South Shore loop named an ideal summer road trip destination

7 ideal summer road trips

This trip is a great choice for people who don't like long driving days. All the stops are close to one another, and the loop features local towns and roads as opposed to interstates.

Nova Scotia is "Canada's ocean playground" -- a land of salty old towns, friendly locals and stretches of wilderness coastline along the North Atlantic.

*STARTING/ENDING POINT: Halifax
*Take Coastal Highway 3 to Peggy's Cove
*Stop in Mahone Bay. Check out the LaHave Bakery, which also doubles as a hostel in peak season
*Visit the port town ofLunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Outstanding folk art galleries and veggie-friendly cafes are scattered between the seafood restaurants and tiny B&Bs.
*From Lunenburg, cut inland via Bridgewater to Kejimkujik National Park for world-class canoeing and camping
*Follow Highway 8 north from Keji to Annapolis Royal
*Detour west along the Annapolis Basin to Bear River
*Head east on Highway 1 to Kentville and then north to Cape Split for a classic day hike
*Highway 1 will take you back east and south to Halifax

Notes: This loop could be extended by following Highway 3 west from Lunenburg all the way to Yarmouth, on the western tip of the peninsula, where it connects to Highway 1.

Tourism Nova Scotia offers further detail about both routes -- check out The Lighthouse Route (south shore) and The Evangeline Trail (Fundy shore).

Story link (via CNN):

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/06/03/summer.road.trips.matador/index.html

Story Link (source):

http://matadornetwork.com/trips/matadors-top-7-summer-road-trips-in-the-us-canada/