Boston to Nova Scotia and back, 7 days, what not to miss

It's 785 miles to Cape Breton and 664 miles to Halifax-one way. You might want to rethink your plan and go somewhere a little closer if you've only got a week. I'd recommend Fundy National Park which is about 500 miles-doable in a day, albeit a long one (have done it multiple times). That would be a fantastic place to photograph scenery and teach your son the tricks of the trade. And there's a bakery in Alma, just outside the park, that has the most fantastic peanut butter cookies, raisin bread and sticky buns!

I was there for a few weeks last summer. Off the top of my head I'd recommend:
Cabot Trail (Cape Breton Island) (Not to be missed. Exquisite drive.)
Camp Breton Highlands National Park
Peggy's Cove
Bay of Fundy
Chocolate River (astounding!)

Please note that the Welcome Centers are great; some will even make reservations for you on the spot!
There are also markers throughout for self guided tours, i.e. lighthouses, covered bridges, etc.

With or without an itinerary I'm pretty positive you will enjoy Nova Scotia!

You might want to think about your time & distances again. You have time for maybe the Fundy region of NB. Not much more, especially if you want to stop & take some pictures. Alma, NB is nothing without pics at high tide & at low tide taken from the same locations for dramatic effect. Further up the coast the rocks cannot be seen without getting out of the vehicle & going for a hour hike.

It is not Disney where everything is laid out for you. We have been almost 3 months into an Atlantic Canada trip which has included a month in Nfld.

I do one day drives Boston to North Carolina without problem. I'm used to long hauls on travel days if needed, and can easily do 12-14hrs with two drivers. Half the trip will be spent relaxing, watching a movie, or chatting with my son. So ignore the to/from part, I've got that covered.

Let me rephrase then...

I have 4-5 days available to me while in Nova Scotia. What should I see while there? I don't expect to see everything while there, and this is the first of a few trips I'll be taking to the NS/NB/PEI area. Just need something to get started for the first 4-5 day trip.

Fortress of Louisbourg. Be sure to eat at the varied period restaurants. http://www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca/

:B

Definitely Fortress of Louisbourg.

Fortress of Lousibourg looks a lit like Plymouth Plantation (https://www.plimoth.org) we have here in MA, which I also enjoyed. I'll put it in the 'for sure' list for this trip :). NS is only a days drive for us, so we plan on returning at least once a year for 4-5 days each time in order to see it all. Section by section, we'll get there :)

We have friends who almost routinely will drive to Boston area to see football, hockey or baseball. There, the Boston teams are number one, and they do these drives in one day. In our motor home, and with no time restraints, we stopped overnight at Bangor. But driving through to Cape Breton in a day is stretching it, to Fortress Louisburg. But it could be included in your five-day schedule.

Take the ferry over to PEI if you like to golf, drive up the Island, maybe stop at Charlottown and then take the bridge back. If time permits drive to Peggies Cove, where from the road there, you will see many sailboats at anchor in the small bays, very picturesque. On the return drive the north shore of Minas Basin, past Five Islands and Parrsboro, and see Cape d'Or, and Fundy waters racing by like a giant river. You are already partly on the way home.

All good ideas. Thanks of the info :) Much appreciated.