Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/809166
8 ROCK STARS: NOVA SCOTIA The Joggins Fossil Cliff s on Chignecto Bay are more than just another pretty rock face. After all, they provide an unparalleled look at what life was like 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period. Some 200 species of fossilized plants and animals have been discovered here, among them Hylonomus lyelli, the earliest known reptile and the fi rst known vertebrate able to live entirely on land. Cited by Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species, this 15-km-long (9.3-mi.), tide-washed UNESCO World Heritage site has been dubbed the "Coal Age Galápagos" ( www.jogginsfossilcliff s.net). 9 BRIDGING THE GAP: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Although P.E.I. joined Confederation in 1873, the province wasn't physically connected to the rest of Canada until the billion-dollar Confederation Bridge opened between Borden-Carleton and Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick, 124 years later. Comprised of almost 13 km (8 mi.) of curvaceous concrete, the so-called "fi xed link" qualifi es as the longest bridge in the world spanning ice-covered water. It took a team of more than 5,000 workers four years to build this 11-m-wide (36-ft.) engineering marvel; motorists can cross it in a mere 12 minutes ( www.confederationbridge.com). 10 MIXED SIGNALS: NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR The provincial capital's leading landmark, Signal Hill, is crowned by an imposing stone tower, which was erected to com- memorate the arrival of Giovanni Caboto in 1497. The Genoese explorer is better known to anglophones as John Cabot. Coincidently, all of the modern-day visitors who tweet about the tower or post cellphone pics of it SHEDIAC BAY, NB • CTC CONFEDERATION BRIDGE, PE • SHUTTERSTOCK/DAVID P. LEWIS 14