HOT SPOTS THAT GET YOU TO PEI - PART DEUX

As stated in my previous instalment of this blog, there are a few ways to get from Ontario to PEI. You can zoom down in a couple of days, if that's your inclination, or you can take your time and stop along the way. We did justice to New Brunswick, at least I hope we did, last time. This time let's make a few stops in Nova Scotia and see what this beautiful Province has to offer.

To visit Nova Scotia from the Canadian route you have to go through New Brunswick and take a ferry from St. John, NB to Digby, NS or drive across the border to Amherst on the NS side. Ferry Information - Click Here. There is also a ferry service between Yarmouth, NS and Portland, ME.
Let's talk about Digby, NS.  It's located on the Bay of Fundy, overlooks the Annapolis Valley, has a small population of about 2,100 people and is well known for the amazingly delicious, world famous Digby scallops. Captains Cabin Restaurant - Pictures of Scallops and other great seafood. We were in Digby just long enough to have a look around this very cute little town and to have a wonderful lunch at the Captain's Cabin Restaurant where we had.......what else.......Digby Scallops.

Cut across the Province and you find yourself in tourist heaven:  Peggy's Cove Coastal Region - Lots to see and do. In our RV we have stayed, several times, at a beautiful resort in Hubbard Beach. Here are some photos in and around Hubbard Beach.

A really pretty B&B/Restaurant at the entrance to the RV Park at Hubbard Beach

The Bay at Hubbard Beach

Private little beach a three minute walk from our RV site.

From Hubbard we are extremely central to all the good stuff this area has to offer. Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. Each of these little towns is worth a good long visit as is the drive down 103 that takes you along this incredibly beautiful shoreline. On the other side of St. Margaret's Bay you will find Peggy's Cove, one of the most photographed towns in the world with the iconic light house, brutal waves crashing on the rocks and thousands of tourists.

Chester: This is one of those pretty little towns that makes you want to pull up stakes and settle down in this quiet little town on the water. It's charming beyond belief, Chester is known for a relaxed lifestyle, magnificent homes, fabulous gardens and the backdrop for many television productions and movies.

Homes on the Bay.

Mahone Bay:  Another little beauty, right on the ocean, tucked way off the beaten path and offering a full day of wandering through the little streets of this tourist town. Population is a meagre 1,000 but this little town really hops in the summer with some great restaurants and pubs and B & Bs ready to make you welcome. We had lunch at a little place called Oh My Cod on their dog friendly patio which suited us to a T.

Oh My Cod. On the patio.

Good atmosphere, right on the main street.

The food? Excellent.

The Bay at Mahone Bay.

Mahone Bay.

Lunenburg:  Lunenburg is a MUST if you are touring Nova Scotia. The town is beyond cute,it's  hilly, has good restaurants and, of course, is the home of the Bluenose II. Everything you need to know about the Bluenose II here.

Unfortunately, The Bluenose II was being refurbished while we were in Lunenburg in 2016 and no guests were allowed to go aboard. I tried to take as many pictures as possible from as many angles as possible of this magnificent ship,

Old Town Lunenburg is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and is a surviving planned British colonial town. Guided tours through the historic district will have you believing in the spirits of those lost at sea. The streets are jammed with unique shops and restaurants that blend in with the aesthetics of Lunenburg. Don't miss the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and end up at the famous Bluenose II.

Homes, businesses, restaurants along the waterfront in Lunenburg.

For some reason, we always seem to find really good restaurants where ever we go and Lunenburg was no exception. We had a memorable dinner at a restaurant called Fleur de Sel and the next morning a breakfast of fish cakes (yes, fish cakes for breakfast) at a little coffee shop called Shop on the Corner where you could also get a huge selection of gift items and baked goods.

Peggy's Cove. On the eastern shore of St. Margaret's Bay you will find the world famous Peggy's Cove. Peggy's Cove is a tiny little hamlet of less than 1,000 residents but the numbers swell with tourists in the summer. Peggy's Cove, at one time, subsisted on the fishing industry until, after World War II, tourism became its main support. The municipal government has severe restrictions on land use and land development is prohibited in order to stop false inflation of property values that could hurt locals.

Close to Peggy's Cove is the memorial in honour of Swissair Fight 111 that crashed into St. Margaret's Bay in September of 1998 killing all on board.

The memorial stone.

Couple of photos when we were there on a gloomy and foggy day.

Photos taken on a more sunny day.

A suggestion if you are visiting Peggy's Cove, and why wouldn't you, is this: Give yourself plenty of time. This place is full of tourists - seriously full. Parking spots are at a premium and you may find yourself driving around for an hour looking for a parking spot. Be patient, enjoy what this little hamlet offers to the world and buy an ice cream to reward yourself for your patience.

With so many Nova Scotian experiences still waiting to be told this is going to be a two-parter. I've yet to show our experiences and the merits of the Bay of Fundy, Halifax, Cape Breton, Antigonish and Springhill, the home of Canada's little song bird, Anne Murray. Until next time.