Nova Scotia with a side of catchup...

Catch up time. So time really does fly... who knew? Last we reported we were in PEI with sore legs and bums-- and now we're back in New Brunswick nearing the end of our voyage. So... what we neglected to report on was our Nova Scotia adventure.. I guess our lack of journal entries show that we had a great time! In the sake of brevity and getting to sleep tonight-- I'll make a brief rundown of the highlights of our Nova Scotian journey:

We arrived to Nova Scotia via ferry- a much cooler way to travel than the bridge

-Once on the island-- we made a beeline for the island off of the island-- Cape Breton Island...  As there were blue skies-- we decided to try our luck at camping again:

-- spent the night at MacLeod's campsite--

we watched the sunset on the beach

Tom even got a fire going where we were able to toast some marshmallows, and he impressed me with his jiffy-popping skills over an open flame. Even though the night was frigid and we came away with a few battle wounds (ok... so they were just bug bites)-- the night was a success-- A fun time had by all. I even got to sunbathe the next morning while Tom (the good hubby he is) did the laundry and packed up.

- After MacLeods,we aimed our sights on the Cabot Trail-- it was a beautifully clear day to boot. We received many honks and hoots from fellow travelers (especially the motorcycle type). While we had never regretted having the convertible-- this day was meant for it. We stopped for some photos-- had a brief jaunt to Benjies Lake searching for Moose (alas- while we found much evidence of Moose-- they were in hiding that day...) We then decided to try our luck at a lodge in Meats Cove- the northernmost point of Nova Scotia.

-The drive to Meats Cove alone was worth it... tons of twists leading to vistas overlooking the ocean which happens to be pilot whales' playground. The drive turned from incredibly beautiful to incredibly rural as the pavement ceased to be and the drive only got more intense. We made it to our destination-- a lodge that surpassed our expectations. It was shabby chic before shabby was chic.

-We then searched out the only ice cream in "town" and hiked up (or rather climbed straight up) to a grassy cliff with the most amazing view of our journey so far. It was fully panoramic from the top of a point on the top of a peninsula. It was also completely impossible to photograph.

-The next day-- still incredibly beautiful-- we completed the Cabot trail. The scenery was great-- it's amazing how easily you get used to breathtaking vistas. We stopped at a beach, climbed to a small waterfall, drove on, then stopped at the Keltic Lodge to take another hike to a very very windy and scenic point. Afterward, we rewarded ourselves with some greasy beach food at Ingonish Beach.

-We spent our next night at J Kerr's B&B... a remarkable place all in all. Joan herself was full of life and stories even after 27 years of running a B&B that had "uniquely no rates". A hand-built spiral staircase graced the center of the house-- obviously a lot of thought and care had gone into the aesthetic of the old farmhouse. The experience was completed by Rocky-- a good sized terrier with a serious ball fixation... literally. He loved his ball. We had a great breakfast and chat with Joan the next morning and left feeling inspired.

-After Joan's, the weather turned cloudy- so we headed for Halifax. The first night we searched out some beer and food-- and tried "The best nachos in Halifax"--voted 10 year in a row.  As Tom says- "Bullocks!" We may be nacho snobs--- and to be fair the nachos were big-- but bigger isn't always better. Well... I guess Halifax is a long way away from Mexico. We'll leave it at that.

-The next day we prepared for the live earth celebrations--- which turned out to be a disappointment. The events in the major cities (NY... London...) seemed to be great-- but Halifax seemed confused about the day. If was just another Saturday night-- lots of drunken teenie boppers-- some of them were wearing green.

-We blasted out of Halifax this morning and headed back to New Brunswick to witness the wonder that is the Bay of Fundy. We stopped at Hopewell rocks-- there was a medium tide---but it was pretty nonetheless. Here we sit in our room at an inn in Fundy National Park. We cooked a dinner-- the first time in weeks- so what if it was hamburger helper... it was yummy. Tomorrow we'll check out the ocean floor at low tide and maybe get a short hike in before we had back to the US of A... That's all for now!