When my sister Kim recently announced she was coming to Canada from Ireland with her new beau Martin and was stopping in Nova Scotia for a few days, I was excited about where to take them first!
There are many great restaurants that I've been anxious to try, but my sister quickly dissuaded me. I believe her words were "he thinks garlic is spicy", he wouldn't enjoy anything different. With fine cuisine literally off the menu of things to do, we planned our trip to Peggy's Cove.
I've been criticized many times by local friends for never having ventured out that way. As the granddaughter of a third generation lighthouse keeper, lighthouses are close to my heart. But I'll admit I procrastinated a little. I also purposely learned as little as possible about Peggy's Cove so that I would have something to discover. Well, I was wrong to wait so long.
As we edged towards Peggy's Cove there were hundreds of boulders of all sizes pitched along the landscape like a marble game amongst giants. The village was quaint, as are most fishing villages. The ocean rushed in to greet its visitors and the lighthouse was perfectly poised as a gracious host watching over its guests.
I did not anticipate the magnificent table of rocks that seemed to be just waiting for picnickers to sit amongst them and enjoy. They were also laid perfectly for a place to play. If Nova Scotia is an ocean playground, this was a pretty good jungle gym!
The playground rules are simple.
• Don't tease the waves
• Play nice and stay away from the dark and dangerous rocks, very slippery
• Wear appropriate footwear...for climbing
If you obey these simple rules and you can leap, hop and climb 'til your hearts content. If you're in to photography, take some pictures. The lighthouse looks a little different depending on the rock you are standing upon.
We did a little of everything. I took some pictures. My daughter Claire rolled up her jeans to step into a little wading pool among the rocks. No jellyfish in that one! I asked Martin what he thought. "Grand" was his response. And after watching him help my sister over the rocks, eventually sitting together to enjoy the view....I thought ain't it just that..."grand".
All of this exercise and fresh air is sure to work up an appetite as it did for us, so we decided to head into the Sou'wester for a spot of lunch. The menu was a typical Nova Scotian fare with lots of seafood to choose from and traditional blueberry grunt as the dessert of the day. Luckily the Irishman didn't consider fish and chips spicy. Hot and crunchy, they were the perfect end to our glorious day!
There are many great restaurants that I've been anxious to try, but my sister quickly dissuaded me. I believe her words were "he thinks garlic is spicy", he wouldn't enjoy anything different. With fine cuisine literally off the menu of things to do, we planned our trip to Peggy's Cove.
I've been criticized many times by local friends for never having ventured out that way. As the granddaughter of a third generation lighthouse keeper, lighthouses are close to my heart. But I'll admit I procrastinated a little. I also purposely learned as little as possible about Peggy's Cove so that I would have something to discover. Well, I was wrong to wait so long.
As we edged towards Peggy's Cove there were hundreds of boulders of all sizes pitched along the landscape like a marble game amongst giants. The village was quaint, as are most fishing villages. The ocean rushed in to greet its visitors and the lighthouse was perfectly poised as a gracious host watching over its guests.
I did not anticipate the magnificent table of rocks that seemed to be just waiting for picnickers to sit amongst them and enjoy. They were also laid perfectly for a place to play. If Nova Scotia is an ocean playground, this was a pretty good jungle gym!
The playground rules are simple.
• Don't tease the waves
• Play nice and stay away from the dark and dangerous rocks, very slippery
• Wear appropriate footwear...for climbing
If you obey these simple rules and you can leap, hop and climb 'til your hearts content. If you're in to photography, take some pictures. The lighthouse looks a little different depending on the rock you are standing upon.
We did a little of everything. I took some pictures. My daughter Claire rolled up her jeans to step into a little wading pool among the rocks. No jellyfish in that one! I asked Martin what he thought. "Grand" was his response. And after watching him help my sister over the rocks, eventually sitting together to enjoy the view....I thought ain't it just that..."grand". All of this exercise and fresh air is sure to work up an appetite as it did for us, so we decided to head into the Sou'wester for a spot of lunch. The menu was a typical Nova Scotian fare with lots of seafood to choose from and traditional blueberry grunt as the dessert of the day. Luckily the Irishman didn't consider fish and chips spicy. Hot and crunchy, they were the perfect end to our glorious day!
Peggy's Cove is a magical place and I can see why Cynthia and her family enjoyed it.
I would love to hear from other Canadians like me who just love Nova Scotia. I live in Winnipeg, MB but my best friend lives in the Annapolis Valley and I love to visit this area when I can.
Hi Lorlie,
Thanks so much for your comment. Peggy's Cove is a wonderful little place and a great little quick get away from the city, as is the Annapolis Valley for us. I love it out there as well. We love to get a day trip out there, especially when blueberries are in season! Last year we did a great day trip out there, a visit to the Oaklawn Zoo and a stop at a U-pick for a basket of berries. We had a great day.
We love to hear from our visitors like you too. If you would like to hear from other Canadians like you who also Love Nova Scotia you'll find them sharing with us everywhere. Check out www.flickr.com/novascotiatourism, www.facebook.com/novascotiatourism or chat with me on twitter.com/cynatnovascotia. Feel free to share vacation pics and stories with us. You should also check out our contest www.novascotia.com/ilove where visitors and locals are all taking time to tell us what they love about Nova Scotia. You might even think of entering yourself. You could have a chance at winning your next trip here.
I hope you get back to visit your best friend soon!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia!
Im planning my vacation to Nova Scotia which is in 2 weeks time! Where is Peggy's Cove and how do I get there from the aiport? I'm spending 4 nights and 5 days in the province and I need help dividing up where to stay ie eastern coast? Metro halifax? bay of fundy? Help!
Hi Nollie,
That's great. We're here to get you all the information you need.
Peggy's Cove is about 45 minutes from Halifax.
Do you plan on renting a car? What are your interests?
There are lots of areas to check out and places to stay in each depending on what you enjoy. I encourage you to explore our website www.novascotia.com. From there you can also order the Do'ers and Dreamers guide. It's a great little guide for giving you the highlights and must sees from every region.
You can also search for accommodations by region, type and price point. http://novascotia.com/en/home/accommodations/default.aspx We also have a toll free number 1-800-565-0000 where they can give you all sorts of travel planning information and help you with booking accommodations.
Let me know if I can help you any further.
Cheers,
Cynthia