Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Port Royal and Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada

From Parker's Bay, we visited the Port Royal National Historic Site one of the earliest European settlements in North America. The original habitation was built by Samuel de Champlain in 1605. His drawings and plans were used for the reconstruction using the same materials and tools. Beautifully crafted timber frame construction was assembled with no nails. Mortise and tenon joints were locked with pegs. 

Interpreters in costume described life's challenges in the fort and their relationship with the native Mi'kmaq.

Only a few of the rooms had windows with glass panes. Most of the windows had oiled sheepskin instead of glass that allowed in some light while keeping out the insects and cold.

Many of the rooms led one into another so the blacksmith was next to the kitchen next to the bakery which led into the common room.

One corner of the habitation was the house for the governor. He had a bit more room and luxury. Upstairs was a four-poster bed. 

Port Royal was only occupied for a short few years before politics across the ocean changed direction and it was abandoned. The land was farmed for hundreds of years before the decision to reconstruct the habitation. We were told there were probably only a few stones in the foundation that were original to the 1605 structure.

Next, we headed to the quaint seaside village of Digby, the scallop capital of the world. One of the locals recommended we stop in the Crow's Nest for the scallops. Joani had the seafood chowder loaded with scallops, fish, shrimp, and clams and I had the pan-fried scallops. Both were certainly tasty!

It was a pleasant day so we opted to sit outdoors and watched the tide rise as we ate.

I thought this deck was different. It was originally the aft section of a large fishing boat.

It was nice to see so many faces from our tour around town it made us feel like we were locals ourselves.

Sunday, July 7, 2024, Move to Parker's Bay, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada

We moved to Parkers Bay near Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, a short trip of 102 miles. We were warned the park owner could be difficult. She had to park each coach herself. That meant we had overwhelmed her and coaches were waiting on the highway. We drove a few hundred yards around the corner and found a large parking lot where we took the car off the dolly and waited for the crowd to clear. Across the highway, I noticed boats tied to the wharf. I liked the relative sizes - small, medium, large.  

Since we were safely out of the road, we waited until the traffic jam cleared.  We were last to get parked, but we were rewarded with a nice oceanside view. The sites were grass and it had rained the night before so the ground was pretty soggy. The park had some power issues. We only had about 105 volts but faired better than a few of the others.

Getting in so early meant we had plenty of time to take a first look at Annapolis Royal. The streets were deserted and most shops were closed on Sunday. It was a pleasant day so we decided to get our steps in.

The Ryan Royal was high and dry. Maybe she was in for repairs or maybe she was just waiting for the tide to head out to the fishing waters again.

Fort Anne was a historic site managed by the Canadian National Park system (we can use our passes). We thought it was closed so we just walked the grounds. We found out later the museum was open.

The trademark red Adirondack chairs were positioned to overlook the bay.

The town had a bit of charm but after Lunenburg, it seemed a bit bland.

The building across the street was home to a lawyer's office and an artist's studio.

I don't know what went on upstairs but I hope that was the artist's studio.

Saturday, July 6, 2024, Blue Rocks and Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

Joani found a reference to the most photographed fishing shack in Lunenburg County in Nova Scotia. It was in a small town called Blue Rocks a few miles south of our campground. We took a small road to its end at the water and saw a shack on a nearby island. Comparing it to the internet photos it was clearly not the right shack but these small boats dockside caught our eye.

Around another corner, we spotted the famous shack. I thought it was very photogenic and could easily understand why it would be the subject of many a photographer.

Joani liked the picture below thinking it looked like a painting. She may have to get out her watercolors and paint this scene.

Next, we headed to Peggy's Cove. They were hosting a plein air art festival where many local artists set up easels around town and painted various scenes. We assumed there would be a crowd despite it threatening rain. We quickly found parking and started exploring.

This woman said she spent most of the day before in her car waiting for the rain to end. Joani was checking the weather for her and showed the rain was going to hold off for another 45 minutes. I hope she finished her painting in time.

I don't know what size crowd usually visits Peggy's Cove on a weekend in the rain but there were certainly a lot of folks wanting to get close to the lighthouse. I noticed the artist left them out of his painting. He also put a little more color in his sky.

When it started a light rain we headed inside The Sou' Wester for a tasty seafood lunch. As we waited for a table I watched one of the staff choose and weigh quite a few live lobster from a huge tank. I couldn't help but feel a little sad about their fate but they are so good.

After our meal, we headed back to our car just a few minutes before the rain started again. I'm sure the cove would have been more picturesque with some sun and cloud drama but I was happy to see it before we left the area.

June 26 thru 27, 2024, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

It was time to leave Prince Edward Island and head to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a journey of 204 miles. Getting off the island required a hefty toll but Fantasy had us covered with vouchers to cover the cost.

The Woodhaven campground was tight but we all fit in and were close to a gathering hall that we used several evenings during our stay.

A number of our group attended game night and engaged in various activities.

The group below had a blast as each player had three Loonies on the line in a winner-take-all game of "left-right-center."

We visited the Hydrostone neighborhood for some shopping. Joani knew exactly what she wanted to find as a souvenir of this trip and found it in a little flower shop.

Hydrostone Neighborhood has a rich history borne in tragedy. "From the ashes of the catastrophic Halifax Explosion, which shattered the City’s North End on 6 December 1917, rose the Hydrostone District."

I have been searching for a small pot with a drain hole to plant a cactus I found on Steve's ranch in Texas. I was so successful I found two!

It was raining intermittently throughout the day, not ideal for sightseeing but we wanted to get a taste of the city.

While on a very narrow one-way street in downtown Halifax, traffic stopped. After a few minutes, I noticed drivers ahead were exiting their vehicles. A car had stalled blocking the street. We couldn't back up so we had to wait until the car was pushed to the curb. That was enough for me for the day. I was really uncomfortable with the tight city traffic and narrow streets so we called it a day.

Back at the campground, the dining hall was put to good use another night by our hosts, Steve and Jennifer and Jim and Chris, as they cooked for us. We ate Swedish meatballs and mixed veggies until we were stuffed and then they brought out dessert - none for me but it looked so good!

Steve did not have to twist my arm to make me take some meatballs home for later. After dinner, we ran through the travel briefing for our next stop because the activities the next night would keep us out late.

The pictures below were from our last day between dinner and the Tattoo. I quickly hiked to the waterfront and back. The weather could not have been more perfect and I was nearly running to cover more than a mile and still be back in time for the Tattoo. 

The little boat below was the impetus for my whirlwind excursion to the waterfront. Apparently, the $200 million yacht belonged to J. K. Rowling. I have no idea if she was aboard and I did not pester security with any questions.

Clearly, the waterfront had a lot to explore and I hope we might return another time to take it all in.