MERRY TIMES IN THE MARITIMES

Enjoy The Diversity Of Atlantic Canada With Wide-Ranging Tours—And Enjoy Extra Savings For Booking Early

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA — Cod, halibut, mussels, scallops and lobster—choose your own poisson (that’s fish, in French) when you plan a trip to Atlantic Canada.  You can expect this kind of variety in the fresh seafood you’ll enjoy as well as in the cultures you’ll explore.  In fact, this diversity is itself good reason to visit more than one province on a vacation “Down East” to Canada’s ocean shores.

            You’ll find descendants of sturdy Scottish settlers as you travel the rugged coastline of the province of Nova Scotia (the name means “New Scotland”).  In the province of New Brunswick you’ll discover Canada’s French heritage, descendants of the Acadians expelled from their homes to resettle here—a heart-rending story immortalized by poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in “Evangeline” published in 1847. Also in New Brunswick is the legacy of those Empire Loyalists who traveled north to Canada in the wake of America’s Revolutionary War.

            Diversity of scenery includes the world’s highest tides in New Brunswick, and the enticing white sandy beaches and magnificent dunes of Prince Edward Island that you’ll share with few others (but maybe with a shy red fox).  In Newfoundland and Labrador you’ll find fjords reminiscent of Scandinavia and a recreated Viking settlement established by Leif Erikson more than 1,000 years ago.

 You’ll be mystified by such geographic and geologic oddities as the Reversing Falls (waterfalls that go upstream) and the Magnetic Hill (that appears to pull cars uphill)—both phenomena in New Brunswick.  In St. John’s, Newfoundland, you’ll. explore at your own pace North America’s oldest city.  It’s where the sun first rises on the New World, where the waves of Europe crash onto these shores.

The phenomenal tides of the Bay of Fundy are legendary.  Rising to heights of 50 feet, these famous tides are the highest of any on earth. They provide spots along the New Brunswick coast where at low tide you can take a walk on the ocean floor and just six hours later kayak on water high above that same spot.  These tides have carved rocks into gigantic “flower pots,” creating the famous Hopewell Rocks, a Fundy must-see sight.

Maxxim Vacations offers a wide variety of appealing, value-priced fly-drive packages in each of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces. With close to 35 years’ experience, Maxxim has earned a solid reputation as the travel specialist for Atlantic Canada and is one of Canada’s most respected travel companies.

Not only can you choose between a guided tour and an independent, freewheeling vacation (with as much or as little input as you wish), but you also can take advantage of special-interest tours. These include, among many others, golf getaways, Viking heritage tours, RV rentals, cruising and sailing, concerts and theater and culinary vacations. Book your trip conveniently online (this year, Maxxim is “going green” by eliminating its traditional printed catalog).

In addition to value-added pricing, Maxxim is offering a cash incentive for early reservations. It provides a $50 per person discount for bookings made before March 14 (for travel any time during 2008).

An appealing example of an independent tour is “A Taste of the Maritimes,” a seven-night “foodie” adventure that not only introduces you to the finest, freshest seafood available anywhere, but also to a bounty of fruit and berries. They’re grown where short summers, resilient earth and salty sea air create a perfect environment for raising many local specialties (such as fiddlehead ferns). It’s a gastronomical journey that introduces you to quirky local favorites as well as finer delicacies.

Included is roundtrip airfare by Air Canada or United between the U.S. and Halifax, seven nights’ accommodation at selected hotels, b&bs and country inns, and a seven-day midsize car rental with unlimited mileage.  Also included are seven breakfasts, a lobster supper, dinner theater and winery tour and gourmet lunch. The itinerary visits Halifax, Annapolis Royal, Wolfville and Charlottetown. Cost, based on double occupancy, is $1,739 with New York, Boston or Atlanta departure, $1,819 with Chicago departure, $1,849 with Los Angeles departure and $1,899 with Miami departure.

Typical of a guided-tour package is the “Atlantic Maritimes Tour,” a nine-night, three-province jaunt (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) that visits Halifax, Digby, Moncton, Charlottetown and Baddeck.  Enjoying fresh salty air, sandy beaches, rocky coves and warm hospitality, you’ll visit remote lighthouses rich in history, cosmopolitan cities and rustic fishing villages. You’ll savor succulent seafood, unspoiled nature, first-rate facilities and scenic travel routes.

 Included is roundtrip airfare by Air Canada or United between the U.S. and Halifax, nine nights’ accommodation at selected hotels and nine days escorted service, covering all ground transportation (except airport transfers) and baggage handling of one suitcase per person. Also included ar
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