An East Coast RV Tour with Family, Food, and Some Bumps

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I would be being completely honest if I said our RV camping trip to Atlantic Canada was perfect. On the second day, as we turned onto the exit ramp, the side door of the car flew open and I ran back to close it, only to realize that I hadn’t closed it properly in the first place. When chips, sauce and popsicles flew out of the fridge in the other corner, I realized that I had forgotten to lock the fridge.

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When my husband, Captain Kirk, sat in our driving seat, I jokingly called him Canadian Dream RV rentals. He said that made me Scotty – chief engineer and problem solver, which turned out to be a fitting role since I was the culprit for most problems. As for our Starship Enterprise, we named it Bertha.

Our adventure began just outside of Halifax, where we rented a 26-foot CanaDream RV. Although we didn’t have much experience driving large vehicles, we immediately headed to Bertha, stopped at a grocery store to pick up some supplies, and then drove to Halifax West KOA Campgroundour home for the next two nights.

We never lived KOA Campgrounds Before, I wish I had discovered them when my kids were younger. Halifax KOA has everything a family could want: bathrooms and showers, pool, canoe and kayak rentals, recumbent bike rentals, camp store, and a large playground.

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We used Halifax Station to visit family. We spent both nights with my sister Tammy and her husband Gary who live about 10 minutes from the campground. It was nice to visit relatives and have our own space.

The next night, we enjoyed a campfire together at camp. I made an Atlantic Canada Toasted Marshmallow Sandwich by sandwiching a toasted marshmallow between two chocolate-covered potato chips, both of which are made in Prince Edward Island and sold as Cow Chips in Atlantic Canada grocery stores.

During the day, we rented kayaks to paddle the river and visited nearby attractions. The best part about road trips is discovering little things along the way, like community museums and craft markets. We visited the Fultz House Museum in Lower Sackville to learn some local history, then walked along the Bedford Waterfront Boardwalk to visit the Coastal Makers Market, which has about 30 craft stalls.

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After two days in Halifax, we headed to the Confederation Bridge and Prince Edward Island, stopping at Marstown Market just outside of Truro, Nova Scotia for more supplies.

Marstown Market started as a farm store in 1969 and has evolved into a foodie destination with a butcher, creamery, bakery and market specialising in local produce. There’s also a fish and chip shop and a lighthouse where you can buy freshly caught Bay of Fundy seafood.

We spent the next three nights Borden/Summerside KOA It wouldn’t be a family camping trip in PEI without rain, and we were thankful not to have to stay in our tent for two days straight. In between rainstorms, we rented bikes at the campground and rode along the Confederation Trail to the small town of Borden-Carleton, where we stopped at Cows Creamery and toured the Marine Railway Park. We also drove to Summerside, wandered around Spinnakers’ Landing, sampled the “special fries” at Starlite Diner & Dairy Bar, and stopped at Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour for homemade ice cream.

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The best thing about the Borden/Summerside KOA is the live music hall and live music four days a week. Bad weather is less of a problem when you’re at an indoor concert, and we were impressed by the musicians who performed on a rainy Tuesday night.

We finished our trip in three days with mostly sunny weather. Cavendish KOA Vacationsa large camping site with facilities located in the hometown of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. The camping site is close to the Green Gables Heritage Site, where we explored all things Anne, walked through the Ghost Forest and Lovers Lane.

Over the next few days, we visited Cavendish Beach and Greenwich Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park, Singing Sands in Basin Head Provincial Park, explored lighthouses, searched for sea glass, watched fishermen catch fish, and ate delicious seafood.

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We took the ferry back to Nova Scotia, stopping on the way back to our CanaDream rental in Halifax to visit Burntcoat Head Park, where the world’s highest tides are recorded in the Bay of Fundy. As we walked on the ocean floor at low tide, I couldn’t help but think that despite our RV camping trip having a few mishaps and some bad weather, it was an unforgettable experience. After all, mishaps are the things to laugh about afterwards.

Tips for Planning an RV Camping Trip

• Driving an RV isn’t as scary as it might seem – even though Captain Kirk is a backseat driver when he’s not behind the wheel.
• We rented our RV from CanaDream (canadream.com), a Canadian company that celebrated its 30th anniversary in Canada in 2024. RV rental options come in a variety of sizes. Keep an eye on the website for sales and one-way relocation rental deals.
• If you are traveling to or from Prince Edward Island from Nova Scotia, you may want to consider crossing the Confederation Bridge into Prince Edward Island and then taking the ferry back. There is no fee to cross the bridge into Prince Edward Island, but there is a fee to cross the bridge out.
• Always lock the RV side doors and refrigerator door before setting off – this was a lesson we learned the hard way on our trip.
• We stayed at KOA campgrounds (koa.com) on this trip and loved the variety of amenities they offer. Each campground has well-equipped RV and tent sites, as well as well-appointed cabins and many amenities.

Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Métis writer. Follow her adventures at wanderwoman.ca.

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