant Lobster in Shediac, Magnetic Hill in Moncton, Hopewell Rocks, and finally arriving in Edmundston
Day 8: New Brunswick to Ontario
Long drive from New Brunswick passing through via Quebec to Brockville. Picnic stop in Quebec.
Day 9: Ontario
Thousand Islands tour in Brockville then making it back to Toronto
Apps we used
Apps used for navigation are Waze for in city traffic, Apple Maps for long drives, Google Maps for getting location addresses.
Below is a Google location history map of the trip:
