August 2017
At the end of August in 2017, the intrepid voyagers gathered up in Annisquam, MA before launching on a six day lap around Nova Scotia.
Embarking on an enormous high-speed catamaran from Portland, Maine, we were carried across the Bay of Fundy in swift luxury, passing pods of whales, ocean sunfish by the hundreds and schools of dolphins. Arriving six hours later in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, we readied for a morning scramble up the eastern coast of the province.
The southern section of the Peninsula is full of small fishing and lobstering villages – many of them remain true to their heritage, speaking an Acadian dialect of French. We were told they don’t like outsiders, but they’re French, so no surprise there.
The Lighthouse Trail passes through such scenic spots as Roseway Beach, Lunenberg, Chester and Peggy’s Cove. The roads provide a pleasant ride – not particularly challenging for the grand-prix enthusiast, but an endless series of charming hamlets, dramatic ocean vistas and rocky coastline.
Along the way, we passed through Shelburne, a living museum originally settled by British loyalists fleeing from the Colonies during the American Revolution. The nearby settlement of Birchtown was the landing spot of runaway slaves, known as the Black Loyalists, who were granted refuge in exchange for service in the British Army during the Revolution and the War of 1812.
South of Halifax, we crossed over to the northwestern side, running along the Northumberland Strait – the body of water separating Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island. For you anglers, the Strait is the summering ground for great schools of giant bluefin tuna.
We spent a day looping around the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island’s north bight. It’s a lovely road that winds up over the Cape Breton Highlands. The detour up to Meat Cove and Bay St. Lawrence was worth it just for the remote and quiet beauty offered after an hour-long stop for roadwork on the main route.
Side note: We expected to gorge on lobster, but not so. Lobstering season rotates around the different sub-regions of Nova Scotia throughout the year. Our travels didn’t pass through any in-season sections. However, you will eat haddock in Nova Scotia in late summer. They have a lot of it.
Our final two days were spent running back down the Atlantic side. More charming little towns. Guysborough has many beautifully restored historic homes; Sherbrooke is another nice stopping point. Beanie’s Bistro provides healthy ballast for the afternoon ride.
Halifax has more to offer than we expected. It has a charming ‘old town’, a busy arts scene and the waterfront is bustling with restaurants and bars. We bunked in at a quaint and cozy hotel – the Waverly Inn – that was chock full of Victorian-era knick-knacks and artwork.
On our final day, we revisited sections of the Lighthouse Trail, and took a couple of upland detours to see provincial parks. One such detour took us through a desolate area called The Upper Ohio. It was a long stretch of deeply rutted dirt track that couldn’t end soon enough. The troop didn’t have kind words for the navigator.
All’s well that ends well though – the final night was spent at the Argyler Lodge, a seaside inn that sits on a peaceful arm of Lobster Bay called the Old Point Channel. We enjoyed a long sunset cocktail hour and dinner (haddock) – a happy ending to the trip.
The next morning we were up pre-dawn for a chilly 20-mile ride back to the ferry terminal, re-board the Alakai and settle in for the ride back to the US.
There’s more to Nova Scotia than we expected. From top to bottom, it’s about the same as driving from Wilmington Delaware to Montreal, Quebec.
The southern part of the province is rugged, rocky and the interior is sparsely populated. The northern half has mountains, busier towns, and more for visitors to do. The entire province is packed with natural and varied beauty. They may be on the outer edge of the continent, but they have a good life figured out, far from any mega metroplex. And the haddock is tasty. And the roads provide a nice ride.
