“LOOK, Daddy – over there, it’s a bear!” comes the excited cry from my five-year-old daughter.
My eyes scan the road ahead of me, quickly realising that Dorothy is right.
Well, almost, because there’s not just one bear, but three — a mother and her two cubs.
When we set out on our motorhome holiday to explore eastern Canada’s Maritimes region — encompassing the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island — there was always the hope we would see bears and moose.
But I’m not sure we believed it would happen.
Entranced, we sit in excited silence, watching the mother bear eventually lead her playful cubs into the undergrowth.
It would prove to be just one of many forever memorable moments on our trip — all booked and organised through the Caravan and Motorhome Club, which offers a variety of guided and self-guided world tours.
Ours begins in Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax, a charming city worthy in its own right of a few days of exploration to learn about its maritime history.
Once we then strike out from there, the early days of our tour take us along the dramatic Atlantic coastline that this region is best known for.
Quaint villages with colourful wooden buildings and fabulous fresh seafood are treats for the senses — and none is more attractive than Peggy’s Cove, an active fishing community that’s home to one of Canada’s most photographed lighthouses.
All manner of lobster traps and fishing nets decorate the wharves and the roadside that leads down to the lighthouse.
A handful of fishing boats, back from their morning sorties, bob gently in the water, their catch bound for the local restaurants.
But as we venture deeper into our itinerary, the picturesque coastal villages give way to a series of national parks.
Swathes of forest stretch for miles on end, giving the impression that we are a long way from anywhere as we drive through them on wide open roads.
Our days here are filled with idyllic walks through the trees, often ending in swims at river rapids or waterfalls — as we are ever-hopeful of catching that glimpse of a bear or moose enjoying a quiet drink.
Our motorhome comes with all the essentials, including kitchen, toilet and shower — so despite the long drives, the kids were never short of snacks as well as the stunning views to marvel at.
Lunenburg, the best surviving example of a British colonial settlement in North America, with its pastel-coloured waterfront buildings, was charm itself.
Equally beguiling was Prince Edward Island, Canada’s most rural province, and the setting for Anne Of Green Gables.
But it was the various national parks that stole the show — and none more than Cape Breton.
It’s here that the mountains meet the sea, river canyons with rust-coloured cliffs carve through ancient plateaus, majestic head-lands jut into the ocean and bears, moose and coyotes roam.
Indeed, it was on the road toward Cape Breton where we encountered our bears — all the more surprising as, at the time, we had been gazing out to sea hoping to spot a leaping whale.
Even before you reach the national park, the drive along the Cabot Trail highway offers some of the most spectacular views in all of Atlantic Canada.
But those vistas get even better once in the park — especially when you head off on the various walking trails.
And the famous Skyline Trail is one not to be missed.
This family-friendly boardwalk along the top of French Mountain leads us out to a ledge from which the wild, rugged coastline, characterised by dramatic head-land cliffs, stretches for miles.
The journey back towards Halifax has a few more surprises in store in the shape of historical reenactment settlements, which captured the imagination of our entire family.
Another sight to behold is the Fortress of Louisbourg — a reconstructed section of an old French colonial settlement, complete with costumed guides and richly furnished exhibits that transport us back to the 18th century.
It’s not every day you get to visit a working blacksmith’s forge and leave with freshly made wrought-iron coat hooks.
Having spent the previous two years living full-time in our own motorhome, roaming free with no real set plans, we had felt a little unsure about following an itinerary that was of someone else’s design.
But we needn’t have worried, for the balance between culture and nature, towns and national parks, was just perfect — meaning our time away had everything we could possibly have wanted from a family trip.
Perhaps the biggest lesson from our journey — on a continent where bigger is often portrayed as better and instant is the order of the day — was that for those who are prepared to slow down and look a little closer, there is beauty in everything.
Especially in that mother bear and her cubs.
GETTING / STAYING THERE: The Caravan and Motorhome Club offer a variety of self-led or group tours with prices from £1,699 per person.
Includes return flights from London, one night’s hotel stay on arrival and 12 nights’ motorhome hire.
Based on two people sharing.
For details, see caravanclub.co.uk/worldwide-holidays/worldwide-tours.
