The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to places thousands of miles away from Canada, but one of my favourite trips of all time was right here — less than a day's drive from my front door.
A few years ago, my family and I road-tripped to the Maritimes from Ontario. I absolutely thought it was going to lead to all of us hating each other (it is a long time to spend in a car with your parents), but everything about the East Coast is so wonderful it simply left us no room to get pissy with one another.
For context, I've been to Japan, Australia, Israel, Peru and a bunch of other countries, and I'd genuinely place my trip to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. above those experiences.
From the delicious food to the unique character of the area, here's why I loved everything about my road trip to the Maritimes.
The food
I've lived most of my life in Ontario, and while I have had fresh fish before, the seafood on the east coast was unlike anything I'd ever experienced.
From the first-ever lobster roll I devoured (while on a pit stop along the Fundy Trail) to the first-ever whole lobster I had in Charlottetown, the variety and quality were unparalleled.
I also enjoyed oysters, mussels, clam chowder, fish and chips, and a variety of sweet desserts with fresh seasonal berries — all of which I washed down with a bottle of Alexander Keith's, of course!
However, one thing I cannot get behind is donair sauce. I know it's basically a cardinal sin amongst east coasters to speak ill of the beloved regional item, but honestly, I don't get it — why is it sweet?
I'll take everything else on the menu though — y'all can keep the donair sauce!
The beauty
I've always known that Canada is home to some incredible landscapes, but there is truly nothing like seeing iconic Canadian landmarks like the Bay of Fundy in person.
It's absolutely wild to me that you can visit the area at high tide during one point of the day and at another, walk the bed of the seafloor and get covered in mud while checking out the Hopewell Rocks.
I fell in love with the natural beauty in Lunenburg, Fredericton and Cavendish, and, of course, nothing can compete with the dreamy grandeur of Peggy's Cove (did you even go to Nova Scotia if you didn't take a pic at the lighthouse?).
The character
The Maritimes has what I can only describe as "character."
While driving through New Brunswick, we spotted a sign that claimed that the town of Nackawic is home to the world's largest axe, which of course we had to check out.
It might have been the most random stop on our road trip, but it was truly a delightful one, because how many people can say they've visited the largest axe in the world?
We didn't get a chance to stop at the world's largest blueberry in Nova Scotia or the world's largest potato in P.E.I., but maybe next time!
I also never really figured out why there was a giant replica of Theodore Tugboat in Halifax, but I'll admit, seeing the cute lil' guy brought back some forgotten childhood memories of watching the show.
The charm
Visiting Anne Shirley at Green Gables in P.E.I. is maybe one of the sweetest things I've ever experienced and it hit me in all the feels.
From the teenager trying her best to stay in the Anne character while getting asked a million questions by tourists, to wandering the house where she and Diana daydreamed, I was thoroughly charmed by everything the province has done to honour the legacy of the scrappy redhead imagined by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Other stand-out moments include experiencing a ceilidh (a party with really great live music), learning the lyrics to "Lester the Lobster," and subsequently trying to catch my own lobster (I did not succeed).
The vibes
Canadians generally have the stereotype of being polite and the East Coast truly exemplifies that.
Everywhere we went, people were just so dang nice. We found ourselves lost and without cell phone data on more than one occasion and people were so happy to help us find our way and offer up tasty spots to try out or interesting things to look out for along the way.
In general, most of the places we travelled to felt sleepy and safe, which is a far different reality from my life in Toronto and Montreal, and I found it to be both refreshing and eye-opening.
Honestly, with the price of housing in Toronto at the moment, who knows — maybe I'll be going back to the east coast eventually but as a homeowner instead of a visitor!
And it's not just me who's in love with the region — a Canadian-exclusive travel company listed the top spots that people in the country wanted to travel to last summer, and the Maritimes were one of them.
So — maybe a road trip out east for the summer of 2023 is in order?
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
I've Travelled All Over The World & Here's Why The Maritimes Is 1 Of The Best Places I've Been
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