Nova Scotia

HALIFAX
The capital of Nova Scotia and the city with the second largest natural harbor in the world is a must stop for anyone exploring the area.  A walk along the harbor boardwalk is a great place to start and eventually you will pass by the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.

The display and history of the smaller vessels used in the area along with a phenomenal collection of ship models is reason enough to stop.  Two exhibits - one on the Titanic and another on the Halifax explosion are the biggest attractions.  Halifax was the nearest major port to the Titanic sinking and as a result played a major role, especially in handling the victims of the tragedy.  The Halifax explosion occurred on the morning of Dec 6, 1917 when two ships, one carrying wartime explosives, collided. The blast was the largest man-made explosion until the nuclear age and leveled most of Halifax, killing 2,000 people and injuring 9,000.  The details leading up to it and the stories of the people and families who survived are fascinating and well worth the time to go through the displays in detail.  

After the Museum a commercial tour of Halifax is a great way to learn about the city if you have not been there before.  There are a variety of choices.  A fun way, although with less information, is to take the Harbour Hopper.

These amphibious ducks will give you a view from the harbor as well as a land tour.  The bus tours, however, will give you more complete and detailed information.  There are double deckers as well as traditional busses.  We decided on the land tour with a kilted Scotsman leader. One of the highlights is a trip to the Halifax cemetery where 150 Titanic victims are buried.  

The Titanic victims burial site is arranged as if the prow of a ship.

The lead character in the film "Titanic" was based on an actual victim who is buried here.

PEGGY'S COVE

Varying legends tell of a small girl swept into the cove during a storm that destroyed her ship and everyone on it except her.  Growing up in the village which adopted her she later married one of the inhabitants and the small village was eventually named after her.  There are no supporting documents but one fact does remain - Peggy's Cove is a huge tourist attraction.  It was much smaller than I anticipated with a small number of shops, fishing wharf, restaurant, and a lighthouse which is fairly photogenic.

Swissair Flight 111 crashed just off shore from Peggy's Cove killing every on board.  A memorial to the victims is visible from Peggy's cove

Glen Margaret just north of Peggy's Cove

MAHONEY BAY

A quick stop here on the way to Lunenburg was necessary when I saw the three churches guarding the town.

LUNENBURG

Architecturally, Lunenburg is one of the most visually pleasing cities you can find.

The best attraction in town, after the architecture, is the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.  There is enough to do here for an entire day with two floors of exhibits, a tidal touch tank,  films, aquarium, and large fishing vessels parked outside.  When you are hungry there is a great restaurant and bar attached.

Great shopping is found in the downtown section.  Edie and I have found that in shopping situations it is best to go our separate ways.  This spares her from my constant groaning when dragged into countless stores.  I visited an art gallery and then found the Ironwork Distillery, a micro distillery that gave out samples of their products - and they had a lot of them so I spent a lot of time there.  It is built in an old blacksmith shop that made ironworks used by the ships.

Every basement should have a mini still.

BAY OF FUNDY AND ANNAPOLIS VALLEY

The Bay of Fundy side of Nova Scotia from Digby to Brier Island has something for everybody. Whale watching is big along with wine tours, hiking, kayaking, birding, and tides that can rise four stories in a matter of hours.  Whale watching was very tempting but I decided against it since we had done this before and high winds had produced some very rough water.  I regretted my decision however as I watched a zodiac pass Boar's Head while photographing the Tiverton Light house on Long Island. They had seen a lot of whales up close.

Commercial fishing boat working off Boar' Head.

We visited two wineries - Gaspereau and Domaine De Grand Pre'.

Walking through the grape vines glass in hand while your guide pours you wine samples pulled from his apron was a great way to enjoy a tour.

Long Island and Brier Island are at the end of what is known as the Digby Neck.  You have to really want to get to the end because it will entail two ferry rides to get there.  The ferries run 24/ 7 but there is usually some waiting time involved.  The area is isolated in places but the bird watching is usually great along with the whales and the constant unbelievable Fundy tides.

Whale Cove on Digby Neck

Hall's Harbour, home of the Lobster Pound Restaurant, has one of the highest tides anywhere.

Lobster Land

There is no denying that the Maritime Provinces offer some of the best seafood on the planet, and often lobster is the first item that pops into a seafood lover's mind.  Generally, accompaniments are chowders, rolls, some kind of salad, and often strawberry shortcake for dessert.  A plastic bib, shell crackers, and small forks are tools of the trade.  There is no doubt that attacking a fresh lobster just out of the pot is messy work. Sometimes the experience turns the diner into a lobster roll aficiondo from that point forward.  Dining on lobster today is a far cry when compared with the past.

Lobsters were so abundant and easily caught in colonial times that they were often fed to the livestock. It was a sign of poverty to eat lobster and there was some shame in it.  In the mid 1800's lobster was a bargain salad at half the price of chicken salad.  There are reports of school children trading lobster sandwiches for peanut butter sandwiches as late as the 1940's.

The traditional lobster meal at the Fisherman's Wharf in North Rusticope with it's long salad bar and strawberry shortcake will set you back about $40.

Pleasant Bay is the half way point on the Cabot trail and a good place to stop.   I went for the lobster again while Edie has decided she is a lobster roll aficiondo and does not want to tangle with the crusty crustaceans just out of the pot again.  Great views and the meal costs half of what you would pay at the full fledged Fisherman's Wharf.  Of course the strawberry shortcake was greatly missed

Since National Geographic Traveler called these lobster rolls at the Rusty Anchor the best on the Cabot Trail Edie couldn't go wrong.

Many places will steam fresh live lobster for free.  This is usually much cheaper.  The Lobster Barn Pub and Eatery in Victoria-by-the Sea is run by twin sisters, Jackie and Jenny Myers.  John's meal on the left with Edie's on the right

Don't even think about it.  At $7 Canadian the McLobster doesn't cut it.  Real lobster but quite skimpy with a rather poor unbuttered roll.  Too much celery and mayo for my taste, but you know, you had to try it once just because its there.

Hall's Harbor Lobster Pound and Restaurant is an incredible place with all the right ingredients.  It is a working fishing village with some buildings dating back to the 1820's.  The scenery is gorgeous and the famous Bay of Fundy tides are phenomenal to watch here while you eat your seafood on the outside deck.  You can pick your own lobster and take it with you or eat there.  One of the best bargains seems to be a pound of frozen lobster.  If the old lobsterman at Victoria -by-the-Sea was right it takes five average lobster to make a solid pound of lobster meat.  At $20 Canadian you would be getting $4 lobster.  We put a box in the RV freezer to take home. If you are not into lobster the restaurant also has a complete seafood menu.  

 Lobster traps piled on the docks across from the Lobster Pound

In Digby, Scallops steal the spot light from Lobster.  Home of the largest in-shore scallop fleet the town runs their Digby Scallop Days Festival in August.  Having missed the festival we made sure we got our share.  

 The Fundy Restaurant is a great place to first try Digby scallops

The best way to enjoy scallops, however, is to walk away from the restaurants and head straight for the Digby Fish Market.  You cannot get any fresher or sweeter scallops anywhere.  The scallops are right off the boat and the cheapest price in town.

Scallops are easy to cook and you will have enough for a second or third plate.  Add a salad and a glass of the local Tidal Basin wine and you will soon forget the restaurant meal.

Need a change from scallops and Lobster.  How about seafood pizza, seafood wraps, chowders, and many varieties of fish.  What was our best seafood meal?  John's was actually the home-cooked scallops.  Edie's favorite was found at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou.

Edie's winner goes to the Red Shoe's halibut with a spinach, artichoke, and cream cheese topping surrounded by potatoes, yellow beets and broccoli.  Even in lobster land the favorite may not be lobster!

Bay of Fundy Shore Birds

Imagine a sparrow sized ball of muscle and feathers flying over 12,500 miles.  Amazingly enough the Semi-palmated Sandpiper does this every year and can cover the distance from the Bay of Fundy to the northeast coast of South America in one single, non-stop marathon flight  of 72 hours.  To do this it has to double it's weight by eating up to 20,000 mud shrimp daily.  The only place to do this for 75% of the world's population is the mud flats of the Bay of Fundy.  The food is there but they also need peace and quiet to accomplish this "tanking up".  People who disturb them or let their dogs chase them endanger the birds effort to get ready for their incredible endurance contest.

Edie and I camped at the Land of Evangeline Campground near Wolfville, Nova Scotia while I attempted to photograph the sandpipers.  My usual technique for shorebirds is to get low and if you have tides to use them to your advantage.  An incoming tide will push birds to you and if you remain quiet the birds will not be alarmed.  Often they will continue to feed all around you and sometimes be too close to even focus on.  Your enemies are beach strollers with their dogs who will put the birds to flight stressing them.  Another enemy is hawks.  When the whole flock takes off for no apparent reason there is probably a Merlin hunting for a meal.  Often the birds will return to the same spot when the drama is all over - minus one of their colleagues.

Although 75% of the shorebirds found here will be Semipalmated Sandpipers, another 20% will be Semiplamated Plovers which look quite different from the sandpipers.

Twelve different species can be found here but the other 10 species make up only the remaining 5%.

A few Sanderlings allowed themselves to be photographed.