Nova Scotia: St. Margaret's Bay

The much photographed Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

On our second full day in Nova Scotia we headed off to the prime tourist attraction of Peggy's Cove, the most photographed spot in the province. Since we lingered on the front porch until almost 11AM, we decided to take the inland highway (103) to exit 5 and then cut in on the coastal route (333). There is a visitor's center near the turn off for 333 that is worth stopping for. There is also a very large grocery store. Had we known about the small size of Lunenburg's stores, we would have stocked up. We asked the docent at the Visitor's Center about food farther down and she said there was a great place at Peggy's Cove itself and not to worry. We should have worried! Pack a lunch if you go to Peggy's Cove!

Glacial erractics on the Swissair Memorial Trail

The drive down 333 was our first realization that these scenic coastal roads can be entirely in the trees. We were almost to the Cove before we could see the sea.

View of the Atlantic Ocean and the scoured rocks from the Memorial

Two kilometers west of the Cove is a pull off for the Swissair Memorial. This short walk was delightful. In 1998 and MD-11 aircraft crashed off the coast killing all 229 aboard. The memorial itself is tasteful but the views from the trail are what drew me.

An erratic and a view of Peggy's Cove in the hazy distance

From the memorial site, the unique geology of the area is readily seen. Like Blue Rocks, the area around Peggy's cove has been greatly affected by glaciation. The stark granite and dramatic coastline is the result of glaciers ripping away all the topsoil as they lumbered southward from the Arctic. The numerous boulders that dot the area, called glacial erratics, were carried by the glacier and deposited there as the glacier receded. They reminded me of Jimmies on top of a child's cupcake. You can also see Peggy's Cove in the distance, but the day we went it was slightly hazy and Peggy's Cove was obscured. Unfortunately, there is no trail beyond the memorial through this very interesting area.

Tidal rocks closer to the ocean

The village of Peggy's Cove is quaint, but after seeing Blue Rocks the night before, we were less impressed. This had less to do with the area and more to do with the miles of cars and "hordes" of tourists scurrying to and fro. We decided to drive up to the lighthouse itself rather than park down by the visitor's center. It costs $5 to park at the lighthouse, which is refunded if you buy something in the gift shop or restaurant. Since it was our intent to eat lunch there we did not have any issues with this.

The crowds like ants crawling all over the rocks

Since it was 1PM and we were starving, we made a bee-line for the restaurant. Enter disappointment. The place was mobbed, there was a long line to get in, and the prices were tourist-trap exorbitant. We decided to starve a little longer and bought a box of maple cookies in the gift shop, which we ate out on the rocks. After walking around for 15 minutes or so, snapping the obligatory pictures, we decided to head further down highway 333 to escape the crowds. This was a good choice.

A little ways beyond Peggy's Cove toward Halifax is West Dover. This quiet village had a decent restaurant right on the water. We pounced with grumbling stomachs. Sitting out on the deck with its colorful umbrellas we ate fish and chips and drank beer and congratulated ourselves on our good fortune.

A close up of the smooth granite

Feeling adventurous, we decided to continue up 333 towards Halifax even though it was inland. This route gets increasingly suburban but has some nice views of lakes and vacation homes. Once back on 103, we headed south again to exit 5 where we started. Here we got off the highway and returned to the coastal route (highway 3 going south) along St. Margaret's Bay. This drive along St. Margaret's Bay to Lunenburg is supposed to be one of the scenic wonders of the area. We particularly like the area around the Head of St. Margaret's Bay, a more developed vacation community in a sheltered inlet but found much of the route shrouded in trees. You can take 3 straight across, be we chose to follow 329 around the crenulation in the middle of the area. There were some nice views from this peninsula, but few places to stop and take pictures, an issue that would plague me the entire trip. Nova Scotia is very scenic, they just don't have the tourist infrastructure we are used to here in the US for scenic drives. Here there would have been vehicle turn outs every mile or so and certainly at every vista.

Quite thirsty we pulled into Chester looking for a cafe to wet our whistle. At 2pm in the afternoon the microscopic town was closed down except for the pub. We grabbed a soda to go there and continued on our way.

The view from the deck of the restaurant in West Dover. A much nicer atmosphere than the crowded tourist trap at Peggy's Cove.

The farther away we got from the exposed Atlantic coastline the hotter it became. By the time we reached Mahone Bay it was stifling and we had no desire to get out of the car and walk around. I took a quick photo of the much talked about church and jumped quickly back into the air conditioned car.

At this point the sun was setting and our predictable stomachs were talking to us again so we boogied back to Lunenburg in search of sustenance.

The three churches of Mahone Bay. Nothing stirred in the heat.

The drive from Peggy's Cove to Lunenburg was not as exciting as the guide book would lead one to believe. We found places to stop for photographs few and far between and more trees than we anticipated.

Nova Scotia: Blue Rocks

The coastline of Nova Scotia consists of thousands of small crenulated inlets. Most are small and very scenic.

Blue Rocks is a small fishing community 8 km north and ocean ward of Lunenburg. We drove out there our first evening. It did not take very long and the scenery was very picturesque. We also drove north to Somerset. This is what we had anticipated most of Nova Scotia looking like.

A lighthouse decoration along the route to Blue Rocks

Reflections of the trees and rocks in the still waters of an inlet

Throughout the area, evidence of glaciation could be seen in the rocks gouged in continuous straight lines, a testament to the power of nature.

Whale watching and other tours leave from various small wharfs near Blue Rocks

This hard rock was scraped by a glacier as easily as we might scrape frosting on a cake with a fork. All of the rocks around Blue Rocks had this feature.

During Hurricane Bill, locals drove out to this area to watch the waves. Considering that huge granite boulders were being tossed up on to the road with every breaker, this behavior was foolish, but it won't be the last of such stories I will tell along these lines.

The tide was out when we drove out to Blue Rocks.

The sunset on the way back was glorious

Nova Scotia: Lunenburg

Lunenburg waterfront

Lunenburg is billed as one of the most attractive towns in Nova Scotia and it is. I can also tell you that after visiting other supposedly attractive towns we came to appreciate it more and more. Lunenburg is filled with brightly painted buildings, excellent restaurants, and old fashioned sailing ships.

The back bay. This was the view from the porch of the home we stayed in. Anyone with less fortitude than I would not have survived tea every morning with this pastoral panorama.

Lunenburg is home of the Bluenose, an award winning schooner. We took a ride out on the Bluenose II, which I will describe in another post.

On the wharf

The town itself sits atop a hill and its gridded lanes are filled with 100 year old homes, flower boxes, and tall trees. Walking around town, particularly in the 30°C heat was a trial, however. The steep hills would normally have been trivial for us Coloradans but in the heat they resulted in near prostration. The town's real charm showed after Hurricane Bill had sucked the heat away and the fog returned. The old-fashioned signs, the filigree, and the street lamps all took on a special aura in the fog. This is a good thing since fog is Lunenburg's natural habitat.

The waterfront from out in the harbor

Because of the heat, I found myself drinking a great deal of beer on this trip. Most of the iced tea is sweetened and the sodas were sold by the can and also full of sugar. I found that the local brew Keith's fit the bill nicely and could be had in grog bowl quantities, a blessing on a hot day.

A downtown gallery

In 1995 the old town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While a boost for tourism the locals were less than pleased. As anyone who has lived in a historic district knows, maintaining a home to historic standards is a pain. Every possible modification has to be approved. God forbid indoor plumbing should be desired.

A few shots of Lunenburg Homes

Lunenburg was settled not by the British, but by German, Swiss, and French immigrants. A memorial to the early settlers exists on Bunkhouse Hill and the names engraved on the stones are still seen in the phone book today.

Walking down Kempt Street to the main harbor

There are decent shops and nice galleries throughout the town, which tempt the walker away from the waterfront. We found the restaurants right along the harbor to be quite average although seafood was plentiful. Lunenburg does boast two fine dining establishments, one of which, the Fleur de Sel, was voted the best restaurant for 2008 for all of Nova Scotia. It was quite good but pricey as one might expect.

Sailing seems to be the national pastime of Nova Scotians. There were many in the harbor and other bays and inlets.

Since we had a house to stay in, we decided to hit the grocery store and stock up. There are two in town and both were very small. Seafood was sparse and much more expensive than beef or pork. The vegetables were also lacking, which explained why we didn't get any in our dinners out. It seems that many of the locals drive to Bridgeport about 20 minutes away to really stock up.

Some colorful dories along the shore

Many of the folks that live in Lunenburg are retired. There is not much work in the area outside of the tourism industry.

Lunenburg's primary colors are best seen from the water. In town, they don't stand out as much.

As a base of operations, Lunenburg proved ideal. We could easily travel north to Peggy's Cove and south to the many beaches that dot the nooks and crannies of the coastline.

Nova Scotia Travel Diary: Overview

The far end of Lunenburg Harbor taken from the wharf.

I have just returned from 10 days in Nova Scotia. I decided not to bring my computer and blog as I went but wait until I got home. Being totally unplugged has its advantages. Below is a map of the province. The icons are locations that will be mentioned as I describe the trip.

Nova Scotia is an Atlantic province of Canada and is the second smallest after Prince Edward Island. There are only 32 million people in Canada, a mere 10th of the US population, so words "crowd" and "horde" must be taken with a grain of salt when referring to Nova Scotia.

What surprised us the most was how wooded the area is. All the photos you will see from my trip and others focus on the coastline. Those views exist of course, but there was a lot of driving through trees to get there. With all the hard woods I suspect that fall would be a phenomenal time to visit.

We spent most of our time around Lunenburg. My travel buddy's cousin owns a home there so we had a beautiful and free place to stay. We did take two days to drive up to Cape Breton Island to visit the National Park and drive the Cabot Trail.


View nova scotia in a larger map
We really screwed up in the planning for this trip. We checked the weather forecast a week out and visited several web cams that showed expected fog along the coast. When we got there, the province was suffering under an heat wave with 30°C/90°F weather and 100% humidity. We had to borrow shorts and t-shirts from the house. Five minutes outside and we were soaked through with sweat. Moral of the story, double check the forecast.

The other thing that made this trip interesting was that we got caught in Hurricane Bill, which hit the day we were supposed to fly out. I did not know that hurricanes ever made it that far north.

All of this and more will be described and I present my travel diary. Hopefully, you won't mind this digression from my normal Colorado posts.

Mt. Flora

Distance: 6.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 11,307ft - 13,132 ft
Elevation Gain: 1,832 ft
Dogs: Off leash
Bathroom at trailhead: Yes, but TP can be limited

My friend Barbara next to the summit cairn

Hiking Mt. Flora is like a free trip to a Swiss Disneyland with E-ticket views. Listen closely and you may just hear a distant Swiss Horn or some blissed out hiker belting out show tunes from the Sound of Music. Hike this trail at the height of the tundra flower season and you'll know why they named it Mt. Flora. I kept alternating between shoving my nose in the turf and jumping up to admire the vistas. Whiplash is an unexpected hazard on this trail!

Sign at the trail head

The first part of the trail is on a dirt road surround by Spruce and Pine.

The trail itself was mostly packed dirt and the one small rock pile on the route has had steps placed through it. After trudging up Mt. Audubon the day before, I felt like I was levitating up Mt. Flora. I certainly did not need my heavy boots. As mountains go, Mt. Flora is very accessible.

Sign at the beginning of the single track trail

Heading off on the single track trail

The trail up Mt. Flora begins at Berthoud Pass. There is a restroom at the pass, but bring your own supplies. Tourists from far and wide stop here on the way to Winter Park and Steamboat Springs.

Taking a break on the open tundra. The road in the distance is highway 40.

James Peak and the open tundra views

The route begins up a wide dirt road that heads up to the top of Colorado Mines Peak, another 13er, covered in industrial looking buildings. At 0.89 miles (11,700 ft), a small sign appears directing the hiker off the road and onto a single track trail that skirts the peak. This is where the fun really starts. In the distance, looms Long's Peak and the Mummy Range, while all around is the verdant grasses of a nearly empty slope. This is where I started to channel my inner Julie Andrews. What is it about a green field dotted with flowers that makes us all want to start racing across it. I get jealous of the dogs who have the sure footedness to do so without breaking their necks. My middle-aged body would not fare so well.

View from the saddle with Colorado Mines Peak

Looking up to the left from the saddle. This section is steeper than it appears.

After skirting the side of the Colorado Mines Peak, we reached a saddle (1.64 miles, 12,138 ft) with a grab-your-chest-and-gasp view of a hidden lake and valley. While I know that I-70 is just beyond the entrance to this valley and that the area is not wilderness, it still had that feel of discovering something totally new. Flowing green tundra grasses filled the slopes and the small tarn was surrounded by bucolic willows. Leading up the valley was a rivulet of coniferous trees. This spot is a worthy destination in and of itself for those who don't want to climb all the way to the summit.

Looking back on Colorado Mines Peak

Flowers are abundant on Mt. Flora in late July.

To the left of this view is the other side of the saddle. Climbing up this wrinkle in the earth was the most strenuous part of the trip. It was both steep and somewhat slippery with loose dirt, but oh the views. The higher we climbed the more expansive the mountains around us became. Colorado Mines Peak becomes a bump and the Gore Range blends with the Ten Mile Range to form a continuous row of snow dotted mountains from north to south. Additionally, the larger peaks of the Continental Divide (Grays Peak, Torreys Peak, Square Top Mountain, Grizzly Peak, etc) are clearly visible. I am lucky I did not fall off the hillside with all my twisting around to take it all in. At 2.31 miles (12,730 ft) you can finally see the summit.

Higher up the steep section, looking back on Colorado Mines Peak

Views of the Gore Range and the Ten Mile Range kept me turning around.

Don't let this steep section fool you, there is still some distance to travel. A short ridge walk ends at a small pile of boulders and talus. The folks at this mountain Disneyland have made this obstacle trivial by placing convenient flat rocks in the form of steps all through it. Within seconds, we reached the top (2.7 miles, 12,858 ft) for another surprising view down to a valley and its tarn. The whole back side of this area is gorgeous.

Ginger, the wonder dog, takes a VERY RARE break from her continuous and joyful running. Is she as enamored of the flowers as I was or is it Pika droppings that have her smiling?

The rest of the crew catches up. In the far distance is Grays and Torreys, two Front Range 14ers.

From the rock pile, it is only a short 0.5 miles to the summit, which is very obvious. There was a stream of folks coming off the top, but these were the only people we saw, and by the time we settled in with our 360 degree view and our peanut butter sandwiches, we had the place to ourselves.

After the steep section, the summit comes into view (far right bump).

The rock pile

Now in addition to the views already mentioned, one can clearly see Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt to the southeast and James Peak a stones throw away to the north. Looking down the precipitous drop off is tiny Ethel Lake. The summit is wide and broad. We had to wander around a bit to focus on the views in different directions. More tundra plants were growing amongst the rocks and the weather was sublime. Our group must have hung out for over an hour marveling at the world laid out before us. Colorado really is grand.

The surprising view from atop the rock pile

On the summit and looking southwest

If you can't tell by my many superlatives, I really liked Mt. Flora. It is easy and therefore accessible to the average hiker, the views are some of the best I have yet to see in Colorado, and we had the place to ourselves. My witnessing to this wonderful location may spoil it in the future, but I do feel that everyone who lives here should enjoy Mt. Flora at least once. It will fill your soul with gratitude for the wonders of our State and the natural beauty we get to have for free.

A broader view of the seemingly continuous waves of peaks

Alpine Avens (Acomastylis rossii turbinata) on the summit. This flower grows only in the tundra and can be seen from mid-June to early August.

Disneyland comparisons aside, I would be remiss if I did not remind you that Mt. Flora is a mountain above 13,000 ft, which means all the usual precautions apply. Watch the weather, carry water and layers, slap on plenty of sunscreen, and be emotionally prepared for gale force winds.

Moss Champion (Silene acaulis subacaulescens) seems to be the most predominate flower on Mt. Flora. Moss Champion grows only in the tundra and can be seen from late-June to early August. It grows like a carpet in the nooks and crannies of rocks.

Looking down on Ethel Lake

I would suggest looking to climb Mt. Flora in the last two weeks of July. By mid-August many of the flowers are gone. The tundra still has an appeal in the late summer to early fall, but to really commune with everything Mt. Flora can be save it for a mid-summer reaffirmation of life, color, and open sky and don't forget to bring your lederhosen

Heading down

A final goodbye to the flowers of Mt. Flora. This whole hillside was filled with Alpine Avens.

Mountain Harbell

The Mountain Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) actually grows at all elevations from the Foothills to the Alpine Tundra and last throughout the summer. I have seen it on the Mesa Trail behind NCAR up to treeline on numerous trails. Its bright purple color always makes it a favorite.

Queen's Crown

These pictures represent the first time I have ever seen Queen's Crown (Clementsia rhodantha) in Colorado even though it is in all the flower guides. As it was, this specimen was at the Mt. Goliath Nature Area on Mt. Evans (see my post on the Bristlecone Pines there), so I am not sure if it is planted or natural. In the moist, alpine habitats that this flower prefers, I more commonly see King's Crown. Queen's Crown blooms from in mid-July.