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I did that trip from Spartanburg last year. Warm in the day time and cools off fast at night. Prepare for rain as well. Most of the showers were short but we did see rain. I went late July. Are you using the CAT?
What area do you plan to stay in? I could make some suggestions for the Cabot Trail area and Digby area. I suggest you stay clear of the bigger cities unless you want to visit a dealership. They are like US cities with worse drivers. I spent a good bit of time in the Digby area and up near the Cabot Trail. I will try to find the link to my trip notes and send them to you. It is a great trip. We also avoided the big US cities by going up west of them. Mileage wasn't much different, but the scenery and traffic was.
We had an interesting trip years ago to Bar Harbor. Even the day before we left, it wa supposed to be mid-70's and partially rainy for the next week. When we got there, something stalled somewhere and we had record high temps we we arrived. Having bneen raised in VT, NH and Upstate NY, I knew the whole layer thing. It's normally like early May weather down in NC. Just start pealing layersabout 10:30.
Luke any suggestions would be apprciated. My partner who usually lays these trips out has been up north close to Nova Scotia but has not been inside it. We usually stay away from large towns and such. I enjoy being out in the country and then finding a small mom and pop type motel to crash in. We are flying our wives into Portland before we get into Nova Scotia, staying a week and then flying them back out before we start home.
If your using the CAT, you can travel from Yarmouth to White Point Beach Lodge in about an hour. Beautiful place to stay with cabin to rent or stay in the main lodge. You can look it up online, we usually stay there for a week at the end of every summer as the vacation season rushis nearly over. Leaving there and travelling the coastline of the south shore toward Halifax is a great ride also. Lots of little villages with nice places to stop to eat and things to see. I wouldn't pay to much attention to the bad driver comments as you will come accross them where ever you go.
Depending on what you are used to riding it, it will be cool, leathers and maybe chaps the entire trip, even in July. I live in Bar Harbor, ME and my brother who lives in Asheville, SC and is constantly cold riding up here when he visits, and we both grew up in Michigan, so it's what you get used to. Depending on where you ride, if you re near water, it will be 10 degrees cooler or more. Are you coming back on the CAT to BH or to Portland? If BH, you may want to make a reservation for your stay so you don't have to ride around looking for a room. We are coming off one of our best seasons in recent years, and 08 looks great so far. If the ferry is late, you have a room at least. If you are riding in the area, there are some great roads for your trip back as well.
Ya got to be prepared for cool (50's) and rain but if a Bermuda High is blocking the weather pattern, you can get a great stretch of 70's and 80's.
One don't miss fishing village is Peggys Cove a little soutwest of Halifax. Very scenic with a nice restaurant at the point.
I think the best way around the Cabot Trail is "clockwise" because you're riding toward great vistas on the east coast instead of having them to your back as you go around.
My experience has been that the natives are courteous drivers even in the city and you have to watch out for the way the tourists drive.
If you're planning on taking the ferry over or other ferries while your up there, pack a couple of "Soft-ties" (and if you have room, your own tie-downs) because all they have is four inch wide tie downs with big hooks. You'll be glad you have the Soft-ties.
If you like sea food, make sure to try some Digby scallops.
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