{East Coast 11}

I can easily say that today was one of my very favorite days of the trip, we enjoyed ourselves so much! 

The first place we planned to visit was Blomidon Provincial Park. 

The drive is less than an hour and it's quite scenic and lovely. We stopped at a few places along the way to take pictures and enjoy our surroundings. For whatever reason, I really wanted to see boats sitting on the ocean floor when the tide is really low and I got to see just that! We also saw the 600 ft. high red cliffs along the coast and fog in the hills. 

When we arrived at the park we had to decide between walking trails and stairs to the beach. Obviously the stairs won. 

As soon as we saw what was waiting at the bottom we were both in awe. Blomidon is a truly beautiful place. Red cliffs and sand, waterfalls, trees wrapped in fog and the endless expanse of ocean. 

We got to enjoy the beach during low tide which I think was really great because it allowed us to walk on the many miles of exposed ocean floor. The Bay of Fundy boasts the highest tides in the world so it would have been a very different site in a few hours. 

It took me about 2 minutes on the beach before I decided barefoot would be better and took my shoes off. We came prepared this time though with a bag to put shoes in and a towel for after. 

Some of the muck is more dry and solid and can be walked on top of and other parts are so soft that we sunk halfway to our knees! That's all in the fun of it though! 

We walked along the edge to a few of the waterfalls, made it to what we thought was a cave but wasn't and then walked as far out as we could before we found water, and then walked a little bit more. I can't be at the ocean and not go in at least a bit!! 

After a few hours spent exploring the ocean floor it was time to move on again. 

Destination number 2 is called Blue Beach. We read that it was a really nice beach with fossils "every other step you take." 

That wasn't exactly the case. Again, because it was low tide we would have been able to walk quite far out before hitting water but we saw a few families playing and the mud here was extra soft. Some of the little kids looked like they sank to the waist. Because of that we stuck to the permanent beach and spent our time looking for the alleged fossils. We didn't find even one!! I suppose we enjoyed looking anyways though so no harm done. Plus it was a scorching hot day spent on a beach, how bad could it be?!

When we finished at the beach we really had no idea where to go next. By this point in the trip we had seen pretty much everything we wanted (except Cape Breton!!!) and we were both ready for a little relaxation. Someone, possibly jokingly, suggested we could head back to Barrington for our last few days. And so that is what happened. It's only a 3 hour drive to get back and that seemed more than reasonable. 

Just like the first time, we only told R's little sister that we'd be back and so it was quite a surprise for his mum again. 

We made one short stop along the way to see the tiny lighthouse in Shelburne before continuing on. 

To end our evening the 4 of us went for a walk on one of the nearby beaches where we got to see the most amazing sunset. I personally also enjoyed the cool salt air and the soft sand. We also took the time to find a geocache hidden on the beach. 

Our trip is almost over now and I'm already planning what to see when we go back!

{East Coast 10}

Today we planned to drive up the Digby Neck and possibly see the balancing rock and Briers Island. 

We left fairly early in the morning thinking it would be a long day of driving, but realized pretty quickly from the signs that it would actually not take long at all to drive the neck. 

Neither of us really knew what we would do or see so we just followed the one main road. 

Our first stop of the day was down a dirt road that claimed to have a look off point. We expected to see a parking area or at least another sign, but we just hit a dead end eventually. I'm not sure if we were parked on a road or someones property, but that is where we left the Jeep. We walked down to the beach to walk around first but it had a really nasty low tide smell so I ran away. 

From there we went in search of the alleged look off. I found a walking path in the grass and we decided to follow it. Once we made it through the puddles we found ourselves at the top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. 

As is normal for us, we climbed on rocks, took pictures and generally enjoyed our surroundings. 

I really can't get enough of Nova Scotia. I have plans to live there eventually and every new adventure makes me more excited for that day!

Back at the car we continued our trip up the road. 

Another beach or 2 were explored, sea glass was collected and soft shell crabs were photographed. I find crab shells on the beaches all the time, but I've been waiting impatiently to see a live one scuttling about. 

At the end of the road is a ferry that would take us across the short gap to the next piece of the neck. We didn't end up taking it though because neither of us are fond of ferries. Realistically we would have been on board for about 3 minutes though... Instead we turned around and headed back to Digby for lunch. 

I finally got my Digby seafood. 

During lunch it started pouring rain and left us wondering what to do with the rest of our day. We had been talking about going to Kejimkujik National Park for some hiking but that would be no good in the rain. 

We eventually decided to drive to Annapolis Royal since it would be our next destination anyway. It's a short 30 minute drive between the 2 and so it was raining just as hard when we arrived. Everything I had thought of or planned for in Annapolis was outdoors so we couldn't even do it. 

Feeling no major attraction to staying here and waiting out the rain we decided to continue on again. This time to Kentville. 

R's friend that we spent time with in Barrington lives in the Kentville area so we arranged to meet up with him. He had the idea to go on a mini driving tour of the area and that was just perfect. He showed us some good places to eat, where to get fresh made ice cream, places to see, things to do..

Eventually we ended on top of another look off point. It was pretty amazing. We could see  the beautiful green space in the Annapolis Valley, the vineyards, orchards, towns and the ocean.

Once we'd all had our fill of the view we headed back to his apartment where we sat and talked for several hours until we were all ready to sleep.

{East Coast 9}

Today we move on to another adventure!

After we got everything re-packed into our suitcases and made ourselves ready for the day we went to meet the family for some early lunch. I won't bore you with details, but let me just say, the lobster poutine that I had was amazing. 

Our first stop of the day was to see the lighthouse in Cape Forchu near Yarmouth. 

The lighthouse itself looks quite different from ones I've previously seen, but I enjoyed it just the same. It sits up on a hill overlooking a rocky coastline and walking paths. We spent about an hour or so walking and climbing and taking pictures in the area. 

On our way back to the car we found a pebble beach and decided to take a quick look for some sea glass to add to our collection. There was next to none on the surface, but somehow R decided to look under the pebbles and we found tons of tiny pieces. Unfortunately when the rocks got moved hundreds of tiny little bugs jumped up at us. I was referring to them as the Mexican jumping beans. 

Back on the road again, headed for Digby, we stopped to see another lighthouse that we spotted in the distance. 

Gilbert's Cove has a tiny little lighthouse perched right on the edge of a curving road. Apparently it has a cafe inside too, but we didn't go in. 

Just like Cape Forchu, the lighthouse is next to a rocky beach with hidden sea treasure waiting to be discovered. I'm not sure why I love hunting for sea glass so much, but I really do! 

About 45 minutes later we hit the road again planning to keep on moving until we reached the day's final destination. 

The drive from Barrington to Digby is only about 2 hours and even with the stops we made it was still a short travel day. 

As per usual we hadn't booked accommodations ahead of time and when we arrived there were very little vacancies. We tried a cute B+B first but the only available room was more expensive than we wanted. 

In the end Google rescued us again. We searched up rooms in the area, found something that looked nice and had a decent price tag and booked it. 

Satisfied that we found somewhere to sleep, we went in search of somewhere to eat. 

Because it's Digby, almost all the restaurants have very seafood heavy menus and because R doesn't like seafood and I was in the mood for something not soaked in butter, we opted for Subway. Very original, I know. 

We did a bit of walking around the waterfront area, in what I assume is the tourist area, but the town was very sleepy and nothing was happening so we drove the 15 minutes to our motel in Smiths Cove to relax for the night. 

{East Coast 8}

Today we went to see another lighthouse near where R's mom lives. Baccaro has a lighthouse and a weather station sitting together on the edge of the world, or the coast anyway. It's surrounded by big rocks and has zero tourists.

We spent quite a while climbing the rocks and taking pictures here before someone spotted a piece of sea glass and then the treasure hunt was on again! There is something I find so exciting about it, especially when I find a really nice piece or get a new color. 

During the hunt I took a little break to build a little inukshuk too! 

Not long after we finished at the lighthouse it started pouring rain. Not ideal for outdoor exploration, but just fine for a cozy potluck dinner with family next to the fire place in a cottage. 

I got to meet more of R's family and simultaneously got fed really well! A win-win situation if you ask me. 

Several hours later we went back to the house to watch movies in our pajamas. 

Catch me if you can was the winning title of the night.