Re: Canada / New England cruise - Looking for insi
Newport: some VERY fun little shops and some wonderful restaurants. If you have a half day, walk on the Cliff Walk and visit one of the mansions, perhaps The Breakers. If you LOVE the gilded age, visit all the mansions you like, but one was enough for me.
Boston: Quincy Marketplace has lots of great shops all under one roof. Old Ironsides is docked in Charlestown Harbor. The Freedom Trail walks you through downtown and visits some of the best Revolutionary (and before) history sites of anyplace. If you love children's books, there are statues of the ducklings dedicated to Make Way for Ducklings in the Public Gardens. Don't forget Cambridge, which is a quick ride on the T and has Harvard, MIT, Radcliffe, and plenty of other intellectual stimulation. I prefer the little shops of Cambridge to Quincy Marketplace, which is quite tourist-oriented. Durgin Park Restaurant is a Boston landmark; if you go, have Indian Pudding for dessert, or they probably won't let you leave.
I love everything in Montreal. Look for small, cozy restaurants in Old Montreal and have mussels. Well, really, have anything. It's fantastic. Don't order Poutine just to learn what it is: it's french fries with GRAVY and CHEESE, just in case the fries weren't greasy enough. Go to the top of Mount Royal to look out over the city. Go ice skating at the Bell Center. If you love malls, there is a huge underground mall in Montreal, excellent for winter shopping. But I don't travel that kind of distance just to go to a mall.
I've never been to Quebec City, so I want a full report when you come back! I've never been to Halifax, either, but the rest of Nova Scotia is marvelous. If the tour takes you out of the city, and into Louisburg (sp?) or even better, up around Cape Breton, DO NOT MISS IT. Keep your eyes peeled for seals and other incredible wildlife. All over Nova Scotia the lupines bloom in the summer, an incredibly beautiful sight.
Have I msised anything? I love New England!
Anne