Day 7 (last day) South Shore

Today we took a day trip from Halifax to Lunenburg, and then returned via the Lighthouse Route, along the South Shore (Atlantic Ocean).

Lunenburg

Starting off on a horse-drawn carriage tour of Lunenburg, a UNESCO Word Heritage Site. The town remains to this day laid out in the grid the British planned for the community in 1753.

Street Sign: there were various species of fish depicted in these signs all over town.

St. Johns Anglican Church, founded 1753

St. Johns steeple with cod

"Wedding Cake" house

Scarecrow Festival -- Mahone Bay

We just happened upon this festival in the small coastal town of Mahone Bay.

At the entrance to town

Little Bo Peep

Mermaid

Town founders

Peggy's Cove

Obligatory picture of the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove

Day 6 -- Hallifax

Halifax, NS

The Emigrant

Public Garden

  

No picture, but we saw a healthy American Chestnut in the garden, probably the only one we will see in our life times. 

Cockscomb Snake

In celebration of Canada's 150 years of Independence, the national parks and monuments are free this year.

Parks Pass

                                                                The Citadel
A fortified star-shaped fortress built in 1856 to protect Halifax from attacks from the land.

These mast-like structures were used to send signal flags to the town and to forts that protected the harbor.

                                                        Halifax Boardwalk

  
                                       Halifax Official Food -- The Donair  

Day 5 -- Impressions of Cape Breton & Drive Day Ingonish Beach to Hallifax

Today we leave Cape Breton Island and the national park. We have been in awe and inspired by the rugged natural beauty of this place. The people who live and work here have a deep concern for the environment which shows in everyday things like recycling baskets right next to waste baskets in public and private spaces. We saw no litter at all -- not on the beaches, on roadsides, nor in parking lots. Laurel's one disappointment was not seeing an actual real live moose.

Cape Breton Island is separated from the mainland by the Canso Straight. There is one road on and off the island, and it goes over the Canso Causeway (pictured). There might be ferries but we didn't discover that in time.

                                                   Scenes from our Drive

The bridge into Sheet Harbour was draped in bras, causing quite a traffic jam. The day before there had been a breast cancer fund raiser.

                                      Salmon Run, West River, Sheet Harbour

West River, Sheet Harbour

Day 4 -- Green Cove, Jack Pine & Costal Trail, Clyburn Trail

Started the day with a short 2 minute leg stretcher out to Green Cove overlook. The rocks were covered with bayberry plants that smell wonderful when you rub the waxy leaves. Then on to our morning hike, Jack Pine and Coastal Trails. We started clockwise on Jack Pine than hooked up with the Coastal Trail and back to the parking lot.

                                                Scenes from the Trail

Wild Bleeding Heart

Jack Pines

In 1921, a massive fire burned the forest. When the land began to recover, jack pines (also called scrub pines) grew there for the first time. This stand of jack pines is 124 miles from the next nearest jack pine.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_pine https://www.cbisland.com/things-to-do/jack-pine-trail-cape-breton-highlands-national-park/

Lichen

On the Coastal Trail

Lunch Break

                                                         Clyburn Valley Trail

We decided to do one last hike after lunch. For the first time in the park we had trouble finding the trail head because of road construction. There was no trail map at the alternate trail head, but we plowed on, making a few wrong turns. The most exciting event on this trail was a (perhaps red tailed) hawk flying right in front of our faces.

                          Trailing way behind and too tired to finish the hike.
                          Can't tell you what the view at the end might have been.

Quilt at Keltic Lodge Bar

Day 3 Middle Head Trail & Freshwater Lake Trail

9:00am, 3rd ones out on the trail. Here we go... 

Middle Head trail starts just beyond the Keltic Lodge you see in this picture and goes out to the tip. 

                                                   Scenes From the Trail

View of Cape Smokey

Zoom in, there is Laurel waving from the headland to Greg, one rock outcropping over..

Wild asters are everywhere. (I pay money for these plants!) We came across a cliff face full of asters covered in orange butterflies

These little squirrels are the size of chipmonks. They have the normal squirrel chattering sound, but they also have an alarm that sounds just like  cicadas.

Afternoon Hike
Freshwater Lake

The Atlantic is the forefront of the picture and the freshwater lake behind the barachois (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barachois). As we walked the barrier between the ocean and the lake a young man on his way home from school passed us. This seemed to be his walk home from school.

Day 2 Nova Scotia -- drive day from Truro to Ingonish Beach

We took the scenic route stopping often to be amazed by the views. From the CleilidhTrail to the Cabot Trail here's some of what we saw.

Canadian, Nova Scotian, and Acadian Flags

                                               Coastline view Cabot Trail

Stretched our legs on the boardwalk at Quai Mathieu on the Cabot Trail.

 Yes, we are disturbing the dinosaur.

MacKenzie River Valley

Much road construction giving us lots of time to see our surroundings. As we waited to be allowed to move on we enjoyed seeing French Lake.

Lighthouse turned into ice cream parlor, Neil's Harbour. Why not?