Update: Nova Scotia's Atlantic Coast A one-day drive took us from the upper section to the lower portion of Nova Scotia. We camped at the KOA West Halifax in Upper Sackville, so Annette could catch a flight to and from a speaking engagement. The photo below was taken in Blue Rocks during a day trip along the Atlantic Coast.
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Hearing Loss Annette lost her hearing in one ear during the trip to the US. Upon her return, we spent a few anxious days doing doctor/medical stuff which did cut into both our work and play time. Read more about this strange medical adventure at Lamb's Sudden Hearing Loss. |
Peggy's Cove Even though part of Annette's hearing was gone, we decided it was no reason to be depressed! We decided to take one last excursion before leaving the Canada. We'd planned on an overnight trip, but quickly decided that a day trip made more sense given our limited time. Locals all agreed that a stop in Peggy's Cove was essential, so the day began with a drive down to this historic and scenic area (photo below).
This quaint little fishing village has strict building codes, so it has remained relatively unchanged for over 100 years. A popular tourist destination, the parking lot was filled. Our first stop was an interesting relief sculpture called Fishermen's Monument by William E. DeGarthe (photo below). This work was created as a memorial to the "gallant men of Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, who harvest our oceans." In the center, you'll see Peggy of the Cove and fishermen at work.
A short walk through town takes tourists through the fishing village, protected harbor, and up to a lighthouse sitting amongst huge rocks. The village has a few cute craft and gift shops that we enjoy exploring. Larry quickly filled his camera with photographs. Annette could see a sketch in her mind everywhere she looked. The next time we visit she's planning to bring pastels and watercolors! The scenery was colorful in every direction. The village reminded us of some of our favorite jigsaw puzzles filled with tiny houses, water, boats, and other colorful objects.
We were reluctant to leave the little village, but we headed up the hill to the lighthouse. There were lots of tourists climbing around the rocks. The lighthouse has an active post office so many people were writing postcards. Learn more about all the lighthouses at the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society website.
We found some quiet spots to enjoy the waves on the Atlantic Ocean. Then, we took a quick break for lunch at the Sou 'Wester Restaurant next to the lighthouse. We split crab cakes and a veggie plate. Yummy!
In the interest of time, we skipped some of the other little towns along the coast. We stopped in a couple campgrounds. We thought it would be fun to stay at the King Neptune RV Campground right on the ocean. |
Lunenburg We continued up the road to Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, and Blue Rocks. Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was established in 1753 as the first British Colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside Halifax. We arrived in late afternoon so many of the shops were closed, but we enjoyed walking down the streets of this town. The area has several galleries, restaurants, and bed and breakfast operations.
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Blue Rocks While exploring the city campground on the hill overlooking town, a fellow tourist suggested that we drive out to Blue Rocks fishing villiage. As we headed out the road to Blue Rocks, we passed the colorful shop below.
Blue Rocks turned out to be our type of place. There's no fancy shops or restaurants, instead we found bicyclists riding down the country road and people enjoying the sleepy wharf (below).
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Mahone Bay It was getting late, so we made one last stop in Mahone Bay for supper. Next time we'll have to arrive earlier in the day and explore the shops. It's sometimes hard to find a good restaurant. Generally, we use two methods. First, we ask a local about their favorite place. Second, we look for the parking lots that are full of people. A busy parking lot means lots of business and generally good food. There was a short wait at the Mug and Anchor Pub. All the outdoor tables overlooking the water were full, so we decided on an indoor table. It was hot, but not overwhelming. Larry had scallops and Annette had halibut. The bartender recommended Maclay's Traditional Pale Ale. This Scottish beer established in 1830 is just recently available in Canada. The photo below shows Mahone Bay after sunset as we headed for the highway and back to the campground.
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Drive to Maine The time went very fast! We spent a day driving through New Brunswick to Medway, Maine. We were concerned about the border crossing because of the National Republican Convention in New York. However we didn't run into any problems. The officer looking through our fruits and vegetables did take our recently purchased avocados. We don't think the officer had ever seen an avocado before. We were only stopped for about 15 minutes in the customs line. Although it was nice to be back in the US, we look forward to many more trips to the Maritimes and other Canadian Provinces! |
Next Time Here's a list of things we want to do next time:
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Go to Lamb & Johnson Menu
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