My Canada-The Maritimes Aug.2016-Peggy’s Cove

My husband Henry, and I decided to do a 2016 “Staycation” of sorts- Stay in Canada and appreciate the sights the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. have to offer. We decided on a 2 week car trip spending a week in each province the last few of weeks of August. We flew to Halifax where we spent a night and then headed out around Nova Scotia. I thought I would share some of the highlights of our visit around the province beginning with our visit to well known Peggy’s Cove. We had a very EARLY start driving to the Cove. It was a misty, foggy, morning and I was just a little excited when we pulled into the cove around 7:45 a.m. It was pure magic- quiet- calm and blanketed in light fog and misting just ever so softly-exactly how I would imagine the ambience of a Cove on the Atlantic to be. I was actually surprised at how small it was with only a smattering of buildings! I also noticed the line of cars arriving shortly after us, so I jumped out the car, leaving Henry to park in the large parking lot at the entrance of the Cove and quickly set up to photograph the Cove and it’s buildings before other visitors arrived. As I was getting set up for the shot above and gleefully, silently, thanking my lucky starts for such a picture perfect weather related setting, another visitor with a camera popped up beside me and in all seriousness said, ” To bad it’s all misty and foggy, eh?”  My eyebrows went up and I said ” You sir could not be any more wrong- this is absolute perfection!”

I worked my way up the road a bit toward the lighthouse and the docks and then noticed a small fishing boat with some people getting into a boat. I asked the owner where he was heading and he said “going to see Puffins and Seals!” I ran to a small road stand close by the docks and within a “Walter Mitty moment” , bought the last 2 seats on the tour. I had just enough time to run up the hill to the cafe washroom and back and then Henry and I got on the boat for the 2.5 hour trip on the Atlantic. Let me just say the Tour was 100% worth it but we should have had put a bit more thought into the decision and prepared.

Mistake #1 -I have “sea legs”-Henry not so much. He was quite sick by hour 2, and moved to sit downwind at the back of the boat. We should have brought the Gravol medication for him. Mistake #2 -the sides of the boat were open and it was misty and foggy travelling on the Ocean that early morning-10 min. into the trip-our head and clothes were drenched with sea salt spray. Haha -you couldn’t even run your fingers through the hair afterward, we should have worn a rain jacket of some sort and something to offer a bit of warmth and protection instead of our summer attire.

That said, I still stand by the decision as being well worth it. WOW the view back on the Cove from the boat was amazing and I loved being able to photograph the lighthouse in the mist from the boat! We made it to Pearl Island, a bird sanctuary,  where we saw some Puffins and other birds.   We then drove a few more minutes when the driver turned off the boat. We idled a few min., the mist cleared a bit and then we saw them!! A line of curious seals with their heads just above the water looking at us. It was one of those once in a life time experiences-and yes- even seasick Henry was struck by the wonder of it all. Here are just a few images from the Cove . Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to follow the blog if you are considering a trip there in the future-I will be posting a lot more of our adventures in the Maritimes!