USA + Canada - Eastcoast: Travel-informations - Guidebooks - Maps - Links

In summer 2008 (22.06. - 17.08.) my wife Renate and me travelled to the Eastcost of USA! The Flight (Continental Airlines: Frankfurt - Newark) we booked - also like the Mobilhome - by Michael Thoss, a Tour-operator www.weltweitereisen.de in Dienheim near Oppenheim / Rhine (very advisable!)

In Keansburg near Middletown - about 50 Miles south of New York we get our Monster - Motorhome. At "Roadbear" we met people, who booked at "El Monte" and they also said - it´s advisable!

After Landing at Newark we went to our Hotel: Hampton Inn (Linden). That was not optimal, because the cab costs 80 $. If we had gone directly to Middeltown we had to pay about 80 € gekostet hätte. So: Who rent a car by Roadbear should go to a hotel near by!

When we got the car we went to New York, cross the Hudson River at "George Washington Bridge" (sitting in traffic there) and drove the Interstate 95 to New Havens (nice), New London and Providence. There we change to the Interstate 195 to Fall River (looks also nice by passing by ). Then to New Bedford at "Cape Cod" in the east of Boston. cape Cod is a Jewel! We wanted to stay in the North of Cape Cod - at the "North of Highland Campground" - east of Truro. We arrived at the campground after 330 Miles (530 km) in the pouring rain - after 10 (!!!!!) hours - at 9 p.m.

Cape Cod really allone is worth for a visit - we stayed only a few days - couldn´t see everything and it was really fantastic. You should go to Provincetown (in the north). From here you can book Whalewatchingtours to the "Stellwagen Bank". It´s great, because in summer thera are humpbacks and other whales there. Also very interesting for Naturefans is the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary between Wellfleet and Eastham.

Next stop was Boston! We stayed at "Wompatuk State Park" at the Campground there. Was nice - but it´s a lot of miles to the town. If you stay there you should go to Hingham (big Parking Place near the harbour) and go with the Catamaran very cheap to Boston. It´s a Ferry for people who work at Boston, so the ferry don´t goes Saturday and Sundays!!! Half an hour later you will arrive at Boston and it´s really nice to see the many little Islands with fantastic houses. Then you arrive at Boston at the old harbour - nearby the city! Best Time is in the early morning with sun in the back - so you can take nice pictures of the Skyline of Boston.!!!

Boston is very nice!!!!!!! You should follow the "Freedom Trail", which is marked at the sidewalk! Then you will see all the Highlights of the city!

Also a "Must" is the "Harvard Universität" at Cambridge - in the west of Boston!

From Boston we went northworth. It rained cats and dogs - therfore we didn´t see a lot. Near Bangor (Maine) we found a nice little campground, whre we stayed the night.

Very early in the morning we leave and went to Canada. The border we cross near Houlton (Boston - Houlton: about 350 Meilen - 560 km) and went on until we arrived at the Campground near Baddeck at Cape Breton Island - Nova Scotia. It was raining during the whole day - That day we drove about 600 Miles (960 km). Therefore we needed about 13 hours.

The year before a couple of Bald Eagles nested near the campground - but not that year. But we saw them at the lake nearby. Because it was very crowded at the campground, we left it after two days and went to "Big Bras d´ Or where a nice boat-trip started to "Bird Island" ! There also is a campground - nicer than Baddeck! But: Mosquitos!

Then we went on to the "Cabot Trail" , which leads round Cape Breton Island with nice views! First we came to Ingonish and stayed at the "National-Park-Campground". here also: Mosquitos!

next day we went on by fantastic sunshine and blue sky. We had nice views to the ocean with many boats - catching lobster! Actually we wanted to go to "Mead Cove" in the far north- but at "Bay St. Lawrence" we stopped. Our Motorhome was too big for the small road. Then we went southward through the "Northern Highlands" with also fantastic views!

At the westcoast - north of "Cheticamp" we made two Trips: 1. the short "Bog-Trail - where you can see fantastic flowers - for example Pitcher Plants and 2. the 10 km long "Skyline Trail"! At this website you can find Informations to theese and other trips: Informations to theese and other trips at the Cape Breton Highlands National Park!

Chetikamp was the next stop. A nice little village where Whalewatchingtours are starting!

An Advice: You should look for "Smoked Salmon with Maple" in a Canadian Supermarket. It tastes undescribable good!!!!

Our next spot was the "Acadia National Park" south of Bangor (Maine). On the move it´s worth to stop at "Hopewell Rocks" north of the "Bay of Fundy" - there is the highest Tide worldwide. Very nice are the "Flowerpot Rocks" there. But you should be informed when it´s low tide - only then you can go down! A nice place for the night is in the Highland of Fundy NP!

Then we went to Maine, especially to the "Acadia NP"!

There we stayed at the "Mount Desert Campground" ! A wonderful Place!!!! There we could watch Ospreys fishing!

At Acadia you can go to Mt. Cadillac by car with a good view round the whole island of Acadia and the main village: Bar Harbor. It´s worth to visit! it´s really nice there.

Also nice is the "Jordan Pond" and a trip from the parkingplace "Bubble Rock" to the Pemetic Mtn.! To go round the "Carloop" is nice to go with a small car and at a time with less traffic.

Highly recommended: http://thurstonslobster.com/ in the little village "Bernard" south of "Tremont". But you should be there early evenig to get a place- because you can get good and cheap lobster there!!!!!

Then we went on: via Bucksport and Belfast to Augusta, the capital of Maine. Then to the Highway direction to Portland. At Hwy 295 - about 18 miles north of Portland - there is the little village "Freeport". Here you can easy spend your money at the many "Outlets"! For example there is a big store from L.L.Bean! South of Freeport (Hwy 95 near Portsmouth) there is another "Outlet - Village": Kittery. But if you have been at Freeport you need not go to Kittery.

At "York-Beach" - north of Portsmouth we stood during the night. Here it is very crowdy in summer. But very delicate - You should try there the "New England Clamchouder"!

Another good shopping-place is the "Fox Run Mall" at Newington/Portsmouth!

Next Stop: "Salisbury Beach State Park". It´s very interesting there for birdwatching! Lot of Gulls and Terns.

Another highlight of the trip: A Whale-Watching-Tour from Glouchester (Cape Ann) with "Seven Seas Whale Watch". I can recommend this, because they have a boat wich is not as big then boats from other companies. End of the tour is the "Stellwagen Bank" between Glouchester and Provincetown (Cape Cod). A very nutritious part of the ocean - therefore there are a lot of whales!

The tour goes on through Massachusetts! First night we stood at Minuteman Campground near Littelton (west of Boston). Nice Place with W-Lan! But there is a railroad nearby - therefore nothing for people with noise sensivity! At the place you will also find nice "cabins"!

From Greenfield we went on to the "Mohawk Trail" to "Shelburne Falls" with its "Bridge of Flowers". The bridge isn't as intresting as described but it´s worth to have lunch at the "West End Pub" directly above the river at a nice galery!

Going west another Highlight! At "North Adams" - an old Miner-City - you should visit the "MASS MoCA" (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art). The Artworks are in big halls - so it´s a nice athmosphere. They have some great Artworks from for example Anselm Kiefer, Beuys .... and they often have interesting special exhibitions - when we where there there was an exhibition of art from Jenny Holzer.

In a wood we found a very nice campground. The "Woodland Hills Campground" near "Austerlitz". It´s very ice there.

We stood there because we wanted to visit another fantastic Museum: "Norman Rockwell Museum" at Stockbridge! Both - the village with it´s museum and the "Berkshires" nearby are worth to travel to!!

What you should also visit is the "DIA: BEACON" near Newburgh north of New York on the left bank of the Hudson! Again Artworks in big halls. Absolut fantastic!!!!!!!! If you travel to New York, you shouldn´t miss visiting this!! Never seen something like that!

The night we stood at the "KOA-Campground" north of Newburgh!

Then we drove along the river Hudson southward straight through the Bronx (New York) - to "Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge" - nearby J.F. Kennedy Airport! Here you can find the Yellow Crowned Night Herons!

Last night with the Camper we stood at the "Turkey Swamp Campground" south of Freehold, New Jersey. Next day we gave the camper back.

With a Shuttle we went to Newark and then by Taxi to New York, where we stayed at Hotel "Astor on the Park" at the northwestside of the Central Park. We were lucky because our room was with view to Manhattan and the park!

You can´t book the rooms directly - you have to book from a travel agency! Good Price!

Guidebooks:

Reise Know How Verlag, 2006: "Kanada Osten + USA Nordosten"

DuMont "Richtig Reisen": Kanada - Der Osten (Auflage 2007)

Lonely Planet: New York (deutsch!)

ADAC Reiseführer: Neuengland

National Geographic Explorer: Boston

Sibley - Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America

Maps:

Hallwag - International: Road Guide New England - Atlantic Northeast 1:1200000

Rand McNally: Cape Cod

Busche Map: Atlantic Provinces & Island of Newfoundland (1:800000 / 1:1000000)

Rand McNally: Cape Breton Island (Regional Map)

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