Day 10 (Aug. 11) - North Sydney to Channel - Port aux Basque, Newfoundland

Today, Michele's niece Amelia turns four years old! We love you, Amelia!

We woke up at 7am and sat down at the owner's beautiful breakfast table at 8am. There were two other couples that joined us for breakfast. Both couples were from Toronto but they didn't know each other. Cheryl's breakfast menu was an egg casserole, pancakes, fresh fruit and yogurt parfait, and scones with a homemade berry jam from Newfoundland. She used all her fancy china and glassware at the table, and even had tiny dishes to hold a sliver of butter. 

We finished breakfast and chatting by 8:45am and had the car packed and ready for check-out by 9am so we could be early in line for the ferry to Newfoundland. Michele went to check out and discovered that Cheryl only accepts cash! Fortunately we had just enough Canadian dollars to cover the night’s stay. That was a surprise to us. Looking back at the hotel booking information on Expedia, the site says “this property accepts cash.” Well, it seems an important word is missing from that statement, don’t you agree? 

Before we got on the ferry, we popped over to the same area where we got dinner last night in order to run a few errands. We stopped at a gas station to get ice for the cooler, then visited Scotiabank’s ATM to refresh our Canadian dollar supply (thank goodness it accepted our ATM card), and finally at a Subway to get lunch that we would eat later on the ship. 

A short two miles later we arrived at the ferry loading area. We lined up with all the other vehicles waiting to go to Newfoundland.  

We arrived at 9:45am and the departure time was scheduled for 12:15 so we rolled down the windows, turned off the car and waited. Michele checked Marine Atlantic's website and noticed that our ship was delayed to 1pm. There was weather the day before that delayed all other ships in and out.

Michele saw a Leisure Travel Van Unity RV in line two lanes across from us, a model that we are considering someday. Oversized vehicles line up in separate lanes from cars as they are loaded into the bottom of the ship to help with weight distribution on the ferry. Michele saw the driver was standing outside of the RV so she went over and asked him how he likes his LTV. He was very enthusiastic. The man and Rob talked about batteries, suspension and weight limits. Michele and his wife talked about what it's like to drive it. She was a school bus driver in the past so she said it was an easy transition for her. She said she and her husband have a little rule when they switch driving. The passenger must "zip it" and not tell the driver how to drive! The couple was from Duluth, MN and had just retired in August 2022, and all three kids are adults out of the house. They sold their house in MN, moved to Florida and bought this RV to travel around the US and Canada visiting the national parks. We spoke for about an hour. They were friendly and readily shared their travel experiences over the past four months that they have owned the RV. 

The lines began moving so we had to say a quick goodbye. We couldn't figure out the rationale for what lines got to go first. It seemed that getting there early didn't get you on the ship early! We drove onto the ferry and parked in the bottom of the ship with a mix of cars, RVs, and 18-wheelers on deck 3. 

We took out the cooler and Michele’s backpack and headed up to deck 8 to find our room. Our room was nice with two single beds, a private bathroom, small table, and a TV. This appeared much nicer than sitting on the lower decks in the lounge chairs with everyone else. It was very quiet although we could occasionally hear crying babies and little kids briefly having temper tantrums in the hallway. Many people brought their dogs of all sizes on board, but we never heard them bark.

The ship departed on time at 12:15pm. We ate our packed lunch and settled in for the six hour crossing on the Cabot Straight. 

The winds were not too strong and the sea was fairly smooth. There were a few rollers when the wind shifted, but for the most part it was a gentle ride. We watched movies on the room's TV and relaxed for the day on the room beds. 

These seagulls were flying the same speed as the ship outside our window.

We could see the first glimpses of Newfoundland about an hour and a half from shore. We got notices an hour before and 30 minutes before arrival. In port, the captain did a 360 so we were situated by the exit ramps in the right direction to drive our cars forward and out.

Upon arrival in Newfoundland, the time zone changed to 30 minutes ahead. Isn't that funny? We had been on Atlantic Time in Nova Scotia which is 1 hour ahead of Eastern. Once we were told we could walk down to our car, we left along with everybody else at the same time. In under 10 minutes we were back at our car, and waited in it about 15 minutes before we could drive off the ship. It was pretty efficient. 

Our hotel for the night was just a 5 minute drive from the port, and along the way we were welcomed into Newfoundland. It is known as the Rock.

 

This was our ship, the Marine Atlantic Blue Puttees. 

We checked in to our hotel and then drove over to grab a burger for takeout. While waiting, Rob struck up a conversation with a local named Beatrice. She is almost 73 and used to be a dietary supervisor at the hospital for her career. Michele talked to the girl at the register who is from Wales. She had a lot of opinions about Irish and British people! Sbe warned us about the Wreckhouse here in Newfoundland, just 15 or so minutes up the road on our route tomorrow. This is a stretch of highway that can get winds up to 100mph! Enough that it topples over anything driving through it. She warned us to check the wind our whole time here. Yikes! Beatrice didn't seem as concerned saying you just drive slower. 

Newfoundlanders have their own dialect of English called Newfinese born from early English, French and Irish settlers. Maybe we'll learn a few phrases during our stay.

Tomorrow we start our Newfoundland adventure and make our way up to Rocky Harbour. 

 

Day 09 (Aug. 10) - Halifax to North Sydney, Nova Scotia

Our room was quiet all night despite being close to the front desk and a pub out our back window. We had a quick breakfast at the hotel early then left on time at 8am. Being in the car, we are noticing that our planned route and arrival times are usually ahead of schedule. We don't need as many fuel stops or breaks compared to being on the bike. Speaking of fuel, in Canada it costs $7 a gallon! They measure in litres, but the conversion is a bad surprise each time we fill up. 

As we were getting ready to go, Rob fired up the GPS and noticed a toll bridge across the bay. The toll was only $1.25 and saved us 20 miles, so we splurged and drove across the bridge. Two large ships were sitting in front of that bridge.

Our route took us along the coast the entire day. It was 68-70 degrees today with heavy clouds. We had a pleasant and scenic drive for 115 miles. There were many coves and small islands along the way. 

We had two lunch options on the route today. We planned for an early and late lunch option since we would be in somewhat rural areas, and weren't sure where we'd be when we got hungry. At 11am Michele was hungry so we took the early lunch option in Sherbrooke at Beanie's Bistro. It was a charming place and had many choices. Michele caught Rob by surprise with this photo. Say cheese!

A fluffy local cat was prowling about. 

After lunch we continued along Highway 7 (a.k.a the Marine Drive) then turned towards Cape Breton Island. The main highways are in very good condition, it's clear that's where the money is spent. The secondary roads are kind of terrible, with potholes within potholes and many patches. Despite the bumpy roads, the scenery was spectacular today even in cloudy conditions.

This boat has a sinking feeling...

As we approached the Island of Cape Breton, we had to cross a causeway and then pass over a bridge. You can see the bridge in the distance below.

As we rounded the curve and onto the causeway, we saw this ship. We are unsure its purpose but it looked commanding in this port. 

As we drove through Cape Breton, we ran into a light rain and occasional heavy drizzle.

Once in North Sydney, our destination for the night, we topped off with gas and Rob noticed there was a touchless car wash at the station. We took advantage of this service, opting for the Deluxe Wash to clean off the 2,200 miles of grime we’ve accumulated on the trip so far. No longer embarrassed by our dusty and muddy car, we drove just a few minutes to our B&B. We met the owner and quickly checked in so we could do laundry a few blocks away before the laundromat closed at 5:45pm.

A war memorial was in front of our laundromat honoring those that had fallen in the Battle of the Atlantic, the Gulf War, and Afghanistan. Rob wondered why the Union Jack was flying at the memorial along with the Canadian and Nova Scotia flags. He googled and learned that Canada wasn’t legislatively separate from the UK until 1931 and only adopted the current national flag in 1965.

We finished our laundry at about 5:15 pm. Alexandra's Pizza was a block away so we drove over to get takeout. Our B&B room has a private enclosed porch with a table, so we wanted to make use of it since we're only here for a night. We enjoyed pizza and salad overlooking the owner's beautiful garden, while catching up on highlights of the Women's World Cup. 

The B&B owner has an extensive collection of depression glass and art glass. She could open her own antique shop or a museum. She must like dusting because everything was spotless and beautifully displayed. 

This is the enclosed porch with our dinner waiting. 

After dinner we relaxed in our room, watched a movie and a Women's World Cup quarterfinal. Total mileage today was 285 miles. Tomorrow we depart for Newfoundland via the ferry, hopefully on time if the weather is good. 

Day 08 (Aug. 9) - Annapolis Royal to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Rob took a few pictures of the house and front garden this morning before breakfast. Can you spot who is peeking from a window?

Here's a close up of the 2nd floor window, second from the left.

Here's a look at the riverside garden in front of the B&B. Guests can sit out here and watch the tide roll in/out. This is where we watched the fireworks with the new friends we met from Edmonton.

This morning just the nice couple from Massachusetts remained, so our host Suzan joined us at the breakfast table. We asked about her travels to Spain and she revealed that she has done the 500 mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage eight times! She walks the entire route herself and meets people doing the same along the way. She's learned that going in the fall is much better weather-wise, as a portion of the route hikes up and over the Pyrenees! If she is tired, she gets a hotel and stays an extra day or two and eats at very good restaurants. We were all amazed by her bravery and agreed it's not for us. 

We chatted until 10am and had to hit the road since we were behind schedule for the day. Halifax is only 128 miles from Annapolis Royal via the direct route (cutting across the interior of Nova Scotia). We chose to go the long way to Halifax following the coastline which put our mileage for the day around 320 miles. The skies were cloudy and it started to rain 45 minutes after we set off. We had heavy fog at times, then moments of clearing to see rivers and inlets. 

Leaving Annapolis Royal, we headed south towards Digby following the Nova Scotia coastline, then onward around the southeastern portion to Yarmouth. We continued on to Barrington where we turned east and made our way towards Lunenburg. This colorful tourist town was bustling with people, tons of shops and an interesting waterfront. 

It was crowded and hard to find parking. Where we planned to have lunch had a line out the door so we stopped at Subway for a quicker meal, it was already about 2pm at this point. 

Next on the agenda was a stop at Peggy's Cove, a famous lighthouse and lookout point. It was windy and cold so we made quick work of taking pictures.

It was just an hour to get to Halifax from Peggy's Cove. Due to road construction we had to retrace our route taking 333 south back to 103. This added about 20 minutes. We found our hotel and got situated, then walked to dinner at the Brown Hound, an English Pub. After dinner, we walked around Halifax a bit. The art museum had cool architecture.

A big ship in the harbour had gigantic pipelines onboard. We wondered for what purpose might these be used? 

We walked up to the Halifax Citadel, an important naval coastal fortification built in 1749. It was closed but we could walk the perimeter, read the informational signs and look at the city from high above. Here is the Old Clock Tower that sits just below the Citadel.

Tomorrow we head north to North Sydney. 

Day 07 (Aug. 8) - Annapolis Royal Day 4, Kejimkujik National Park

Michele awoke and told Rob that she felt anxious about the kayaking trip today. Could she paddle for several hours? Would she be able to balance in the boat? Would her iPhone get wet? Rob had no such fears and was excited for this new experience for us both. 

We had another amazing breakfast from Suzan. Scones, cakes, and a baked spanish egg dish that she adapted from her travels in Spain. A new couple arrived from Massachusetts and they also travel extensively. Their top trips were Croatia, Slovenia and river cruises. The Halifax couple recommended Bruges in Belgium, especially staying at the Imperial Hotel and eating at the hotel restaurant. They said it's best done in two days as you can see everything in that amount of time. 

After breakfast we made a quick stop at the local grocery store to refresh the ice in our cooler. We then continued on to Kejimkujik National Park and made our way to the kayak rental place with the goal of arriving before 11am to get a rental. We arrived at 10:30am and they had plenty available for us, but wanted us to be sure we were aware of the day's wind conditions before renting. The area consists of the Mersey River that flows right in front of the rental building and into Kejimkujik Lake. We were told that although the winds were delicate at 11am, they were expected to increase a lot during our 4-hour kayak rental period, to the point where it would make paddling on the lake portion difficult and not recommended. We're not sure they wanted us to even go to the lake, but rather stay in the river, which looked to be a tiny portion of the waterproof map loaned to us. 

We signed all the waivers and suited up in our life jackets. Rob jumped in his canoe and pushed himself off into the river. Michele sat in hers and tried to push off but it wasn't moving. A nice man came over to push her in. We decided to head out to see the lake first, before the wind got stronger, and then we would figure out where to paddle next. 

Soon after we left, Rob spotted a loon! He was able to get up close and snap a few pictures.

Michele said she moved much more efficiently once she realized the correct direction of her paddles, as she had been holding them backwards. We paddled about 20-30 minutes in calm waters to the mouth of the river. Ahead we saw Ritchie Island, one of many islands sprinkled about the lake. It is the land mass in the left of this photo, in the distance. This is when the wind started picking up.

Michele wanted to make it to the island. It was definitely a fight against the wind. Rob said a few waves splashed a little in his kayak. Nearby, a family was smoothly canoeing in the same direction. They had a small child and a girl about 6-7 years. Michele heard the older girl say "I want to stay here forever. This is the best day of my life in a boat!" She obviously loved the adventure and her enthusiasm gave Michele motivation to press on against the wind. 

Despite the wind against us, the temps were so pleasant with mostly cloudy skies. Within the first hour we arrived at the island. Ritchie Island is one of the larger ones where you can land on it and camp or have a picnic. That family was having a picnic somewhere on the island once we got there as we could see their canoe on the shore. We then decided to paddle around the entire island. Around the back side the wind was worse, but once we got around the point and started paddling with the wind, our efforts eased. With that accomplishment, we turned back towards the river and into calmer waters. It took us half the time to get back to the river as it did crossing the lake.

At that point it was only 1pm, so we'd already been out for two hours. We were amazed how fast the time went. We decided to explore the river further. We saw lily pads and flowers, four very relaxed ducks and a handsome turtle. Since the river was protected from the wind, paddling was easy and it was incredibly peaceful. We could relax and let the current carry us if we wanted to. Had we known, we could have spent the entire four hours just on the river, as every bend and little inlet had something interesting to see. 

This is one of four American Black Ducks that Rob got very close to. They softly quacked as they poked around in the grassy and boggy banks looking for food.

We think this an Eastern Painted turtle. Rob looked it up and learned it is the most common and colorful turtle in Nova Scotia, as well as the most widespread in eastern North America. It is one of the few specially adapted to freezing temperatures due to an anti-freeze like substance in their blood. Fossils show it existed 15 million years ago!

We came upon a nice couple in a canoe and chatted with them for 30 minutes as we all paddled down the river. They are from England and just moved to Canada. That's them in the canoe ahead of Rob, before we met them.

They recently sold everything, quit their jobs, and bought a truck camper to travel across Canada to decide where they want to live. They just visited Newfoundland and Cape Breton, where we'll go later in our trip, and loved it. They were very kind and offered us recommendations on what to do in those locations. Such as, seeing whales at sunrise and a location that has puffins! We could tell how much they enjoyed their travels and appreciated the beauty of the places they visited. We said goodbye and paddled around a bit more to use up our rental time. Michele overheard a lady telling her friends to not wait up as she didn't know what she was doing, she was "zig-zagging all over." Michele recognized the look on her face and told her that she herself was terrible the first hour, but now it was so much easier. The lady said, "Thank goodness, now I have some hope." 

We also saw a couple of river goers with their dogs onboard. One man was on a paddle board with a black Labrador that was proudly sitting on the bow taking in the sights. Another couple each had a smaller dog on the front of their kayaks. Each dog had little flotation vests. One jumped in the water and was swimming around on his leash for a few minutes before he climbed back on the kayak. Michele told the owners how cute and well behaved their little sailors were. One of the owners replied, "You haven't been properly introduced yet!" 

Back at the rental spot, Rob didn't want to get his shoes wet while getting out of the kayak, so he picked up speed and rammed himself up onto the gravel shore. That worked! He helped Michele and pulled her kayak up and out of the water so she could easily step out.

The place was busy when we returned with many folks coming in and going out.

What a fun adventure! Michele admits that in the beginning, and especially battling the wind getting to the island, she was dubious about this sport. Rob said the island portion wasn't relaxing to him either, but it was good to see the island and experience the difference between the lake and river. Once we got back over to the river and started exploring it at a more leisurely tempo, we had much more fun. 

Initially, we planned to eat lunch either at the island or in our kayaks. Neither happened, we were too busy paddling. We ate a late lunch at the picnic tables at the rental location. The couple from England stopped by and we talked for another 30 minutes. They hope to make it to Banff before winter so they can get temporary jobs to help fund their new life on the road. They also someday want to make it up to the Northern Territories, Yukon, and Alaska. 

With that adventure done, we made the 50km drive (about 45 minutes) back to the hotel, caught dinner in town, and started packing up for our drive around the southern portion of Nova Scotia tomorrow on our way to Halifax. 

Our time in Annapolis Royal was as perfect as it could be. We loved our accommodations and breakfasts with Suzan, we made new friends, saw beautiful gardens, learned about the indigenous Mi'kmaq people and local history, enjoyed fireworks, hiked in a new national park and kayaked for the first time. We lucked out with the weather in the low to mid 70s every day. We highly recommend this itinerary to anyone and would do it again ourselves.

Day 06 (Aug. 7) - Annapolis Royal Day 3, Kejimkujik National Park

A new couple joined us for breakfast this morning. They just moved back to Halifax from Austin, TX where they lived for three years. She was born in this town and they wanted to visit again. The four friends that we met yesterday who are traveling together were leaving today to ultimately end up at Prince Edward Island. Suzan served us homemade breakfast cake, homemade scones and blueberry jam, a first course of blueberries with cherry yogurt, and then a big slice of a spinach feta frittata. Like yesterday we all talked and told stories about our travels. At one point the retired teacher, Deanna, told Rob that she loves his laugh and wants to bottle it up! We exchanged our contact info with them, hopefully our paths will cross again. 

Lucy was chilling out in the hallway as we left.

Today we planned to visit Kejimkujik National Park, about 45 minutes away, to go hiking. We arrived at 11am and stopped at the Visitor's Center to get a trail map. Two trails connected and left from that location, Mill Falls and Beech Grove. They were about 4.4km total round trip. On our way, we soon arrived at the waterfalls. The Mersey River is the color of tea due to it flowing through bogs. The rocks were really cool to look at and walk across.

We picked up the Beech Grove trail and had a nice walk through the woods. The trail also provided additional glimpses of the river. 

This park has a large concentration of old and new growth hemlocks, which is apparently rare. We decided to do the 5km Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail next, which was a short drive away. The park rangers were recommending it to everyone who asked about hiking as a highlight of the park. We had the trail mostly to ourselves the entire time. 

Michele saw this little mushroom and moss scene and thought it looked cute, like a fairy house. Anybody home?

We were able to catch a picture of two creatures we saw along our walk. A female Hairy Woodpecker.

A little ground squirrel we named Chirp because he/she had quite a set of lungs. 

There were educational signs along the way that told about what was in that specific area. Such as, if a large tree falls, it opens up space for new trees and species to grow. Hemlocks drop needles that create a very acidic soil that prevent other plants from taking over beneath them. They also have very shallow roots, so the park built a nice boardwalk through a large grove. 

This hemlock is 400 years old! Many of the others surrounding it are 275 years old. 

This tree was an example of a hemlock starting life on a moss patch on the top of a rock and how the tree adapted to grow around the tree. The nearby information sign indicated that this tree had been badly damaged by people walking around it and compacting its shallow roots. We aren't arborists but this tree looks to have been killed by a chainsaw. What do you think?

This hike was a loop around Big Dam Lake. The path didn't take us right to the lake, but we could catch glimpses through the trees. We could even hear the very distinctive calls of a Loon (the bird) earlier during our hike. 

As we neared the end of the hike, a man and his very fluffy Australian Shepherd approached. The man asked if we could help him get his bug spray out of the pocket of his big backpack as he just started on the hike and had already been bitten three times. He was holding the dog leash and couldn't easily get to it. His dog's name was Sparta, who is a very good hiker, but whether it is a good camper was yet to be determined! 

After that hike, we drove south to check out the canoe and kayak area for tomorrow. It was a popular activity and many families and kids were out floating on the Mersey River. We asked about options for tomorrow morning and planned to go back to rent kayaks for a few hours. 

On the way out, we drove to the end of the paved road and found a little beach and a cafe. We also stopped at a tower overlook and realized why we were the only ones parked there.

The park needs to increase the height of this lookout or perhaps that chainsaw that was used on the previously mentioned hemlock might do the trick. ;-)

We drove back to the Visitor's Center to look at the exhibits then headed back to our B&B. We decided to catch dinner at the Crow's Nest across the river in the town of Granville Ferry. One of the breakfast couples recommended it. Hardly any restaurants were open in town tonight, being a Monday and a holiday. It was a short 15 minute drive and we got to see the mountains that we've been looking at across the river for a few days. The Crow's Nest was busy! Luckily, without a reservation we were able to get a table with a short wait. It had colorful and fun decor and an extensive menu, both for fish lovers and those not. Rob got an orange float before his meal!

Michele struck up a conversation with a local fisherman.

After dinner Rob suggested we find a good view of the Bay of Fundy since we were near it. He drove us a short way to Delaps Cove and found a pier to walk on. We really weren't supposed to be there since it was a pier for fishing boats, but nobody was around. We think we saw an otter floating near the rocks.

The sun was starting to set so we went to the grocery store near our B&B to pick up lunch items to have for our kayak adventure tomorrow.