Peggy's cove and beyond

So here I am in Nova Scotia, and after spending a day in beautiful Halifax my husband and I headed out to Peggy’s Cove. Why spend money to take a tour when you can just drive the scenic route yourself? The coastal lighthouse route is winding, narrow and so beautiful, with views of isolated inlets and bays and of course the requisite fishing boats and small cedar shake homes. This drive only becomes challenging when the occasional impatient driver becomes reckless and causes an involuntary reaction from my one finger. Ahem.

Peggy’s Cove is spectacular, consisting of large, rugged rocks leading to the traditional lighthouse. The small village clings to the coastline, boasting houses of bright colours and small fishing vessels. Today the ocean was calm, and the waves were almost non-existent. A heavy fog lay close to the shoreline which limited our view. Of course, the view was also obscured by the abundant tourist’s population, us included. While this is a must go to for a Nova Scotia trip, and I am glad we experienced it, I never like to spend too much time in heavily used areas. We drove south a short distance and took a brief walk to the memorial for the Swiss Air Flight 111. There were few tourists here, and the intense quiet and introspection of the area overlooking the spot where 229 people lost their lives was more meaningful than any tourist area we had been to. A moment of silence and respect for each of these souls please.

We headed south to Lunenburg and the home of the Blue Nose. This is a stunning small town, with Victorin homes in bright colors arrayed along and up the steep hills. The streets are narrow and crowded but worth the tense driving moments. Next, we headed west and overland to the bay of Fundy near Annapolis Royal to spend the next few days with my cousin Jeremy and his family. This is a gorgeous area of mountains and valleys, and rich in history that spanned more than 400 years. We walked through Fort Anne, around the embankments and through the old graveyard filled with black stones encrusted with pale green lichen. Many of the stones dated to times in the early 1700’s. This is one of the oldest settlements in Canada, and you feel the history as you walk among the ancient tombs.

My husband and I took a day trip out to Brier Island. If you look at a map of Nova Scotia, you will see a long spit of land along the west side next to the Bay of Fundy. This narrow band of land begins at Digby, then heads through small villages and along a winding and narrow coastline. It takes two ferries to make it to Brier Island, and you had better be quick, as the ferry men will be leaving the dock before your car has even stopped! Along the way we made a detour to the balancing rock, a tall stack of basalt rock on the shoreline. Initially this is an easy trail with a gentle up hill climb along marsh and scrub. I love that the trail starts with information on how to interact with aggressive coyotes. I have had several encounters with coyotes over my decades of hiking, and found them to timid and wary of humans, however if confronted with aggressive coyotes you should make yourself big and loud. After all, humans are the scariest creatures on the planet.

The trail is an easy approximately 5 km return trail. There are boardwalks across the wettest areas, with flora including skunk weed, tamarack, and blue spruce. I loved the pale green lichen hanging from the trees like party streamers and found out this is called Old Man’s Beard. Continuing along this easy trail changes dramatically once you near the coast, as this area would be inaccessible if not for the extensive 225 stairs. The stairs lead straight down a near vertical cliff to the coast and the can be challenging for anyone not used to strenuous activity. Once at the bottom of the stairs you have a spectacular view out and over the Bay of Fundy to the mainland, and of course to the Balancing rock. This tall basalt stone balances on its edge and is a product of the lava formation that occurred millions of years ago, that is evident all along St. Mary’s Bay. Once you view the spectacular shoreline, it is a challenging climb back up those stairs. It is a long way up and a great leg work out. We headed back to my cousins after a quick stop at the local moonshine distillery, Still Fired, for some small samples of different types of products available for sale. Well, my husband sampled, while I abstained as I was the driver, and even though I generally don’t like liquor, I was tempted by the smell of the apple moonshine. A to-go item we bought to bring home, and now on to our trip home through the states, where the misadventures begin to happen.