When you think of travel to Canada, the first destination that might come to mind is Vancouver.   If you’re a skier or snowboarder, you might say Whistler.   Quebec also gets some attention due to its history and French character.   Finally, you might get a mention about beautiful Banff National Park, or even the vast nothingness of the Canadian Arctic. Very rarely do Americans think of far Eastern Canada (this is especially true of West Coasters).   I speak of the Maritime Provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.   Further afield is Newfoundland, and beyond that is Labrador, where tourists fear to tread.   These are undervalued, picturesque, sparsely habited locations.   This makes them fantastic and inexpensive destinations for a vacation. Eastern Canada, in my mind, represents what New England was no doubt like around the turn of the century.   I am not talking about Boston or other big cities, but rather of Old New England, places like Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.   I envision a landscape that is very beautiful, a little windswept, with lots of small fishing vessels, crisp air, winding dirt roads, and winter snowstorms that keep you stuck in your house for days.   The smell of the ocean brine permeates every facet of life.   This is fast disappearing in New England.   But for Eastern Canada this is still often a reality. New Brunswick has the famous Bay of Fundy, home to the fastest, most extreme tides in the world.   It is also known for its large number of quaint-looking covered bridges, giving it an old-timey feel.   By the time you reach Nova Scotia, the feel of the country is distinctly different from the busy rush of the United States.   Everything is decidedly more rural, relaxed, and slower.   Halifax is a charming city with rich maritime history.   By the time you reach Cape Breton and the highlands, you will be convinced you have somehow stepped into a strange time and space capsule, and are actually in Scotland circa 1890. My favorite destination here is the island of Newfoundland.   Every schoolchild knows about the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, and Columbus’ famous 1492 voyage to the Americas.   Yet almost no attention is given to the northern tip of Newfoundland, the site of a Viking colony (likely belonging to Leif Erikson) dated to AD 1000.   L’Anse aux Meadows should be a household name in the Americas, and yet most people do not even know it exists. Newfoundland and Labrador truly are frontiers, extraordinarily sparsely populated regions with miles of stunning, rugged coastline for the most part devoid of human intrusion.   They are a perfect destination for the “slow” vacation, a relaxing, unhurried jaunt without the usual crush of people.   It is quite easy to explore by car.   If you would rather not pay the exorbitant ferry fee, there are also a few outfits that offer Newfoundland tours to see St. John’s, go hiking in Gros Morne National Park, see L’Anse aux Meadows, or watch for the thousands of Humpback and Minke whales that call this area home.   If you are looking for a low-stress vacation, quiet times alone, and a glimpse into a simpler, slower lifestyle, than look no further than rugged Eastern Canada.

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