Vacation ideas? Montreal, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Chicago

[Ser Clegane]

Vacation time is coming soon and I would like again to pick the brains of our community for some recommendations for the trip.

In June Mrs Clegane and me will fly to Montreal and spend a couple of days there. The plan is then to go by car from there through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to Halifax,
From there we will fly to Chicago to spend a couple of days there before going back home.

Any recommendations what to visit at these places? For the trip from Montreal to Halifax we have 11 days, so enough time for some stops (we did the route Toronto-Montreal before and also went to Quebec City and Gaspé at that time, so that part is "out of scope")
For Montreal and Chicago ideas for places to eat at would be highly welcome (this is the stuff you typically to not find in a travel guide).

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[Gregoshi]

This sounds like a job for Beirut and lars573.

[lars573]

I won't give a huge amount of details. Think of this as a guide for your googling.

In New Brunswick there are 2 main tourist traps/attractions that I know of. Magnetic hill in Moncton, and Reversing falls in Saint John. I'm not sure what the deal behind Magnetic hill is but Reversing falls is due to the Bay of Fundy tides, which has the largest rise/fall in the world. It's pretty extreme, I once went to a beach at low tide as a lad. A had to walk around 50 metres from the beach proper to the low tide water line. One thing I always found to be quite a nice view was the Tantramar Marshes at dusk, which is the area around the New Brunswick Nova Scotia border. The failing light on the boggy flat plain is quite a sight. Plus the RCI relay tower.

In Nova Scotia proper the touristy things are as follows. Annapolis Royal, it has the distinction of being the oldest continuous European settlement in North America (under it's original name Habitation at Port Royal) north of Florida (Roanoke didn't last after all). And unlike Jamestown it's still inhabited. The Grand Pre National historic site in the Annapolis valley has a replica of Acaidan buildings. In Halifax you have an honest to crap Star fort in the Citadel. And there are many guided tours. I always liked to stick my head out of one of the gun ports in the side and look into the moat, gives a huge sense of vertigo when your a kid. No up no down just greenery. Halifax also has the Titanic graveyard. And the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic also has a number of Titanic relics, like deck chairs and other wooden pieces. There is also Province house, the oldest legislature building in Canada. The assembly institution itself is also the oldest in Canada. One thing you should try (if they run in June), is the Harbour hopper tour service. Which uses an old amphibious vehicle as tour bus/boat. Downtown Halifax also has Historic properties on the water front. Restaurants, bars, glass blowers, casino Nova Scotia. That sort of thing.

[Ser Clegane]

Thanks a lot for your response, lars - highly appreciated - I will definitely look up these recommendations

[lars573]

Also Halifax has a local delicacy. The Donair, it's a local adaptation of an east Mediterranean kebab. Similar to a Greek Gyros or a Turkish Doner kebab. But fast food style and served as a wrap rather than a sit down meal. Any mom and pop Pizza shop will serve them. There is also the Donair Pizza, which is the kebab meat and sauce put on a pizza crust.

[Jack50]

Well I guess I would need to know what type of entertainment you are looking for In Chicago there are many places to visit and on Mondays you can get into the museums for free. Rush Street is for downtown shopping and dining. Depending on if the Chicago Cubs are in town Wrigely Field for American baseball is an adventure. I would for food recommend Gino's Italian steak house with the aged steaks. If not that Chicago has a large Polish population so there is that. Really, in Chicago you can go from area to area to sample almost all the world's cusine. I plan on going there with my wife in October. Of course then it's American Football season