Sojourn Days 41-50
Day 41 August 29 Had our coffee in our room, then went down to the dining room for breakfast. We ordered fish cakes for the first time, and both of us loved them. They are similar to a potato pancake with shredded codfish in them. They were served along with our eggs and meat with a warm lemon sauce. Delicious.
Reluctantly checked out of our room, and continued on the Cabot Trail. Unlike Newfoundland which is very lacking in scenic pullovers, Nova Scotia has them everywhere, plus nice little picnic parks along the trails. It was all we could do to pass up some of them, however, we would never have covered any miles if we had. We drove to Cape North, and then turned toward Meat Cove, intending to stay there for the night. 
My friend Judi, who told me about being at this very remote site will be happy to know that we made it out there, and it was just as beautiful as she had described it, however, we decided it would not work for our camping arrangement, so we turned around and came back to the trail. This allowed us to be able to stop at Morrison’s Restaurant, 
which was another place that Judi had told us about. The interior walls were covered with old time memorabilia, including tools, cooking utensils, spinning wheels, carders, bear teeth, talon claws, etc. We ordered the Scotch Collops, which is ground beef, pork, apples and onions in a pastry crust, and topped with a glaze of gravy. Absolutely wonderful. Thanks Judi, sure hope the pictures bring back great memories for you!
Our weather was a mix all day of showers, fog, wind and brief periods of sun. It might not sound great, but actually it adds to the enjoyment of being up here. We brought lots of warm clothes, and until recently it has been too warm to wear them much.
After attending a wedding, we found Macloud’s campground in Dunvegan where each site looked out over the mountains and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Barney built a roaring campfire, and we enjoyed every last ember in it. Does it get any better than this?
Day 42 August 30 Barney had noticed that our tailpipe was loose, and upon further inspection decided it needed to be replaced due to rusting through in a number of areas, so in checking with the office, we set out to find the local mechanic’s garage. He referred us on to the next town, and the next town, referred us on to Port Hawkesbury, and once there the first place referred us on to Midas Muffler, who said “no problem”, we can do it in an hour! We had been holding our breath since we were thinking “Tok” in the back of our minds and neither of us wanted to worry the other. As promised the van with new tailpipe was waiting on us when we came back from lunch and we were on our way again.
We had driven a small portion of the Ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee), and the Fleur-de-lis Trails, earlier in the day, and had started on the Marine Drive hoping to find a nice 
restaurant and campground. We only found one restaurant in Canso, and after waiting for some time without any service decided our own fare back in “our kitchen” would be perfect, which it was.
The condition of the roads in this area are simply awful. Canada’s roadways make ours in the USA seem like they are as smooth as glass. Often we find ourselves driving on the wrong side of the road, or straight down the middle to avoid the bumpy patched pavement. Not sure if we mentioned it before, but we lost a hubcap in Montreal after hitting a pothole on the expressway. By the time we stopped last night, we felt like we had just taken off our roller skates, but our bodies were still skating. (That is for those old enough to remember that feeling). We found the roads in western Canada to be pretty nice last year but these are awful.
One person told us that the roads were pretty nice about 6 years ago but with the poor economy here, the government has just not been able to keep up with the much needed repairs. In their defense, a man in Newfoundland told me that he appreciates what they have there. He said that 30 years ago they had no paved roads at all. Canada is so large and so sparsely populated in some areas that it must be terribly expensive to maintain their highway system.
After reading the names on mailboxes, and street signs today, we have decided that 90% of the people that live in this area have a last name that starts with the letter M or Mac_______. Think of the poor teachers that have to alphabetize their class.
The treat for the evening was a spectacular sunset and a walk at dusk along
the beach which was our view peeking through the pine trees. The name of the campground was Sea Breeze on Fox Island.
Day 43 August 31 We followed the Marine Drive trail through many picturesque villages, and some areas that you could not even count as a village. One of those places, which we had turned down a small lane to park for a moment, had a sign on their Parish Hall that said they had Internet access. 
Since it was locked up we had given up on that idea when along came a lady who offered to open it up for us. She had been called by one of the neighbors along the water who told her that we were waiting. Now we know who the local busy body is!
We stopped early, around 3 PM in Sherbrooke, and thank goodness we did. The camp host told us that she could only accommodate us for one night since there was a 4X4 rally near there and this was the busiest weekend of the year. As is turned out she moved some reservations into different locations and we booked our spot for 2 nights. This is a charming town, and we wanted to stay put a while. Had dinner at the House of Jade which she had recommended, and it was wonderful!
Day 44 September 1 Yesterday was bright and sunny, and today was misty and foggy with temps in the upper 60s. It was ideal to walk the streets of Sherbrooke Village and enjoy their old town. Sherbrooke Village is the restored older portion of the town of Sherbrooke. The Village itself is a living village in that some of the buildings are still lived in and are off limits to visitors. There are 36 buildings in the Village that you are able to go into and see how the people lived and worked in the mid 1800s. You may also watch several tradesmen at work. 
Each building has a spokesperson dressed in period clothing who offers background information and answers questions. Every building is still the original structure built in the mid 1800s, however, two of the structures were moved during the extensive restoration process which took place in the middle 1960s. The restoration work continues today.
The restoration is funded and directed by the Nova Scotia Museum Commission, and the attention to detail is incredible. We were told that the walking tour would take 1-1/2 to 2 hours depending on our interest. We were there 4 hours and hated to call it quits even then. The displays were all original items right down to pills made by the pharmacist. 
Every bottle and box in the drug store still had it’s original contents. The doctor’s home and office, had instruments and accessories of that period. The blacksmith’s shop had every kind of tool imaginable hanging on the walls or on his work areas. The blacksmith’s fire bellows are no longer used because of its delicate state but it is in perfect condition considering its age. The print shop was actually producing a recipe book, another lady was making soap and candles from beef tallow. We watched as a lady demonstrated the loom where she was weaving cloth to be made into hand towels.
The postmaster 
showed us how they made copies with sheets of onion paper and a large press. The jail was interesting in the fact that is was actually the jailer’s family home, but also had bars on some of the rooms that served as cells. The downstairs was for the men, and the upstairs for the women prisoners. We learned that sometimes women were detained while the men worked off family debts and other crimes. In the kitchen the jailer’s wife was baking apple nut muffins in a large iron stove and oven.
We watched horses being fed, listened to the roosters crowing, and walked along the gravel roads through their well kept gardens. What a pleasant and enlightening experience to witness the lifestyles from that age.
The town of Sherbrooke was first settled in 1655 by the French, then taken over by the English in the early 1800s. It prospered by farming, fishing and the timber trade, and for about 20 years, for gold mining. How nice that they have preserved the historic value of this community.
Late in the afternoon, the mist turned to fog, and then later to rain. We happily went back to the House of Jade for another nice meal. Upon returning to camp we were met by our neighbors who wanted to join us for a campfire, and we sat around and talked until it burned out. Late night for us!
Day 45 September 2 The rain was gone, and the sun was shining on a beautiful Sunday morning. We had planned to attend the church in the Village, but since the service did not start until 11:15 AM, decided to get on the road, and try to find a church along the way. As it turned out, Barney just happened to see one across a harbor so we turned around and found the road leading to it. It was St. James Anglican Church of Port Dufferin. We were greeted in the parking lot by a nice lady who introduced herself, welcomed us, and even offered to sit with us as well.
After church, we found a good place for fish and chips, did a little sightseeing along the coast,
arrived in Dartmouth and found a pretty campground in Shubie Park. We plan on staying here at least 3 days to see Halifax and Dartmouth and what they have to offer. Since we are going to stay for a while, we put up our gazebo which always makes us feel like we are “home”.
Day 46 September 3 Today is Labor Day in Canada as well as the USA, however, almost everything here is closed up tight. No gas, no groceries, no Wal-Mart, no shopping centers. It turned out to be a great day to drive over to Halifax, which is merely the other side of the river from Dartmouth. No traffic!
With maps in hand we found a place to park and without realizing it, we immediately came upon the Citadel complete with guards and a bagpiper in uniform. 
It afforded a good view of the city and its harbor, and also a close up of the large Town Clock 
that has been working in the same spot since 1803. After touring the compound and witnessing the guard change, we walked down hill several blocks to reach the harbor and wharf. 
There we found most of the shops along the water bustling with activity, and we enjoyed strolling along seeing the small entrepreneurs peddle their trades along the way.
Late in the afternoon, we stopped at several eating places to inquire about their dinner menus, and got very thirsty in the process, so we found an Irish Pub, the Split Crow, and an outside table in the warm sun and enjoyed a locally brewed beer. 
While we were there, we met a couple from Halifax and invited them to sit with us at our table. Nice people and good conversation. Lane is a photographer, and Janet assists him as she can in addition to her other job. They are planning to be married next month.
Based on their recommendation, we went to The Five Fisherman restaurant for dinner and it was superb. All of the mussels and salad bar that you could eat, and we both ordered lobsters which were delicious. It was a perfect place to have dinner.
Day 47 September 4 First stop was breakfast, followed by a nice telephone chat with Lana, then off to tend to our list of chores. Wal-Mart’s parking lot looked like Christmas, and when we got to the front doors, we could hardly get in for all of the people either buying school supplies, or checking out. Tomorrow is the first day back to school, and evidently everyone waited until the last moment to purchase their items. The Wal-Mart stores in Canada are all attached to shopping malls, so we checked out at that exit and went to the other end and shopped for our groceries.
Barney found a Firestone/Bridgestone representative, and we stopped there to see if they would honor his lifetime alignment guarantee. On the way, we happened to see a hubcap shop, and since we have been sans one cap since Montreal, we were lucky to find one there. The van has looked a little naked without it. Back at camp, Barney installed the florescent lamp in the ceiling of the van, we “windexed” our filthy windows, and tidied up a bit around the “house”.
We had just finished our dinner, (grilled pork chops, corn on the cob, sliced tomatoes and wine), when the Eiseners stopped by for a chat. They are the couple that live here in Dartmouth and we met our first night here. We all sat under the gazebo at the back of the van with the new light glowing and our little space heater humming away and were quite comfortable. In conversation, they told us that they had come by yesterday to drive us to Annapolis Valley since it was such a beautiful day. How incredibly nice that was. Too bad we were not here to go with them.
Day 48 September 5 We had planned to leave today, but during the night it started raining and continued off and on the entire day, so we decided not to drive in it since we could not possibly enjoy the destinations that are coming up. Instead we spent time in Dartmouth, and Halifax
at places that were off of the beaten path. Checked our email from the library, and had just started to walk through the Public Gardens when another rain cloud forced us back to the van.
More bad press for Firestone. This morning they told me that they will not honor my ‘Lifetime Alignment’ certificate that I bought in the States. They say it is not good when you cross an international border even though the certificate clearly says “Honored at all Firestone Tire Service Center and Tire Station Locations. and has no other caveats”. They say that the Canadian and US divisions are operated completely separately.
Back at camp, we hiked the Canal 
trail which started at Lake Charles adjacent to our campgrounds and continued to Lake MicMac. The locks were built between 1821 and 1826 and the entire series of them go as far as the Bay of Fundy to the north and to the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It was a beautiful trail following along the water and deep within the woods.
When we arrived back at our campsite it was blowing and misting rain, so we decided to save our cookout for another night and instead went to a local spot for spaghetti and meatballs called the MicMac Beverage Room.. We were both starved, and the portions were so large that neither of us could finish our meal. The cost for each was $4.49 Canadian, which converts approximately to $2.87 American. The place was so much fun, with everyone sitting at large tables with other folks. Another great find!
We packed up everything in anticipation of leaving in the morning. We are ready to get back on the road again. We stayed longer than we had planned, but in a way, the slow down was good for us.
Day 49 September 6 It got down into the 40s during the night and there is a hint of fall in the air today. The sun is brilliant, the air is cool and we see a few leaves changing color. Perfect weather after yesterday’s rain.
Barney went up to make a couple of calls and ran into Ron Eisener who was coming to offer again to take us to Annapolis Valley, but we decided that the weather was perfect for our original plans and that we would try to see them when we returned to Halifax in a few days.
Our route today is on the southern shore of Nova Scotia and it is called the Lighthouse Trail. Our first major stop was Peggy’s Cove, 
founded in 1811, and now has a population of 80. It is such a picturesque spot. The lighthouse is built entirely on a massive rock bed which makes up the majority of the cliffs and the landscape of the area. It is one of the most photographed locations ever, and we did our share to keep that distinction.
More later on today’s activity. We have an opportunity to upload from Lordly House Museum in Chester, NS so we’ll signoff for now.
We spent the afternoon in the small town of Chester, NS, and as luck would have it, Wally the Museum caretaker gave me a personal tour of the old home built in 1806, including the history of the Lordly family, and the rest of the area which was all quite interesting. Wally had offered a space and his personal telephone line for Barney to work on the web site, however, when he could not get it to upload, we drove around the little town and were so entranced with the homes and the little shops in the village that we decided to spend the night in a local motel where he would have more time.
Day 50 September 7 Poor Barney………….not only did he work for over an hour and a half yesterday at the museum to get both the JAGA site and ours uploaded with no success, he finally was able to get a connection last night at only 7200 bps, and stayed up until after midnight while it took 2 1/2 hours to load. Thank goodness for our pre-paid phone card.
Drove off of the rural route at several locations into small little communities to enjoy the local life. Stopped at a roadside park along the water to have our lunch, and were immediately met Myra and Mary who filled us in on everything from restaurants, to native flowers, to even more side trips off of side roads to be sure to stop and see. They were so enthusiastic about the area that it was contagious.
We drove through Mahone Bay and decided that we would secure our campsite for the night in Lunenburg, 
and then return to tour the town later. Again, we have a lovely view high on a bluff overlooking the northern arm of the Lunenburg Harbour.
We were told that we could walk the entire town from our camp, however, we decided to drive around a little first, and well that we did. The part that she neglected to tell us was that you walk straight down to the shops, but God help those that try to climb back up.
Spent the afternoon, walking the streets, talking to the shop owners, and having mussels and an Alexander Keith
beer overlooking the harbor. Perfect spot to observe the activities below us.
Note: We were reluctant to eat anything prior to our lobster dinner later, but many places are not licensed to serve beer without food, so we were forced to order a pound of steamed mussels to be legal. It was a “dirty job”, but somebody had to do it! Appetizers were half price between 3 and 5, so we shared this gigantic serving between the two of us for $2.50 Canadian, $1.60 US. Hmmm good!
We took the dinner cruise on the Hummer and had a ball with the two “old salts”, George and Bordy (crew). Another couple joined us, Ron and Rhea from New Jersey. 
George filled us in on everything that we were seeing and answered any questions that we had. About an hour out, we stopped and had a lobster dinner
served to us on the stern, watched the sunset, and sipped wine. From there we went to watch the seals, although it had gotten nearly dark at that time. The stars were spectacular, and the night was so clear that you could see numerous lighthouse beacons on the horizon, which they pointed out to us and named.
We took turns piloting the boat
back before we reached the harbour where we slowly drifted past the working boats that were docked and they gave us a little history on each of them. It was a truly enjoyable evening.