Out and About on the South Shore (07-11-13)

With only a couple of days left in the Halifax area,  we had to choose a couple of side trips to do because we can't do everything we want.  We decided to get up, get moving early, take the bikes and head to Chester, where we can catch the ferry to Tancook Island.  Its a great island for walking and biking, and we a overdue for some exercise.  The first problem we had was when we realized Canada has a mandatory helmet law for bikers and we don't have helmets.  Oh well, we figured we'd just walk the island then.  We made it to Chester, but it took us a while to find a spot to park the Beast.  Once we did, we were just in time to watch the ferry pull away from the dock, of course, so we walked over to check the schedule.  Bad news.  The next ferry isn't until 3:00.  Bummer, but hey, it was ok because  by now, problem number three, or is it four,  was drizzling down upon us.

  We opted to keep driving down the coast, and came to the town of Liverpool.  Liverpool was home to the privateers of the 1700s, and was known for its shipbuilding.  Its just a small town and doesn't have the ambiance of Lunenburg, but we decided to take the walking trail that circled the harbor. 

After crossing the trestle bridge, we started hearing live music.  We went to investigate and it turns out that Liverpool is also home to Hank Snow, and there's a museum here with his name on it.    If you ever decide to come here, come on Wednesday.  We arrived just in time for the free weekly BBQ and concert.  We had already eaten but we enjoyed the music.

At this point we were so far down the coast we were close to Kejimkujik National Park, which we had knocked off our list because it was too far away and its really just a beach. But since we were this close anyway......

Its about a one mile hike to the beach from the parking lot and although the sun wasn't out, it had stopped drizzling, so we took the trail.  The coast was beautiful and we got a chance to see the seals hanging out on the rocks offshore.

One of the things that I have noticed up here is the recycling. Canada puts the U.S. to shame when it comes to that. All the campgrounds recycle,  and even in public areas where you would ordinarily just see trash barrels, there are bins for recycling.  I noticed it on PEI and I thought they were so diligent there because its an island, but Nova Scotia is just as impressive.

Our last day in Halifax was a mixed day.  Practical chores, like laundry and trailer washing, reared their ugly heads and we spent the morning taking care of mundane things.  After lunch we headed again to Peggy’s Cove to get a better look at it.  It is very similar to Rockport, but only has a few stores and one restaurant.

The boulders were fun to climb on, but only because the rain held off!