I’ve travelled a fair amount in my forty years of life, and I’m grateful for all the places I’ve been. Yet somehow, I have never made it to the Atlantic Coast of Canada – Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick nor Newfoundland. An East Coast family trip has been on my bucket list for the past decade. And doing the trip in an RV has been an unrealized dream – until this year.
At the end of June, after a few terrifying weeks in the hospital with our daughter, she got the clear to travel and our family finally had a chance to celebrate. It’s tough life experiences like this (witnessing a sick loved one) that reminded us how precious life is and that this family trip needed to happen.
So, on June 26 we packed up our 22’ foot RV and our bucket list vacation began! I shared much our travels on Instagram and other parents were keen to know more: what we did, what we saw, where we stayed, what we ate, and even the finer details of our family trip to the East Coast.
While we travelled from Ontario to Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI, I jotted down it all down. After all, I had 60 hours to kill on the road while Keith did the driving (what a trooper!). Documenting everything would also help us retain memories of our epic family East Coast trip – plus it would make it easier for other families to plan their Canadian road-trip.
So in the next few blog posts you’re going to discover:
- Detailed itinerary of our family trip to the East Coast of Canada (campsites, restaurants, attractions, activities, etc)
- Detailed menu for our family road trip to the East Coast (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks on the road, at campsites, etc)
- Travel hacks (what we packed, how the kids were entertained for 60 hours on the road, etc)
In this post, I’ll answer questions about our family East Coast trip:
- Why did we choose the East Coast for our family vacation?
- How did we plan the family trip?
- How much did we spend?
- Where did we sleep?
- Where did we visit?
- How did we keep the kids entertained on the road? (what games/activities we bought and brought)
The next post will include a master daily itinerary for our trip:
- Where we travelled to and from
- Where we stayed (don’t be surprised when you see Walmart Parking lots on the list!)
- Where we ate (if we stopped for meals)
- Where we went (e.g. any attractions, activities, or landmarks we visited)
Why did we choose East Coast of Canada for our family trip?
My husband has travelled across Canada (in tents, pop-up trailers and motels) when he was a kid. He remembers those trips so fondly, recalling the music they listened to (the likes of Tracy Chapman, Bob Dillon, etc) and I wanted to create a similar experience for our girls. And as we recently were reminded, life is precious and you never know when it will be taken from you. So while the trip was inconvenient, meant lots of time away from work (after already missing 2 months of work being at Sick Kids), we knew we had to do it.
How did we plan our family East Coast trip?
Almost a year ago, we were visiting close friends and I floated the idea (and my dream) of doing a family RV trip to Nova Scotia and PEI. It didn’t take much convincing for our friends who also have 3 children, as we’re always looking for ways to spend more time together. They agreed and the rest is history.
My dear friend Sarah is a planner extraordinaire. I on the other hand am Miss spontaneity (with more last-minute planning being my speciality). When we caught wind that campgrounds book up quickly, Sarah took the initiative and booked all campsites early in the year (about 6 months in advance).
To keep everyone organized, we created a shared Google sheet with our East Coast family adventure summarized on one page, and campsites and potential activities on the next tab. As we had conversations with others or stumbled on any hot tips for our trip, we threw it into the spreadsheet.
Where did our family go in the East Coast?
I’m going to get into the details of our Family East Coast Itinerary in the next post. But at a high level, here are the cities we visited.
- Ontario (1 day) – Kingston
- Quebec (1 day) – Quebec City
- New Brunswick (3 days) – Edmundston, Grand Falls, Moncton, Shediac, Hopewell Rocks
- Nova Scotia (4 days) – Halifax, Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg
- PEI (3 days) – Charlottetown, Cavendish
How long was our family East Coast trip?
We left on June 26th (timed to ensure the kids didn’t miss too much school) and arrived back home on July 10th. So a total of 14 days.
Overall, it was the most we’ve ever drove in a 2 week window with our kids (or ever in my lifetime!). We drove 60 hours and clocked in about 4500 kilometres. Not without the odd back cramp of course. Until Keith grabbed one of these for lumbar support, then all back pain was gone.
Where did we sleep in the East Coast?
- Walmart Parking Lots: During our trip we leveraged Walmart parking lots for 4 nights. It seemed like an odd place to set up, Walmart had been recommended enough times to consider it as an option. Yet every time we pulled into a Walmart parking lot there were at least a dozen (or more!) RVs/Trailers – so we quickly realized this was “a thing” and were good to set up and settle in. It’s actually a smart move on their part – we bought a few things at every Walmart we visited getting water refills, snacks, extra sweaters (I under packed) and hairbrushes to name a few items.
- Campgrounds: Most of the campsites we stayed at were private which explains why the amenities were better than most campgrounds I’ve been to over the years. And almost all were near water which was a plus. I’ll share more of the pros and cons on each of these locations in the next blog post outlining our East Coast Trip Itinerary.
- New Brunswick – Ponderosa Pines
- Nova Scotia – WoodHaven RV Park
- Lunenburg – Lunenburg RV and Campground
- Charlottetown – Holiday Haven (Cornwall)
- Cavendish – Twin Shores
How much did we spend?
I took an hour one day to go through every single receipt we stashed in the glovebox of our RV, and calculated every single expense. Here’s where our road trip costs landed.
- Gas: $1850
- Restaurants: $1340
- Groceries: $480
- Campgrounds: $750
- Attractions: $550
- RV: $5200
In total, we netted out around $10,000 for the 14-day family east coast trip. For comparison’s sake, we knew a week in the Caribbean is similar pricing for a family of 5. So it didn’t seem so bad – even though we never left Canadian soil. And the memories created were worth every penny.
How we keep the kids entertained on our family RV trip?
Let’s get real for a sec. Travelling 4500 kilometres with 3 kids under the age of nine is naturally going to come with some complaining, whining, fighting and even boredom. Totally expected but also these frustrating instances can be minimized with proper entertainment. While the girls had the opportunity to play learning games, watch some shows, and play non-education games too on our iPads, we tried to limit it to the really long drives. For the most part, we allowed them to be bored and tap into the games and activities on board for entertainment (ps. it’s amazing what ideas and fun the kids can have when they are bored!).
Here are some of the things that saved us:
Games:
- License plate activity – Our friends brought these along and it was such a great way to educate the kids on countries, states and provinces as they wandered around campgrounds searching for matching plates. It also got the out and about and moving!
- License plate hunt printable – this version is printable and has images of license plates.
- Licence plate journal booklet – keep it in your car so your child can track which states/provinces they find on the road, etc.
- Boardgames – For simplicity we bought the kids this box with 100 games for Christmas which holds all the games in one kit. It was used daily
- Riddle books – These helped us pass the time on our longer trips and was great for evenings by the campfire (this one is for kids aged 9-12).
- Card games – They take up very little space which is ideal when you have limited space. Here are a few favourites from our family east coast trip:
- Taco Goat Cheese Pizza – doesn’t require much explanation or skill, so even the youngest kids could play.
- Monopoly Deal – loved that we could play Monopoly without having to bring the whole board and all the little pieces (that will inevitably get lost)
- Mealtime Fun Cards – I knew the kids would be exposed to different foods on our trip and wanted to give them opportunities to engage and possibly try some new things! These cards worked like magic (and are great to play at meals with other kids/families too).
- Exploding Kittens– requires a little more understanding but my 6 year old caught on quickly. All the variables make it more interesting.
- Speedy Words– surprisingly one of their favourites. Loved that the kids were learning and having fun simultaneously as they quickly recall with words for different categories and letters (e.g. countries starting with M)
Crafty materials:
- Washable markers will be your friend! (other markers can easily get on seats, clothes, etc)
- Kids Travel Journal – to capture their favourite memories and what they did, saw, thought for each stop on your east coast trip.
- Pads of paper – perfect for games of X and O, hangman, Pictionary. They used it to write their own plays, songs, and stories too.
- Rainbow Loom – when the drawing and colouring got old, they were into trying to make the longest loom ever. They succeeded I figured the elastics would be easier to clean up vs beads if the box fell. Thankfully no messes!
- Crochet Kit – our friend’s oldest child brought his own crochet set and made stuffies for all the kids. Great way to pass the time on a rainy day!
Camping kits:
Given that we were spending boatloads of time at campgrounds in nature, we wanted the make it even more fun for the kids to explore. Every time we camp they each bring the following:
- Camping satchel to hold all of the goodies below while they explore.
- Flashlight and/or head lamp (for walking to the bathroom, other campsites, or exploring at night)
- Whistle
- Tin container (for saving rocks, shells, anything interesting they find).
- Rope – they used it to create forts and get creative with other activities.
- Carabiner (for hooking up ropes, hanging things off their bags, etc. This one doubles as a compass!)
- Bug catcher (like the one it this kit)
- Collapsible cup for catching fish
- Compass (great for hiking or just helping them understand directions while travelling).
- Fire starter or cotton balls (age dependent and always under supervision)
Other recommended items:
- Picnic blanket – we used these for our impromptu beach stops but the kids can also use the blanket to set up their own little lunches/snacks, toy area, reading spot, crafting space, or to lounge.
- Camping chairs – these collapse and take up little space for family trips. The kids can use these to play musical chairs, sit around the fire, sit and read on the beach, etc.
- Mosquito repellent patches – bug bites are no fun. These patches can go on their clothing so the kids can still move around while being protected from mosquitos.
- Reusable water balloons – these were perfect not just for campgrounds with pools, but also those without. The kids could get wet, run around, and have fun – without leaving a bunch of plastic on the ground.
How was it travelling in an RV?
Short answer: The best. Highly recommend (with the right expectations). 🙂
Long answer: Being in a small space with 5 humans was cozy (a nice way of saying it). But there were so many advantages to travelling in a RV versus a vehicle.
- Everything at Your Fingertips: One of the biggest perks of RV travel is having all your stuff with you at all times. Spontaneous beach stop? No problem, our bathing suits were right there. The convenience of not needing to constantly pack and unpack bags, coolers, or snacks made our days flow smoothly.
- Fewer Stops, More Mileage: Having a bathroom on board was a game changer! We didn’t need to make constant pit stops, so we covered more ground in less time. For the sake of fresh air inside the RV, we stuck to “number ones” only—trust me, it’s a pro tip! 😉
- Cozy Comfort: While we’re no strangers to tent camping, sleeping on a mattress inside a cozy, covered vehicle was a luxury. We didn’t have to worry about unexpected rain or chilly nights.
- Flexibility in Planning: Unlike staying in hotels, where you’re tied to check-in times and reservations, the RV gave us the freedom to adjust our plans on the fly.
- Family Bonding Time: Yes, it’s a small space, but that’s part of the charm. The RV setup brought us closer—literally and figuratively! From sharing meals to playing games at the dining table. And for those who worry about sibling squabbles in tight quarters, here’s how we kept them entertained.
- Convenience for Meals: With a kitchen on board, we could whip up meals whenever we wanted, which saved us both time and money. No need to hunt down restaurants or rely solely on roadside snacks. Plus, it was a comfort to have healthy options easily accessible for our picky eaters.
What was our daily itinerary?
And therein lays the loaded question.
The short answer: we did so much in such a short time!
The long answer: pull up a chair, grab a tea, and enjoy the next post with our play by play family RV trip itinerary. I’ll share what we did each day, how long we drove, where we stopped, where we ate, and more about the campgrounds we stayed at. It will have everything you need for your family’s east coast.
Let the family east coast RV adventure begin!
