Today is 9/14 and I realize I haven't written in my blog since 9/6. Where does the time go? It is hard when I often don't have good enough service to connect to the internet, but also I just don't always find time when I feel like writing.
9/7 - I did end up moving the the HH Brewery in Antigonish and it did rain a bunch overnight. I woke up early thinking that I should have parked on gravel instead of on the grass, but in the end I had no trouble getting out. The ground was very hard and it was pretty level as well. Once again, worrying about nothing... The brewery was super quiet, so I ended up chatting with the bartender, which was enjoyable. I had Zoe with me at first, but she seemed uncomfortable and so I put her back in the van.
I debated on whether to just hang out at the brewery and see if I could stay another night, but the rain was not as persistent as had been suggested and so I ended up going into town and doing my laundry finally. I had a lot to do! We walked around town and then I got a waffle sandwich, which had amazing reviews, but I wasn't wowed by using waffles as bread. I also got a plain one with powdered sugar and cinnamon, but that was pretty tasteless with barely any sugar on it. Zoe enjoyed it though.
After that I went to an RV park and paid $3 for a shower - well worth it. I needed to be clean to hop in my clean sheets and nightshirt!
Drove to a Walmart in Truro, NS for the night. In the US, all the Walmarts I've seen had garbage pails all over the parking lot. Here there was one tucked in the corner by the bus shelter. Weird. I had stopped at an abandoned church along the way that was nicer than a walmart parking lot, but it was really close to the highway and thus quite noisy and nowhere to walk Zoe, other than right at the church, so I decided to go to the Walmart.
9/8 - Before leaving Truro, we went to Victoria park in town, which had some nice trails. Quite the hills stairs there! As usual, after our hike, Zoe didn't want to get back in the van. Once in front of the door, she acts like she can't jump up, but I'm pretty sure she's just indicating that she doesn't want to. Ultimately, she jumps in, usually after I get a little irritated... 😕
We didn't climb these stairs, but I'm sure we climbed this many.
Onto Halifax where I parked in a lot down by the water. which was free on weekends and overnight, but I couldn't see the water at all. We walked down the waterfront and then around town and went to the Citadel too. It was an on/off rainy day, but we lucked out and were dry during our walk.
Really nice old buildings mixed with modern ones
The Citadel. I didn't think Zoe would be allowed in, but she was. We only had about 45 minutes before close, but that was enough for me... I didn't get a whole lot of history, but that's OK.
The parking lot I had parked in had no green space and no views, so after walking around and seeing another lot that charged $6 overnight and then $3/hr or $16 for all day every day, but it was near a nicer walking area for Zoe, so we moved and I'm glad we did.
9/9 - a sunny day after a gloomy one
Cool hammocks (only 2) to hang out in
I didn't notice at night if these sculpture lights actually lit up.
I only got this one shot, but the tents in the middle are a homeless community that goes for several blocks in this median. It's cool, because the city put in portable toilets and had bottles of water for them. I like seeing the city supporting those in need, since I'm sure they don't have the space in shelters for these struggling folks.
Halifax didn't do much for me and so I headed out the next day. Deb, Beanie, and Craig were coming into town on their NS trip and I was hoping to meet up with them, but they were arriving later today, but they probably had their plans and might not want to have to coordinate with me and Zoe. On the way out of town, Google took me through lots of residential streets and I really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful old homes.
From Halifax, we went south to the South Shore area and first stop was Peggy's Cove. I had never heard of it until someone had mentioned it on my trip (once again, not doing my research!), but I understand it is probably the move photographed place in NS and I can see why. I just loved it. Granted there were a ton of people there (I was surprised when I drove into the visitor center lot how bit it was and pretty full. I was waiting for people to get out of my way and trying to plan where/how I would park and a lady came out and had me park right in front of the building because I was too big for a space. I saw RVs in the far end, but maybe it was full? Not sure, but it made it easy for me. I could have fit in a spot NP though. Definitely less stress for me, but I felt a bit guilty getting this prime spot.
We walked around and in spite of the many people, I just loved it. It was soooo pretty! Quaint fishing village with beautiful blue waters. I even ended up eating a lobster roll there, which I didn't expect to do as it was so touristy, but the price was reasonable and the roll was filled with chunks of lobster. Poor Zoe as people were opening their cans around us and each time she cowered. It breaks my heart to see that and I forget until I see her looking scared. I think she's learning to tolerate it, but definitely doesn't like it.
I just loved hanging out on the rocks and watching the beautiful water and waves crashing.
Swiss horn?
Lovely smelling Rugosa Roses all over the place. I noticed them in Maine too. They must love the sea air! I often stop to smell the roses!
Boulders everywhere left from the glaciers. It was interesting topography with all the boulders, grass, and sea.
A boulder garden!
Looking back at Peggy's Cove
I decided to back track a couple of miles to go grab some ice cream and I'm glad I did. I had orange cream on a waffle cone. It was so good and the cone was super yummy too. I ended up chatting with some people while I was eating my ice cream and the guy was joking about me being a hippy and probably a stoner. So I asked if they liked gummies and he said YES! So, I gave them the gummies that hadn't been found on the search entering into Canada. I had tried them a couple of times and really don't like it (even 1/2) and so I wanted to give them to someone rather than throwing them in the garbage or declaring them at the border. So I was super happy to get rid of them and he was over the top happy to receive them! Hopefully they have time to use them up before heading back to the states (from FL).
I drove onto Graves Island Provincial Park to spend the night. Super nice campground with trails along the water. I wanted to check out the town of Chester, so we headed over there and walked around. I met a local couple and we chatted a bit, then we crossed paths again along our walk. Then a bit later, Duncan drove up next to us and got out and invited us over for a glass of wine. He was like "is this too weird?" and I was so "NO! I love it!", so Zoe and I hopped in and we went over for a drink. I felt bad for Zoe since it was her dinner time and I didn't have her food with me. Such lovely people! They rent their house, but have a home in FL for the winter.
Deb and Duncan
9/10 - In the morning, I chatted with a couple of women at the campground who were biking around NS. Zoe and I went for a lovely walk on the trail by the water and then I made some egg salad and had that for my late breakfast.
View from my van. Not the best, but not bad!
Trees are starting to change!
Then we headed towards Mahone Bay. We walked around town there and there was a restaurant called "Oh my Cod" that I was thinking I'd love to go to, but I wasn't hungry at all. I often wish I could just eat whenever I felt like it, even if I'm not hungry. Anyway, I walked down and then on my way back, I was walking by that restaurant and the women, Jen and Kerri from BC were waiting for a table. I ended up joining them, wishing I was hungry, but figured I'd just hang out with them. Well, Somehow I became hungry enough to eat a ton of food! We all shared, which was awesome.
Fish tacos, brussel sprouts tacos, and AMAZING lobster chorizo poutine. OMG, it was soooo good.
Jen and Kerri
Both Jen and Kerri didn't like Peggy's Cove much because of all the tourists and I do get that, but I just loved the beauty of it and was able to not be bothered by the tourists. After Mahone Bay, I went to Lunenberg, which I had been told was absolutely amazing and all I needed to see. Well, it was cool, but it didn't feel that amazing to me. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the buildings, but something about it didn't wow me. Maybe it's too big. It's hard to find just the right town/vibe.
I drove back to Mahone Bay as there was a lot on the water (also right on the road) that I could park at. I considered going back to her campground, but didn't want to backtrack that far.
View from a bench where I parked. I didn't have a good view from the van today. There were already 7 RVs/vans there when I got there!
9/11 -
Morning in Mahone Bay
When we left Mahone Bay, we headed to Kejimkujik National Park where we were going to stay for the night. Entering the park, the young whipper snapper asked me (with some very strong accent so I needed her to repeat it a couple of times) "adult or senior". My mental response was, "BITCH!", but sadly I didn't say anything. Senior in Canada seems to be 65+ and I really don't think (HOPE) that I don't look 65. I know it can be really hard to judge ages, but I should have told her that it's best to allow the patron to request the senior discount rather than insulting them!
Jen and Kerri had a change of plans due to a potential strike on Air Canada. They had to change their flights to 6 days later allowing them more time to hang out. After driving around looking at the many available unserviced sites (only in cold weather do I need to plug in), I picked a site that was actually level and big enough for those guys to put their tents. I got firewood too!
Once I picked a site, I went for a hike in an old growth Hemlock forest. It was really quite magical.
Mersey River where I stopped to have some lunch
This Hemlock is 400 years old.
Once I got to the site, I prepared the fire and lit it before they got there, since I wasn't sure. I think they arrived around 7:30 and they had to setup and shower. I ended up wishing we had more wood, but we just went to bed instead. It was fun to have company! And in the morning, I made eggs for breakfast. I probably wouldn't have done it for myself, so it was fun to have a reason to cook. I made 6 eggs with cheese and a few veggies and it looked like nothing when divided up, especially knowing they had a long day of pedaling ahead. It is really hilly in Nova Scotia. Not as bad down here as in Cape Breton, but I'm glad I'm not on a bike!
9/12 - In the AM, after Jen and Kerri packed up, I took a shower and then it was 11 AM already when I was supposed to be off the site. I don't know how strict they are, so I ended up moving the van to a spot by the bathrooms and we took a walk down by the lake.
On the way out of the park we did a walk to Mills Falls on the Mersey River. The water is super reddish/brown with tannins, but clear.
I love the patterns the foam makes
Here you can really see how discolored the water is
Then we went onto Digby, the Scallop capital of the world. Yum!
All those fishing vessels
My yummy scallop lunch
lunch view
I talked with some waitresses about going to Brier Island. One of them had grown up there and highly recommended it and told me of a good place to park for the night, Seal Cove. You have to take 2 ferries to get to the island (free), which run every hour, but are coordinated between the two. I had no problems getting on, but was also there pretty early. Below are my sunset views from the van from Seal Cove. While Zoe and I were walking around a guy in a pickup drove up and we chatted for a while. He was NOT a trump (I love that this doesn't get capitalized! 😁) fan, so we enjoyed sharing our mutual dislike for him and all he stands for. And then another truck with two guys showed up, but left right away. No cell service here, which is good for me. Sadly, I'm way too attached to the internet. Now, granted, I need the internet to figure out hikes, where I'm going to stay, what I should see, etc, so it's not just social media. I also am using Duolingo to learn Spanish and I need a connection for that and I get dinged when I miss my daily practice. It is funny that I'm trying to learn Spanish, which I'm in Canada and I should be working on my French. I mentally practice my French a lot while here and read some of the placards in French.
9/13 - One more car pulled in in the morning, but quickly left. I guess people go out there to be alone?
We hung out out much of the morning, listening to the seals, but not being able to see them due to the heavy fog.
morning view from my window
fog is thinning a bit
She found a cushy spot to sun herself
The seals I had been hearing are out on that tiny spit in the top of the photo. I could hear them loud and clear though!
driving through the town of Westport, only town on Brier Island
We did a hike to Seal Cove, a different Seal Cove, and got some good views of them sunning themselves. It was fun to watch and listen. These photos don't show much of the seals though.
You wouldn't know it, but on those tiny rocks towards the top of the photo are many seals.
So many rugosa roses! And bees. It's amazing how often I got to sniff and find a bee in the flower.
I thought this was cool as there is a very small stream here that seems to have cut this gorge. Maybe it was bigger at some point?
On Long Island, in between the NS mainland and Brier Island, there was a hike to balanced rock. I've seen many of these in my travels and they are always cool, so I figured I'd take the time to do it and catch the next ferry. I was kinda on a schedule to meet up with Jen and Kerri to listen to some music, but figured I had time for this. But because I was short on time, I decided to not bring Zoe. I can more SO much faster without her sniffing and it was warm enough that I thought that might slow her down too. Plus I had read that there were 250 steps (And I confirmed that! LOL!), so didn't want Zoe to have to do that. Again, I felt guilty leaving her behind, but it was a good plan. After I did the hike, I went to the ferry about 25 minutes early. I'm glad I did as it ended up leaving early because it was a full load.
250 steps!!
Including the fallen rocks
I was a bit worried about the angle of the ramp and bottoming out again (1 hour after low tide), but I was good.
I met up with Jen and Kerri at Frank and Dora's for music. Thankfully I got there kinda early as I managed to find a spot to park Big Bertha. I really enjoyed the music (mostly 70s) and had an amazing vanilla soft serve ice cream. Farmers seems to be the brand of choice around here, so I'm going to have to get another. But then again, my waistline is telling me differently... 😞
Great music at Frank and Dora's with Jen and Kerri
Cool place with so many fun antiques. I could have spent tons of time checking out all the relics.
I backtracked and went back to Digby for the night. There is a parking lot on the wharf that I could stay at. The guy who told me that, Frank, who I had met previously near PEI, wasn't there, which I was somewhat grateful for, but it is nice to have other "vanlifers" around when parking in towns. There were some guys making some noise (it was Friday night after all), which made me a bit uncomfortable, so I considered leaving, but I waited them out and they left, so I stayed.
My view
Also my view
9/14 - Morning in Digby. I found a restaurant that supposedly had good breakfast sandwiches, so I was excited to get one and when I was ready, I walked over and they looked closed, but there was an open sign up. Nope, they were closed for the week. This happened another time recently. Boohoo. So I went hungry.
I headed out and drove through Bear River, which didn't end up being worth a stop as far as I could tell and then went to Annapolis Royal. The place was hopping, but I managed to find an end spot (critical in Big Bertha) on the street without too much searching. It is Saturday and there's a farmers market.
Zoe and I were walking around the farmers market and guess who we saw. Yep, Jen and Kerri. I thought that Kejimkujik would be the last time I was them, since I didn't see them the next day in Digby, but then Jen told me about the music and Frank and Dora's and then we crossed paths again here.
View across the river from Annapolis Royal. Apparently this is my only photo from this cute town...
I really liked this town. I liked the vibe. I wonder if I could live here? If t gets elected, I may be looking to move to Canada. I said that last time, but I think this time would be way worse.
Looking for a place to grab a bite in Annapolis Royal, I saw a Poke bowl place and I was psyched for it. Guess what - closed until... 😞 Not my lucky day for my restaurants of choice. I ended up going to a brewery (that allowed dogs) and ordering from the cafe next door.
After leaving Annapolis Royal, we headed towards Wolfville. On the way, I passed a campground with a sign saying Music Festival and I considered stopping. My thoughts were that they'd be book due to the festival and that I had Wolfville on my mind. I waffled for a bit as I drove, but kept driving. About 30 minutes later, I get a text from Jen saying their campground had a music festival going on! It would have been so funny had I stopped there and saw them again. I kinda wish I had, but I guess I was too set on my "plans", such as they are.
I decided to stop at a winery on my way (Wolfeville is wine country).
I forgot to ask what the fabric skirting was for, but when I was driving I noticed other vineyards with brown leaves at the bottom, so maybe this helps with that?
I headed to the spot I planned to park, based on iOverlander, but it was pretty full and pretty tight and also not that flat. Not far away was another lot that appears to be all day parking and there are no no overnight parking signs, so I'm staying here. I'm a bit nervous as I prefer locations that are vetted and have several positive reviews.
I went to the visitor center across the street to use the bathroom and noticed that the handicap bathroom had a shower. I was wondering where I'd get my next shower and now I know! It was clean and warm and perfect! Canada seems to be super inclusive and many of the restrooms are unisex and full facilities without the stalls. Many of the cross walks here are rainbows. I love it! Canada seems so much better at accommodating than the US.
9/15 - Zoe and I took a walk along the path and to a cafe where I got a breakfast sandwich. She was an angel and we chatted with several people while there, which was enjoyable. After walking back to the van and packing up, we left town and headed north. I went to the Grand Pre National Historic Site, but decided against going in. Zoe was tired and I wasn't inspired enough/in the mood to leave her behind, so I skipped it.
We stopped at the Tidal Bore interpretative center, where I could have stayed the night. Timing wasn't good to see the tidal bore and I struggled to decide what to do from there. Stay here, go to Truro, where you can also see the tidal bore, or head onto Shediac, which was recommended as a cute town like Wolfville. I decided to head to Shediac, then plan to go see the tidal bore in Moncton in the AM (predicted time is 8:50 AM). Well, Shediac was a flop. Certainly not a cute town in my book, certainly nothing like Wolfville. I drove out to the Wharf, which is actually in Pointe-de-Chene, but the wharf was crowded with tourists and I just said NO. Being alone among tons of tourists isn't all that fun, so we went for a walk on the rail trail.
Then I got excited about getting some good sushi, but I had a feeling... And yep, they were closed for a vacation... 😢 I ended up grabbing dinner from a Filipino Canadian restaurant with fantastic reviews. The people were super nice, but though the food was plenty, it wasn't fantastic. It was fine. I did takeout and went to a trailhead from iOverlander for the night. A couple of souped up/loud cars came in and did some spinouts (thankfully not pelting my van with gravel) and then left. I heard them driving around the roads nearby for a bit, but it has quieted down now.
9/16 - I set my alarm so that I could get to Moncton to view the Tidal bore (when the tide comes up river). We got there early and walked around. I was super patient with all of Zoe's sniffing as I didn't need to go anywhere. 😆 Because a super moon is full in 2 days, I thought the wave would be bigger than it was, but it was still very cool. This location is 23 miles up river, so it takes a couple of hours before the tide starts to come in with the bore.
How the river looked an hour later
After that I decided to drive to St Martin. I just saw it on the map and thought it might be a good spot. I didn't realize how far it was out of my way, but I decided to stay here.
I had an amazing Caramel Praline ice cream and then a bit later some seafood chowder from an award winning chowder place, though I was skeptical. I loved it! The soup was brothy and thinner than a NE chowder and I much preferred that.
Cute little Oliver. He's losing some hair on his head, so the hat is to protect his skin. 😍
Information center in St Martin. It's all about lighthouses along the coast!
Boats definitely floating
Boats somewhat floating
Boats somewhat grounded
Boats definitely grounded
I find this to be super cool that the boats are on the bottom until the tide comes in enough for them to be taken out.
Selecting her flavor
Zoe stayed in the van while I explored the sea caves. She was tired and didn't like walking on the rocky beach.
Sea caves
Not so comfy spot on the beach
I was going to park at the beach/sea caves parking area, that I could have sworn was a good spot on iOverlander, but then I notice "No Overnight parking" signs and looked again at iOverlander and it was marked as closed. There were other places I could stay for free, but decided to go to a campground, which is nice. My spot is all on my own because they've started closing down these sites, plus it's an unserviced site, which most people, other than tent campers, want.
Big Bertha looking not so big and lonely (😀)
Watching the almost full super moon rise from the van
9/17 -
Morning view from my dirty window in St Martins
I headed to Saint Johns to see the reversing falls. Not super exciting, but still interesting. The falls reverse for high and low tides. I was there at high tide, but all I could see was the falls going the wrong direction - up river.
Reversing Falls in St Johns, BS.
I boondocked at Beaver Harbour and chatted with some locals. It wasn't a great spot for walking a dog, but the views were pretty. Another RV showed up a bit later, for which I was glad.
Fishing boats at Beaver Harbor
Moonrise - supermoon
Moon
9/18 -
Sunrise
Kingsbrae Gardens in St Andrews, BC. I'm glad I went and it was great that Zoe could come too. Not many gardens allow dogs, so I wasn't expecting that she could come along. I did a first pass without her since it was sunny and I knew she'd be slow and get tired. Then I went back in with her for a bit more exploring.
Repurposed Maple syrup buckets, which I bet aren't used much these days.
Perennial garden, which was the highlight for me.
I loved the bits or artwork
lily pads
I wish I could carry the scent of these here. They smelled so good, but I couldn't describe it.
Zoe checking out the little play houses
After the gardens, we went to a park in St Andrews on the water and hung out. Zoe laid in the sun while I sat in the shade and read my book for a bit. I considered staying in St Andrews for another night, but decided I had to just get the border crossing over with.
Crossed the border in Calais, ME. Easy peasy! The guy was super nice. I think he was alone. I guess there is more than one crossing in Calais because Google was trying to send me one way, but I followed signs to Calais and US border. It was a small crossing. The only question he asked me was if I had anything of significant value. He said he had to look in the van, which made me groan, but all he did was climb in and open the garage door. No questions about cannabis products or alcohol or food or anything. I had Zoe's cbd oil out in case, but I was ready to argue with them about taking it from me. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that.
So, now that I'm back in the USA, I'll sign off and move onto my next post.
