1st long trip,Colo. to New England to Nova Scotia and back.

[susanka]

Hi, all. We've got our MH (a 30' Fleetwood Southwind Storm, 1999), going to have it hooked up to our new Honda CR-V next week. We've only gone on a couple of short trips so far. We plan to leave on 9/20 for a 24-day trip from Colorado up through New England and, we hope, on to Nova Scotia and back to Colorado. We plan to just start out without a lot of plan, and plan as we go, hoping to be relaxed about the whole thing.

We are full of questions: Is this a realistic distance to go, round trip? Mapquest says about 5600 miles. Is there anything special to do to go across the border into Canada when you're in a MH? We mainly hope to see fall color in New England and Nova Scotia, but have never been either place previously. We hope to stay in State Parks; the only place we have reservations is at Coolidge State Park in Vermont for five days, paid in advance, without knowing whether we'll actually get there. We think this is likely the only trip we'll be make to this area, at least this far north. We'll be walking around, but not doing any strenuous hikes; I have bad knees and don't walk real well.

I feel extremely naive asking these few questions: I know we don't know what we don't know. Any suggestions you have would be welcome (other than "Stay home!!") Thanks for any help you'd like to offer.

Susan

[2gypsies1]

You didn't state your planned route but if you're getting tired by the time you hit Michigan, the Upper Peninsula and the lower, northern part will be beautiful. If you can make it to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore around Traverse City, Michigan, it is breathtaking beginning Oct 1.

Keep in mind also that the colors and leaf drop depends on the weather. Sometimes those leaves drop very fast.

I don't know if you'll both be driving but if you're getting tired, slow the pace and don't try to cover so much territory. You'll be seeing fall colors wherever you go. Also, I wouldn't recommend making lots of reservations. Just take your time and enjoy.

Have fun on your trip...and 77 is not old. 🙂

[susanka]

Hi, folks. Wow, so much information and so many great ideas. Thank you, and please write more! I'm thinking this will be the trip of our lives!

Susan

[Little_Kopit]

OK, if you want to know about Canada, go to Canada.

1. www.google.ca means searching in Canadian sites. Search "name of province & tourism". Do at least Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Ferry from Maine will stop in very early October. You will have to go through New Brunswick.

2. Go to section of this forum, called RVing in Canada and Alaska. Browse for threads on these 2 provinces. Search all stickies for relevant border crossing information.

3. Check with local sources in person for camp grounds that may be open to serve folks living in an rv and working in that city.

Atlantic Canada (NS, NB, PEI, & NL) have a long fall. Yes, there may be some frost, but days can be quite nice.\

The Fortress at Louisbourg in Cape Breton Island is an unusual reconstruction for Canada and well work checking for opening times in the fall.

:B

[bsinmich]

You can make up a couple of days driving by getting across the plains quicker than the 237 miles per day someone quoted. I would also take warm clothes since you may get a shot of snow. If you have a toll road pass, like I-Pass from Illinois, you can take the toll roads E of the Mississippi on the same Pass. That saves a lot of time to get you to your destination quicker. As a fellow who goes to Canada frequently I use Credit Unions and their ATMs for the best rates. I usually have $100 Canadian at home for the start. I am going in a couple of weeks myself.

[Tvov]

Jim Shoe wrote:
... And finally, Tim Horton's is the Canadian Starbucks, and they're everywhere. ...

Semi-humorous note about Tim Horton's... I am a big coffee drinker. When we went to the Canadian side Niagara Falls we stopped at a Tim Horton's for a "regular" coffee. It comes in something like an 8oz cup -- which looks smaller than a "child" size cup down here in the States. Basically, it is an actual "cup" of coffee, as opposed to our "mega multi-gallon super-size" containers that we are used to drinking out of.

Good coffee, just be ready for realistically sized cups!

[susanka]

thank you, thank you, thank you. Please keep 'em coming!

Susan

[Jim_Shoe]

Get some Canadian cash before you cross the border. Either an American Express office or your local bank, though that might take a day or two. Once you're 20 or thirty miles from the border, businesses won't know the exchange rate, any more than you do on this side of the border.
Check the US and CN customs sites for current info on what you can take and what you can't. DON'T lie to the customs inspector. If they ask you a question, they already know the answer. On my way north, I crossed at Sweetgrass, MT. and the customs inspector asked if I'd ever been fingerprinted. I told him maybe when I joined the Navy, but I couldn't remember. DUH, my fingerprint was on my passport that he had in his hand.
Since my RV already had miles and kilometers on the speedometer, I wasn't too concerned. Until I stopped at a deli and everything was sold by the gram. So I ordered 8 slices. And I still don't know the conversions. Or the yards/meters conversion. Going thru Calgary, I came to a bridge with a vertical clearance posted. So I pulled over and did the math. I was OK. BTW, crossing into and out of Alaska and back into the US at Sweetgrass, I barely had to slow down before being waved on thru.
Gasoline in Canada is sold by the Liter in Canadian Dollars , so unless you know those conversions, just ask them to fill it up. Attendants pump the gas up there anyway. No choice. Your credit card company will do the converting. And finally, Tim Horton's is the Canadian Starbucks, and they're everywhere.
One other thing. My RV is 30 AMP, but some CGs in Canada had only 20 and 50 Amp outlets. Glad I had pigtails with me.

[CA_Traveler]

Good plan. With Verizon you can add Canadian phone only access for $15/month additional. Call before you cross the border and after you return. Data is expensive and we do OK on WiFi but don't access financials. We always carry proof of insurance for Canada which we have not needed, just figure that if something happens we'll have it.

[dcason]

We leave 9/28 after doing the garlic festival for GASPE', New Brunswick, PEI and southern NB and home through Maine.

CHECK the night temps, watch for any possible precipitation (thinking any ice or possible early snow). We have our passports, Canadian, Non-Resident interprovince motor vehicle Liability insurance card (which quite honestly I don't know how necessary this is). We checked wunderground.com for last years weather and record lows to see what we might experience weatherwise. We are not prepared for ice, snow but could wait it out if need be...but don't think that will be a problem (we hope).

We will mostly be boondocking. We have checked sanidumps.com for possible places to dump and take on water. Our trip should be about one month long. We use allstays camp & rv ap for our ipad and iphone (don't expect to use the iphone $$$) to find walmarts to overnight in a pinch, LP, etc.

This is our first time in gaspe', pei, and eastern NB...looking forward to it immensely...it was a spur of the moment trip.

[Grit_dog]

Susanka, while it will be a lot of miles per day you really mention the NE and Nova Scotia as the destination.
If you hot foot it out of CO and both drive, ie like 16 hrs per day, you can reach the east coast in 2-3 long days. Not much to see between CO and NY in my opinion anyway, other than the leaves should be getting good towards the NE.
Doing this will give you 3+ weeks in your destination area which is really what you're after. Just don't get sidetracked at every attraction along the way and try to time your travel thru big cities NOT during rush hours. That and save the fuel econo driving for the tourist part of your trip and put yer foot in it on the "commute". The extra fuel $cost will save you a couple days overall.
Have fun!

[kknowlton]

I know it's been mentioned, but don't forget your passports!! And do watch out for CGs being closed; that said, many areas still have a CG or two that stay open all year, though they may not have water available. Good luck to you! Hope you find some good color (we're starting to have some nice color up here) and that you don't wear yourselves out with all the driving. Have a great trip!

[tenbear]

You are planning to drive an average of 233 miles each day. This is not going to give you much time to stop and visit.

Any time after about the first week of October, you could run into snow, at least here in northern Vermont. It won't stay but could be bothersome and cause a delay. Also some campgrounds start to close about then.

Some trees are starting to show some fall color, but only the weaker trees. Should take another week or two to get good color.

Hope you have a great trip and enjoy the color.

[CA_Traveler]

For Canada crossing the big 5 are guns (very limited and by permit only), alcohol (limited), firewood (not allowed), cash ($10,000 limit per person) and criminal/DUI record (you won't be allowed to cross). Passports or equivalent are required. Regulations on what is allowed each way are constantly changing so remove your hat and directly answer the questions, don't chit chat or volunteer information. Questions that don't seem necessary may be used to determine if you are being truthful. We've had a couple of refer checks but never a full rig search. US wanted our tomatoes and green onions one year. Restricted fruit/tomatoes with the small labels indicating US or Canada may be allowed. Unopened store wrapped meats are more likely to be OK than opened packages.

We take a little US cash and charge everything on Visa. Our Capital One has a fair exchange rate with no foreign transaction fee. Amex has a foreign transaction fee of 2-3%. Canadian fuel is more expensive so fill before the border and after you return.

Have a great trip.

[susanka]

I was going to try to quote all of you and thank each of you individually, but you've each given us so much useful and interesting information I won't take up space doing that. Please keep any suggestions you have coming. I know we may not get to go as far as we had hoped, NS may be out, but if we have a wonderful time wherever we are I have to remember that's what's important. And I'll follow up on all the hints and ideas you've sent.

Susan