Nova Scotia (“New Scotland”) – 6/21 ->6/29

One province, four campgrounds (Arm of Gold, Linwood Harbour, Highbury Gardens, Five Islands). Depending on the location at any given time, the weather has been chilly, muggy, warm, rainy, windy, sunny, or foggy, as the pix that follow will show.

Coming into Sydney Harbour, NS (Pic taken from the bow on level 7 of the ferry)
First night in North Sydney at our campsite on Little Bras D’Or
Sydney is a great place to do some provisioning, which for us included a stop at the government regulated “libations” station (now expanded to include other intoxicants, which are not our preference).
The wine prices are stunning, btw.
Second night in North Sydney after a busy day of shopping
On Friday, we drove the Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands National Park. For us, it was a blend of The Finger Lakes, Big Sur, and Lake Tahoe all in one day.

From the Trans Canada Highway, we took a ferry over to the trail, which is just one of the ways to access the loop.
Lupine are everywhere, especially along the roadsides. I took this picture near St. Peter’s Catholic Church, on our drive through Ingonish Beach.
We drove down to the beach to see the different colors of sand and rock up close.
Back at Arm of Gold (Bras D’Or) campground, we had another gorgeous sunset.

On Saturday, we moved on to Linwood Harbour Campground near the town of Antigonish, which hosts the oldest and largest Scottish Highland games outside of Scotland. Additionally, the town is home to St. Francis Xavier University, along with Provincial parks and trails, fine dining, casual dining and brewpubs, distilleries, theaters, and museums. It’s too bad we couldn’t spend more time here.

Our next campground was located near Wolfville, the home of Acadia University and all that one finds in a college town. A short drive to the Bay of Fundy, we hoped to see a tidal bore minute-to-minute (which in reality is more like an hour or more), trying to time it right with a drive over to the Cornwallis River. Alas, we were a little too late, but the Sea Level Microbrewery just so happened to be a stone’s throw away, so we thirsty folks found our way over there.

* * * * * * * *

Dick declared the next night to be “Lobster Night.” He and Sharon knew of a place right on the Bay, in Halls Harbour. We checked the menu to make sure they also had fish and salads, and with that verified, went on to Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound with large appetites.

Lobster for three, haddock for me. (Interestingly, Cod is king in Newfoundland, while Haddock’s on the menu
in Nova Scotia.)
Views of the Harbour from the restaurant

* * * * * *

Doug and I drove to the opposite (south) shore on Tuesday; specifically, the towns of Lunenburg, Peggy’s Cove, and the city of Halifax. The weather was foggy with intermittent drizzle, which actually had a positive effect by forcing us out of the rain and into shops we might have otherwise passed by.

I could have spent the afternoon in here!
Not far from the bookstore was this amazing coffee shop and bakery.
We added scones and chocolate chip cookies (dessert for later) to our coffee orders.

The Knot Pub looked so charming, but we just had breakfast! 🙂 Another time …
Next stop – Peggy’s Cove
The weather did not improve.

From Peggy’s Cove, we drove to Halifax, but the nasty weather kept us from walking around the waterfront. Our next (and final) destination for the day became downtown Wolfville and the Acadia University campus.

We didn’t spend much time in the outdoor gardens because it was late afternoon (and the mosquitoes were out).
We left the campus and went into town for a light supper.

Wednesday, our last day in Wolfville, we were all set to see more of this charming town when thunder, lightning, and heavy downpours kept us inside the camper. Around 3 pm the skies cleared, and we went over to Grand Pre National Historic Site. The park tells the story of Acadian life between 1682 and 1755, when the tragic deportation of the Acadians began.

The interior of the church contained exhibits telling the story of the Acadians

On a rainy Thursday, we left Highbury Gardens campground for Five Islands, on the north shore of the Bay of Fundy. Our campsites are right on the water, so we get to see the huge tidal differences each day. Yesterday, the gap between low and high was about 35 feet! We’ll post more about our stay here in a few days.

16 thoughts on “Nova Scotia (“New Scotland”) – 6/21 ->6/29”

  2. You guys are amazing! Love the pictures!

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    1. Thanks, Betsy and Bob! We’ll be home in 3 weeks. At least we’re wearing shorts now! 🙂 Hope you and Bob are doing well. xo

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  3. Such beautiful scenery captured in your pictures! The weather there sounds like NC. Although now the summer, humid heat has arrived!

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  4. Fantastic photos and descriptions! We’ve really enjoyed traveling along with you. Jealous of that lobstah! I don’t know how you keep up the pace though 🙂 We landed in Cumberland City, TN yesterday to visit Kathy’s roots. Heat index was 116 as we set up. The AC is working overtime and it’s brutal. Big change from a few days ago in MT where we ran the heat and wore jeans and windbreakers. Shock time!

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    1. Your time in the mountains went by quickly! That’s a huge change weather-wise, with heat that will keep you indoors, just like cold and rainy weather. Your stay in TN sounds very interesting. Hope your trip back to F-V is easy and uneventful. Let us know when you’re home. xo

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  5. Forgot to mention Peggy’s Cove was my mother’s favorite place. Somewhere there a picture she painted of it.

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  6. It looks like you’re really into your trip now. How beautiful. I’ve never been there but it’s one of Marilyns favorite places

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    1. Yes, we sent pix to her that same day and thought of you both. We’ll be in Quebec City on the 4th. 16 days til we’re home. 🙂 Thanks for being on the trip with us electronically. Can’t wait to see you guys!

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      1. It has been a very interesting trip! We’ll be in Quebec on the 4th, home mid-July. Hope you found another weekend to go camping. We’ve had LOTS of rain! Love, Marty and Doug

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    2. Hello neighbors, and many thanks for following our travels! We’ll be home by the 17th and look forward to seeing you both! Hugs, m&d

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