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In 1999 I was deployed to Otis ANG Base (Air National Guards) in Barnstable on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and calling a hotel in the serene town of Yarmouth on Cape Cod home. On my weekends I would get a rental car and roam the New England area. Once I went up to Bangor, Maine, and down to Ellsworth and Bar Harbor where I found the lure, and the attraction of New Brunswick too strong to resist, so I made plans for a drive to Saint John, New Brunswick.The next Friday afternoon I Left Yarmouth  and drove up to Bangor, where I spent the night. Early that Saturday morning I was on my way to Upper Mills, and crossing the border into New Brunswick at Calis/ St. Stephen. I then took a leisure drive to Saint John, with the intentions of turning around at Moncton and doubling back to Fredericton and then back to Bangor, but I ended up in Riverview and Sackville, where I was looking down the road at the border of Nova Scotia at Amherst. In Sackville I thought I heard the winds of Nova Scotia calling my name, saying to me, “come here”. Because I was so far into New Brunswick and knocking on the door of Nova Scotia, I answered the call of the wind. Crossing the border at Amherst, I was going to do the 50 cent windshield tour to Dartmouth and Halifax, but the sights and scenery were too awesome to rush pass, so I slowed down and decided to take a nice easy leisure drive through parts of Nova Scotia. In Dartmouth-Halifax when I dead headed at the Atlantic Ocean I made a coin toss to see if I would go right or left; heads for north, tail for south. The toss of the coin sent me on the south loop, I think; any way I ended up in Lunenburg, and Liverpool, where I had a hard decision to make once again. I was very tempted to take the road through the interior to Digby, and catch  the ferry back to Saint John and return back to Bangor, but I continued along the coast driving slow, cruising and rubbernecking with no particular place to go, finally I arrived in Yarmouth where I stopped for the night. The next morning, a Sunday I drove from Yarmouth to Digby, and Annapolis. My intention or plans of going to New Glasgow and back to Moncton, New Brunswick went up in smoke because of the element of distant and time. When I made it to Truro I made the left turn back to Amherst and Saint John. This little outing completed my tour of what is known as upper or North Eastern Canada. On several of my earlier military trips to or from Europe, especially England, Israel, Spain, or Germany my Military flights usually made refueling stops or lay overs in Newfoundland and Labrador at Goose Bay CFB/USAF Air Base in Labrador. If I had several hours I would take a short tour of the area, and If there was a long lay over several of us would take a flight over to ST. John, Newfoundland. There are no words or photos to show or describe the area. Newfoundland and Labrador is a little piece of paradise, set apart from the rest of the world. For those who love to commune with nature, love the rugged outdoors, love to animal watch, this is the place for you because there is plenty of nature to enjoy. I also had a deployment scheduled for Bagotivlle CFB at Saguenay in Quebec Province but it did not materialize.  However, I can say that I never made it to the major metropolitan areas of North East Canada such as, London, Ottawa, Quebec, Montreal, and Toronto, but I have seen about all of the best parts of Ontario Provinces, as well as North East Canada as  possible such as New Brunswicks, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador. If by change the opportunity to travel some of these areas, here is a little information from the travel industry that maybe of help.
The City of Calais, Maine is located in eastern Washington County situated on the Canadian border and the beautiful St. Croix River. Calais shares the border with St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada, which is just across the St. Croix River. Three international bridges connect these two communities. Situated as it is, Calais is one of the busiest border crossings with Canada. The relationship between Calais and St. Stephen is so close that they celebrate with a multiple-day International Festival each year. There’s a parade across the Ferry Point International Bridge, and the mayors of both communities shake hands across the border. Calais has historically been a city of commerce and is recognized as the primary shopping center of eastern Washington County and Charlotte County, New Brunswick. Currently retail, service, and construction businesses are the primary components of the Calais economy. Calais, was named for the French city of the same spelling, but decidedly different pronunciation, because it is located across the Saint Croix River from Dover Hill in New Brunswick, Canada. Dover, England lies just across the English Channel from Calais, France. The first permanent European settlement here was in 1770, although in 1604, geographer Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua, the Sieur de Mons, established a short-lived settlement 8 miles to the south of the downtown, on St. Croix Island in what is now the village of Red Beach. The St. Croix River marks a section of the international boundary between the United States and Canada, forming a natural border between the towns on either side of the river bank. Calais is connected to St. Stephen by the Ferry Point International Bridge and the Milltown International Bridge. Residents of St. Stephen and Calais often regard their community as one place, cooperating in their fire departments and other community projects. As evidence of the longtime friendship between the towns, during the War of 1812, the British military provided St. Stephen with a large supply of gunpowder for protection against the enemy Americans in Calais, but the town elders gave the gunpowder to Calais for its Fourth of July celebrations. For much of their history, both towns’ fire departments have responded in tandem to any fire call on either side of the border. Construction began in 2008 on a third bridge connecting the two communities. The new International Avenue Bridge, which was officially opened in January 2010, will serve primarily commercial trucking traffic, while the two older bridges will remain in use for passenger vehicles. Every year, the town co-hosts a weeklong International Festival with the neighbouring town of Calais, Maine.
Saint John is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the oldest incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the St. John River. The “Saint” in Saint John is not normally abbreviated in order to distinguish it from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, whose name features the abbreviation. The river however, is abbreviated St. John. Predated by the Maritime Archaic Indian civilization, the area of the northwestern coastal regions of the Bay of Fundy is believed to have been inhabited by the Passamaquoddy Nation several thousand years ago, while the St. John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Maliseet Nation.
Moncton is one of the premier tourist destinations in Atlantic Canada. Moncton community was born when the nomadic Mikmaq settlers founded a camp on the banks of the Petitcodiac River. The muddy streams of the river prompted the First People to call it the Pet-koot-koy-ek — “bending like a bow”. It became a city in 1890. Moncton is a typical, yet a very unique Canadian city. On August 6, 2002, Moncton City Council passed a motion to become Canada’s first officially bilingual city. Monctonis part of the Greater Moncton area, a community of the three cities that geographically grew into each other, Dieppe, Riverview, and Moncton in the middle. At the heart of Moncton is its downtown. Downtown Moncton is full of historic buildings, restaurants, and night clubs. A recently restored Capitol
Theatre is a place where you can see shows, concerts and even ballet. Moncton is proud to have its own ballet company, Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada. The area now known as Moncton was once an early Acadian settlement known as “Le Coude.” After the deportation of the Acadians, the settlement lay empty until a group of eight immigrant families arrived from Pennsylvania in June 1766 with a land grant issued by the Philadelphia Land Company. A township grew on the site named after the British soldier Lt.-Colonel Robert Monckton, who led the capture of nearby Fort Beauséjour in 1755. The new settlement quickly flourished as a centre for ship-building and was incorporated as a town in 1855. However, the birth of the age of steam and iron ships brought a quick end to local prosperity and Moncton surrendered its charter in 1862. A new era of prosperity came to the settlement with the location of the headquarters for the Intercolonial Railway in 1871, forerunner of CNR. In 1875 Moncton was again incorporated with the motto “Resurgo” (I rise again). Moncton became a city on the 23rd of April, 1890. Its coat of arms illustrates the agricultural, industrial and railway heritages, along with the world famous Tidal Bore, an ever popular tourist attraction.
Discover true Acadian history: The southwestern most tip of Nova Scotia is renowned for its Acadian past, colourful fishing villages, towering churches and the spectacular Cape Forchu lighthouse.Yarmouth, which is about 3 hours from Halifax, is the hub of this region. Just south of Yarmouth is Argyle Township Courthouse in Tusket, the oldest courthouse in Canada, while to the north, tiny villages are overshadowed by lofty churches, such as St. Mary’s Church, the largest wooden church in North America. The Acadian shores have a history dating back over 400 years and contain French-speaking villages like Pubnico, which make up the oldest Acadian settlement in the province. You can explore this rich history and genealogy at Le Village Historique Acadien and Le Musée Acadien and Archives. The Festival Acadien de Clare is also a great way to experience the rich Acadian music and culture. Between 1783 and 1785, more than 3000 Black persons came to Nova Scotia as a direct result of the American Revolution. They came from slavery and war to take control of their lives, making choices within the limits they faced. More than two centuries later, descendants of the Black Loyalists are calling to the spirits of their ancestors and discovering the stories of their struggles and triumphs. Plan your Nova Scotia Vacation to the Yarmouth and Acadian Shores region around some of the highlights found in the “best of” lists below.
Liverpool (2001 pop.: 3,295) is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia’s South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia. Liverpool’s harbour was long a seasonal camp of Nova Scotia’s native Mi’kmaq.The Míkmaq are a First Nations people, indigenous to northeastern New England, Canada’s Atlantic Provinces, and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec. The nation has a population of about 40,000 of whom nearly 11,000 speak the Algonquian language Lnuísimk, more commonly known as “Micmac”, and was known as Ogomkigeak meaning “dry sandy place” and Ogukegeok, meaning “place of departure”. The harbour was named Port Rossignol by Samuel de Champlain. Samuel de Champlain, “The Father of New France”, was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat and chronicler, who founded Quebec City on July 3,1608; after,1608 a Capt. Rossignol who was using the harbour for fur trading. The inner harbour near the mouth of the Mersey River later became the site of a small Acadian settlement known as Lingley. Following the expulsion of the Acadians, Liverpool was founded by New England Planters from the United States, and commercially organized settlers as a fishing port in 1759, and was named after Liverpool in England. During the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, Liverpool financed and manned many privateer vessels which primarily targeted French vessels in the West Indies and American shipping off the Nova Scotia and New England coasts.The port was notable for such privateer vessels as the brig Rover and the schooner Liverpool Packet. Today,tourism has become increasingly important to Liverpool and the South Shore region in recent decades, particularly as tourists travel the “Lighthouse Route” a scenic drive between Yarmouth and Halifax. Liverpool has a large number of museums for a small community.
The Town of Lunenburg, in Nova Scotia, Canada, was formally established in 1753 as the first British Colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside of Halifax. These early settlers were from various parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Montbeliard region of France. They followed in the footsteps of earlier Mikmaq and Acadian inhabitants in the area. A vibrant and stable economy was built on farming, fishing, ship building and ocean-based commerce, particularly in the West Indies trade. More than 200 years in fishing, ship-building and marine related industries has provided Lunenburg with a strong economic base. A diversified economy based on the fisheries, tourism and manufacturing has become firmly entrenched in Lunenburg.
Yarmouth (2006 population: 7,162) is  town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. It is located in the heart of the world’s largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada’s highest lobster catch. The townsite may possibly have been visited by Leif Erikson. A runic stone was found at the nearby village of Overton in 1812. It is interpreted by some to be carved by Erikson, while others feel the markings are natural scratches gradually enhanced over the years. The stone is
preserved at the Yarmouth County Museum & Archives. The region was visited in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain, who named it Cap Fourchu, and it became a French fishing settlement. In 1759 settlers came to the townsite from Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and named it Yarmouth after their former home. The town was founded in 1761, when a larger group of settlers came from Sandwich, Massachusetts. They were then followed by Acadians originally from the Grand Pré district who returned from exile in 1767. Substantial numbers of United Empire Loyalists arrived in 1785. Initially called Cape Forchu,Yarmouth was first laid out in 1759 and incorporated in 1890. Through the 19th century it was a major shipbuilding centre, at one point making more ships per capita than any other port in the world. Yarmouth was considered the richest small town in the world from 1830 to 1880.Yarmouth ships were found in every major port in the world including ships noted for courageous crews such as the ship Research in 1861 and ships noted for great size such as the ship County of Yarmouth in 1884, one of the largest wooden ships ever built-in Canada. As wooden shipbuilding declined in the late 1800s, Yarmouth’s shipowners re-invested into factories, steamships and railways such as the Western Counties Railway which evolved into the Dominion Atlantic Railway. While steamships had led to the decline of Yarmouth’s mighty wooden shipbuilding industry, they also made the port a vital connection between the new Nova Scotia rail lines and steamers for Boston and New York, a role which continued with Yarmouth’s ferry connections until recent times. The harbour has remained a major fishing port in Nova Scotia. In 1939, examiners at Yarmouth’s Merchant Marine Institution made seafaring history by issuing master’s papers to Molly Kool, the first female ship captain in the Western World.
Digby is located over looking the picturesque view of the Annapolis Basin. The Town of Digby has been an active fishing community throughout the years. Famous for the delicious scallops harvested from our local waters. The Annapolis Basin from our waterfront, offers clear crisp air, and of course the spectacular view of the incredible tides (28 to 35 ft.) in our harbour Our main industry is Fishing and  Tourism. Digby is central to many activities, including historic sites, some of the best Whale Watching in North America, lovely parks, hiking trails, and our own local championship golf course. Our population is 2311. The Town of Digby has been an active fishing community throughout the years. Famous for the delicious scallops harvested from our local waters. The Annapolis Basin from our waterfront, offers clear crisp air, and of course the spectacular view of the incredible tides (28 to 35 ft.) in our harbour. Digby has the only year round ferry service to Nova Scotia. Digby is central to many activities, including historic sites, some of the best Whale Watching in North America, lovely parks, hiking trails, and our own local championship golf course. Located in Digby are a variety of accommodations, cafes, restaurants, shops, and a full service marina for our yachting visitors, including the services of an active shipyard for major repairs if needed. Digby also offer a wide variety of services and facilities in keeping with the role of Shire Town of Digby County.
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St. Augustine, Florida. The town was the capital of Acadia and later Nova Scotia for almost 150 years, until the founding of Halifax in 1749. It was attacked by the British six times before permanently changing hands in the Siege of Port Royal (1710). Over the next fifty years, the French and their allies made six unsuccessful military attempts to regain the capital. Including a raid during the American Revolution, Annapolis Royal faced a total of thirteen attacks, more than any other place in North America. Originally called Te’wapskik by the Mi’kmaq, named Port Royal in 1604 by the French, and renamed Annapolis Royal in 1710 by the British, this is one of the country’s oldest permanent European settlements and the most fought land in Canadian history. The site of many “firsts” in Canada throughout the centuries, Annapolis Royal recently won the “World’s Most livable Small Community” title at LivCom’s 2004 International competition endorsed by the United Nations, was named one of the five Cultural Capitals of Canada in 2005, and won the prestigious International Category of the Communities in Bloom competition in 2008. With a population of approximately 444 residents, Annapolis Royal is the smallest incorporated town in Nova Scotia, but with 131 registered heritage properties, it is one of the largest National Historic Districts in Canada. Nestled between two scenic rivers with the world-famous Bay of Fundy only 10 minutes away, Historic, Scenic and Fun Annapolis Royal and its Surrounding Area make the perfect vacation destination.
Newfoundland and Labrador welcomes you Newfoundland and Labrador is rich with history, rife with culture, and sprawling with natural beauty. All these wonders have been here for thousands of years, embraced by those who happened upon them. It’s up to the traveller to enjoy them, to go vigorously in search of people, adventures, and places to experience. Around every bend you will find a piece of heaven, a delightful sight, a playful breeze that will help your journey. Here, you will Catch a glimpse of icebergs, whales, birds and wildlife. Find hiking trails, parks, historic sites and scenic driving routes. Search for maps, accommodations, tours, festivals and events, outfitters and places to shop.Take the opportunity to explore this mysterious land. Let go of your expectations and learn about this place called Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Prepare yourself to be lost, and found, in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Happy Valley–Goose Bay is a Canadian town in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Located in the central part of Labrador, the town is the largest population centre in that region. Incorporated in 1973, the town composes the former town of Happy Valley and the Local Improvement District of Goose Bay. Built on a large sandy plateau in 1941, the town is home to the largest military air base in northeastern North America, CFB Goose Bay. This thriving community of 7,572 people has an abundance of recreational, cultural, and social qualities that cannot be found anywhere else in a town its size. With air, road and sea access, it is the choice location for development. With continuous growth, a flourishing tourism industry, and numerous major projects on the horizon, Happy Valley-Goose Bay has a bright and prosperous future.
St. John’s   is the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. St. John’s is the most populous Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in the province, it is the second largest CMA in the Atlantic Provinces after Halifax, and 20th largest metropolitan area in Canada with a population of 187,700.  The city enjoys a long and vibrant history as the oldest English-founded city in North America. In 2009, the St. John’s CMA was the fastest growing metropolitan area in Newfoundland and Labrador and Atlantic Canada as well it was the seventh fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada.  The CMA includes the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl and eleven other towns, the largest of which are Conception Bay South and Paradise. The last half of the 20th century has seen St. John’s, with a long and prosperous history in the fishery industry, transformed into a modern export and service centre, famed for its nightlife and rich musical culture. More recently, its proximity to recently discovered oil fields has led to an economic boom that has spurred population growth, commercial development and has resulted in the St. John’s area now accounting for about half of the province’s economic output.
Don’t rely on others to show you the way, carry your own map.
You can travel all over the world, but unless you have a receptive mind you might as well save your fares and stay at home.

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