RV Trip thru Southeast Canada and New England Coast

[shelia_williams]

I am trying to plan our summer RV trip and could use advise on the things not to miss in areas of the country we have never been to before. We have a 40 foot Tiffin Phaeton with a toad and this is only our third trip out since becoming RVers. We are a couple in our mid 60s in good health who like outdoor activities and are anxious to experience as much of the scenery and history as we can in the time we have. While we think we will be on the road 6 to 8 weeks, we don't have a definite time table so are flexible to fit in as much as we can during the summer. We will go to the Detroit area to see family and then plan to go to Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, Toronto, Montreal, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Bar Harbor, Maine, Kennebunkport, Maine, Newport RI, New York City, Philadelphia, Pa, Washington DC and then end up in Charlottesville, VA to visit with additional family. Any information on how many days we need to see each of these areas, the things that we shouldn't miss while there, campgrounds where you have had good experiences, restaurants that are recommended and side trips that would be worthwhile would be appreciated. Also, we hope to not have to make reservations in advance so we can go at our own pace but would appreciate knowing areas where reservations are a must due to tourist traffic. Thanks in advance for any advise you can provide.

[shelia_williams]

Thanks to everyone for their help. I will use the suggestions/links to get started.

[CloudDriver]

We went up to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia back in June 2008. No need for reservations at that time period as we seemed to be before the tourist season got started.

Highlights that we really enjoyed.

New Brunswick:
Fundy National Park
Hopewell Rocks - IMO the best place to experience the tidal range in the Bay of Fundy

Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia:
We attended a Ceilidh at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center. A great time would be an understatement!
Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck. He did much more than the telephone.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park Some steep grades, use the toad.
Fortress Louisbourg A don't miss reconstruction - IMO better than Williamsburg VA.

[2hams]

Take the time to tour the Thousand Islands. Don't know if there are any boat trips from the Canadian side, but Uncle Sam's Boat tours out of Alexandria NY is just a short bridge trip across the border. Great scenery, and some north country history.

[padredw]

We crossed over into Canada at Port Huron/Sarnia and drove to the Fifty Point Conservation Area. It was a great place to stay for a week. Friends from Ontario suggested it and they were right. They came out and spent the time with us, even took us over to Niagara Falls.

I believe it is about 40-45 miles over to the Falls, but the place is so nice to stay I'd be glad to make that drive.

EDIT to correct: make that 30-35 miles to the Falls.

Here is the web site for Fifty Point:

Fifty Point

[Planedenn]

For Detroit to Niagara Falls I'd stick to driving on the Canadian side it's a 4 hour drive. Highway 401 to Woodstock then take 403 right to Niagara Falls and exit at Lundy's Lane. Campark is a good choice but at the far end. You can drive around to the outlet mall and the tourist area. If you were to visit all Niagara Falls has to offer you'd spend a week. There's also wine tours and other things away from the falls. 2-3 days would probably be enough to move on.
Can't say much for Toronto in terms of camping. You might want to visit the CN tower, Toronto zoo, Toronto island or Eaton Center. For camping you might want to go either side or north. If you have a lot of time to spend you may want to go north a few hours past Barrie for a few days.
If you needed an in between campground between Detroit and Niagara Falls I'd recommend Pinehurst Lake near Cambridge. Small secluded conservation area with easy access back to the 403.