Blogs from Nova Scotia, Canada, North America - page 16

Today, for the most part, was a driving day. We left New Glasgow Highlands Campground, drove across the Confederation Bridge without any construction delays, and then on toward Nova Scotia. Right before, we stopped at Ford Beausejour - Fort Cumberland National Historic Site. The boys were thrilled to death to discover Canada has a similar program to the NPS's Junior Rangers, although here they are called Xplorers. They were given uniforms, tricorn hats and muskets and were given instructions. They were to walk the grounds, looking for problem areas. They were to find a number of items, including rope and barrels. They had to try walking in clogs, and come up with their own drumbeats. They had to lie on "beds" while we told them tales of lice and rats and rotten teeth (to make sure ... read more

The third and final day of my tour along the Cabot trail. I followed the Coastal (more scenic) route from Cape North toward Ingonish. Passed thru White Point and Neils's Harbour, both scenic fishing villages. Although it was raining as I left early in the morning, by the time I got to the Coastal trail the sun came out and it turned out to be a fine sunny day. This was the most enjoyable hike of the trip and a must do if you are in the area. Ocean coves, waves crashing against the rocks, the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean. You can get down and dirty on this trail as it follows the coast with ample opportunity to scramble off the beaten path (with due caution of course). There are numerous observation areas ... read more

Day 2 of my trip around the Cabot Trail starting from Pleasant Bay. Hiked the Skyline Trail; one of the more popular trails in the park. A 9.2 km looped trail taking around 3 hours. It culminates in a boardwalk of 265 steps ( I counted), which takes you down to numerous observation points overlooking the rugged coast. You can also catch a glimpse of the winding Cabot Trail as it snakes its way up and down. This was followed by a short hike along MacIntosh Brook trail - a 30 minute return trip with a small waterfall at the end. Off to Beaulach Ban Falls, the highest waterfall in the park. Luckily it can be viewed as a roadside waterfall being at the end of a short gravel road. It was flowing feebly this day ... read more

Geo: 44.6462, -63.5739Hi all! You signed up to Jim and Donna's travel blog when we were on our big adventure in 2012-2013. We don't want to assume you are interested in all our travels so we are checking in with you.After having escaped winter for that 2012-2013 year, Jim especially is finding winters difficult here in Nova Scotia, Canada. When I say difficult, I mean he whinges regularly and wants nothing to do with shovelling or loading up the wood stove ever again! I like the changing seasons, however, the length of our seasons here are completely upside down. Who wants the long, cold winters that go on forever with temperatures resembling a bouncy ball gone wild? And then, as the promise of spring begins to break we creep into a time enveloped in grey, wet, ... read more

Some years ago I drove round Nova Scotia in a rental car. I found this journey both easy and interesting, so I thought I might share my itinerary with you - and my reasons for my choices/omissions. NOTE: a) This journey starts and ends in Halifax, so you can add as many days of Halifax sightseeing before and/or after the round trip as you see fit. b) Since Halifax is so centrally located, you could also split this round trip into two shorter ones (day 1-3 as one trip, day 4-9 as another), with time spent in Halifax in between. c) If round trips are not your thing: nearly everything on this itinerary could be done as a day trip when your base is Halifax, with the exception of Cape Breton Island. d) the round trip ... read more