Category: Nova Scotia

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Canada Holidays & Bdays Nova Scotia On the Water WanderLog

Falling in love with Nova Scotia and some Canoe Camping

Travel Dates: August 22-30, 2018

Awhile ago we bought the Canadian National Parks guide and as soon as I realized Kejimkujik National Park was known for its back country camping I was sold. That meant after Cape Breton we needed to make our way southeast. True to form we decided to take the back roads down to a small family run RV park on the eastern shore. Since then we’ve also decided that taking the back roads in Nova Scotia is not generally a good idea. Sometimes we did to avoid toll roads, and other times it just seemed more scenic. More often than not it just meant bad pavement. Live and learn I suppose? The road was bumpy, it was rainy, foggy and not altogether scenic. The bright spot, however, was that we learned most gas stations have hard scoop ice cream. Score!

Murphy’s Camping on the Ocean

We pulled into Murphy’s and I was immediately not impressed. Our site was supposed to have 30amp but it was broken, so we had an extension cord that ran 20amp. It was raining. We were exhausted. It was also not cool enough plus the humidity was high so we were all kind of sticky. I went to bed wondering if we could get a refund and leave early.

But then…. the next day dawned bright and sunny. We had a crisp breeze off the ocean and the kids discovered the crab trap down by the docks. They spent HOURS playing catch and release with the small sea creatures, Alyssa and I went for a mid morning canoe paddle, and later that evening we all sat around the campfire and ate complimentary boiled mussels.

Kind of a quirky place but one that could definitely grow on you. 

“As moms, sometimes we just need our own adventures. @alyssakerickson spied a lonely canoe just sitting on the dock at Murphy’s and asked about renting it. $10 later we were paddling among all these cute little islands for an hour and just enjoying a morning of quiet. And no kids. And adventure. Thanks friend for getting out there with me!”

Friday morning the 24th dawned beautiful, sunny, and just like that Andrew turned 11 years old. Since we had already fulfilled their birthday dreams at Cedar Point last month, the presents were sparse. We did manage to drum up some candy corn for him, and Cara wrapped everything beautifully in home made paper. He requested eggs on toast for breakfast (don’t mind if we do) and then we hitched up and towed the house to the beach for an afternoon in the sun!

Martinique Beach Provincial Park

Alyssa had heard from the locals that Martinique Beach Provincial Park was one of the best beaches on the east shore. From looking at satellite view we figured if we got there early and took up an entire parking lot with our two Airstreams we’d be fine.

Right?

Somehow we managed to miss the fact that it is also a popular surf beach and everyone was there early. Near the end of the narrow road we did manage to back in both our trailers & trucks and settle in for the day. Mostly we just crossed our fingers we’d be able to get out again!

“One of our biggest concerns on this trip was how Rachel would do. She loves Driggs, having her own room and hanging out with girls her age. While traveling is still magical to the younger two, she’s kind of over it. Showing up every week to a new group of teenage girls at church can also be intimidating and full of anxiety. The other week, however, she told us, “I’ve conquered church” while acknowledging that her prayers had been answered. 💕

I’m so proud of her and her attitude. Sure, she’d go home tomorrow if she could but in the meantime I love watching her grow and learn along with the rest of us.
Beach days certainly help too. We don’t have those in Driggs. 😂” – @currentlywandering

One thing I really love about Canada? Everyone is SO nice. We followed the Erickson’s out of the parking lot and everyone moved over, backed up, or gave us space. Seriously could have been bad, but really? It wasn’t a problem. Now, I probably wouldn’t recommend a repeat adventure, but I’m grateful we didn’t get stuck in there all night!

The town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

We ran into the weekend problem where everything was full, but managed to snack a couple of spots down in Lunenburg, NS for Friday & Saturday nights. We celebrated that evening with hamburgers & cupcakes and the kids were able to watch a movie. Birthdays can sometimes be hard on the road, but I think we pretty much nailed this one!

Lunenburge is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which I think means its pretty old. 🙂 We stayed in the lower loop of the Board of Trade campground and only *barely* fit. I’m not sure we’d do that again. It was within walking distance to town, however, which we took advantage of.

Sunday morning we hitched up and drove to church towing the Airstream. We don’t do this often, but sometimes its just logistically easier when we are trying to get from point A to B. We found the ward in the small town of Bridgewater to be incredibly kind and welcoming. If we ever go back to Nova Scotia we’d definitely love to spend more time in this region!

Kejimkujik National Park

We tend to fly by the seat of our pants – even when planning back country adventures. After talking with locals and getting a feel for the area I’ve realized we were VERY lucky to be able to back country camp in this park last minute. I’m so grateful it worked out, however, because this canoe circuit was one of  the hardest and most rewarding trips we’ve had.

“When I found out that Kejimkujik was primarily a back country park my planning wheels started churning. We packed all our gear but haven’t had a chance to use it!

I talked with the rangers, with the outfitters, did a bunch of research online and we finally settled on the Big Dam – Frozen Ocean Lake loop. It involves 26km of paddling/hiking, 6 portages, 4 lakes, and 2 rivers. Definitely the most complicated trip we’ve ever undertaken!

We also found out this park is extremely popular with the locals and am incredibly grateful we were able to book any sites at all with such short notice.

One of my favorite moments? Rachel and Andrew successfully navigating this lake and pulling into the portage like pros.” – @currentlywandering

“That time we were on our way to the National park and I thought, “Hey! I wonder if we should take the paddle board along with our rental canoes?” Yes. Yes we should.” -@currentlywandering

“Sometimes we visit places with a stay in an RV site. Sometimes we jump in a little deeper. We just spent 3 days on a 16 mile canoe circuit in Kejimkujik National Park, in the middle of Southern Nova Scotia.
We started with a portage to and paddle across Big Dam Lake. #allthedamjokes” – @telegramsam

“All three of my kids are strong paddlers, and it makes canoe trips fun. We switched up boat arrangements quite often, and it was great to spend time with each. We had two canoes and also a paddle board/kayak, so there were no passengers for th first time on a trip like this. Everybody had a nice round of paddling.” – @telegramsam

I plan to do a full write up of our trip as soon as I get time to go through ALL  the video. Stay tuned for that.

City of Halifax & Enlisting as Soldiers

After our canoe camping trip in Keji, we towed back to Halifax, Nova Scotia and met up with the Erickson’s again. Mostly we just needed to recover, get some work done, and get Rachel to the LDS temple. The kids and I also managed a visit to the Citadel for a road schooling field trip. I wish it hadn’t been as hot and humid that day because the fort was AMAZING. I loved watching the soldiers in uniform march, play the bagpipes, and shoot their weapons. We could dress up, enlist in the army, and even attend of day of school.

If we had had longer (and looking back we should have just done it!) I would have explored more of the southern coast of Nova Scotia. Its rumored to have some of the best beaches anywhere. However, it was time to turn and head back towards the US.

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Canada National Parks Nova Scotia WanderLog

Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the Cabot Trail

I didn’t realize how BIG Nova Scotia was. It really does take hours to get across, but that didn’t deter us from heading to the northernmost part – Cape Breton. Specifically we wanted to visit the National Park because I had heard such good things!

When We Visited: August 19-21, 2018

Ages of Kids: 12, 10, & 8

Where we stayed: We camped in Cheticamp on the west side of the park. While our friends snagged a site for the whole time, we actually had to move in the middle but it wasn’t crazy. Both sites were unserviced (dry) but the temps were manageable and we did okay. Next time I’d be tempted to stay there for a few days and then tow around and over to Ignogish and park closer to the beach!

The main attraction for this park is driving the Cabot Trail – a beautifully scenic highway that runs the length of the park. We were told we really needed to drive it on a motorcycle, but realistically that just wasn’t going to happen!

Instead of seeing the park piece by piece we determined it would be better to just take off a day of work and spend the whole day exploring! We hadn’t this in a LONG time and although it was a long day we had a blast.

Driving the Cabot Trail

I think most people drive the trail counter-clockwise but since we were already camped on the west side we went the opposite direction. We told the kids we were doing a “10 Hike Challenge” along the way and for the most part everyone stayed enthusiastic. We felt like it was a great way to stop along the way and see various highlights of the park.

“When planning our adventures in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, we decided to take work off and spend the entire day driving & hiking footpaths along the Cabot Trail with our friends @alyssakerickson & @cperickson.

The road winds along the seashore, through the trees and then back to the opposite seashore for 108 km of pretty spectacular scenery.

We haven’t taken an entire day for intense exploring in a long time and it was fabulous. By the end we were exhausted but our adventurous souls were satisfied.” – @currentlywandering

“The shores of Nova Scotia have completely taken me by surprise. This section in particular reminded me of Lake Superior with it’s craggy rocks and blue water. I loved it!

About halfway into our 10 hike challenge, the kids found a burst of energy to scramble up and down to the water and back. Hanging with friends on this trip has been awesome. Outdoor activities always seem to go smoother when the kids (okay adults too) have someone to hang with!” – @currentlywandering

“When we originally planned our route to include Nova Scotia, ‘beach’ was the furthest word from my mind.

Now we can’t get enough.

First we thought we’d just dip our toes in. Then up to our ankles, then a wave came and splashed up to our knees. Before we knew it we were ducking waves and laughing in the salt spray.

Maybe it was a full day of hiking, or maybe the light was just right, or we got lucky with an unseasonably warm summer. Whatever the reason, our evening on Ingonish Beach will forever be a favorite.” – @currentlywandering

By the time we were finished with our dip in the ocean and our last hike, we were pretty starving! The restaurants in town were pretty busy so we found a burger place that was basically fast food. We gobbled them down and then blasted music on the hour and 45 minute drive back to camp. Everyone slept pretty well that night!

Hiking Skyline Trail

We only had one more day in the park, and we knew we wanted to hit the Skyline Trail at sunset. Since the signal in the park wasn’t very good, both dads drove out to town hunting for better coverage. They found it right outside the bakery. Darn.

Alyssa and I managed the kids – we did some smashbooking, passed off their Xplorer books and just basically hung around until dinner time. Then we were off!

It is advised to start the trail about 2 hours before sunset so for us that was 6:30pm. The trail is fairly flat along the top of the ridge but then it opens up into this:

It literally took my breath away. Even though it was an easy 4.5 mile round trip, the Skyline Trail definitely hit my list of all time favorite hikes. Sunset was totally a bonus!

“As we walked past the last line of trees and into the open I involuntarily caught my breath. It really did feel like we could touch the sky.

Cape Breton Highlands National Park turned out to be one of our favorite national parks on either side of the border. There’s just something about those seaside hills rolling down into the ocean that spark my imagination.

I can’t think of a better place @telegramsam and I could have celebrated 15 years of marriage. It’s hard, and it’s work, and sometimes in 188 square feet it gets a little crazy. But as I think back over the last four years of travel and how much we’ve been able to truly start to understand and appreciate each other I wouldn’t change a second of it. Love you babe! 😘” – @currentlywandering

While I’m sure we could have spent much long in the park, not having good signal for work is fairly stressful. I’m so grateful we had as long a we did though – Cape Breton Highlands has turned into one of our favorite National Parks!

Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site

Since signal was not amazing in Cavendish, we left early and drove to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, NS. While Alyssa and I spent time with kids attending a kite making class and completing their Xplorer books, both dads did a quick perusal of the visitor center and headed back out to the Airstreams to get some long overdue work in.

I thoroughly enjoyed the museum. I knew about the invention of the telephone (kind of ) but Alec (as he was nicknamed) also had an interest in kites, flying airplanes, and hydrofoils. Apparently they vacationed enough in Cape Breton, that eventually the family just bought property in Baddeck and moved up there.

I love when we visit and place and that encourages us to want to know MORE. 

Categories
Canada Nova Scotia WanderLog

Skipping PEI and Spending the Weekend in Pictou, NS

Travel Dates: August 17-19, 2018

For some reason, Nova Scotia is the area that excited me the most about the Maritime Provinces. We originally had reservations at Cavendish campground in Prince Edward Island National Park. When most people talk about the Maritimes I hear a lot of “PEI” mentioned. Fictional home of the literary hero Anne of Green Gables its a popular spot for many.

Only we haven’t read the books.

We also found out there’s a $50 fee to cross back across the island to the mainland, plus everything out there is fairly tourist oriented and expensive.

As we planned out driving time (it was a lot), and how much time we had before our Acadia reservations (not enough) we ultimately made the decision to skip it. GASP! I know there are some who would call that lamentable, but we are pretty much okay with it.

The drive from Kouchibouguac to Cape Breton was longer than we liked, so we picked a halfway point in Pictou, NS that served as a logistical stop, easy access to church, AND we got to meet back up with our friends the Erickson’s. Hooray!

“New Brunswick was fabulous (and we’ll be back to visit Bay of Fundy on our way out) but we transitioned into Nova Scotia late Friday evening. Out of all our plans for this trip for some reason this province is the one I’ve been looking forward to most.

So far the rolling farmland reminds me of Idahome only bordered by the sea instead of mountains. I can already tell it’s gonna be good.” -@currentlywandering

Bonus points for finding a fish & chips food truck on the way.

As soon as we pulled into the site right next to our friends, the kids were out and immediately begged for some pool time before it closed for the night.

The following morning we were inspired to join them for a quick walk on the beach “before” the rain started but our timing was a little off. We spent the rest of the day working, getting chores done, and generally enjoying the cooler weather.

We even managed an adult date night dinner at the Korean restaurant AT the campground. How often does that happen?

Sunday afternoon post church, we started the long drive up to Cape Breton Highlands National Park.