We departed early from Cape Cod to catch the afternoon ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia – about a 6 hour drive. Since it was a Sunday and not quite good beach weather, we were able to make good time and arrived a bit early into Bar Harbor, giving us time to stop for a quick bite to eat at a little restaurant – the Chart Room, where we’d stayed on our last visit to Acadia. Good food, reasonably priced.

But the “not so great beach day” also meant a not so great 3-1/2hr ferry ride. While there wasn’t much for surface chop, there were pretty big swells, which made for a squeamish crossing.

Landing and passing through customs, we were able to find a local supermarket which enabled us to pick up a few items before the short drive to our AirBnB and settling in for the night.

A word about the place we stayed, as it created a strong first impression. We’d selected a Tiny House (as it is called on AirBnB). Indeed tiny, with a kitchen/living room on the first floor and a king bed on the second, and comfortably appointed just outside Yarmouth proper. What set this place apart was the location – it had a wonderful view westward, to a small cove, presenting a calming view of the shoreline.

It was the views from the house which really set it apart. Did I mention the hot tub on the deck providing a view of the cove?

The stormy weather from the day before, our travel day and ferry ride, had cleared the air, enabling the pictures above and giving us an opportunity to explore Yarmouth a bit.

We started with a quick visit to explore Cape Forchu and its lighthouse. The lighthouse was closed so we couldn’t ascend (which was perfectly fine with my acrophobic self!), but it still offered a commanding watch over the harbor and rocky shores.

From there, we headed a bit eastward along the coast for a small hike to explore the Westport Nature trail. Not a substantial hike, just a little under 3 miles, but nice to get out and stretch the legs a bit.

From there, back home for a relaxing hot tub, then back to Yarmouth to stroll the street art and grab a bite at Rudder’s Seafood on the waterfront. Home in time to enjoy a sunset from our Tiny House:

We were up and out early the next morning for our drive to Lunenburg, the next stop on our road trip.

We decided to take a longer route, first heading northward along the coast to stop in Digby – the port for the ferry from St. John – mainly to see what was there. As it turns out, not a whole lot, though we did enjoy an outdoor lunch overlooking their harbor:

AND, while there, we learned that Digby is the (self-proclaimed) scallop capital of the world.

We don’t really have any way of verifying that fun fact, though we were skeptical since we’re friends with a scallop fisherman here on the cape – and he gets some pretty darn good scallops! Who are we to argue.

We finished up our lunch and proceeded on our journey to Lunenburg, heading southeast through the central portion of Nova Scotia and arriving in the late afternoon.

Our place was a cute 3rd floor apartment with a balcony overlooking the Lunenburg harbor. Founded in 1753, Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered as the best example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. We made it our home for a few days.

View from the deck of our apartment for morning sunrise.

We planned three full days in Lunenburg and had scoped out some nearby trails and the possibility of renting bikes. The weather indicated renting bikes for the first day – a local place in town called Rhumb Line Bicycles.

Gearing up (ha!), we first headed southeastward to the Blue Rocks, a small fishing village. From there, we headed northward following the Bay to Bay trail toward Mahone Bay. The trail was a small loose gravel, recently re-done, providing for a pleasant ride and a midway stopping point at the Naked Oyster for a bite to eat in Mahone bay.

On the next day, we headed toward Peggy’s Cove – a picturesque fishing village in one of the many nooks and crannies of Nova Scotia – and Polly’s trail, a web of trails along the rock shores just east of Peggy’s Cove.

Only 25-ish miles from Halifax, Peggy’s Cove often receives bus loads from the cruise ships visiting Halifax. We were fortunate during our visit that none were there when we arrived.

On the next day, we decided to head west from Lunenburg, again finding a trail for a bit more hiking. Hirtle’s Beach and Gaff Point trail was just the thing – a nice 5mi loop, down the beach, a woodsy/rocky coast path, with more nooks and crannies, and return along the beach. Beautiful weather!

Following the hike, we continued westward, winding around the shore road and stumbling on a free (yes, FREE) ferry, crossing the LaHave river from East LaHave to West LaHave. Interestingly, the ferry was run on a cable across the river!

After a bit of a drive, we didn’t find much of interest, so turning around, we headed back across the river, though not before stopping at the local breakfast joint LaHave Bakery while waiting for the ferry.

Dinner that night was at a local pub in downtown Lunenburg – Bar Salvador – for a bit of tapas and, as it turns out, the Canada v. Bosnia-Hersegovinia world cup match. The place lit up when Canada scored!

We were up and out early the next day, mostly rain-filled, to our next destination, Cavendish, PEI.