Nova Scotia: A Place to Call Home

Local Church, Guysborough

Glenora Inn

A Home on Cape Breton Island

Corner House - Fortress of Louisbourg

 

Grass Roof Hut - Fortress of Louisbourg

There is a peaceful quality to Nova Scotia that makes you feel right at home. We happen to be spending more time than usual at home this year, but thankfully we shared wonderful memories in Nova Scotia last year to keep me inspired. This selection of photographs were taken as we circumnavigated Cape Breton Island. They include homes, churches, hotels, and historical landmarks all along the way. A land high on beauty, and low on crowds, made Cape Breton Island on Nova Scotia a huge crowd-pleaser for the whole family! Our friends at Authentic Seacoast Resorts are the experts on traveling in Atlantic Canada - look them up if you are curious!

3 Travel Secrets: Unforgettable Moments in Nova Scotia

We took the family to Nova Scotia in July. Little did I know then how much these scenes would stay with me, even several months later. For our trip we landed in Halifax and drove up and around Cape Breton Island.

Cate at Caffinated Traveler tagged me the other day in a game of Blog Tag, initiated by Katie at Tripbase. Here are my 3 travel secrets to share, all focused on Nova Scotia:

1) Nova Scotia is breathtaking, uncrowded, friendly, and well suited for family travel. Consider putting it on your travel destination wish list!

2) Linger at the Glenora Inn and nearby regions of Mabou. It's magical there - the beaches, the nature walks, and the forests.

3) Drive the Cabot Trail, one of the most scenic drives in North America.

Thanks Cate & Katie for such a fun idea of "cyber tag", and to the folks at @authenticcoast for representing this best kept secret.

OK, who can I tag next? Watch out, here I come!

Boats of Nova Scotia

There was so much peace driving the coastlines of Nova Scotia up and around Cape Breton Island. This simple scene is one of my favorite shots of the trip, and stays with me even far away back home in California. Here is a wider angle view, plus some shots up and down the inlet. One of the boat owners showed us the starfish on the pier posts, proof it was saltwater from the ocean even though it was so protected and calm.









For more scenic delights head over to Photo Friday! Enjoy your August!

The Price You Pay

Sure, you can have it all. You want to venture out into the world, so you decide to bring them along. First thing you do is train them. Carrying your bags is a great example of added value.


Then you teach them how to amuse themselves in an airport, and on the airplane, and you think, man, I'm good.




Then you laugh at all of those people in the customs line, NOT eating Goldfish crackers or playing a jolly game of tag. You see, right about now, the world is your oyster.


For a few moments, they even play the part, like little pretend explorers.


But all along, they had a plan. And their plan is very good. And you realize that your kids are smart - sometimes even smarter than you.


These little troopers have lasted more than 1/2 way through the summer with me, and they are still going strong. Hats off to you, kids, for putting up with us. And another, baby-hat-off to the Little Delicious Baby who made it all the way to Chicago as a newborn! Great to meet you in person Debbie, your Photo Friday program is the way to go!

A Little Bit of History

Whether it was viewing the Tall Ships in Halifax Harbour,


or walking through a coal miner family's home of the early 1900's,


or gazing at the industrial mechanics of the mining industry's beginnings,


or stomping around the Fortress of Louisbourg, North America's largest historic reconstruction of the French colonial town that endured British sieges in the 1700's,


or eating at a restaurant with a menu from the 18th century,


or relaxing in Justice W.F. Desbarres' elegant manor, a Canadian landowner who helped put the Maritimes on the Map,



...traveling with a bit of history helps you realize what it might have been like to discover and endure new frontiers.

I wonder what defines this century in terms of new frontiers. Facebook, Twitter, and iPhones? That would be odd, if next time I visited Nova Scotia, I went with my grandkids, who later blogged about the first social media networks and how it made so many people nuts. But hey, I won't knock it, without social media, I may not have gotten the idea to go travel here in the first place! Thanks again Doug and Audrey, for proposing such a great destination and itinerary!

Oh, What a View!

Vistas from the Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island.



The greenery!



The coastline!



The backseat!



The forced creativity.



The compromise.

Whale Watching with Kids

So you think to yourself...a three hour boat ride? No problem. The kids have just been fed, whale watching is a highlight of this area, so, let's go for it!

Then you realize, just how 'into it' they really are.


I mean, it's beautiful scenery and everything...


But it sure is taking a LONG time to see those whales...


OH MY GOSH! I see it!


Then, it kind of all makes sense, even though it was more like five hours. Instead of remembering the time it took, and how cold and hungry you were on the boat, you focus on these awesome creatures up close. The special bonus is witnessing the magic in your child's eyes as they see this spectacle for the first time. Thank you to the fin whales of Cape Breton Island! I would have taken a photo of you, but I was so excited myself, that I was jumping around like a lunatic saying "DID YOU SEE THAT?" and ended up actually forgetting about the camera for a moment. Life should have more of those moments, actually.

EDITOR'S NOTE: my mother read this post and was disappointed about the lack of whale photo. So I searched Google and found an image close to what we saw from the boat. Here you go Mom!

Sea Glass

One of our goals in Nova Scotia was to see how many pieces of sea glass we could find on beautiful, deserted beaches, while building sand castles. We worked pretty hard, found some crazy beautiful beaches, and - well, see for yourself!

Once Upon a Time

Day three in Nova Scotia made me resourceful. Just as the kids were wondering why we turned onto a gravel road instead of heading to breakfast, we quickly determined that we were trying to look for some highland fairies. Would you believe, we actually FOUND some?







Oh right. This is Snow White's cottage, actually. Talking about Snow White bought us another 10 minutes of peace and happy inquisition from the backseat. But you know, driving away from our little detour near Mabou, I figured maybe believing in fairies isn't so crazy after all.

Braving the Bay of Fundy

Day two in Nova Scotia surprised us with a glimpse of the Bay of Fundy, the location of the highest claimed tides in the world. Following the signs to the 'tidal bore' near Truro, we kept driving to the end of an old farm road, towards the shore. Here we are heading down the overgrown path, hoping to find the bay...


We see the BAY!


We trek around the rocks - geology in ACTION!


My husband? What is he DOING?


Oh, he must be roaring. He just found the Bay of Fundy, after all!