Road Trip - Day 11 Cavendish to Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick

Another day of driving!  We left Cavendish about 9 a.m. stopping just outside Charlottetown at the local Cows ice cream factory.  We had hoped we'd be able to watch the making of the ice cream but obviously it is too late in the season so we settled for a bowl of ice cream instead.  (We did have breakfast so this was just dessert. :p)

K took over the driving from me so she too can say she has driven the Confederation Bridge.  We drove to Moncton where we stopped at the Magnetic Hill.  This is fascinating, you drive your car down a hill and stop at a sign post, put the car in neutral and take your foot off the brake/gas pedal and the car literally climbs the hill on it's own.  I guess it really is an optical illusion as it appears you're going down hill but really it is an uphill climb which explains why the vehicle will travel on it's own....but seriously when you are in the vehicle or standing outside it (as I did) it certainly doesn't look that way.

Does it not look like the car is being driven downhill to you?

This was my perspective and I hoping to use my camera to take a video.  But apparently, I don't know how to use that function on my camera.  Guess I should have brought my instruction book as well.




After a quick lunch, we dropped C off at the airport to catch her flight home.  She seemed somewhat better today, though it may have simply been the decision to go home to her own bed.

Then it was off to Hopewell Rocks on the Bay of Fundy.  This is the reason this trip was undertaken as J had read an article and thought she'd like to see the rocks.  I'm so glad she did!  This has to be one of the most breathtaking places I've ever visited.  Because of the recent eclipse/super moon the tides are the highest in 18 years (nearly 48 meters).  We arrived about two hours after high tide and the waters had already receded by 20 meters.  K and I did go down the stairs to the water's edge and in the hour we were there the water receded even further.

We'll be heading back to the park in the morning.  The low tide will occur around 8:30 a.m., we'll be taking the guided tour at 9:30 and can walk on the sea floor until nearly 11.  After than we'll either stay in the park until high tide at 2:30 or head back to our hotel, which is located just outside the park, and return about 2.  It will depend on the weather....after 11 glorious days of sunshine and above normal temperatures,the forecast is for nearly 100 millimeters of rain...most of it expected overnight on Wednesday.

I wrote this yesterday, but ran into problems with the Wifi at the hotel.  So the day before yesterday's post was posted this morning, and this evening I'm posting yesterday, so tomorrow you'll get the full account of today.  Confused yet?  I'm certainly feeling like I am!

I'll give you fair warning, the next post will be photo heavy.  We got fortunate and the rain has held off for most of the day.  It made for a wonderful day to be outdoors in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Hope you all had a wonderful day...we certainly did!

Cavendish - Day 10

We left C at the hotel resting and went exploring the area around Cavendish; she was happy to stay behind not only because she wasn't feeling well but also because she'd spent a week there several years ago.  The hotel clerk was a real sweetheart, taking her a kettle, tea bags, and some fruit.  We told her we'd be back later with lunch.

Our first stop was the birthplace of Lucy Maude Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables books (as well as other books).  This little house has been well-maintained over the years by a local women's guild.  The house has been decorated in the style of the late 1800's, with period furniture, and displays of Lucy's letters, photos and even her wedding dress.  Definitely worth the $4 cost of admission.

We went searching for the museum that was created by Lucy's aunt Ruth and after a couple of wrong turns we were successful.  This home too has been recreated in the period furniture and is full of family memorabilia.  The room were Lucy was married to Ewen Macdonald is open to visitors, as well as the room Lucy called her little bedroom (it wasn't, even by today's standards).  It too was worth the price of admission of $5.50.

While this doesn't sound like it would have taken much time, it did and by this time it was after noon and time for a bit of lunch.  One thing you should know about PEI in late September is that pretty much everything is closed.  That includes attractions, restaurants and hotels.  We stayed at the Bayview Motel just a few miles outside Cavendish; it closes this Sunday.  The nearest places to eat were located on the other side of Cavendish - which is really an area not a town.  One was a full serve restaurant, the other is a snack shack take-out place. Both will be closed by mid-October, and the full-service restaurant staff told us they were only open because of bus tours.

So for lunch we headed to the take out place, since we knew we'd be going to the restaurant in the evening (plus we wanted to get something for C).  We took our lunches back to the motel and sat out on the deck in the sunshine.  C was grateful for something to eat but stayed in her pj's in her room.

I don't know that I've mentioned this previously, but I neglected to bring my camera battery charger with me.  Don't ask me how I forgot it because I specifically remember charging the battery the night before I left and unplugging it to pack that morning.  Anyway, we called into the PEI Photo Lab in Charlottetown and they had a universal charger I could purchase.  J also needed a new card for her digital camera so we decided to make the drive in to the store.

On the way, we stopped in at Green Gables, the house that is featured in the story of Anne of Green Gables.  This was my least favorite stop of the day.  Run by Parks Canada, it has the original house that has been decorated in period furniture, but  misses the personal touch.  Which I guess isn't unusual since it relates to a fictional character rather than the author.  K was there in the late 80's and she was shocked to see how much as been developed.  There is now a large barn that exhibits various pieces of farm equipment, as well as other outbuildings that appear to be farm buildings but actually are used for the washrooms and an ice cream shop.


Then it was off to Charlottetown, where we located the photo lab.  A small shop, it carries photo albums and a small amount of various cards for digital cameras, cables, lenses, and the universal charger I needed.  The owner took the time to ensure the charger worked with my battery, and I was thrilled to learn that it came with both a electrical plug as well as a car charger.  Another bit of well-spent money as I can keep in the camera bag, plus it can be used for other types of rechargeable batteries.  J was glad to find another card as well, as we hadn't been able to find one in various shops we'd tried in Nova Scotia.

Back in Cavendish, we made a stop at Cavendish Beach where I dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean.  It was cold but oh so beautiful!!!  The sand was fine and soft, and even with the wind blowing it around.

I should note that today's photographs are courteous of K, since my camera battery was totally dead.

When were arrived back at the hotel we checked in on C who had slept much of the afternoon.  She wasn't feeling up to going out for dinner, and had made the decision to fly home from Moncton the next day.  We think she has a sinus and/or ear infection as her ears and her entire head ached.  Poor girl!  As I write this she should be just about home, her husband G will pick her up at the airport and has arranged as a doctor's appointment for her on Wednesday morning.  I'll try texting her later tomorrow to see how she is doing.

Hope you are all doing well!

Road Trip - Day 9 - Pugwash to Prince Edward Island

There is no post from Chetticamp to Pugwash, simply because it was a long day of driving with very few stops for photo opportunities.  C was feeling dreadful so we were in hurry up mode to get her to the hotel so she could rest and relax.  We stayed at a motel on the edge of Pugwash right across from the fire hall.  There was an attached restaurant so we didn't have far to go. Very good food, but it was a darn good thing we weren't a couple days later as the restaurant was closing the following day for the season.  The hotel stays open but not the restaurant.

We had a great breakfast there the following morning as well, before heading off for PEI. We took the more scenic route again, and were thrilled when we came across a turn off where the autumn leaves are starting to really show their colors.

This was the highway, just starting to show the colors.  The turn off area was much more vivid.  C thought it might indicate the trees are under stress.  I don't know enough about the process to know whether she is right.

The highway took us through the tip of New Brunswick before we reached the major highway leading into PEI.  I was driving because I wanted to be able to say that I'd driven across the Confederation Bridge.  You truly can't see much from the bridge other than the waves (and white caps....it was a very windy day).  But after 24 kilometers on the bridge you reach PEI and there is a place down near the water that provides a great view of the bridge.

We spent some time in Charlottetown, seeing the Province House (only the exterior as the building is undergoing renovations and repairs).  This is the birthplace of Canada, as it is where the Fathers of Confederation came together to hammer out the agreement to bring Canada together as a nation.  I had so hoped to be able to see the inside, but that will need to wait until another visit.

So we went shopping!  One of the places we stopped in was Northern Watters Knitting on Richmond Street.  They machine knit sweaters and other items for shipping all over the world.  The store is an eclectic mix of their work as well as those of other artisans, kits, and just fun stuff.  I fell in love with the maple tree which was simply branches, red lights, wrapped a maple leaf garland.  So pretty!  I didn't buy it but did get myself a knitted head band that will keep me warm this winter.


As we were wandering down the street, we spotted the theatre was offering Anne and Gilbert that evening.  It is the story of Anne Shirley of Green Gables, as a young woman and the long suffering Gilbert Blythe who has been in love with Anne since he was a young boy.  J, K, and I decided we'd come back into the city for the play, while C who has been feeling progressively worse decided to stay back at our hotel.

So after a brief stop on the street for J to have a chat with our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, we headed to our hotel in Cavendish, about 45 minutes from Charlottetown.

We got checked in, then headed out to find C something to eat as there is nothing near to the hotel.  It was a mad scramble to get back to the city, but we arrived just 15 minutes before the play started.  It was a terrific play, with some very experienced actors.  We all very much enjoyed the show!

The three of us grabbed a quick dinner on the way out of the city, and then rushed back to the hotel to try to capture the supermoon/eclipse.  It all happened very quickly as the eclipse was just starting as we left the city and was nearly complete by the time we arrived at the hotel.  This is the best shot I managed, using a timer, and trying to hold the camera as very still as I could. A tripod would been a very useful thing!

It was another full day, with lots to see and do!

Again I'm late with this post and it is evening of Day 10.  I'll try to get something posted tomorrow morning, but we're planning to leave early so it may have to wait until evening.  Oh well, I'm sure no one is keeping that close track of what day we're on....but it's helping me keep track of the days as well. :)

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

Road Trip - Day 7 Baddeck to Cheticamp

Day 7 already?  :(  The time is flashing by, we're half way through our trip already, and it certainly doesn't feel as though we've been here a week.

Today was another busy day; we packed up and checked out of the hotel by shortly after 8 a.m., then walked down the street to the Bean There, a coffee shop with incredible bagels and other baked on the premises goodies.  (We tested and approved the chocolate chip and cranberry muffins and a little treat called Hello Dolly squares the day before!).  Then it was into the car to head for the highway.

Along the way we stopped at a few craft stores, several turnouts, travelled through small communities like Ingonish, White Point, and Meat Cove before arriving at our destination, Cheticamp shortly after 6 p.m.  What, according to the map should take approximately three and a half hours took us nearly eight.  But it was worth it for the views.

One of the first places we stopped was a leather shop were I lusted the beautiful leather purses, but didn't buy.

The next stop along the way was at a glass blowing shop. It offered glass blown by various artisans, including Don Pell who makes these beautiful windmill iron works with the glass balls and plates attached.  C was very interested, especially when she learned he's located in Saskatchewan.  I may see another trip in her future (from Alberta).

Although this is from the far end of the road as we were heading back from the northern most community, it illustrates how some of the highways hug the coastline and provide the spectacular views.

I drove the full day as C has caught my cold and she wasn't feeling up to it.  K would drive, but she's a great map reader, far better than the GPS we've nicknamed Gabby for her constant "recalculating" when I take a diversion or follow the map.  It's not entirely her fault, she is 10 years old.

This was one of the first spots we stopped to get a glimpse of the coastline.  There was a short trail but it was through scrub brush and quite rocky.  I made it part way down, then decided this was far enough.  Gorgeous, isn't it?

Below is a photo of Ingonish beach. I told the rest of the crew, I was done...they could leave me here and I'd be a happy woman.

 We stopped at the Keltic Lodge (yes, I know it is spelled incorrectly - perhaps the owners don't), at the Highland Links golf course.

K picked up a golf shirt for her partner J, while I wandered about and took photos.  I found a lost golf ball in my wandering so gave it to K for J.

The hydrangeas here varied from blue to pink to this gorgeous purple.

 I've messed up the order of the photos, and without a mouse I'm unable to maneuver them around.

This is the coast at Meat Cove, which we're assured is the northern most community in Nova Scotia.  There are only a few homes there.  The cove got its name as it was a spot where wild meat was shipped from.  It seemed to be a very rugged and isolated spot.




 This was one of my personal favorite spots.  These rocks were pink in color (darker when wet) with really incredible veining.  I'm sure my sister-in-law P could tell me why.

We took the loop up to White Point on the advice of the owner of the Telegraph House Hotel.  It turned out to be a wide spot in the road (literally).  We stopped briefly to take a few photos and were on our way.

We arrived in Cheticamp late in the day, so I have no photos for this day.  Our hotel was full of bus trippers (2 of them).  Dinner was at the On-Board diner, a small and very busy restaurant that offered good food and local entertainment, a young woman who played her fiddle throughout dinner.  Just after we'd ordered, I saw a woman come in and be seated alone, so I checked with the group and we asked if she'd like to join us.  She did, and quickly settled in; we learned she was travelling from Wisconsin and had travelled from Halifax to PEI and now was on her way to do the Cabot trail the opposite way to our route.  She had suggestions for us, and we for her so it was a very enjoyable dinner.

****
This post is a day late, as the wifi at Cheticamp was very sporadic.  I managed to write some of the post but then got hung up every time I tried to upload a photo.  We're currently in Pugwash N.S.  After breakfast we'll be heading for the Confederation Bridge and Prince Edward Island.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Road Trip - Day 6

Woke up to another sunny day in Sydney, Nova Scotia.  The water in the bay was like glass, there wasn't a hint of a breeze. Time for one last look at the Sydney fiddle, and a perfect day for a drive, though this was very short.

Our next stop was Baddeck, which is about an hour from Sydney.  The road we drove was a major highway though still had a number of hills and curves to navigate.  We stopped at one spot where there was a lookout. 

Down at this end was a little town and we could see sailboats tied up.  We're about two weeks early for the fall colors but at least a few of the trees are beginning to change.  I'll take the beautiful weather though, it was another warm and sunny day.

Arriving in Baddeck we headed straight to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site.  The centre is set up to showcase Bell's innovations after the invention of the telephone.  Did you know he was also involved in the invention of airplanes, building kites that would carry a man, hydrofoil craft, and other unique and interesting items.  Well, I certainly didn't, nor did any of our group.  He and his wife Mabel, also an intrepid woman who helped finance some of her husband's ideas had a home near Baddeck (that can be seen from our hotel,)  I had assumed the museum would tell the story of the invention of the telephone but that was but a footnote.

This is a reproduction of the Silver Dart, which basically looks like a large bicycle hanging off a kite.  It was flown for the first time in February 1909.

A group of interested individuals recreated the original in 2006 but had to bring it up to current safety codes (with a far better engine than the first) but this too, was also capable of flight.  It was brought to the museum in 2013 and is housed in a special room dedicated to flight.

This is our hotel for the night, the Telegraph House Hotel.  It's a lovely, large building full of unique bedrooms each with their own small bathroom.  We've got two rooms each with two single beds.  

Out behind are small cabins that are also available and it boasts a fine dining area in the rear.  It seems to be quite a busy place as reservations would be required.

We chose to follow TripAdvisor advice (as well as the evening hotel clerk) and went to a little diner called Three Doors down, just across the street and down a couple of doors. We stopped in at a gift shop on the way over, where J picked up a Cape Breton moose, who she promptly nicknamed Marty to take home to her collection of bears.  

Supper tonight was fish and chips (fresh haddock) with coleslaw.  Yummy!  Good classic food, nice portion,  at a very reasonable price.  

The place was busy, and short staffed with only one waitress out front. Even so she managed very efficiently, and we laughed when she picked up the telephone and responded to the inquiry, "well, what are you feeling like having".  

This evening, the rest of the group have headed for bed early, not having had the luxury of a two-hour nap mid-afternoon as I did.  

I'm relaxing in the beautiful lounge of the hotel.  The beautiful moldings and comfortable furniture are very inviting.  I could imagine whiling away a rainy afternoon curled up in a chair with a book.

But we'll be on our way tomorrow early to our next stop in Cheticamp.  It's about a 3 hour drive but it's on the Cabot trail so I expect we'll be making lots of stops along the way.

Have a great day everyone!

**I wrote this up last evening, then set it to post early a.m.  Can't be doing two posts in one day!

Road Trip - Day 5

We woke up in Sydney, Nova Scotia to another glorious day.  The sun was shining and the water in the bay was calm and clear.  It was an early start for us, we'd had our breakfast and were on our way shortly after 9 a.m. (Yes, I know technically that's not early but we've all been enjoying our rest).

There's not much in Sydney, but it does have a cruise port.  A ship had been docked there the evening before, and the Maasdam of the Holland America Line was there in the morning.  If you look to the ht is the famous Sydney Fiddle - not to be confused with the Opera House. :)

Much of Nova Scotia and particularly this are of Cape Breton is known for the Ceilidhs; traditional Gaelic social gathering with music and dancing.  We've yet to get to one but I suspect we'll do this so this weekend.

Fort Louisbourg is about a half-hour drive from Sydney.  It is a partial reconstruction of the original French Fortress that was razed by the British in the mid-1760's.  Two hundred years later the government of the day created the work project to re-build the portion that stands today (about 20% of the original).

It is National Park run by Parks Canada with many of the workers in period costume, all very willing to stop and chat with the visitors providing explanations and history.

In behind several of the houses (for this was not only a base for the soldier but also officers and their families, and other civilian workers) was a garden where we found this young man picking yellow beans.

J was quite interested as they don't grow yellow beans in England, and had a taste fresh from the garden.  Beside the vegetables, there were flowers growing as well.  He suggested we might want to help him weed, but we didn't take him up on the offer.

This was one of what would have been 8 barracks to house the soldiers, and in this particular barracks the governor and his home (the far right).  Inside was an exhibit hall on the left and the various rooms used by the governor on the opposite side. I'm standing up above the barracks on the wall that surrounded the fortified town.  Well, actually only a portion of it, as the original wall was 2.5 miles long!

I took the walkway to the far left of the barracks, to look out over the town site for a view of the sea.

Across the bay is the current town site of Louisbourg, a quaint little town full of B&B's and cute little shops.

Through out the park site there were buildings that houses the armories, and other supplies, a stable for horses, and even a chicken coop or two.

One of the biggest exports was cod that was caught locally, salted and sent back to France.  We were told that the industry was more than double the size of the fur trade.

The restaurant was busy so we held off on our lunch, going down the street to what would have been a local tavern.

The gentleman explained the house belonged to a widow, who provided a place for soldiers and sailors to get a drink or two of rum, and a place to sleep it off.

He was kind enough to play us a short French folk song on his fiddle.


We continued our walk around the far side of the fortress where they are working on a new building

All of the reconstruction is being done on the original sites and there were a number of places where we could see the foundations of the original buildings.  Around the corner behind another building we found a pair of noisy geese.  This fellow had some interesting things to say for himself.

Our last stop at Fort Louisbourg was in the little restaurant which serves local cuisine including mussels, fish, vegetable or pea soup, along with bread and cheese, or for those with a more hearty appetite, an entree of chicken or fish.  We each to have a bowl of soup with bread and cheese.  It was served to us with a large pewter spoon, and bowl, along with cheesecloth napkins for wearing around one's neck.

Then it was time to take the park bus back to the information centre, hop back in the car and head back to Sydney.  Since it was only mid-afternoon, we decided to take another scenic tour, along the Marconi trail to Glace Bay to the Marconi  National Historic Site (which was unfortunately closed).  This was the site of Marconi's first transAtlantic wireless station where the first wireless message was sent for North America to Europe on December 15, 1902.  We were taken with how this man's dreams now mean we can send information (and photos) around the world in an instant.

We arrived back in Sydney around 5 p.m, a little tired and in my case a little sun burned.  I've been battling a cold since we arrived, without a whole lot of success, so C and I headed uptown to the pharmacy and to check out the local craft gallery.  She did find a piece that she would have loved to have taken home with her but decided against it.  I was taken by the beautiful quilts though they were machine not handstitched.

Dinner was at a nearby cafe I'd found on TripAdvisor.  Called Flavor, it certainly did not disappoint. C and I took another walk up the hill, this time to a nearby shopping centre to see if I could find a battery charger for my camera....I always manage to forget something!  They had universal one that could be used in the car, but unfortunately we could not get it to work with my camera's battery.  I'll try again when we are in Charlottetown or Moncton next week.

I turned in early, but still woke pretty awful.  It's only a short drive to Baddeck from Sydney (about an hour), we did some sightseeing, had lunch and then the hotel was kind enough to let us check in early.  I've spent a couple of hours dozing, while the others wandered the town, then woke to see them heading with my dirty laundry (and theirs too) to the laundromat.  They've been gone nearly 90 minutes now, so I expect they'll be back shortly.  The wifi has been spotty and it's taken more time that I would expect to write this post and upload the pictures.  No editing has been done (if you can't already tell).  I'd already hit publish once and got hung up so this the second attempt to finish.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Road Trip - Day 4

We were up early this morning, (yesterday morning by the time you read this), checked out of our holiday, loaded the Equinox and headed down the highway....I hear a country song.

Our eventual destination was Sydney, but we had the whole day to explore the countryside on our way there.  Rather than taking the main highway we headed out on the scenic coastal route along the Eastern shore, later heading inland and finally across country to get there.

Our first leg of the journey took us past numerous small communities, all with the word Harbour.  C was looking up information on her cellphone and when we discovered that Sheet Harbour had a falls near the information centre we made it the first stop of the day.  I'm so glad we did!

There is a lovely wooden walkway that leads one down the side of the falls, towards an old bridge that crosses the river.



It's a short walk but oh, so pretty especially with the sound of the water rushing nearby.

Along the river and pathway are wild flowers, ivies and bushes.  It's just a lovely spot, that we would have missed otherwise.

We ran into a few locals out walking but no other tourists.  I'm sure they do have more visitors at peak periods as there was a little museum and cafe at the top.

As you'll notice, the weather was a bit grey today though it was quite warm and we didn't have any rain.  I'm quite thankful as the highways (especially the coastal routes) are quite windy and hilly.  I can't imagine what it must be like in the winter.  They're brave souls, these Blue Nosers!


We continued our travel up the coast to Sherbrooke, where we stopped for lunch at Beanie's Bistro.  It's a tiny wee space with a homely atmosphere and great food.  C and I ordered the daily special, the mac & cheese with a side green salad.  No photo - since I was too busy tucking in.

A couple of RCMP officers came in while we were there and J had a lovely conversation with them about the differences between their gear and that of the bobbies in the U.K.
Across the street from Beanies was this little house.  It was obvious someone does live in it, simply with the open windows and the well kept yard.

Also in Sherbrooke there is an old style village of houses and shops.  We saw a couple of women in period dress.  We didn't feel we had the time to stop as we wanted to be in Sydney before dark so we left that for another day.


We took the highway across to Antigonish which took us off the coastal highway.  It is a beautiful little university town (home to St. Francis Xavier University), and was full of students, beautiful residences and little shops.  We stopped at the Made in Nova Scotia store, where I picked up a little gift for my daughter and a maple soy candle.

We stopped also at the Saint Ninian Catholic Church. Built between 1867 and 1874, it was built from local limestone and sandstone.  It's an imposing building.

It is incredibly beautiful inside.

I'm not certain we were actually permitted to take photographs but there was no one around so we took a chance.

We read the frescos were designed and painted by an Italian artist. There were places where the paint was flaking but the effect was beautiful.





There were also some gorgeous stained glass windows near the front of the church.  Incredible workmanship!

From Antigonish we took the main highway towards Cape Breton, then took a local road around the Bras D'or Lake across to Sydney.  We're using both maps and a GPS, and this has been causing some consternation as Gabby (the GPS) tends to prefer to the major roads, while we'd take the more scenic routes.

Since C was driving yesterday, she was the one dealing with the conflicting directions.  As I said to K, I don't care which way we go, lets just pick one!

We arrived in Sydney shortly after six p.m. and got checked into our hotel.  It's right on the Boardwalk overlooking the water.  C did take a walk after dinner last night but it was pretty dark so I decided to wait until daylight.

It is now morning, I started the post last night but lost my connection.  We'll be going to breakfast soon and then off to Fort Louisbourg and other nearby sites for the day.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Road Trip!!! Day 3

After a couple of days in the city we were ready to head out the beautiful South Shore of Nova Scotia along the lighthouse route.  (It really is the perfect way to visit this area Kim!)

We were late getting away as K & I are suffering from massive colds (boo) and C was tired from her last 10 days or so.  Our first stop was Peggy's Cove at the iconic lighthouse.  

Despite it being a Monday, and late in the tourist season the place was swarming with visitors.  I had to position myself in just the right place and wait until just the right moment to get a photo without a dozen or two of the hordes that swarmed the rocks beside and beyond the lighthouse.

The little community of Peggy's Cove is quaint; we were told there are less than 30 permanent residents there.  With the bus and car loads of tourists, I'm pretty certain we had multiplied the population by at least 10-15 times that number,  We stopped at one of the little shops that sold various items, clothing, jewelry, trinkets, handicrafts, along with tea/coffee, for a cup of tea that we took on the back deck in the sunshine.

From Peggy's Cove we made our way down the road just a couple of kilometers to the memorial for Swiss Air flight 111 that crashed in the ocean just five miles out in 1998.  There were 229 victims of the crash, as the result of a fire that started in the hull of the plane and was not discovered until it was too late.  I read an article later that said, even it it had the flight would not have been able to land safely in Halifax.  If the pilot had tried, it is thought the loss of life would have been even higher

What a beautiful but desolate spot.  In the distance one can see Peggy's Cove lighthouse (on the right) and the church spire on the left.  It was a moment I won't forget.

We continued our drive down to the coast to Mahone Bay.  It's not a very large place, but iconic in that many photos are taken of the three churches on the Bay.  J has purchased a book mark which portrays the churches surrounded by the fall colors.  Unfortunately we're a bit early.  The best I could do was frame the with the trees on our side of the bay (though there is a bit of red in the distance).  You'll have to imagine it ablaze in colours of red, orange and yellow.

Our last stop (before heading back to Halifax) was Lunenburg.  Famous for the ship that graces the back of a Canadian Dime, it is home to the Bluenose II.  

The day we were there is the only day that it does not sail.  There were several crew on board, cleaning, and making it ready for the following day.

We wandered along the wharf, stopped in at the visitors centre and just enjoyed the sunshine.


From there we took a walk up the street and checked out various restaurants, looking for a specific place called the Salt Shaker Deli.  It wasn't where we thought it was, but a block up a steep hill, so we were off by a couple of blocks before we realized.

As we strolled down the street to the restaurant, we came across a shoe store.  C and K promptly went in to check it out while J and I carried on.

We settled in a the restaurant with a drink, on the sun deck overlooking the Bluenose II.  Eventually the other two arrived triumphantly bearing bags. Apparently the store carried shoes and boots no readily available in our part of the country. Plus they were on sale!  Happy girls.

Our dinner was lovely, I took a photo of K's especially as she was having the local lobster roll.  I had a bite of the lobster (first time ever for me) and it was okay.  I can't say it tasted like anything I've eaten before, it wasn't "fishy", I may eventually work myself up to having one before the trip is over.

We took the main highway back to Halifax, arriving back at our hotel by about 8 p.m.  I was bagged, as I'd driven the entire day.  Hence the late post, while I did go through the photos I'd taken, I was incapable of making coherent thoughts at that point, and was asleep by 9:30.

I'll share Day 4 with you later tomorrow as well, as I've yet to look through the photos.  It was a delightful day too!

Have a great day everyone!