Continued from the previous page.

SPARKLING BLUE MAHONE BAY 

After visiting Peggy's Cove we had to retrace about 16 miles north along St. Margaret's Bay to go back to Rt. 3, drive around the top of that bay, then around the western side of Mahone Bay, and down to Lunenburg:

Note that distances are in kilometers, not miles.

Along the way we drove through the small town of Mahone Bay, another quaint seacoast village first settled in 1754.

Some visitors like Mahone Bay for all the arts, crafts, and antiques stores. We liked it the most because of its picturesque shoreline:

 

 

The most distinctive landmarks in town are the Three Churches, built in the mid-1800s, that greet visitors to this bayside community:

I liked this cheery yellow Victorian house on the main street at Pleasant:

On this visit we didn't stop anywhere in town except to take pictures.

COLORFUL LUNENBURG

I had read about Lunenburg in the promotional literature we got for Nova Scotia but didn't seriously consider visiting it until new friends at our campground on Cape Breton Island simply raved about it.

I'm so glad they did. It's delightful!

 

Old Town Lunenburg is one of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Canada. It has been called "the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America."

Granted to a British family in 1656, the area was also later settled by French, German, and Swiss immigrants. The town itself was founded in 1751 and there are several good examples of buildings from that era that have been designated National Historic Sites.

Some of the houses, shops, and other buildings are very colorful. I don't think any of the buildings in my photos are that old but they show a variety of architecture near the Lunenburg harbor:

A narrated carriage ride would be nice through the historic district.

Did I say colorful? Some might say gaudy.

The subtle color of this small art gallery is more to my taste.

This mural adorns the Admiral Benbow Inn, which has rooms overlooking the harbor.

Patrons -- and a canine companion -- dine al fresco above the harbor.

Near our shady parking spot a couple streets above the harbor we walked past this sail-maker's shop. The large doorway was open, so we peeked inside:

R. B. Stevens & Sons Company

Lunenburg was one of the greatest fishing ports on the continent in the 18th and 19th centuries. The harbor is still the main draw in town. There you can find numerous fishing, tour, and recreational vessels.

Here are some interesting harbor scenes I captured:

 

 

There are at least two historic schooners, including the Bluenose II, a replica of the famous Bluenose schooner that won every international race it entered.

You can see the tall masts of the Bluenose II in the photo directly above and below:

A working vessel, the Bluenose is represented on the Canadian dime. Unfortunately, the original boat was wrecked and lost off Haiti in 1946.

Its replica lies in Lunenburg harbor. The Bluenose II is undergoing a major rebuild this summer and is not available for public tours or sailings. We could get close to it, but not on it:

 

I noticed one other historical vessel in the harbor, the Theresa E. Connor, Canada's oldest saltbank schooner:

I don't know if visitors can tour that one or not. I did learn that "saltbanking" means preserving the catch in salt on the boat instead of ice. The Connor used both methods.

It was fun to see the historical and other boats, read interpretive panels, and look at the Victorian, Federal, and other architecture near the harbor. We aren't "shoppers," but people who are would love this place.

If we ever come back it'd be nice to spend more time in town so we could see more of the houses and take a harbor tour, like these people did:

The two-masted Eastern Star tour boat prepares to leave the harbor.

Sails furled and flying the Canadian maple leaf flag

Before leaving the area we drove across the arm of the bay to look at Lunenburg from that perspective.

From the harbor we could see emerald green hills that turned out to be part of a golf course:

 

From the golf course Lunenburg's colorful buildings make an interesting backdrop against the sky, water, and boats:

 

 

As with Peggy's Cove and the Salt Marsh Trail, we also highly recommend visitors go to Lunenburg when they're in the Halifax area . . .

SPEAKING OF SALT MARSH . . .

Here are a couple more drive-time scenery photos in the greater Halifax area.

These are to the northeast, not southwest. I took them on the second trip from our campground at Hammonds Plains to Cole Harbor, where we rode our bikes on the Salt Marsh and Atlantic View Trails:

No, it didn't rain.

Bedford end of Halifax Harbor at low tide

Fun with mirrors!  Are we coming or going??

Old covered bridge no longer in service

View of the Atlantic Ocean

As you can see from the last five entries, there are lots of interesting things to do and see in and around the greater Halifax area.

We could have easily stayed longer but summer is waning. We also want to see the western side of Nova Scotia's mainland so we left for the Digby Neck area after a week in Halifax. I imagine we'll be back someday.

Now let's go see some whales!

Next entry:  the drive from Halifax to Digby Neck, and camping at Whale Cove Campground

Happy trails,

Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, Cody the ultra Lab, and Casey-pup

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© 2014 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil