The Rest of Nova Scotia

After we got off the island, we had another week in Nova Scotia before we were due to fly home. The first thing we did was sneak in a quick visit to the Seal Island Lighthouse Museum in Barrington Passage (we arrived five minutes before they were due to close so it was a very quick visit). They have recreated the lighthouse and turned the inside into a museum and the light at the top is the original light put in almost 200 years ago.

Later in the week, we decided to take the kids to see the tides at the Bay of Fundy. We chose the tiny town of Margaretsville and made sure we arrived at low tide:

After walking around and taking pictures, we drove to the nearby Dempsey Orchards, a u-pick farm I'd found on Trip Advisor. We figured it would be a good way to kill six hours while we waited for the tides to come back in. We actually intended to just pick some blueberries (as we heard they were in season and that's something you can't grow in Edmonton) and then go to a nearby zoo for the rest of the time. But there was so much to do at the farm and it was so fun that we spent the whole time here. First we spent time in the playground/petting zoo.

This goat was extremely friendly. It ended up climbing onto my chair right beside me seconds after this photo was taken. I guess it thought my foot pushing it away was an invitation to snuggle?

There was a foozball table where the foozball was a baby potato from the farm.

We ended up picking plums (which were everyone's favourite), peaches and blueberries.

Once we were done at the farm, we drove back to Margaretsville for high tide:

The next day we drove to Halifax but stopped at Lunenburg and Peggy's Cove along the way. Lunenburg was extremely picturesque and also packed with tourists. Peggy's Cove was the same. But we're glad we could experience both places, they're really lovely.

Lunenburg:

Peggy's Cove:

Jess made sure we got a picture of us standing here because before our trip he had found a painting of this exact spot in Peggy's Cove (painted back in the 60s) and he was planning on giving it to me for our anniversary the following week.

The next day we set out to explore the Halifax waterfront. I remember taking the ferry from Dartmouth with my grandmother to come here. It's been over 25 years since I was here but I even remembered that after we passed the ferry terminal, once we passed a certain building on our right (which I didn't remember until I saw it and I was there again) that we'd come across an old pillory where I remember posing for a picture when I was about 12. And sure enough, there it was. So of course I had to pose again and the kids did too. (Although I just noticed we were facing the wrong direction in our recreation of this stellar photo so the background is wrong - oh well I guess we'll have to go back to Halifax to try again!) 

In the afternoon, to escape the heat, we went to the Maritime Museum and then went for ice cream.

This is a replica of one of the deck chairs on board the Titanic. Pretty comfortable.

On our last day in Nova Scotia, we went to the Citadel. I don't remember going here as a kid but I knew it would be a good history lesson for the kids.

They had these spy kits that the kids checked out with directions on how to find a bunch of clues hidden throughout the fort.

Shae didn't feel like playing the spy game. Or looking around. This is where she spent much of her time:

Once they found all the clues, they returned their kits and received prizes. They weren't too impressed with their prizes: a paper Glengarry Hat.

Farewell Nova Scotia, we loved our visit!