Another Video: Halifax to Lunenburg

The road trip is history now. Normal life has resumed. (Well, there's not much normal about our life - but it's the life we know and love - and the pace has become kind of "normal" for us.)

I don't have a lot of margin right now, but when there is a bit of time... or when I just need a diversion... I either work on next year's epic adventure (have I mentioned where we're going yet??), or I work on video highlights from this year's trip. So here's another. This one is from Day 12 of our adventure. Just for fun, I'll include the pre-trip summary of what we were expecting on this day. The video highlights some of my favorite moments from this beautiful Monday afternoon.

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/EsQHvyE9Pd8

HERE IS THE DAILY SUMMARY: Day 12 – Monday, July 10

Barring weather difficulty, I suggest we make this a relaxing day, spending some time in Halifax in the morning, then leave the girls after lunch to ride the South Shore along the Lighthouse Route – 130 miles.

• I suggest we still plan for the girls to fly out on the afternoon flight – just in case weather keeps us from whale watching on Sunday. In the event of inclement weather, we could try to reschedule our whale watching adventure for early on Monday and then head back to Halifax and still get the girls to the airport on time.
• We can explore some of the sights in Halifax. Overlooking the downtown area of Halifax is the Halifax National Historic Site of Canada. This is one of Canada’s most visited historic sites, and was once one of the largest British fortresses on the continent.
• If time permits, I would also love to see the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to see the exhibits commemorating the sinking of the Titanic, whose final resting place is off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Leaving Halifax, we ride the South Shore, best known for its seafaring history, lighthouses, and many tales of pirates and buried treasure.

• First, we stay inland for a bit, through a heavily wooded section of Nova Scotia on our way to West Dover. Returning to the coast, we should notice the land becoming more rugged and barren with huge granite boulders and rocky outcroppings, creating a sea-carved beauty.
• Next, we turn left on Peggy’s Point Road to visit the iconic Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, one of the most photographed locations in Canada.
• On the way back to route 333, we should stop at the William  E. deGarthe Memorial Provincial Park to see carvings by the noted marine artist and sculptor.
• A lot of coastal riding in search of lighthouses takes us to Route 329 on the Aspotogan Peninsula, which is described as “a 50 kilometer coastal loop of hills and twisties.
• I’ve added a little exploration of Mahone Bay, a cool-looking town that was already on our route. I took us off of Route 3 for a bit – on Oakland Road – to get a view of some iconic churches in Mahone Bay. We’ll look across Mahone Bay at the designated waypoint.

As we continue south, I have us leaving Route 3 to explore Maders Cove Road and Second Peninsula Road. These appear to be paved, and both are said to be “extremely scenic and not to be missed.” If this turns out to be a bad idea, we’ll turn around and continue on our way.

Heading back to Route 3, we’ll leave the main road again in search of the Harbor at Blue Rocks. I’ve read that this is difficult to find, but quite beautiful if we get there.

Spend the night in Lunenburg, arriving between 5:30 and 6 PM.

• Old Town Lunenburg is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Considered to be the best surviving planned British colonial town in North America, you can still see the tall ships moored off the port and hear the smith’s hammer, while guided tours tell tales of lives lost on the ocean, and the spirits that return to haunt the living. Lunenburg’s harbor-side streets are lined with unique shops and restaurants that blend with the well-preserved and colorfully painted historic homes, much of it like a living museum from the 18th century.
• I have used The Rum Runner Inn as a placeholder for now. Once again, we will need to research lodging options here.