Quote: Originally Posted by NHRef
I'm frankly thinking we should return to the "long holiday weekend excursion" plan of last year:
The Newfoundland trip was designed around the plan you mention (with some optional driving Thursday night), and I think that is partially why it was chosen over the longer trip (Trans-Lab). It's virtually a mirror of the Radisson trip in terms of driving time, being about 1 hour longer each way. It's also easier driving, with more freeway and the rest being mostly 3-lane and super-2 Trans-Canada. In short, this trip is easier than last year, except instead of the variability of ice roads, there's somewhat reduced variability in when the ferry departs.
Quote: Originally Posted by NHRef
My sense is that the current trip is virtually entirely day-long driving, with the exception of the one day with 3 hours in the MINI. With a bit of snow, a side trip, a flat tire
, any one of the days could be longer still.
You're absolutely right that a snowstorm or mechanical trouble will make this a longer trip, althought that's true of any winter trip, and the same went for last year too. Anywhere we go in rural and/or remote Canada has the possibility of getting us stranded for a couple days. For any trip at this time of the year, no matter the length, people have to be prepared for the possibility that we won't make it back on any kind of schedule - life will slow down, and winter will do what it does.
With regard to all-day driving, the Newfoundland trip is about the same as Radisson was, so that's a good guage as to whether you liked the amount of driving. I think a key difference this time though is that since it's not a remote trip, there are more opportunities for side-trips, many of which may be tempting but which some or all of us won't be able to do. Newfoundland and Labrador is a small province but it's still the size of the state of California, so anything less than a 3-week trip will be a whirlwind.
There is a full day provided for a break (or it can be optionally divided between 2 days, as I did in the example itinerary for variety). Like Radisson, we either get a full break at the destination, or have time for side-trips on the way there or back. As a bonus, on this trip, people who want to spend an extra day can have their cake and eat it too - a break day at the destination AND side trips to Cabot Trail and/or Fundy.
My current thinking is that because we should be disembarking the ferry around dawn, DuctTape should get his daytime ferry fix from that, and we can drop the 'ferry to outports' idea from consideration. This is logistically easier and it would likely mean spending the full Sunday in St. John's just like we did in Radisson.
Quote: Originally Posted by NHRef
As a practical matter, that last day is 16.5 hours from the coast of Nova Scotia to Suffern ~ or is it Suffering? As Ross notes, to break it up makes this a six day trip with an extra night's lodging/meals thrown in.
This is true - 16.5 hours is a very long day, and the weakest part of the Newfoundland trip. It's the same length of drive as you had from Amos/Val D'Or to NY/NH last year. However, I would note that this year it's easier driving (all but 3 hours freeway), it won't be dark until you hit the Interstates, and the drive starts earlier in the day than last year (7am, when disembarking the ferry). The length is based on Suffern, but this time NH is on the way, so for you my estimate is 13.5 hours, or 3 hours shorter than coming from Amos/Val d'Or last year, meaning you're home before midnight. Still a long day no matter which way you slice it, but not necessarily a monster. I do NS to Ottawa (about the same distance) every year and go to work the next day, albeit in summer.
Quote: Originally Posted by NHRef
Bear in mind, too, that if you want to try sleeping for some part of the 7 hour midwinter ferry trip (probably not as smooth as glass), the cost for the car, people and accomodations is C$260 or US$220 for the MINI and two passengers.
Personally, I have found sleeping on big ships to be easier than on land, but everyone's different. These are the largest ferries in the Americas - no shallow-bottomed boats here - so the ride is as smooth as they get for a ferry - think enormous cruise ship. Now in a winter gale, who knows.
As for cost, it's C$360 for a car and two passengers (quad occupancy rooms) round trip, which is about US$150pp return. However it replaces the cost of two hotel nights, which would typically be about US$85pp (double occupancy, total over two nights). So the net cost is about US$65pp.
I have been busy lately, but in any case, I thought I would post a budget on the trip website (price of gas is tricky though - it's been wild the last few months!).
Quote: Originally Posted by NHRef
Ross, is a winter tour around Nova Scotia a viable 5 day trip? Maybe with PEI thrown in?
NS is an easy 5-day trip, with time for side-trips. The ferries from Maine are closed in February, so it's definitely an all-driving trip, about 10 hours to the NS border from MA/NH. With a day's break at the end (say, in Halifax), NS could be a 3-day trip, or 4 days with a side-trip to PEI, Fundy or the Cabot Trail. The Maritime provinces are small, like New England states, so it takes very little time to get from A to B (especially now that the TCH and NB-1 are virtually all freeway).
MinorRoadsKill
