A Paws & Provinces trip journal
Eastern Canada
A family rendezvous in Halifax
Summer 2026
Our 2026 road trip east to meet family arriving from Scotland, beginning with Tilly and me driving from Hamilton to an overnight in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
In summer 2026 we pointed the car east again, this time to meet my brother, aunt and cousin after they flew from Scotland to Halifax.
The trip began with just Tilly and me on the road. We left Hamilton on Friday, July 3, and broke up the drive to the East Coast with an overnight in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec.
This journal follows the practical stops, dog-friendly stays and moments that shaped our route toward the family rendezvous in Halifax.
The journey
Stories from the route.
Each chapter follows a stretch of road, including the places that made the drive worth remembering.
Hamilton to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Hamilton → Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
The opening drive toward a family rendezvous in Halifax, with just Tilly and me and a practical overnight in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Fredericton
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu → Fredericton
A long drive from Québec to Fredericton, followed by a return to the Comfort Inn and the Botanic Garden hike we missed the year before.
Fredericton to Halifax
Fredericton → Halifax
A bagpiper welcome to Nova Scotia, an outdoor wait at YHZ, two nights at the Lord Nelson and a full round of Halifax walks and patios.