Cape Breton Coast.jpg — Road tripping nova scotia & cape breton

In the Fall (Autumn for us English folk) of 2018 we finally boarded a plane and took our first trip out East to Nova Scotia. After researching and reading about the area for months, it felt so good to finally head out there. This was mine and Amy’s first ever flight together; along with our rabbit Maggie, who joined us for the road trip…we were pumped to say the least!

Voted the #1 Island in North America, Cape Breton covers the eastern tip of Nova Scotia. With strong ties to celtic heritage, this rugged coastal region offers the perfect place to immerse yourself in the seasons. We visited in late October in an attempt to catch the beautiful diversity of trees change into their autumnal coat. We lucked out and saw the full change from lush greens to copper, gold, scarlet and vermillion with its peak of spectrum being along the Cabot Trail on the Northern tip of Cape Breton Island.

Peggys Lighthouse.jpg — Getting To, & Around Nova Scotia

We flew here direct from Calgary (YYC) into Halifax (YHZ), the capital of Nova Scotia. Flights within Canada are actually pretty expensive. We opted for direct returns landing early morning and flying out mid-afternoon, which set us back around $350/PP.
Once we arrived in Halifax, we hired a Jeep Wrangler for 24hr hours (which turned into 48hrs after a mishap with our RV booking). The car hire was great, getting us straight on the road from the airport and ready to explore. 48hrs cost around $220 including fuel.
For the remainder of our trip we organised an RV using rvezy.com. We found this to be far cheaper than the larger rental companies. Here you deal direct with the rental owner, still have full insurance and breakdown cover, as well as lots of extra touches that large companies don’t think about… games, welcome treats, generator to name a few. The rental was for 6 days and cost $800 for unlimited mileage - far cheaper than a rental car and hotel costs. Bear in mind these are built for comfort, not economy. Expect to pay $150 for fuel but the trade off is the freedom of home on wheels - totally worth it in our opinion!

Cabot Trail.jpg — highlights to visit

As a photographer it’s easy to get consumed with purely visiting places to get “the shot” and not fully experiencing a place for its heritage, culture and people. Now I’m not saying that these spots aren’t worth a visit, for sure they are! All I’m trying to achieve with this list are ideas to create a comprehensive Nova Scotia experience. Here goes:
**Peggy’s Cove** - The iconic coastal lighthouse. Beautiful for both sunrise/sunset. Explore the rock pools and small fishing shacks along the harbour. If you’re here at night, the *Arcadian skies* will treat you to some stellar constellation displays.
**Wolfville**/**Annapolis Valley** - A region jam-packed with character. Vineyards, distilleries, crafts, art and great food. We loved *Planter’s Ridge* and *Lightfoot & Wolfville* wineries. Be sure to try the local “Tidal Bay” white blends.
**Bay of Fundy** - With the World’s highest tidal change, Fundy is rugged and lush. Stop in to Port Williams & dine at the *Port Pub* to watch the tide rush in whilst you enjoy beautiful local seafood. Hall’s Harbour will offer you a traditional *Lobster experience* like no other.

FALL COLOURS 2-min.jpg — **Halifax Waterfront** - A bustling spot down by the harbour hosting some of the best restaurants and bars in the province. Take a walk down along the boardwalk at night for beautiful reflections of city lights and boats. We dined at *The Bicycle Thief* - an Italian themed seafood specialist. Their seafood stew was to die for!
**Cape Breton Highlands National Park** - One of Canada's most enchanting places, where the mountains meet the sea. As you hug the coastline, you'll wind through the highlands, where lush, forested river canyons carve into the ancient plateau, edged by rust-coloured cliffs. The best way to explore this region is hiking - I’ll come to that later…
**Cabot Trail** - Needing no introduction, the 298km scenic drive is world-renowned for the array of fall colours, stunning vistas and celtic influence. Drive this anti-clockwise to get the best views and easy access to pull-out stops.
**SW Cape Breton** - If you have a rainy day, this region has heaps to offer. Wrap up warm and take a walk on its white sandy beaches near Port Hood, enjoy the craic on the *Ceilidh* trail, and take a tour/tasting at *Glenora Distillery*. You won’t be disappointed.

must do hikes

With such varied scenery in Nova Scotia; taking the time to appreciate the natural beauty on foot is by far the best way to see the island. Here’s our top 5 hikes on the Island and why;
**Skyline Trail** - The perfect way to enjoy sunset. Wind through an elevated path towards the coast. When you emerge at the viewpoint, you’ll be lost for words.
**Franey** - 360º views of the entire Clyburn Brook canyon and the Atlantic coastline from Cape Smokey to Ingonish.
**Tourbiere Bog** - Rise early and go to this spot at dawn to watch gigantic Moose graze amongst the marshes as you weave along the boardwalk loop.
**Aspy** - If its fall colours you want - do this hike! A blanket of Arcadian forest will blow your mind from the southern viewpoint.
**Port Hood** - Cobbled beach meets white sand - A lovely stop to take a stroll for sunset. Return through the tussocked sand dunes with a beautiful forested backdrop.

Interactive Trip Map

Below you can find a map of the itinerary. If you click in the top left of the map you will find separate layers marking the destinations, photography spots, hikes and rv spots. To hide and show different layers just click on the check box next to layer’s name. You can also click on the icons on the map to see key info for the places I have marked .

Hiking, Photography, Road Trip, Travel Guide, Van Life, Nova ScotiaWill LambertOctober 30, 2020Hiking, Photography, Road Trip, Sightseeing, Van Life, Travel Guide, Nova Scotia, CanadaComment

🚌 Road Trippin’ the USA 🚌 - PREVIEW

Monty Sunset-min.jpg — The Ultimate USA Road Trip

Words & Imagery by Will Lambert

“Road trips are the equivalent of human wings. Ask me to go on one, anywhere. We’ll stop in every small town and learn the history and stories, feel the ground and capture the spirit. Then, we’ll turn it into our own story that will live inside our history to carry with us always. Because stories are more important than things.”

— Victoria Erickson

WHERE DO I START?!

I’ve been living in Banff now since 2016. I moved here planning on staying 6 months whilst working for a British ski tour operator - Crystal Ski. That one Winter season quickly snowballed into living full time in Canada as a Permanent Resident.
After an arduous 7 months of Winter, everyone can’t wait to get out and explore the local area. Whether it’s hiking, biking, canoeing, or road-tripping… getting outside and making the most of our short Summer season is a must!
One way to maximise this time and avoid the clutches of Winter and it’s -30ºc temperatures is to buy a car and hit the road with your pals. If you’re here on a IEC visa then chances are you have 1 or 2 years (which sounds like a lot) to cram in all those adventures. But what if I told you that you’ll still be skiing at the end of May, and the chances are it’ll be bitterly cold and snowy in October? This only gives you a short period of 4 months to do all these trips to places you’ve read about.
This guide aims to help take the leg work out it for you, breaking down basics like costs, logistics, time-scales; as well as all those must see spots, hikes, dining and more...

A rough idea of the route from Banff around the Western states of America. Full route options shown below.

Sunset Views.jpg — BUYING A VEHICLE.

In Banff, car and vans have been circulating the area for years - be warned! Check out vehicles on Kijiji, FB Marketplace, as well as Banff Buy&Sell pages. Look at buying in the Spring when there’s more choice - you’ll be less likely to jump in at the first one you see that way. Buy smart - get a full inspection done at a local mechanic before you buy so you know what your getting into. Expect to pay around $2000 for your average van like our 2002 Pontiac Montana, which sounds like a lot but is the going rate in the valley . Allow for at least $1000 for repairs to get it road-worthy - Winter’s are hard on cars in Alberta. Offer to split the costs with the seller as a way to reduce your costs. Make sure you get a bill of sale and both parties get a copy - you’ll need this for registration & insurance.

Icefields Monty.jpg — INSURANCE ETC.

As a British couple with no previous driving history in Canada, we found Wawanesa to be the cheapest insurer at around $150/month through Rocky Mountain Agencies as our broker and found the process pretty smooth. I’ve heard other people do it through CIBC bank and get very good rates too. Once insured, take your proof of this, plus your bill of sale to Banff Registry to choose your plate - $85 for 1 year. If you haven’t already, they may ask you to transfer your license into a Canadian one - this costs $21 for 1 year or $37 for 2. You’ll need proof of an alberta address and your work permit to do this so bring these too. Last but not least, don’t forget to purchase roadside assistance. We’ve used our Canadian Tire Gold plan a couple of times and it’s worth its weight! Piece of mind and support in a sticky situation throughout Canada & the US will be worth spending $100/year for. AMA also offer competitive rates.

Amy Van.jpg — KITTING OUT YOUR VAN.

Often people will sell vans, ‘camping-ready’ with makeshift beds built in the back and storage crates for all your gear. This is a great way to start if your not the handy type or short on time. In our first van, we had a very basic bed that I built from wood scraps in an afternoon. This did the job for 3 weeks on the road.
In comparison, I had the luxury of time on my side when converting our second van, and spent 4 months over Winter creating a little home on wheels with my partner Amy. The conversion cost us around $600 due to all the materials being reclaimed from Banff’s ReUseIt Centre. You can check out a full series of the van build on my instagram here.

Sandwich Making.jpg — PACKING LIST.

Making sure you have everything you need for life on the road will make the experience all that more enjoyable! Here’s a collection of essential items we’ve used over the last couple of years on our road trips:
🍴**KITCHEN**: 2 burner propane stove · 12v electric cooler · 2 Pots & 2 Pans (1 large/1 small) · Stove Kettle · Insulated Coffee Mugs · Chopping board · 2 Knives (1 large/1 small serrated) · Can opener · Wine opener · French press · Silicone spatula · Tongs, slotted spoon & fish slice · Lighter & matches · Tupperware · Foil & plastic wrap · Sealable food bags · Spice wheel (MEC) · Washing Up Kit - tub with scrub pads, dish soap & towel · Paper towels · Insulated water container (keeps cool/stops freezing)
🛋 **LIVING**: Lantern/Torch · Scented candle/air freshener · Bungee cords with hooks · Ikea Bag/garbage bags · Door mat /Shoe Tray · Cards/games · Books · 12v inverter/ charging device · Extra blanket · Bucket · Waterproof bag
⚠️ **SAFETY**: Jerry can · Breakdown kit - warning triangles, jump leads, spare bulbs, hi-vis jacket, first aid kit · Basic tool kit - screwdriver, hammer, superglue, gorilla tape · Jack & spare wheel kit · Spare Oil/Coolant/Washer Fluid
🗂 **ORGANISATION**: Milk crates, ‘Rubbermaid’ tubs, IKEA Skubb zipped boxes

Dettah Ice Road.jpg — COSTS.

A road trip can be as back to basics as you like, however it’s likely that a month on the road will cost you more than you might initially think. Here’s a breakdown of rough costs (some may fluctuate - fuel prices - for example):
🏞 **American National Parks Access** - “America The Beautiful” pass is $80 USD and valid for 1 year. These have two signature spots on them. If you’re lucky, you might find a valid one for sale on Banff Buy&Sell for around $50 CAD - be sure to sign it as most places check it with you ID. Alternatively, park entrance fees vary from $20-40 USD for individual entry. Note that some National monuments (such as Horseshoe Bend, AZ) are on private land and therefore the parks pass won’t work - you’ll have to pay the local entrance fee.
**⛽️ Fuel** - The cheapest we found fuel was in Montana at $1.95/Gallon USD = 0.67/Litre CAD. On the flip side in California you might pay upwards of $4/Gallon. GasBuddy is a great app that will allow you to search your current location for the cheapest gas prices. Note that some places will only accept credit cards whilst others advertise cheaper prices for cash payment. A 6000 km trip could end up costing over $1000 in gas alone.
⛺️ **Camping** - This is a big topic which i’ll cover in full next… but for established campgrounds in State Forests for example - expect to pay $35/night.

Winding+Road-min.jpg — WHERE TO SLEEP?

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’ll be sleeping in your vehicle or a tent. Here’s a selection of ways we find camping spots throughout the US:
🛒 **Walmart** - Yes, this may not be a glamorous option… but most supercentres will allow you to sleep in the parking lot. You’ll have 24hr access to groceries & washrooms, generally a fast food restaurant attached for food as well as free WIFI if you park close enough to the building. We’ve used these many times in a pinch - especially to break up a long driving day between Montana & Utah for example. Note that some stores have signs saying no parking so check before you snooze!
🏕 **State Parks** - There’s over 2000 of these throughout the US and most of them operate campgrounds. These are normally $35/night with access to hot showers, dump station, picnic tables, fire pits and barbeques. A great pit stop every few days to grab an all important shower - you’ll need it! They normally operate between the hours of “dawn ‘til dusk” so if you turn up late, just grab an envelope and use the honesty box.
😴 **Rest Stops** - Along most of the interstates you’ll find rest stops every 50 miles or so. These are basic pull offs right by the highway. Expect road noise and lots of truckers - but if you need a washroom and somewhere to catch 40 winks this is better than nothing.
📱**Apps** - This is how we find 90% of our sleep spots! Use iOverlander, Park4Night or FreeRoam. iOverlander has given us the most success in North America. Search an area or look directly on the map. Filter your search ‘Wilderness Spots’ to find the free ones. Make sure you snap a photo and leave a review of a site if you find a new place to sleep - it’s a user based platform so sharing info is key!

❗️PLEASE NOTE: Sleeping in parking lots and pull offs in National Parks is prohibited. We’ve been stung by this a couple of times with a knock on the window at 1am by a warden (or a police officer in Zion). You CAN get away with it BUT places like Yosemite are pretty hot on it so plan your sleep spot ahead of time… Book a campsite or drive outside the park at the end of your day - there’s normally places to pull off and sleep in your vehicle without being disturbed. It’ll give you peace of mind and alot less stress in the long run… Trust me!