Nova Scotia Spontaneous Vacation

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We planned a trip to Nova Scotia with the intention of buying a boat.  After looking at the boat and realizing it wasn’t for us, we did a quick pivot and planned a spontaneous vacation for the remainder of our time there. 

Boating Friends

Our trip to Nova Scotia was for the purpose of buying a boat in North Sydney, but first, we wanted to see our friends Don and Sara!  Before we drove four hours North to see the boat, we met them for a visit at a restaurant near the airport. We enjoyed the best burgers in Nova Scotia and ice cream (of course!) while catching up about boats, sailing, family, and world events.  We love friendships where the conversation can easily flow from boat repair shop talk to current world events to family situations and more! 

With boating friendships, it doesn’t seem to matter the location or time elapsed between visits in order to pick up the conversation and camaraderie without skipping a beat.  We met Don and Sara in Florida three years ago and now were having lunch in Nova Scotia as if we had just seen them yesterday. 

Rewind three years ago in a Florida boatyard, both couples were getting our boats ready for our respective big retirement sailing trips!  We were preparing for the Caribbean and Don & Sara were heading up the East Coast to their home in Nova Scotia.  Both boats shoved off from the dock on the same day, waited out a cold front together, and often shared an anchorage, a meal, or a shore outing as we sailed the FL West Coast, the Keys, and Miami. And we both adjusted our sailing trip plans due to Covid.   

Food and Friends

Memories often go hand in hand with the food involved in the event.  I fondly remember Sara’s buckwheat pancakes and oatcakes on Knot Duality so it was a meaningful gift that they brought us buckwheat muffins and a batch of oatcakes when we met for lunch after our arrival in Halifax! 

As we vacationed in Nova Scotia I noticed many stores with oatcakes for sale.  Up until now, I only knew of oatcakes in reference to Sara & Don, I didn’t know it was a popular item in Nova Scotia!  Of course, none of the other oatcakes are as tasty as Sara’s recipe!  

Let’s Buy A Boat…Or Not!

We were so excited to see the Cornish Crabber 24 in person!   Under the assumption that our purchase would go smoothly, we were already starting plans for summer sailing on Bra’s Dor Lake and making arrangements to truck her to the U.S.  The current owner met us at the boatyard and shared interesting sailing stories and other experiences from growing up across the street.

From the ground, we admired the boat’s traditional lines and solid construction.  We climbed aboard and wandered the cockpit and deck, all looks perfect! 

It wasn’t until we went below that we had the sinking feeling that she wasn’t our boat.  We were under the impression there was 5’8” headroom for much of the cabin, but unfortunately, it was only 5’8” in one small spot under the sliding hatch.  Then it quickly dropped to 5’3”.  If you know me, you’re thinking no problem!  I’m five feet so it truly isn’t a problem for me at all.  But Tony and I work as a team onboard.  It is equally important for Tony to have standing headroom when we go on sailing trips.  We imagined him hunched over to heat a kettle of water or grab a sandwich or simply wanting to stretch when the weather is bad outside.  It might be fine for short jaunts, like a weekend or a week trip, but we live aboard for a couple of months or more. 

We casually mentioned our concern to the broker but didn’t make our decision until we left the boatyard and mulled it over for the afternoon.  It was hard to pass on such a gorgeous and sweet sailing boat, but we knew standing headroom was a priority and should remain a priority.  We canceled the survey and sea trial.

Now What?!

After deciding we weren’t buying the boat and realizing our return flight was a week away, we brainstormed about what to do with our time in Nova Scotia.  I like to research and easily found plenty of choices of things we like to do!

Bird tour

Our lodging near the boatyard was a little cottage at Mountain Vista Seaside Cottages where they also offer boat bird tours.  We’re not birders, but we always love getting out on the water.  A bird boat tour was a convenient and fitting activity to start our short-notice vacation fun. 

Bird Island Boat Tours advertises puffins as one of the many birds we would see.  How can you say “puffin” and not smile?  It’s fun to say puffin and they are a super cute, clown-looking bird.   We could use a little day brightener after the disappointment about the sailboat, so we signed up to see the puffins! 

As we motored out into the Gulf of St Lawrence, we learned about more than just birds.  The father and son duo, Vince and Ian, took turns sharing information about the lobster industry and a story about a rumored lost treasure.  Once we neared bird island, the focus switched to pointing out the various types of birds and learning about their habits or history.  While I enjoyed seeing the birds, I especially got a kick out of watching the seals!  We had excellent weather for our boat bird tour and saw a lot of Atlantic puffins, Great Cormorants, Razorbills, Black-legged Kittiwakes, and an abundance of seals.   

Museums

There are many interesting museums in the area and it was hard to pick which to visit. We decided on two; the Fortress of Louisbourg and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. 

The Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site

The Fortress of Louisbourg is a living history museum. There are actors who perform their military duties or day-to-day tasks as if the town was functioning back in time.  We listened to a maid explaining her tasks and daily life and were impressed by how she never broke character.  A visitor pulled out a cell phone to take her picture and she froze as if she’s never seen one.  Then she said, “I’ve heard about those and how they can suck your soul out of you”. 

As we wandered around the reconstructed 18th-century French Fortress, we met another vacationing couple and continued our tour of the grounds together.  Mike and Diane are a delightful couple from Ontario who were on a camping trip that included Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.  As Diane was telling us about various things on her bucket list, she mentioned wanting to “kiss a cod” in Newfoundland!

Our quizzical looks prompted them to give an explanation.  The reference to “kiss a cod” was from the musical Come From Away.   The play tells the story of 7,000 passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland after their flights were grounded on 9/11.  We recently watched the recorded play on Apple TV and were touched by the story!  It was so good we’re planning to get tickets to see it in person when it comes to town!   

Visiting with our new friends Mike and Diane not only made our day at Louisbourg more enjoyable, it also encouraged us to brainstorm items for our bucket list.  Having a bucket list will be a great tool to help us plan some of our future adventures!

Alexandria Graham Bell Museum

We had no idea that Alexander Graham Bell was involved with so many different interests and inventions!  Definitely more than the telephone! Other examples of Bell’s inventions and impact are airplanes, watercraft, recording technology, and giant tetrahedral kites. The Alexandria Graham Bell Museum was a reminder of the power of curiosity. It inspired us to remember to embrace playfulness, creativity, and discovering new things at every age and stage of life.  Hmm, is there something I want to invent?

Outside of the museum, we lounged for a bit in the Red Chairs. The Bell museum was just one of many places we saw and used Parks Canada’s Red Adirondack Chairs.

One of the red chairs on a hiking trail “lost its’ bottom” as Tony said.

Hike to a Waterfall

A few weeks prior to our trip, our son Tyler suggested we take a drive north to see some waterfalls.  I don’t think he meant we should go to Canada, but his idea to see waterfalls up north in the springtime was a winner! 

There are numerous waterfalls in Cape Breton to choose from.  We took an easy hike through the woods to one of the most well-known falls.   Uisge Ban Falls is a 50-foot-high waterfall, it was spectacular!

Cape Breton Scenic Drive

When we initially planned our trip to North Sydney to buy a boat, we didn’t know that people from all over the world come to Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The park is most famous for the Cabot Trail which is a winding road that loops around the park with stunning views of mountains and the ocean along the way.  We’re so close, let’s go!

We checked out of our cottage and put our first planned stop into Mapquest. After a driving instruction to “turn left”, we found ourselves in a line of cars waiting for a ferry.  That was unexpected!  It was a very quick ride on the Englishtown cable ferry across the narrow stretch of water. Shortly afterward, we were driving on the Cabot Trail!  

Our first stop was an adorable coffee shop for coffee and pastry. Just a short distance away was Leatherworks by Jolene (we thought of you, Jill and James). We took our time to admire all the interesting products made with love and fine craftsmanship. The flower vases were especially intriguing!

Hiking!

Then we settled in for a scenic drive with frequent stops to hike. We couldn’t hike all the trails, so we aimed for variety and hiked through forests, highlands, maple trees, and a boardwalk through a bog.  Neither of us wears a Fitbit, but there’s no question that we got plenty of steps in during our two days of hiking on the Highlands National Park trails!

Bathroom Detour

At one point during our driving and stops for hikes, we went off the Cabot trail to a small town looking for a bathroom.  First, we tried an ice cream shop.  No bathroom there, but she directed us to the nearby co-op (grocery store).  No public bathroom there.  They directed us to a “comfort station” at the fire station.  It was a nice public bathroom!  Taking the detour to find a bathroom resulted in us driving along the coast off the beaten path and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of the scenic drive.  A happy detour!  

Skyline Trail

We saved the iconic Skyline Trail for last.  It is understandable why it is so popular with its mountaintop view!  It was a very windy day when we hiked out onto the Skyline boardwalk.  I held Tony’s hand to help me feel more secure so that I wouldn’t get blown off the edge.

A Scenic Drive

Driving along the Cabot Trail is full of “Wow, that’s gorgeous!” and “Look over there!” There are plenty of overlook areas to pull over and enjoy quiet moments of awe!

Bay Of Fundy Tidal Bore and Tidal Range

One of Tony’s bucket list ideas was to see a tidal bore and walk on the ocean floor.  After studying the tide times, we made a plan to see the tidal bore at the Fundy Discovery Center in the morning, then head to Burntcoat Head Park to walk on the ocean floor in the afternoon during low tide.  The actual tidal bore wave that day wasn’t very big, but it was fascinating to think about the movement of all that water in a short amount of time and how the river basically changes directions.    

Walking on the ocean floor at Burntcoat Head Park needs to be timed correctly.  A sign warns visitors to be aware of the advancing tide and its potential danger.   You don’t want to get stuck and be unable to return to the stairs at the entrance to the ocean floor.

It was interesting to walk around on the ocean floor and see the small snails and plants and avoid soft muddy spots.  The high tide mark was easy to detect on the shoreline and rock formations. 

Did You Know?  

• The tides rise and fall twice each day. 

• 160 billion tonnes of water flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy each day. 

• The average tide is 47.5 feet high and the extreme range of tides is 53.6 feet.

(From Burntcoat Head Park website)

Don and Sara’s Home

For the last day of this trip, we headed to Don and Sara’s home in Deep Cove on Nova Scotia’s South shore.  It’s one thing to hear about someone’s home nestled in the woods on a small bay.   It’s quite another thing to see it first-hand!  I’ve been reading about the concept of Hygge and their home is a perfect example of a cozy, comfortable, warm, and welcoming place.  With the dense forest setting, stunning view overlooking the water, and spending time with dear friends, we can’t imagine a more perfect way to end our trip in Nova Scotia!

Day Sail

It was fun to see Knot Duality in her home waters (colder waters) and its’ more wild and rugged shoreline compared to Florida’s palm trees and mangroves. The weather was gorgeous for us to take a leisurely sail on Knot Duality.  We enjoyed a tour of the bay and ate our lunch afloat.  And we had ice cream, of course! I love traditions that involve ice cream.

Nova Scotia Vacation

We came to Nova Scotia to buy a boat, but she wasn’t our boat.  Switching gears to make our stay into a vacation was fairly easy because of friends to hang out with, outstanding museums to visit, scenic views at almost every turn, and diverse hiking trails to explore.  We’re enamored with all we’ve seen and done on our spontaneous vacation.  We’ll be back! 

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