Become a cannoneer, pedal the Coastal Cruiser, save the Citadel from spies…

“Did you jump?” one soldier asks as another smears cannon blast down my cheeks, the agreed-upon initiation of a cannoneer in 18th century New France. “Yes,” I smile, in the last place I expected to be, back-slapped in camaraderie on the ramparts of a French colonial fortress straight out of 1744.

But here I am, in the dust of a huge black gun, me, who’s touched off the cannon, doffed my tricorn hat and rang out to the crowd below: Vive le roi!

I’ve come to Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site , on Cape Breton Island’s wave-washed shores, not just to fire a cannon—the visit is a stop on my family’s self-dubbed great Parks Canada adventure—but the Have a Blast Program sure made me smile.

Over the years I’ve become an avid Parks Canada fan, drawn by how ably it showcases the sprawling national network of historic sites and special places. This year’s family road trip was all about bypassing kitsch and glitz for sandcastle building lessons, campfires, hikes and history. With road map and a Parks Family Discovery Pass (a steal at under $140 for year-long unlimited admission at sites across Canada), we set out for Prince Edward Island and northeastern Nova Scotia, intent on visiting as many Parks Canada sites as possible.

Here are 10 great adventures:

NOVA SCOTIA

• Go back in time. “Your mom may be a cannoneer, but that doesn’t make you one,” the commander bellowed good-naturedly to my youngest child, slacking off in musket and marching duty during Fortress Louisbourg’s Playing Hooky program, which lets children experience 18th century fortress life. Special programs, at a nominal fee, truly make history come alive. As a cannoneer, I sat in stone barracks, dressed in blue and red wool uniform, swapping tales with these elite, respected soldiers who could read, write, and earned more than their 18th counterparts.
• Save Halifax Citadel from spies. Launched in 2014, one of several new offerings, Citadel Adventures cleverly sets kids on a path of discovery, searching through the massive fort (beware spies!) for a set of clues to save the national historic site. Follow the fun picnicking on Citadel grounds, overlooking the city of Halifax.
• Behind the scenes with a genius. In Cape Breton, at Baddeck’s Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site , pull the curtain back to the private world of a genius. Guides lead a White Glove tour into an artifact storage room revealing the life of this fascinating man, down to personal notebooks he tended to tuck in his pockets.
• Hike the Skyline Trail. Let’s talk perfect payoff—you may spot moose, and whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and you’ll certainly stand in awe on a dramatic headland cliff gazing at sea, mountain and iconic Cabot Trail on this easy seven-kilometre loop, one of 26 trails in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.
• Camp the Highlands. No tent? No problem. The Parks Canada campground outside the Acadian village of Chéticamp in Cape Breton Highlands National Park offers ready-to-camp sites equipped with high-quality Mountain Equipment Co-op tents already set up on a wooden platform, complete with all the utensils, flashlights and Adirondack chairs needed.

Did someone say s’mores?

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• Camp Cavendish. Campfire sing-alongs, private beach, kids frolicking oceanside as sunset paints PEI National Park’s beachside cliffs crimson—there’s much to love about Parks Canada’s Cavendish Campground. Best bliss? Pitching a tent so close to the sea, you’re rocked to sleep by ocean waves.
• Kindred Spirits. Meet Anne (she’s sweet), drink raspberry cordial and meander the Haunted Woods and Lovers Lane where author L.M. Montgomery once walked at Green Gables National Historic Site , located almost directly across the road from the Cavendish Campground.
• Build sandcastles. Artist extraordinaire Maurice Bernard sets up shop several times a week on the sand of Cavendish and Brackley beaches and leads sandcastle building sessions within PEI National Park. It’s free, he’s amazing, and the beach beside you beckons for a refreshing dip whenever you need a break.
• Hike Greenwich Dunes. At PEI National Park’s eastern end, explore otherworldly beauty hiking over farmland, through forest, down a floating boardwalk to rare, giant U-shaped parabolic sand dunes at Greenwich , fronting a gorgeous beach. We may have cartwheeled in the sand.
• Pedal the Coastal Cruiser. Take your bikes for a spin on the 22-kilometre Gulfshore Parkway , a smooth flat surface that runs by the sea along the park’s North Shore. Up the ante and rent Parks Canada’s new Coastal Cruiser—a large four-wheel, four-person bike you pedal en famille—available from Stanhope Campground. In Covehead Wharf , pull into Richard’s Seafood for a deserved lobster roll break. One must fuel up!