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Cabot Trail - any tips, must see's etc?

Earache

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Planning a ride to Nova Scotia this summer with a few friends and am looking for any tips, etc. as none of us have been there before.
We'll be riding big bikes (GS1250's and a Super Tenere) and staying in hotels for the entire trip.

Have ya been there?
Cabot Trail.jpg
 
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Yes...a few thoughts.

It is a nice ride, BUT if you're expecting a "coast road" like PCH for example, you'll be somewhat disappointed in that much if not most of the road has large trees between you and the water/view. There are pull outs, but a lot of it is "just a nice ride through the forest" if you get what I mean. Check google street view to see for yourself. I'm not saying it isn't worth it, but it will depend on your expectations.

I thought a more interesting ride was Rt 132 around the Gaspe Peninsula (the "finger" just to the north that forms the mouth of the St. Lawrence) with a cut inland through the Gaspesie National Park. Route 132 runs right on the water for most of its length, through quaint little fishing villages. Stay in Perce, and when the tide is out, you can walk out to "the rock."

I can't really tell from your map, but it looks like your crossing through Maine and into Canada on the highway. Just north of that is Presque Isle, Maine, which also has a very small border crossing that leads to Route 108, a very remote logging, but paved, road.

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One other thing about Gaspe, it is French speaking Canada, so you really feel like you're in another country, if that matters to you.

Either way, you'll have a great trip!
 
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Thanks kickstandsup - exactly the kind of feedback I wanted.

No real expectations for this trip - just tired of heading west all the time for summer trips so we thought we'd head east for a change.
No firm route yet , either - probably make that up as we go. Will look into your route suggestions.
 
Thanks kickstandsup - exactly the kind of feedback I wanted.

No real expectations for this trip - just tired of heading west all the time for summer trips so we thought we'd head east for a change.
No firm route yet , either - probably make that up as we go. Will look into your route suggestions.
No worries, I spent years riding around the Northeast...lots of good riding there, especially through the Adirondacks, Vermont and NH. Let me know if I can help with anything.
 
Oh, and another interesting way to Nova Scotia is the ferry from Maine:


There used to be an overnight (aka slow) ferry that I took, looks like the Cat is the only one now.
 
Ride report from 2015. Texas to the Cabot Trail and back.

 
There's the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax and the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg. I wouldn't miss them.
 
I only got about 1/3 of the way through it last night - long assed report! Love all the pics!
Headed back to finish it now......
Glad you are enjoying it. It was a great ride. I read the report again myself last night. It brought back many fond memories.
 
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Glad you are enjoying it. It was a great ride. I read the report again myself last night. It brought back many fond memories.
Just finished it. Nice effort - it's not easy to do such a long report with so many pics in it.
Kinda weird, but it almost makes me not wanna do the trip as it will be pretty long and we only have 12 days to do it in. Gonna mean a lot of long days in the saddle - and as you mentioned in the report, high speeds just aren't possible in too many of the areas.
Gonna have a rethink on the trip. I did a 7 day, 4,000 mile trip in October (Colorado to Ohio then south to NC and TN and back west through AR to CO) and it was a bit of a chore at times. Multiple 700+ mile days don't allow a lot of time to see much.
With limited vacation time available, we just can't extend the trip too much.
 
I only did one long 800 mile day the first day. The rest were less, some a lot less. There is not much to see in the mid-west for you getting there except burning miles. I use trailers as little as possible, but have you thought about trailering to say New York state and back?

That trip was only 7 years ago, but I seem to have aged quickly since then. I now prefer 300 miles days, 400 tops with stopping to see a lot more.
 
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That trip was only 7 years ago, but I seem to have aged quickly since then. I now prefer 300 miles days, 400 tops with stopping to see a lot more.
Agreed. I'm not as young as I used to be :) . I had thought of trucking my bike to Ohio (wife's family lives there, drop the truck there) as I've ridden across Kansas / Eastern CO about as many times as I want to. My riding companions for this trip live in Indy, and I could also drop the truck there. 1,000 mile day in the truck is lot more enjoyable than the bike.
 
Would you do it again? Worth the effort?
Sorry for the late response

Yes but in September (again) as the weather was perfect.
We also took the ferry from NS to Maine on the way back to the states.
Our trip started in Ontario but finished in WNY

A couple must see,some mentioned above.
Lunenburg home of the Blue Nose and a cool fishing village And museum.
Alexander Graham Bell museum
Coal Miners Museum
Halifax
Meat Cove
Peggys Cove
Just to name a few.

We rode basically a figure 8 around the province
 
Just finished it. Nice effort - it's not easy to do such a long report with so many pics in it.
Kinda weird, but it almost makes me not wanna do the trip as it will be pretty long and we only have 12 days to do it in. Gonna mean a lot of long days in the saddle - and as you mentioned in the report, high speeds just aren't possible in too many of the areas.
Gonna have a rethink on the trip. I did a 7 day, 4,000 mile trip in October (Colorado to Ohio then south to NC and TN and back west through AR to CO) and it was a bit of a chore at times. Multiple 700+ mile days don't allow a lot of time to see much.
With limited vacation time available, we just can't extend the trip too much.

Ah, limited vacation time...remember it well, but not fondly... Now that I'm retired, I can tell you this: it is amazing what you see when you slow down...

Another option: fly and ride. https://www.brookspeedcanada.com

No affiliation or personal knowledge, but I do like their motto.

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