Shopping at Fredericton’s Farmers Market, and swimming at the warmest beach in Canada, Parlee Beach, before staying the night in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
This was our first full-day itinerary in the Maritime Provinces.
(If you’re planning a road trip from the Midwest to Canada, you can visit Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia all in one drive. So here was our amazing Canadian adventure!)
Farmers Market
We started our day at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers’ Market to pick up lunch provisions for the beach team.
There are also vendors selling arts and crafts. The best part for me was finding maple syrup at cheaper prices than most of the gift shops.
My son decided that his lunch would be curry rice noodles.
Hours: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturdays
Address: 665 George St., Fredericton, NB E3B 1K4, Canada
Soldier’s Barracks
We checked out the nearby Soldier’s Barracks. Built between 1826 and 1828, the barracks is a sturdy three-story stone building located at the intersection of Queen and Carleton Streets in Fredericton.
Originally built to house over 240 British soldiers, it featured three 19-bed rooms, nine 16-bed rooms, and six attic rooms. In 1863, the barracks’ capacity was expanded with the addition of a residence for married soldiers, accomplished by constructing six dormers in the attic rooms.
Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., daily
Address: 463 Queen St., Fredericton, NB E3B 4Y7, Canada
Parlee Beach Provincial Park
The beach is located on the outskirts of Shediac, New Brunswick, where you can find restaurants. We bought food at the market, so we didn’t stop in town. Also in the Shediac is a photo selfie stop, the Giant Lobster at 229 Main Street, Shediac, NB E4P 2A5, Canada.
The beach is known for having the warmest water in Atlantic Canada. It is a large beach with plenty of room to wander.
My son enjoyed finding the many hermit crabs in the water.
Hours: 9 am – 4 pm, daily
Admission: $17.39 vehicle fee
Address: 45 Parlee Beach Rd, Pointe-du-Chêne, NB E4P 8V5, Canada
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Next, we crossed the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island. It is a toll bridge you pay when you leave the island. We are taking the ferry from Wood Islands to Nova Scotia so we will pay the fee when we leave on the ferry.
After we crossed the river we stopped at Borden-Carleton, PE.
Here you can stop at Marine Rail Park and take photos of the bridge and nearby Port Borden Back Range Light. You will also find restrooms here.
Address: 228 Carleton St, Borden-Carleton, PE C0B 1X0, Canada
Argyle Shore Provincial Park
We drove along coastal Highway 19 to stop at Argyle Shore Provincial Park.
The park has a narrow beach you can walk down to using stairs from the cliffside.
The sand is red here, making the island feel like a totally different place. The red color comes from the iron oxide or rust content in the soil.
A small waterfall flows down to the beach.
It is a beautiful spot and worth stopping at along this drive.
Address: Argyle Park Rd, Argyle Shore, PE C0A 1C0, Canada
CHARLOTTETOWN: Glendenning Hall
Next, we checked into where we were staying. We chose Glendenning Hall on the campus of Holland College. Since we were there on a Saturday a lot of inns were already booked up. The hall is reasonable and has a limited continental breakfast in the morning.
My son liked the fact that he had his own room since where we were staying is usually used as a student apartment.
Address: 331 Grafton St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 1L9, Canada
Staying at the college also allowed us the chance to walk downtown.
Since we came close to dinner time all the restaurants were already full. We lucked out that they have a floating dock with many food options, sort of like an outdoor food hall.
We did The Chip Shack and had lobster rolls.
The Chip Shack
Here we had PEI fresh oysters of course.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Address: 2 Great George St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P5, Canada
COWS Peakes
Also here is one of the locations for Cows, a regional ice cream chain with many choices to savor and try.
Hours: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Address: Great George St, Charlottetown, PE C1E 2E2, Canada
After dinner, we walked up to downtown where there are more shops and restaurants.
St. Dunstan’s Basilica
We walked by the St. Dunstan’s Basilica, constructed in the Georgian Revival style.
Address: 45 Great George St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4K1, Canada
Province House
Then we went by Province House—which is the birthplace of the Canadian Confederation and home to PEI’s legislature.
Address: 165 Richmond St, Charlottetown, PE C1A 1J1, Canada
Then we headed back to the college for the night.
The next day we were off to the ferry to Nova Scotia.
MORE CANADIAN ADVENTURES
Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park Adventure
Walk on the sea floor at low tide among rock formations at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park and explore the forested coast at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick.
After staying the night in Halifax we headed to Hopewell Rocks. We only stopped for lunch and had to manage our time for the drive based on the tides, which is important if you want to walk on the ocean floor.
PEI Ferry, Titanic, and Halifax Citadel Exploring
Take the ferry from Prince Edward Island to Nova Scotia to go to Halifax to explore the Citadel and see the Titanic exhibit at the Maritime Museum.
Fredericton and the World’s Longest-Covered Bridge
From Quebec City, we visited waterfalls and drove through the 1,282-foot-long Hartland Covered Bridge before arriving in picturesque Fredericton.
Two Days In Quebec City
In Quebec City, we explored the remains of a fort underground, toured the historic Old Town, and saw the nearly 300-foot Montmorency Falls.
Short Trip to Montreal
See a giant apple, drive by a Thousand Islands, tour the War of 1812 Fort Wellington, and check out the Olympic Park Biodome in Montreal! After stopping in Toronto, we headed to Canada’s second city, Montreal, and checked out more amazing places along the way.
Touring the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame was our first stop in Canada’s largest city, and my hockey-playing son was really looking forward to it!
