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 22 thru 25, 2024, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada

Our 216-mile journey from Fredericton, New Brunswick, to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, took us over the Confederation Bridge. Completed in 1997 for $1.3 billion, it spans 12.0 km (8 miles) and is the longest bridge in ice-covered waters. There is no toll going to the island only when you leave the island (2 axles were $50.25 + $4.25 for each additional axle.)

Our park, Marco Polo Land Campground in Cavendish was on the north side of the island so we traveled a number of secondary roads through farmland and along waterways. Sometimes, the farms were in the water growing mussels and clams.

The Fantasy RV Tour included a Canadian National Park Pass and we were eager to use it at Prince Edward Island National Park. The park followed the seashore and included several beaches. We did not opt for a dip in the ocean (too cold) or hike any of the trails (clouds threatening rain). Instead, we drove through most of the park and stopped at most of the overlooks.

Another day we drove to Victoria by the Sea, a small craft village. Many of the shops were in individual homes and it felt intrusive to browse through them when we had no intention of buying anything. I was able to snap a few pictures to capture the feel of the village.

Since we were close to Charlottetown and it had not started raining we visited their downtown area. Beautiful architecture and interesting shops and galleries were mixed with endless options for dining and drinking.

St. Dunstan's Basilica certainly caught our attention. It was completed in 1919 and seems to have held up pretty well for being more than a hundred years old.

I don't remember who these two were but they were certainly having an interesting discussion and did not mind my listening in.

Victoria Row was probably the most picturesque street to visit.

The Province House was closed for refurbishment so we could not enter. Below is the closest I could get for a photograph. It must be some restoration - it has been in the works since 2015!

Sometimes I just like the simplicity of an old doorway. This building housed the office of The Islander Newspaper in 1847.

Our host arranged a game night in the campground. We sat around a couple of fires and played Kubb and Washers. Kubb was based on a Viking game where each side had to knock down a target with sticks. I cannot do it justice but it was relatively easy and a lot of fun.

As the evening wore on the fire became more important to ward off the chill. It seemed very strange to be concerned about the cold at the end of June but then we were in Canada.

The weather was not as nice as it could have been, however, it certainly could have been worse. We had one day with enough rain to just keep us indoors reading.

Our last night in PEI everyone headed to the Fisherman's Wharf for a Lobster supper. Dinner included a massive salad bar, seafood chowder, and your choice of lobster or scallops. Dessert choices included several pies, soft-serve ice cream, strawberry shortcake, and cookies. Everyone left the restaurant fuller than they had been hungry.

We learned what a shy boy was and how to distinguish between a girl lobster and a boy lobster. Our hostess gave us a quick tutorial on disassembling the beasties and we all dug in. Good thing we had bibs!

 

After dinner we gathered to go over our trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the next morning. I was happy my navigator could follow the discussion - I might have been in a mild food coma.