Day 23 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Tuesday June 27, 2017, we had a “free day” with a few suggestions. We took a self-guided driving tour of Mahone Bay and Lunenburg. 

I say self-guided, but we had a “cart” master … Lyle and his beautiful bride Judy. They were on the Maritimes trip nine years ago and had some knowledge of what to do and see!

Mahone Bay, as their slogan says, has been a treasure since 1754. It boasts simple, but extraordinary quality of life. The area is noted for its outstanding natural beauty, which was evident on the road we drove into the town on!

Oh the lore of days of yore. Mahone Bay, a treasure where Pirates and privateers lived the stuff of which modern movies are made. The word "mahone" is derived from a French term for the speedy low-lying craft used by pirates to stash their booty and escape the authorities.

It was the British, though, who colonized the area in 1753 and brought European settlers to the lands of what is present day Lunenburg County. These hardy Protestant settlers, from Germany and Switzerland, farmed large plots of land in an area that was better suited for more marine-like endeavors. As time unfolded, and with true Germanic zest, Mahone Bay became known for its fine ship building yards and fishing fleets.

Mahone Bay is a superb example of a town that has evolved with the centuries. Throughout the town, well maintained, century-old houses and buildings bear witness to the founders' legacy. Many are now Bed & Breakfasts, art studios, artisans' shops and eclectic boutiques, restaurants and cafés, all embracing that spirit of quality workmanship and service.

There were some cute ducks in the harbor. They were not afraid of us and they were very photogenic! I did some research and I think they are Common Merganser, also called a Goosander.

It is a vibrant seaside town with a view of the iconic three churches of Mahone Bay. Trinity United Church, the first of the three churches you encounter when entering the town, was formerly Knox Presbyterian. The church was built in 1861 behind the present location. In 1885 it was moved by teams of oxen to Edgewater Drive. St. John's Lutheran Church (the middle church) was organized in 1864. The existing building dates from 1903. 

In 1887 St James Anglican Church, built in High Victorian Gothic Revival style, completed the famous trio. The lighted steeple of St James, a beacon for returning seafarers, can be seen from the entrance to Mahone Bay Harbor. These distinctive churches that cast their shadows on the tranquil waters of the harbor are one of the most photographed scenes in Nova Scotia.

Before UNESCO, before Lunenburg, and long before Canada was founded in 1867, the area of Lunenburg was Merligueche. Named by the native Mi’kmaq people, the shores of this ‘milky bay’ provided safe harbor where they found seasonal shelter and gathered clams. As time went by, French and English came, but the mainly German speaking Lutherans, with a strong work ethic, stayed. If you think the name Lunenburg sounds German, you’re not wrong. The town of Lunenburg, Germany lies in Lower Saxony but Lunenburg is not named for their homeland. Yes, their forefathers were largely German but came from a very different region. It is actually named after George II, who was the King of England at the time Lunenburg was settled. What is the connection? Being of the house of Hanover, he was also titled Duke of Braunsweig-Lunenburg. Get the connection? Since it is the only original German settlement in Nova Scotia, it is fitting.

Old Town Lunenburg was established in 1753 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are only three urban World Heritage Sites in North America. In 1995 the United Nations recognized Lunenburg for its fine preservation of Old Town, for having the best surviving example of British Colonial grid-pattern street layout, and for its authenticity as a working town. The inhabitants have managed to safeguard the city's identity throughout the centuries by preserving the wooden architecture of the houses, some of which date from the 18th century. The entire 48 blocks of old town Lunenburg is also a National Historic District.

We found parking for all three cars, close together ... which was a big surprise! We walked down the steep hill, the streets remind me more of San Francisco than Canada ... Lunch at Grand Banker Bar & Grill. There were 12 of us, so we had to take two tables of six. Every building is painted very bright colors and the restaurant was not different. It overlooked the wharf and had rooms to rent above it.

I had to take this picture at lunch, it shows our two Charlies ... and our server was Charlie ... that makes three of a kind!

After lunch, we checked out a few of the ships in port and all the motor-less carriages available to rent for tours.

We also purchased admissions to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. We toured their newest exhibit “First Fishers.” It allowed us to explore the history of the Atlantic Canadian fishery from the earliest days of the Mi’kmaq, native people, to today.

We met a model ship builder and watched him work in the Ship Model Shop. The ship he was currently working on has been “under construction” for 18 months! Not a quick job!  Volunteers from the South Shore Ship Modeler’s Guild. Our ship builder is part of this group and are on hand to demonstrate their skills to us. The modelers build a variety of vessel styles, including schooners and other traditional craft. The South Shore Ship Modeler’s Guild has their regular monthly meeting at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

The “kids” played with the sea creatures in the interactive tank. There were starfish, shell fish, crabs and a few fish!

We saw exhibits about rum-running, the August gales, and of course, Whales. We were able to view, lobsters, flounder, cod and more in the aquariums, too. 

Fiber Arts were proudly displayed at this museum as well, be sure to look closely at the quilt ... 

There are names and dates hand stitched into the quilt. Amazing!

A copy of the note found with the quilt.

When we headed back to Kong Neptune, we saw lupines along the lake shore.

We enjoyed another glorious night with friends, new and old, and of course .... a sunset.

Day 22 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Monday June 26, 2017, we departed our overnight stop at Scotia Pines. The sole purpose of our stop here was to see the tidal bore … boy oh boy, was it worth it! The campground provided us all pull thru sites and exclusive use of the pavilion. 

We got back onto Highway 102 West.

We passed through the Town of Stewiacke. In the 1900’s the chief of the Micmac’s at Millbrook said the native name for this place was pronounced “Ah-seed-ee-a-waac” which means “place where the sands move” which then slurred to “Stew-aack” then pronounced as we pronounce it today. Waterways were the main means of travel for long distances or transporting heavy loads until the late eighteenth century. For the ones who traveled on foot, the Micmac trails followed the ways making detours to important places. The trails were given a name “Green Road”. The Trail was due north from where the present highways now crosses Main Street to the river. The “Holesworth” house was built in 1839, which is the oldest standing house. Their most recent claim to fame is they are halfway between the equator and the north pole ... in theory, their weather should be perfect!

For the first time in our travels, we have noticed lots of farms in Nova Scotia. 

Today, we saw a hard working farmer and his or her farm hands cutting and turning hay.

We caught a glimpse of a little bit of home today, there were Osprey nests on the top of power poles.

East Hants has a roadway sign, but it is not really a tow. Officially named the Municipality of the District of East Hants, is a municipal district. With its administrative seat in Elmsdale, the district municipality occupies the Minas Basin, sharing this boundary with the Municipality of the District of West Hants. It was made in 1861 from the former townships of Uniacke, Rawdon, Douglas, Walton, Shubenacadie and Maitland. Its most settled area is in the Shubenacadie Valley.

I love to see old barns, this one was being used for advertising

Entering the Municipality of Halifax, the Shubenacadie Valley. It hosts a diversified agricultural economy and is also experiencing suburban sprawl, given its location in the Halifax-Truro transportation corridor. 

The Shubenacadie Canal was originally surveyed by William Owen in 1767 which lead to the proposal of the canal 30 years later. The government of Nova Scotia commissioned Owen to follow the Shubenacadie waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to Cobequid Bay. 

The Shubenacadie Canal was envisioned to facilitate transportation between Halifax and the agricultural, timber and coal producing areas of northern Nova Scotia and the Annapolis Valley. Construction was started in 1826 by the Shubenacadie Canal Co. which went bankrupt in 1831. Several Scottish and Irish stonemasons had immigrated to Nova Scotia to work on the project but were left stranded in the colony with few resources after the project had halted. Construction started again in 1854 under the Inland Navigation Company. The new company altered the original British stonework lock designs to use more inexpensive North American stone and wooden construction. Steam boats and barges began to use the canal in 1856 and the entire system was completed by 1861. The canal enjoyed a few years of healthy traffic especially during the Waverley gold rushes of the 1860s. However the canal company showed little profit and experienced many problems relating to frigid winters which damaged the locks linking the freshwater lakes. A final blow was a takeover by the Town of Dartmouth of the Dartmouth Lakes for the city's water supply which ended canal operations in 1871.

Hwy 103, Exit 5 is the Lighthouse Route. Traveling along the Lighthouse Route, can to get out and explore, seaside towns like Peggy’s Cove, Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg! We will be visiting all of these charming towns. Notice the cute plaid at the bottom of the road sign. They are very proud of their heritage here!

We were on Highway 213, for a mile or so … then we turned onto St Margaret's Bay Road, Route 3. We skirted the bay as we meandered down the road. 

Driving along this road was reminiscent of driving along a less populated Finger Lake, with houses across the road from the lake.

We arrived at King Neptune Campground Campground, the first sights of the cove that would be our home for the next three nights was breathtaking!

Jackie and I had to climb down the rocks and put our toes in the water ... it was not tooooooooo cold!

We stopped at the Swiss Air 111 Memorial. It is located on Route 333 on the western side of the Preservation Area. On Sept. 2, 1998, anyone near the coast felt their homes tremble as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 passenger plane, Swissair Flight 111, bound for Geneva, Switzerland crashed into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a few miles off the shore of Peggy’s Cove. All 229 people on board were killed. 

Though only four Canadians were killed on the flight, the crash of Swissair 111 had an enduring impact on Canada. The flight took off from JFK airport and then began to fly over the Atlantic Ocean, but a little less than an hour into the flight the crew noticed smoke and issued the international urgency signal. 
They were cleared to proceed to the airport in Halifax but crashed in the relatively shallow water. Remains of many who were aboard Swissair 111, are buried at a monument near Peggy’s Cove. The recovery effort retrieved 98 per cent of the aircraft which was then painstakingly pieced back together to aid in the official investigation of the crash. Lost cargo from the flight included currency, diamonds, jewelry and Pablo Picasso's The Painter. At the time, the painting's value was estimated at $1.5 million.

Along the road to Peggy’s Cove, moss and lichens creep across a barren landscape peppered by huge boulders called “Erratic Rocks.” Glaciers shaped the land thousands of years ago. Ancient boulders, some weighing many tons, were left behind and are scattered along the coast. Crashing waves batter the rocky shoreline as soaring gulls cry overhead.

Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on smooth bedrock granite facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community. Who is Peggy? According to local folklore, the village was named after the lone survivor of a schooner that sank here in 1800. Or it might simply be named after any Peggy from St Margaret’s Bay.

The village’s most famous resident was renowned painter and sculptor, William deGarthe. He was a Finnish artist who carved a memorial to the courage of the local fishermen. The sculpture covers a 30 meter granite outcrop and depicts St Michael, several fishermen, their wives and children. The Fisherman’s Monument is located beside the deGathe home, in the village. There is a gallery there now, too.

Amid the unforgiving landscape, the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse endures. Nestled in a blanket of mist or bathed in bright sunlight, this iconic white and red beacon is a must see. The lighthouse clings to the edge of sea smoothed rocks, which visitors scramble over each and every day. Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is one of Nov Scotia’s most well-known lighthouses and may be the most photographed in Canada. Located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915.

We enjoyed an evening of entertainment at King Neptune Campground. It was a "pass the hat" musical event by the Saunders Brothers. The Saunders Brothers Show was a knee-slapping, hand-clapping, fun time.  It was an interactive comedy kitchen party, including unique, audience interactive versions of East Coast classics, plus a number of salty originals, sprinkled with a generous dose of comedy.  They had Yankee RV Caravaneers, playing the spoons, grunting like a pirate, scratching a wooden toad, scratching a washboard tie, shaking a tambourine, playing the "ugly stick" and singing along with the fun!

An evening would not be complete, without the sunset!