Maritime Wonderland - Nova Scotia 2009

Panther · October 17, 2009

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MARITIME WONDERLAND NOVA SCOTIA 2009<o:p></o:p>

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A little starter on the Trip itself, Karen, my My Wonderful Wife, had been wanting to visit <st1:state><st1:place>Nova Scotia</st1:place></st1:state> for a number of years, her interest was peaked with her Genealogy into her Acadian Roots. She spent over a year working the trip every day to nail down every detail, and all I can say is all of her hard work and planning rewarded “Us” both with a Trip to Remember, now on to the Trip Details.<o:p></o:p>
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The Itinerary:<o:p></o:p>
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1nt – <st1:place><st1:placename>Indian</st1:placename><st1:placetype>Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place> ( didn’t make it due to flight delay) but do have to say the Folks that run Clifty Cove were very kind and waived the Cancellation fees.<o:p></o:p>
1nt – Lunenburg<o:p></o:p>
1nt – Malivette<o:p></o:p>
1nt – <st1:place><st1:placename>Brier</st1:placename><st1:placetype>Island</st1:placetype></st1:place><o:p></o:p>
2nts - <st1:place>Annapolis Royal</st1:place><o:p></o:p>
1nt – <st1:place>Grand Pre</st1:place><o:p></o:p>
1nt – <st1:place><st1:placetype>Cape</st1:placetype><st1:placename>D’or</st1:placename></st1:place><o:p></o:p>
2nts – Cheticamp<o:p></o:p>
1nt- Indian Brook<o:p></o:p>
1nt – Louisbourg<o:p></o:p>
3nts – <st1:city><st1:place>Halifax</st1:place></st1:city><o:p></o:p>
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We Flew out of DFW, in Irving, Tx and flew to Newark first, ended up missed our connecting flight due to the Crew being late from their flight. We were to leave at <st1:time hour="13" minute="20">1:20pm</st1:time> in the Afternoon, but didn’t end up leaving until <st1:time hour="1" minute="0">1am</st1:time> the next morning and arriving in <st1:place><st1:placename>Halifax</st1:placename><st1:placetype> Airport</st1:placetype></st1:place> at <st1:time hour="4" minute="0">4am</st1:time>. The Rental Car place didn’t open in around 8am, so we decided to crash out, and found a Hilton Garden Suites, called them, they had a Room available, and sent the Van to pick us up which was only about 10mins away. The folks at the Hotel were very nice and gave us the “Day Rate” and we slept for about 5 hours, cleaned up, then caught the Shuttle back to the Rental Car Agency, picked up our Car, and finally started on our Adventure, 12hours late. <o:p></o:p>
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Our original plan was to be on the road and at Peggy’s Cove that first evening, to catch the Sunset, and then be right there first light the next morning to get the first rays on the Lighthouse, but since we didn’t quite make it we arrived there right at 12 Noon with all the Tour Buses, and Other Adventurers. Regardless, it was a beautiful sight, one that we’d seen and looked at many times over the last year on their Webcam http://www.peggyscovewebcam.ca/live/.<o:p></o:p>
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We loved the Lighthouse and the large Granite outcropping of boulders. The weather went from Sunny, bright blue skies, to cloudy bland skies, but that seemed to just enhance the feel of the place. Since, we got such a late start, we decided to eat at the So’wester Resturant at the Lighthouse. Probably one of our least favorite meals, not bad but we’d really had our mouths set for the great seafood, which would come later, but My Chowder was good ;-). We didn’t have a lot of time there, but enough for a good visit, a look at deGarthe’s beautiful 100’ long Rock Carving “The Fisherman’s Memorial” dedicated to the Nova Scotian Fisherman, and the very touching Swiss Air Flight 111 Memorial, to those that lost their lives and loved ones when the Plane went down on <st1:date month="9" day="2" year="1998">9/2/1998</st1:date>.<o:p></o:p>

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From Peggy’s Cove we headed towards the beautiful fishing <st1:place><st1:placetype>village</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Lunenburg</st1:placename></st1:place>, it’s a UNESCO Heritage Site. As we were behind schedule we had to rush to the Hotel to get our ticket for the Sailboat, which when you stay with the <st1:place><st1:placename>Sail</st1:placename><st1:placetype>Inn</st1:placetype><st1:placename>B&B</st1:placename></st1:place> they are included. My wife went on the evening sail aboard the “Eastern Star” and I stayed on the Dock where The Lunenburg Seafood Festival was going on. They had a large tent set up, with some local bands playing, and the main attraction was the Scallop Shucking Contest. They had several categories, one was the Town Celebrities, and then the one everyone was waiting for, the “Real Scallopmen” that worked on the Boats. These Boys were serious and they had placed a long roll of plastic sheeting from the stage to about 35’ out, moving all the chairs back, as I was soon to find out that was a good move. It reminded me of all the Gallagher Tours where they’d do that<g>. The Winner I believe shucked 265 Scallops in under 5 mins!!! We ate Dinner that evening at all the different Tents along the waterfront, very good fresh seafood, grilled scallops, Fish and Chips and wonderful desserts. Lunenburg was a very scenic and charming place, we didn’t spend near enough time there, so it’s already penciled in on the return trip. <o:p></o:p></g>
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The next morning we took off for Mavillette Beach with stops at Mahone Bay, Shelburne, Liverpool, Forchu Lighthouse (great lunch there) & Cape Saint Mary’s lighthouse. We stayed at the Cape View Motel & ate at the Cape View Restaurant (very good). About ¼ mile from our Hotel, there was a good stretch of beach so we took a late evening walk, was a very peaceful setting.<o:p></o:p>

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From Mavillette we drove to <st1:place><st1:placename>Brier</st1:placename><st1:placetype>Island</st1:placetype></st1:place> for a whale watch & also spent the night at the Brier Island Lodge. We stopped in Church Point and in Digby on the way there. Digby was another one of the locations that we’d watched for months and months on the Webcam. It was our first view of how drastic the tidal change is there. Here’s the link<o:p></o:p>
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http://www.novascotiawebcams.ca/digbyharbour/<o:p></o:p>
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We had breakfast in Digby at A Taste of Heaven (good plus they had a bakery). The Whale watch was a big success with several humpbacks coming up near the boat. For dinner we walked on and rode the ferry to have dinner in Freeport at Lavena’s Catch (one of our top meals, Melt in your mouth fresh Haddock).<o:p></o:p>

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This is all I have completed as of now, Hope you’ve enjoyed this first installment.<o:p></o:p>
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Kindest Regards,<o:p></o:p>

Craig<o:p></o:p>
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Jack'll do · October 18, 2009

What a fabulous trip Craig! You have some really special images here. Makes me wish we had had more time on our trip to NS. I'm sure you and Karen will have many fond memories to cherish for a long time to come. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share them.

Panther · October 18, 2009

Jack'll do wrote:

What a fabulous trip Craig! You have some really special images here. Makes me wish we had had more time on our trip to NS. I'm sure you and Karen will have many fond memories to cherish for a long time to come. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share them.

Howdy Jack,

Thanks so very much, and both Karen and I do really appreciate all your helpful hints and suggestions for our trip, they really helped out greatly.

Kindest Regards,

Craig

black mamba · October 19, 2009

Hey Craig,

WOW!! I really appreciate the story line and, holy moly, you have more great shots included than I can shake a stick at. I feel like I'm right alongside you and Karen. Really well done my friend.

Take care,

Tom

Spinney · October 19, 2009

Lovely images, great colors and saturation, really like the photojournalism. I have to admit though I'm a lil bit upset with you though for making me even more homesick!

!

Cheers, Randy

Snowgirl · October 19, 2009

As a Maritimer who currently lives in New Brunswick (home province) but who lived in Nova Scotia off and on during my life - a large chunk of it in Seabright - a tiny village down the road from the more well-known Peggy's Cove - I have to say that you've really captured the essence of the experience. Great photos and a wonderful story.

thumb

Dee · October 19, 2009

Loved the story, but especially the photos!

We visited Peggy's Cove a long, long time ago. I'm scanning in photos and old slides now (what a project!) and hope I come across my Peggy's Cove photos soon. Thank you for the webcam links, didn't know about them. I just came across some photos of the "flowerpots" and will be scanning them in soon too.

How I wish I digital back then.

planedriver · October 19, 2009

Love the number 2 shot of Peggy's. good job.

Panther · October 19, 2009

black mamba wrote:

Hey Craig,

WOW!! I really appreciate the story line and, holy moly, you have more great shots included than I can shake a stick at. I feel like I'm right alongside you and Karen. Really well done my friend.

Take care,

Tom

Howdy Tom,

So very glad that you liked them, it really was a very special trip, and hope all the images weren't too much, as we're only 1/3 of the way through the tirp:D:D:D.

It made me smile about your comment of feeling like you were there with us, as that's what I had hoped they'd convey.

Thanks you Rascal~!!!!

Panther · October 19, 2009

Spinney wrote:

Lovely images, great colors and saturation, really like the photojournalism. I have to admit though I'm a lil bit upset with you though for making me even more homesick! <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/Laughing.gif" border="0" alt="" >!

Cheers, Randy

Howdy Randy,

Thanks very much, have a lot more details if you are anyone else is interested. Some of the places we stayed were kind of out of the way, and to Us, hidden gems that you'd never know was there.

Hope you'll not get mad about the next installment<G>. I can see why you miss it so much, we really were taken with Nova Scotia, can't wait to go back.

Panther · October 19, 2009

Snowgirl wrote:

As a Maritimer who currently lives in New Brunswick (home province) but who lived in Nova Scotia off and on during my life - a large chunk of it in Seabright - a tiny village down the road from the more well-known Peggy's Cove - I have to say that you've really captured the essence of the experience. Great photos and a wonderful story.<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" >thumb

Howdy Ceci,

Yours and Randy's comments really make me think we did a good job on
capturing the true feel of Nova Scotia, we still can't stop talking about the trip, and NB is on the list as well<G>.

Thanks so much!!!

Panther · October 19, 2009

Dee wrote:

Loved the story, but especially the photos!

We visited Peggy's Cove a long, long time ago. I'm scanning in photos and old slides now (what a project!) and hope I come across my Peggy's Cove photos soon. Thank you for the webcam links, didn't know about them. I just came across some photos of the "flowerpots" and will be scanning them in soon too.

How I wish I digital back then.

Howdy Dee,

Thanks very much, so glad you liked the webcam links, we looked at those all day long for about 6 months or more before the trip, it was just so cool to see Peggys' Cove and Digby in all types of light and weather. Especially Digby with the tides in and out, was in awe of the amount of water that comes and goes, not a whole lot of tidal activity in Burleson:D

Panther · October 19, 2009

planedriver wrote:

Love the number 2 shot of Peggy's. good job.

Thanks very much, it's one of my favorites as well.

nwilkins · October 31, 2009

Another beautiful photo collection and matching story!

Panther · October 31, 2009

nwilkins wrote:

Another beautiful photo collection and matching story!

Howdy Nance,

Thanks very much,

We really had a wonderful adventure didn't we:D:D:D

You need to post some of your beautiful shots.

Maritime Wonderland - Nova Scotia 2009

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