Friday & Saturday, October 9th & 10th, 2015 - Homeward Bound

As I looked forward to my 1,600 mile drive home, I was not looking forward to the lousy weather forecast for Friday!  I woke up early and refreshed in New Brunswick, figuring I was probably three hours from the US/Canada border.  The skies appeared clear although it was very chilly.  I  thought "Gee, maybe they have the predictions for rain all wrong."  But the further I drove south, the worse the skies looked.

By the time I got to the border crossing into Maine, it was pouring.  I would not see dry roads again until after dark in New York.  The drive was really unpleasant . . . no attractions along the way, nothing interesting to see or distractions to take me off course. I was very happy that I had decided to check out the lighthouses along Maine's coastline on my drive into Bar Harbor two weekends earlier. 

I got into the Boston area ahead of what I expected would be rush hours . . . probably 3:00pm.  Of course, it was Friday and it was also the Columbus Day weekend.  A bad combo in New England especially with the peak fall colors predicted.

I kept on keeping on, and made my way to New York State.  While the rain had ended around 6:00pm, it was dark and I was mindful that deer were out and about.  I found a nice place to stop for the night . . . the Chatham Travel Lodge in Chatham.  At $81 including tax, I was happy to pay it rather than try to find a campground.  My research before leaving home found that a lot of the campgrounds in Pennsylvania and New York were in the $35 to $50 range so it was worth a few bucks more for a comfy bed, hot shower in the morning and electricity.

I was able to log 665 miles in spite of the rain and crummy driving conditions.

The next morning I was up right at sunrise.  I gassed up my truck and hit the road before 7:00am.  It was a frosty morning, having to scrape the ice from my windshield.  Brrrrrr . . . it would have been a chilly night in the sub-zero sleeping bag.

It was my goal to try to make it home in time to watch the Green Bay Packers' game at noon on Sunday.  I had told David that it was better than 50/50 that I might even make it home Saturday night.  I knew to do that, I'd be driving well into the night . . . maybe even as late as midnight.  I've done that long 1,000 mile trek home before.  It would just depend on the weather along the way, and the Chicago traffic on a Saturday night.

I was focused and pretty disciplined about the side tracking and chasing distractions.  It is so easy for me to just get hung up on things that interest me.  The good news is that I was able to make excellent time for the first five or six hours of my drive.  Logging photos on Facebook when I had a connection, it was noted that I made it through New York and Pennsylvania, into Ohio at something above the posted speed.

I did have my Road Trip Bingo with some serious blank squares including a brewery, distillery and winery.   Ironically, there were lots of them in Maine when I was there my first weekend of vacation . . . and there were equally as many in Canada.  I just hadn't bothered to chase after them since I was chasing other things like covered bridges, bowling alleys and lighthouses!
A side detour at the Pennsylvania/Ohio border had me checking off winery, complete with a couple of photos and a nice stretch of the legs.  But before I made it to Cleveland, I needed gas.  My Gas Buddy app find the best pricing.

What it didn't warn me about was the other distractions at that exit.  I suppose the good news was that I was able to check off the distillery and brewery within a few miles of the gas station.  What I didn't count on was literally stumbling upon the Harpersfield Covered Bridge, the oldest covered bridge in Ohio that is included on the National Register of Historic Places.

I probably spent an hour, maybe even 90 minutes on this series of gas stop detours.  As it turned out, it was probably an alright thing as I arrived into Chicago behind what had been significant traffic delays all day.  As I monitored my route home, the delays had been estimated to be between 30 and 60 minutes, but once I arrived to the area, there was some stop and go but nothing as significant as an hour.

I rolled into Casa Bennett at 9:45pm after 950 miles.  I think my total "on the road" time for the day was about 16 hours.  Doing the math, that works out to just under 60 MPH, including stops, etc.  Interstate tollway speed limits of 70, allows for a reasonable 75-ish, so I believe that is how I made up enough time to be able to get home safely by midnight.

All totaled I drove 5,512 miles over my 16 day road trip.  It was an outstanding adventure, one I am sure I'll never forget.  I met a lot of wonderful people, saw some pretty amazing things, and learned some things along the way too.  I look forward to the time when I can return to Nova Scotia and see more of what they have to offer . . . and to try a locally caught and prepared lobster!

The final Road Trip Bingo card

Thursday, October 8, 2015 - My Last Day in Nova Scotia

As they say, all good things must come to an end and waking up on this day I knew my vacation was officially coming to an end.  My original schedule would have me driving the Cabot Trail at a comfortable pace with a goal of ending the day in Part Hawkesbury.  But I got an earlier than expected start in the morning AND I was about 100 KM closer since I didn't stay the night back in Louisbourg.  So in reality, this became more or less my official start to the long slog home to Wisconsin.  Given the less than desirable weather forecast for the coming days, it would turn out to be a blessing.

I slept like a log at the St. Ann's Motel.  Imagine my delight when I opened my curtains to this glorious view!

Traveling with groceries in the truck, plus the plug-in cooler, I was able to have most of my meals conveniently in my room or at picnic areas.  With a bowl of Rice Krispies and banana, plus a couple of muffins that Marion had sent with me the day before, I was ready to hit the road by 7:30am.

The skies were beautiful to the east, but I could see rain on the hills ahead of me on the Cabot Trail.  I was hoping they'd clear for several reasons, but particularly since I wanted to see a rainbow.  I knew as I saw the skies lightening that the conditions were favorable.  I came around one curve in the road, and there it was!  I immediately pulled over to snap a couple of photos.  Within minutes, it was gone.

I stopped at the park entrance to the Cape Breton Highlands National Park to pay my admission fee and get some information about potential wildlife viewing areas.  I guess they must get tired of tourists asking "Where can I see moose?" or "Where are the moose, I've been driving for days and haven't seen a single one yet!"  So I did my best to not sound stupid especially since I totally understand THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS and go where they want to go, when they want to go there.  So imagine my surprise when the gal at the visitor center acted like I was a total moron for wanting to see a moose while in Canada.

I think the other lady working the counter observed how I was spoken too.  She immediately came over after she finished with another visitor she was helping to find a decent hiking trail for the time they had available.  She was very nice and explained that since it was below freezing the night before, the moose would be cold this morning.  She suggested I keep my eyes peeled for them (safely of course) on the sunny side of the hills along the road.  She also said that there was a high plateau where they are known to feed.  She also mentioned that it was rut and that the large bull moose might be on the move to find mates.

While hopeful to see a moose, I also felt that having been in New England and Canada for nearly two weeks and being skunked out on the moose sighting photo op, I might well make my way home without seeing one.  And to be honest, I was OK with that, as I've been fortunate to see them on several trips to Alaska.  So with that mentality, I was off to see what there was to see!

What I didn't take into account in my planning was that there were a couple of significant construction areas on the Cabot Trail. I  was heading in a counter-clockwise direction.  Stops at Neil's Harbour and the St. Paul Island Historical Society Museum were planned along the way.   Both were of interest to me because they were the location of repurposed lighthouses.  The Neil's Harbour Lighthouse is now an ice cream shoppe . . . well at least in the summer it is open and serving ice cream.  But in October, it was closed for the season.  The drive through the fishing village was worth the side trip though.

Located in Dingwall, the St. Paul Island Lighthouse stands on the grounds of a museum that tells the story of the perilous waters around St. Paul Island.  The lighthouse had been torn down and sent off to Dartmouth where it was falling into ruin.  A community effort raised money to bring the lighthouse home and to restore it as the centerpiece of their museum.  It was relocated in 2011 and over $100, 000 was spent to restore it.

For folks planning a trip on the Cabot Trail, be sure to leave yourself at least 90 minutes to make this detour and visit the museum and lighthouse! Inside the museum, docents with local connections and knowledge are available to provide privately guided tours of the small two story museum.  I have read that in the summer, they also offer tours inside the lighthouse, but that wasn't an option when I was there.

My visit coincided with the start of Celtic Colours, a large festival like event that celebrates the heritage of this area along with the beautiful fall season.  I was fortunate to be leaving as people were coming into the area.  I was told that the tourist season has one last hurrah before folks begin their winter hibernation.

The Celtic heritage is noticeable however, year-round as their road signs are in both English and Celtic.  Additionally, there are restaurants and bars that serve traditional food with music from the old world.  Again, I was reminded of our travels in Ireland a few years back.  It is understandable why immigrants from Britain and Ireland would settle in this area given the similarities to their homeland.

The rugged coastline with the mountains in the middle of the island are prominent features along the drive.  I thoroughly enjoyed my drive, even if the prime fall colors were probably a week to 10 days away.

But I'm saving the best for last!  At least the last on my Cabot Trail drive and time spent on Cape Breton Island.  Along my day's journey, I passed several caution signs for possible moose.  But there was something special about one sign.  It was located in the area as I approached that high plateau that the lady earlier in the morning had told me about.  Leading up to that area, I noticed that the vegetation looked a lot like what I've seen in Alaska where moose are known to graze.  Within a mile of the sign, I saw a decent sized bull about 20 feet off the road to my left.  Because there was some traffic behind me, I wasn't able to safely slow down or stop, much less turn around.

So I had to drive about a half mile to one of the marked "emergency cabins" where I was able to turn around and go back.  Fortunately for me, nobody behind me had noticed the moose as they kept on going.  When I got back up to the area where I had seen the moose, he was still there enjoying leaves and twigs.  I went beyond him about 200 yards and navigated a safe shoulder-to-shoulder U-turn.

With my flashers on, I drove slowly on the shoulder hoping to not disrupt him.  When I pulled up parallel to his position, I was able to snap off a couple of photos before he got spooked and high-tailed it deeper into the brush and trees.  I did get this photo of  him before he became a blur with my 300mm lens.  While not my best "moose photo" I am still pretty happy at my sighting and being able to get a photo of him.

It seemed appropriate that I would finally see and photograph a moose late in the afternoon.  I continued to head south towards Port Hawkesbury with another stop at the Farmer's Daughter Market to use the restroom.  With it only being around 4:00pm, I felt it was possible to drive further than my original itinerary and since I  wasn't tied to a reservation, I kept moving.

I made it into New Brunswick faster than I expected so at nightfall I decided it was time to find a place to sleep.  Again Toots was great in helping me to figure out how far I could expect to go and to start making some phone calls to inquire about vacancies and rates.  With the Moncton Scenic Motel at $70+tax (CDN) I was set for the night.  The owner was a friendly lady and happy to see me.  She felt badly for me that I didn't drink coffee so she gave me a liter carton of orange juice for the morning.

The room was huge, with a big sitting area including a sofa, recliner and large wall mounted TV.  I was comfortable and ready to fix some tuna fish for supper and enjoy some Thursday Night NFL.  Too bad it was the Colts & Texans . . . a snoozer of a game!

While today's drive was the longest since my first day back on September 25th, the 437 miles didn't seem as wearing on me as the day before (355) or the long haul from Cape d'Or to Digby back the weekend before (318).

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - 355 Miles in a Day!

When planning a road trip style vacation, one can expect some days that are simply put . . . a grind!  As I planned my Nova Scotia "circle drive" I knew this would be THE DAY that would make or break my experience.  In asking for input from others who have done similar vacations, the one caution everyone made was "Don't try to do too much" or "That is way to much driving, all you're going to see in the front end of your vehicle" or "My God, stop and smell the roses!'

During breakfast Marion asked about the rest of my journey as she knew I only had a couple more days in Nova Scotia before heading home later that week.  When I mentioned to her that I was heading to Cape Breton and the Fortress at Louisbourg, she candidly said "Oh dear.  I think I would skip that and just enjoy the Cabot Trail."

I knew that with Louisbourg on the schedule, I would probably be driving a good 100 kilometers (that's 62 miles for my US friends & family) out of the way, requiring a direct backtrack to get back on course for The Trail the next day.  Be that as it may, that was my plan.  I had even planned on over-nighting in Louisbourg at a camp ground near the National Park.


I enjoyed my last morning with Marion & Fred.  Breakfast was hardy; I think she had sympathy on me knowing what my day's itinerary was.  Before leaving she called me into the kitchen to observe one of the many blue jays that frequent her bird feeders at the back window.  Check out this big fella.

 
With the car loaded, I was ready to hit the road.  Before doing so, however, Fred wanted to snap a photo of Marion & me.  They do this for their guestbook, as a memory of the people who they have shared their home with.  He was kind enough to email me this photo when I returned home.

As I left Dartmouth, I allowed Toots (my GPS unit) to route me the most direct route to Cape Breton.  Up until this point in my travels, I had made it a point to take some side roads through coastal towns to see a bit of the country beside the highway system.  For this day, however, I knew if I was going to have a reasonable day in terms of the drive, I was going to have to skip some of the detours that normally catch my eye while driving.

Even with that as my game plan, I was drawn off the highway near Baddeck which is on Cape Breton Island.  The Canadian National Park Service has a historical site with a museum featuring the work of Alexander Graham Bell.  Included in the museum are documents and artifacts from his experimental work done in Baddeck in the early 1900's.  Unfortunately, as much as I would have loved to tour the museum, my time in Baddeck was reduced to just a "drive-through" visit.  Such a shame, I know . . . a casualty of just not enough time to do justice to the area.  It would not be the last.

From the park grounds, I snapped this photo of the lighthouse that sits below on the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake in Baddeck.

Other stops along the way included the Visitor Center at the entrance to Cape Breton and the Farmer's Daughter Market . . . both were appropriately spaced out to stop and stretch my legs for a potty break.  I enjoyed browsing around the fruit market, but stayed the course both in terms of time and my new healthy food choices.  It's not that I wasn't tempted!  There were a lot of fresh baked items and homemade sweets, as well as a nice little deli sandwich counter . . . but I pushed on and didn't give into the temptation.

At times the drive was unremarkable, reminding me a lot of driving the forest lined roads back home in Virginia.  But when there were clearings or coastal views, the experience was amazing and worth a stop to take it all in.  I made a couple of stops along the way before getting to Louisbourg.

The clock was working against me since the gate into the Fortress of Louisbourg National Park closed at 4:00pm and the buildings inside the park would close at 5:00pm.  Adding to the time restrictions was the fact that they were hosting a private event that evening and had to have the grounds completely cleared at 5:00pm.

It was 3:55pm when I reached the only gate that was open during the shoulder season.  The gentleman was very nice, letting me proceed.  He did warn me however, that I needed to get into the Fortress before they decided to close admission.  I stopped for about five minutes to snap a few photos of the Atlantic Ocean pounding the shoreline, but then moved on.

At the main entrance, they allowed me entry without charging the normal fee of $17.60 CDN for adults.  As it turned out, I was able to walk about the town and check out several of the restored buildings.  I again found myself reminded of what it was light to grow up in Virginia and to visit many of the historical sites like Colonial Williamsburg.  Like those back in Virginia, some of the archaeological digs of this area have produced some pretty interesting artifacts helping to understand what life was like here centuries ago.

Unfortunately, there was a lot that I wasn't able to see in just an hour.  Had there be more to see or do in and around the Town of Louisbourg, I may have been inclined to keep my campground reservation but by this time, I had already decided that it would be a greater waste of time to stay in town when I could make time back towards the Cabot Trail for a good start the next morning, especially since the Fortress didn't reopen until 9:30am the next day.  In effect, I would have "lost" about three hours that night and another two or three the next morning.  A tough choice to make, but it was done . . . and I was back on my route back towards the Cabot Trail by 5:30pm.

But it wasn't without another lighthouse distraction, that was much further off the beaten path than I expected.  As I exited the area where the fortress was, I noted the lighthouse across the bay.  I stopped and took some photos of it, not realizing that it was in an area accessible by car.  As I drove back through town, there was a sign for the Louisbourg Lighthouse, so off I went!

At times, I questioned my sanity as I drove by some fishing shacks and yards filled with lobster pots.  But when I finally made my entrance onto the lighthouse grounds, I was very happy that I had made the effort and had the opportunity to take in the views from high atop the craggy hill that has been home to a lighthouse since 1734 . . . in fact the first lighthouse to be built in all of Canada.

The lighthouse that is here overlooking and protecting
Louisbourg today, was built in 1923.  As the sun was setting to the west, getting a decent photo was going to become a challenge so I took a few and headed further up the hill to the park-like setting to enjoy the sound of the surf below.  Too bad there was no overnight parking or camping as I might have just decided right then and there to park it for the night!

But alas, I was back on the road heading towards the main junction where the Cabot Trail starts near St. Ann's.  I had decided to try to find a motel somewhere on the other side of Sydney.  My rationale was that given Sydney is where the ferry between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland is located, rooms might be priced at a premium.  Using Toots to help me navigate and find a room, my hunch was right.  Rooms in and around Sydney were quoting at between $125 and $150 CDN per night.  I pushed on through in spite of the darkness that had fallen over the northern coast of Nova Scotia.

I had remembered seeing the St. Ann's ferry road and a couple of little no-tell motels in the area.  When Toots located the St. Ann's Motel, I called them.  With eight units, they only had one left.  I took it even though the price was a bit more than I had hoped to pay.  Even so, at $109+tax (CDN) I knew it was going to be the best I would find in an area that was generally pretty sparsely populated.

When I arrived I got checked in without issue.  I asked the owner about the restaurant next door.  He told me that they are typically open until 9:00pm but that if it's slow, they'll close early so he advised that I get over there ASAP.  When I arrived at 7:45pm, there weren't many people inside, but amazingly enough, as the evening went on, the busier they got.  When I left around closing time, they still had five or six tables with guests dining.

Having not had any beef for nearly two weeks, I couldn't keep myself from ordering a cheeseburger which came with the obligatory fries.  I don't remember when I last felt that a burger and fries was a guilty pleasure, but I sure enjoyed them!

Back in my room, I settled in for the night.  I spent some time reading my Foder's travel book on Nova Scotia.  I felt silly for not having done my homework before on Louisbourg and cutting short my time there.  Turns out, I could have . . . and probably should have . . . spent the night there and taken a more leisurely time through Cape Breton.  But I can't undo that now so that just means I'll need to make another trip to Nova Scotia and to this end of the province some day in the future.

Total miles as I noted in the heading . . . 355!  For sure, it was a lot of windshield time.  Thankfully the weather was sunny and the air typical for a crisp fall day.  All in all, no regrets.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - A Day in Halifax

I picked a B&B near Halifax for the ease of sightseeing on my one full day in the area.  Some folks had suggested I visit and move on; others said two nights and a single day wasn't enough and that I should consider at least a week there.  I will admit, for me, somewhere in the middle would have been better . . . perhaps three or four days to wander around and take in more of the area would have been better.

I did choose the Blockhouse Hill B&B in Dartmouth because of it's close proximity to Halifax.  Had the weather been better, I would have taken the ferry across to the Halifax Harbour but that wasn't in the cards for me.  A little bit about the B&B . . .

Fred & Marion were my hosts.  From the time of my booking about a month out, Fred was in contact with me to assure my planning was going well and to offer his assistance.  He had done some initial calling on my behalf to find out the details for the 5-pin bowling center located on the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) in Halifax.  Fortunately, I was able to get my 5-pin bowling groove on over the weekend, so there was no need for me to make time in my already jammed schedule, particularly since I was thinking about making that visit on Monday night when I arrived into Halifax.

Fred & Marion's home is a quaint house in a nice, quiet neighborhood.  They live on the ground level, with guests having the upstairs.  There are two very nicely furnished bedrooms along with a shared bathroom and sitting area.  During my stay, I was the only guest, so I had the entire upstairs to myself.

Marion prepared a delightful breakfast the two mornings that I was there.  Homemade muffins and granola to start the day right, followed with a breakfast entree.  One morning it was poached eggs, the next french toast.  Hot tea and juice rounded out the meal.

After breakfast, I headed into the city.  It was a dreary day, with rain showers in the forecast throughout the day.  One of the main things I wanted to do while in Halifax was to visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.  Located right on the harbor, it's a beautiful modern building.  I thought the admission fee was very reasonable, at $9.55 (CDN) during the main tourist season.  Beginning November 1st and through the winter months, it's just $5.15 for adults.

Admittedly, the sinking of the RMS Titanic back in 1912 has been a historical fascination to me for many, many years.  With Halifax being approximately 700 nautical miles from where the ship sank, it was her people that would provide recovery and human services to the souls lost and their families.  At the maritime museum, there is a very interesting film that tells the Titanic story from the perspective of the people of Halifax.  It was somber and poignant; enlightening and heartbreaking.

The museum also has a number of artifacts from the Titanic including one of the original deck chairs.  (The photo to the right is a replica made based on the original that was recovered at the wreck site.)   As the story goes, it is a tradition that when there is a recovery of a shipwreck, those involved often keep something from the ship.  This is not done as some ghoulish scavenger motive, but more to recognize and honor their efforts.  Such was the case with the deck chair, which was subsequently donated to the museum.  There were other such relics from the Titanic that now appear in the museum.

Some of the other things that I found interesting include the china and silver displays and figure heads with their "guiding eyes" from a variety of shipwrecks off the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia; as well as educational exhibits on the shipbuilding and naval wartime history.  On a more personal note, I shed a tear when I saw something that created a flashback memory to my own childhood.

My mom had sailed on the Queen Mary back in the 1950's and had two steamer trunks identical to these.  I remembered them in our basement with all of the other stuff that a family of five accumulates over the years and never really giving them much thought.  What I wouldn't give today to have one of them now!

After kicking around inside the museum for a couple of hours, I headed outside where the skies had started to clear up.  There were a number of tourist shops and food vendors along the harbor walk.    

I stopped at the fish & chips place for lunch.  It was good although a bit pricey for the small amount of fish that was actually in the basket.  But whatever, I was on vacation and had frankly spent very little on food throughout my trip.  I also felt OK about it since this would most like also be my supper.

After grabbing a bit to eat, I headed off to find one of the three cemeteries that serve as the final resting spot for many of the Titanic victims.  While some of the recovered bodies were returned to next of kin, there were hundreds not identified or whose next of kin couldn't afford to have the bodies returned.  This was particularly the case of those from England, Ireland and other parts of Europe.

One of the most moving stories was that of the "Unknown Child" who was recovered by one of the search boat crews.  As with all of the unidentified bodies, a number was given and a detailed description of the lad was made.  The fourth pulled from the icy waters by the CS Mackay-Bennett, he could only be identified as a "NO. 4 - MALE - ESTIMATED AGE, 2 - HAIR, FAIR.  CLOTHING - Grey coat with fur on collar and cuffs; brown serge frock; petticoat; flannel garment; pink woolen singlet; brown shoes and stockings. No marks whatever.  PROBABLY THIRD CLASS."

When his body was brought to Halifax, he was laid to rest at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery.  While most of the unnamed grave sites only include their victim "number" and the date of death, the crew aboard the Mackay-Bennett felt this child deserved more, so they personal paid for the memorial that sites atop the grave.

With the forensic capabilities of the 21st century, the young child was identified through DNA testing in 2011.  The Unknown Child was Sidney Leslie Goodwin, the youngest of six children.  Their entire family of eight perished as their father was bringing his family from Britain to New York to go work with his brother in Niagara Falls.  Only two of the other siblings were ever recovered and identified.

Few of the 121 grave markers are as elaborate as the one on the left in this photo.  For those who were positively identified, the marker on the right is typically what was placed in the cemetery.  There are a number of graves, however, that bear no names, only their "recovery number" and the date of the sinking of the Titanic.   

Today the cemetery is a popular destination for tourists and family members of those who perished.  While paying respects to those who have died, I couldn't help but to notice one lady grieving at a particular grave.  The gentleman did what he could to console her, but her pain was not easily relieved.

After my time in the cemetery, I drove across the city to the St. George Church, also known as "The Round Church" which has its own tie to the Titanic tragedy.  Established in 1800 as an evangelical Lutheran congregation, the church held services back in 1912 during the recovery efforts that brought the deceased into Halifax.  With the forensic science leading to the identification of "The Unknown Child" a memorial service was held there for young Sidney Goodwin in 2011.

I did a little drive-by sightseeing through Halifax but didn't dawdle as I didn't want to miss the direct bridge into Dartmouth as I did the night before.  Besides, with it getting darker earlier, I wanted to be comfy and home at the B&B.  Mission accomplished!  I reached the bridge as rush hour was starting, and I was back to Fred & Marion's by 5:30pm.

As planned, today was a short drive day . . . only 16 miles!

Monday, October 5, 2015 - More Lighthouses Along Nova Scotia's Southshore

Today was another wonderful day, weather-wise.  The skies were clear; the sun bright.  As clouds rolled in later in the afternoon, they added a wonderful backdrop at Peggy's Cove.  But as usual, I'm getting ahead of myself.

After a great night's sleep at Ye Olde Argyler Lodge, I was ready to take on the day.  A bit more about this lovely lodge.  It is a small and intimate family owned business, with just five sleeping rooms.  I noted the handful of cars in the parking lot with Florida plates.  So at breakfast I inquired.  My server said that Jon (the manager who took care of my arrival the night before) along with other family members had bought the lodge and done renovations. I think they have a wonderful location and provide first class accommodations and meals.

My journey today would entail hugging the southern shoreline of Nova Scotia, with more lighthouses on the itinerary.  Much of what I ended up seeing was thanks to ad lib navigation.  The one thing I noticed throughout my time in Canada, and especially in Nova Scotia, is that they do a great job to entice travelers from the main highways to explore.  Check out this sign for Barrington!  It is one of many that I saw along my circle tour.

My first stop along my morning drive was a memorial at East Pubnico.  Actually it was the Hipson Creek stone bridge adjacent to the fisherman's memorial initially grabbed my attention. I read about the bridge, which was built in 1900 by an Irish immigrant . . . and then about the 70+ souls lost at sea between 1851 and 1926.

Shortly thereafter, while driving through one of the coastal villages, I stumbled upon this beautiful stone church.  This is the United Baptist Stone Church in Lower Woods Harbour.

I stopped in at the Shag Harbor post office to buy stamps for the post cards I was planning to buy later in the day.  It was there that I learned about the 1967 UFO siting in the sleepy fishing community.  The postal clerk was totally into the story and folklore of it, with 100% belief that the UFO was real.  Who am I to deny they exist?  It was fun to learn a bit more than just the lobster and fishing industry that is so prevalent along the Atlantic Ocean coast.

She did direct me off course to the tallest lighthouse in the maritime provinces - the Cape Light which can be viewed from the Hawk Point Beach.  This photo (right) isn't really very good, as the light wasn't ideal and in the wind, I wasn't very steady with my lens at 300mm.

As one might imagine, there are literally dozens of lighthouses along the shoreline along the Atlantic Ocean.  With all current lights being used being modernized, there are a number of older lighthouse structures that have been moved and repurposed as museums.  The Seal Island Lighthouse (below) is a hybrid as the original 1907 iron lantern has been installed on a replica of the original 1831 lighthouse. Unfortunately wasn't open when I drove through Barrington, NS.

At the mouth of the Liverpool Bay stands the decommissioned Fort Point Lighthouse (right).   Built in 1855, it is one of the oldest wooden lighthouse structures in Nova Scotia.  Now the centerpiece to the Town of Liverpool's park of the same name.  This location was also a critical defense point, protecting the shipping port back in the 18th century.

Here are some of the other lighthouses that I was able to photograph from the shoreline during my day's adventure.  (I hope I have the correct names on each of them.)

 Lower East Pubnico Lighthouse (left)

Harbor Woods Lighthouse (right)

Sandy Point Lighthouse, as seen from the small community center park (left)

Carter's Lighthouse near Lockeport, as seen across from the Lockeport Harbor (right)

Gull Rock Lighthouse near Lockeport, as seen from near the Welcome Center (left)

My quest for lighthouses ended with the most photographed lighthouse in Nova Scotia - Peggy's Cove.  As you can see by the photos, I arrived there late in the afternoon, as the evening clouds were making their way ashore.  I spent about an hour on the grounds, which includes the Sou'Wester Restaurant and Gift Shop which is also the location for the 24/7 webcam where people from around the world can check in to see the lighthouse.  While I was there, David was able to get a screen shot of me sitting on a rock near the road with the lighthouse over my shoulder.  Unfortunately, it wasn't clear enough to post here in this blog, so I'll post my selfie taken at Peggy's Cove!

After getting the photos I wanted, I felt pressed to get on the road as I had originally told my hosts at the Blockhouse Hill B&B in Dartmouth that I would be in before nightfall.  I called to let them know I had been delayed and that it would be closer to 7pm.  What I didn't know, and they forgot, was that the primary toll bridge between Halifax and Dartmouth would close at 6pm forcing me into a bit of a panic mode because Toots didn't handle the "recalculating" very well.

When I called to let them know of my dilemma, Fred was able to help me navigate through the seedier side of the city, to an alternate bridge into Dartmouth.   It was a harrowing drive, but once "home" I was happy to get inside and up to my room.  I will post more about the Blockhouse Hill B&B in tomorrow's blog entry.

It was good to know that Tuesday would be a light day of driving since I was staying at this B&B for two nights.   Today's drive was 293 miles.