Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Happy Holidays

Just wanted to stop by and send all of my readers & followers safe and Happy Holiday wishes.

I'd like to thank you all for reading and following along, and for all the wonderful emails and comments I have received.... it is truly an honor to write for you all and to know you enjoy what you see. I look forward to posting lots more for you in the year ahead.

As always, Happy & Safe Travels, may your own adventures be memorable ones :)

Thank You!
~Jenn

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Bunker Island Light

Well lookie what I found! I was sorting through some files of photos on my laptop and when I found the pics from when I was on the CAT back in 2008 I had noticed a few photos of a Lighthouse listed in the directory that I didn’t remember I even had pictures of.

This is the Bunker Island Lighthouse. It is sitting on a bunker in the middle of the Harbour in Yarmouth. The CAT actually rode by pretty close to this light so it was actually kinda neat to see, it was a great way to get close to it and nab some pictures.

Now this lighthouse isn’t anything overly spectacular, but it does look neat sitting out there in the middle of the water, and if you’re in the area anyway, why not take a quick drive (or even better a nice stoll) along the waterfront and check it out.

Happy Sight Seeing & Tavels

~Jenn

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Borden Wharf Lighthouse


Here’s another Lighthouse I didn’t even think of that I had already visited. This was from before I became a Lighthouse fanatic; we actually discovered it on a geocaching trip we were on in Canning. Supposedly there was a chache hidden somewhere near or on, or under the light (I really don’t know, we never did find it).

There have been a lot of “threats” that this one will be torn down and really I see no purpose for it as the water doesn’t even come near it anymore, but for a little town it is a nice little attraction and I never want to see or hear of and lights being torn down, so hopefully someone is willing to take care of her.

You can find out more of her history on lighthousefriends.com

Safe & Happy Travels

~Jenn

Friday, September 10, 2010

Digby Gut Fog Station

The Digby Gut Fog Station is listed as a “lighthouse” on the lighthouse friends website and since I live right in Digby I thought I could try and show it to ya’ll. It’s hard to see across the water, and without a high zoom lens on my camera it was difficult to get a good shot of it.

The best way to see this would be from the Princess of Acadia, or even one of the Whale Watching groups that goes out the gut.
Here it is, and along with a few shots of the Princess. I spent lots of time on this ferry in my childhood, never went outside on deck, (let’s just say when I was a kid I did NOT have my sea legs!) but I would very much enjoy traveling on her again and taking some pictures out on the waters.

I happened to be out at the Prim Point Lighthouse in Digby and got this shot of her heading out on her way to Saint John, NB.

Have Fun sight seeing and Happy Travels!
~Jenn

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Cape Forchu Lightstation

We decided to take the kids back to school shopping in Yarmouth this year. Hadn’t spent much time in Yarmouth since we lived there back in 2002, so it was more of a trip to check out what was new. I also had an alterior motive… I wanted to go see the Cape Forchu Lighthouse! So we got to “kill two birds with one stone” so to speak.

From what I remembered of Yarmouth when we lived there, there were a lot of dreary days, foggy, rainy…. This day was no different. I hear though that they do get some beautiful days down that way, I just don’t remember many. I have seen the Cape Forchu lighthouse from a distance, actually from onboard the CAT while it was still running. It was a great sight (again my old pics are quite foggy!!!), but I really wanted the opportunity to get up close to the light.

With no surprise, it was FOGGY at the light! Oh well, it was still great to get out and walk around and get up close to it. This light is TALL! Oh my word, but what a great place to look out over the waters.

There was a lot of construction going on, they are building a whole new driveway, and parking area, looks like a nice look out spot being put in too… things were a mess today, but I think in the end it’s gonna look really great, and it’ll be a nice spot to spend some time. I’ll have to make sure to return after it’s all done.

Another really cool thing on the grounds is the Giant Lawn Chair. This is one of the first ones I ever knew of, and it was the first one I got the chance to get close to, but they are quickly popping up all over the province. It’s actually kind of a fun photo op if you ever get to see one.

I especially like this light because of how different it is from any others around. It’s not the traditional Pepper Shaker style you normally see and I’m sure that’s a big part of its appeal. It’s also a nice drive scenic wise out to the light, so if you ever get the chance, you should really make a trip out to Cape Forchu.

As always you can find lots more information about this and other Lighthouses @ lighthousefriends.com

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Walton Lighthouse

While driving home from Halifax we took a lil detour to visit the Walton Lighthouse. I had heard that this lighthouse was open to go inside and since I had never been in one I figured it would be as good a time as any to check it out.

I tell ya this one was a tough one to find. Seemed like we drove for forever after getting off the highway, going further and further in to the middle of no where. I thought for sure we had gotten lost but after a good 35 minutes we did finally reach the location of the Walton Lighthouse.
Such a nice spot over looking the Minas Basin. Tide was out so the view looked pretty cool. The grounds of the lighthouse are very well kept, craft shop and outdoor washroom facilities available as well as an information center inside the lighthouse. The people here watching the place are very nice friendly folk so I found it to be a very pleasant stop.
There is also a very nice hiking trail, we didn't get to go on it this particular day, but it would definately make a great spot for an afternoon to spend some time in the great outdoors.


I thought it was extra cool to be able to go inside the lighthouse. Not only can you go in, but you can also climb the stairs to the top and view the actual light and see what the view looks like form the top. Below are a few photos of the actual light istelf.


And here are some spots of the spectacular view that can be seen. I really liked that the tide was out so they there was more to see than just open waters.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and checking things out. If you would like to visit this Lighthouse swing by lighthousefriends.com, I would be no good at giving directions to this one I'm afraid.
Happy Travels
~Jenn

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Victoria Beach Lighthouse

A quick entry today, was in Annapolis Royal and decided to take a trip through Victoria Beach just for the heck of it and of course to go see the Victoria Beach lighthouse and cross that one off my list.

It's a simple lighthouse kinda neat with a green light. The drive to this lighthouse is a long one and the further you go along the road the more narrow it gets, so if you ever paln a visit keep that in mind and use caution. The hill going down to the wharf is also quite narrow and VERY steep, but it's a great place to go and take some nice pictures. Above is of the wharf and boats at low tide and below is a view accross the water of the Digby Ferry terminal.
Over all it was a nice day for a drive and of course nice to take some new pictures and see another lighthouse.

Happy Travels
~Jenn

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Cape St. Mary Lightstation

Visiting the Lightstation over looking St. Mary Bay was a bit of a fluke. It was a hot summers day and looking for something funto do so I packed up the family and took them for a long drive to go check out Mavellette Beach. This was our first time going there and for the record it is one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen! Especially in Nova Scotia!!!!

Beautiful Sandy beach that stretched quite far, and not the usual rocky beach or mud flats beach that I was used to around here. Supurb for finding Seashells, drift wood, sand castles, and of course a nice dip in the ocean (although the water is a little on the cold side).

Getting back on track here, while sitting on the beach I looked in the didtance and thought I could see the tip top of a Lighthouse way off in the distance. Once we were done at the beach and packed up ready to go home we took a small detour to check things out. Sure enough, we ended up right at the Cape St. Mary Lightstation!

It is a big one! Very similar to the Grand Passage Lighthouse only major difference being the tower is much MUCH taller. There is a beautiful view accross the Bay, foudation still lays where the old keepers house would have stood and it is set up to be a picnic spot, which I think is a plus.... much better than a sandy sandwhich at the beach! ;)

Over all is was a great fluke to see, and a nice day trip driving down the Acadian Shore, spending time at the beach and visiting a lighthouse or two.
Happy Travels
~Jenn

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Balancing Rock

While on Long Island and in Tiverton it was decided to go see the famous Balancing Rock. It was a long hike out through the woods (a few km at least!). It was a pretty wooded area, with mini swamp areas to get over via skinny hiking bridges. Some of the terrain made for tough walking as it was rocky and felt a lot like trudging through a few inches of snow. Of course, the slight but constant incline made it a bit difficult as well.After all that hiking was done, there was a ¼ mile worth of stairs (235 to be exact!) to go down. Now 235 stairs didn’t sound all that bad, but these stairs were different shapes, different sizes, different lengths, different steeps, and on top of that the rails were shaky (and it specifically said not to lean on them) and half of the stairs were rotted out so you really needed to take it slow and carefully plan every step you took on the way down.
Once at the bottom there is the Balancing Rock. All that effort and time for 5 minutes of starring and picture taking that didn’t seem worth nearly enough. Especially when it was in the back of my mind that I had to climb up all 235 crazy stairs and walk all the way back out of the woods to get back to my car. If you are a person that enjoys that sort of thing (walking trails / hiking / nature etc) then I highly recommend this trip, if it’s not something in your normal activity likes than think long and hard before heading out just to “see” what’s at the end.

It was very cool to see, and the kids enjoyed the “adventure” but I know this girl is NOT going back there any time soon if ever! LOL I am glad that I went, and even more glad to have my pictures…. If I get the urge to want to see it again I’ll just get out the scrapbooks and remember the time. J

Happy Travels & Sight Seeing

~Jenn

Grand Passage Lightstation

This lighthouse is very cool. It is located on the Northern side of Brier Island and is just a short drive past the Brier Island Lodge, it is easily accessable and there are even picnic tables if you wanted to make a special afternoon trip out to take a look at the Light and enjoy the shore it watches over.

At first sight I thought “Wow, that’s the biggest light top I had ever seen”, but after thinking about it and with knowing it’s not very tall compared to most lighthouses I’ve been too, it’s not so much ‘big’ as just really close to the ground. J

The non-traditional shape, and open waters it looks out on, makes it a very picturesque spot. And As a fun bonus, all over the rocky coast there are lots of little piles of Rocks (inukshuk-like) that are quite neat and fun to look around and try to see amongst all the rocks on the shore. The original Fog Bell for this Lighthouse is located Downtown Digby, and is being display as part of a Memorial to those lost at Sea. More information on this Lighthouse, and Driving directions can be found on Lighthousefriends.com

Happy Travels


~Jenn

Brier Island Lighthouse

The Brier Island Lighthouse (Better known to locals as the western light), is an octagonal shaped concrete tower that overlooks the St. Mary’s Bay. The current Tower is actually the 2nd one to be in place at this location. The red rings were added to the original structure after 100 years of its Exsistance for visibility purposes and the color scheme was carried over to the new tower.

The Lighthouse is the only structure still standing today but there are many foundations still on site. Lighthouse friends dot com has a much more detailed history of this light and if you give it a read you will know what each was for (in point form one was the dwelling, one a boiler room and the other being for the Original Lighthouse).

The design of this lighthouse is stunning, as is the stone work and color scheme. It is another Light that has a beautiful view of open waters and rocky shores. Definitely one of the most beautiful lighthouses Nova Scotia has to show off.If the light alone isn’t enough for you to takes the ferries and drive out to see, maybe the fact that the area is home to a few endangered animals and spieces, one in particular that happens to grow all over the place near this Lighthouse is the “Lady’s Slipper” flower.

So take a peek on Lighthouse Friends, get your driving directions and plan your trip out to Brier Island!

Happy Travels

~Jenn

Peter Island Lighthouse

First Visible Lighthouse of the 3 you can see while on Brier Island. This lighthouse is not accessable as it is on its own little island, but there are many great spots to stop along the shore of Westport to get some great photos.

I really enjoyed looking out at this Light…. The island was completely covered with Sea Gulls sitting on the beach, some sitting inland, and others flying low and swooping around the Lighthouse. The light is just small, standing at 13.4 Meters tall and is now solar powered.

As always, the complete History, and directions to get to this Light can be found on Lighthouse Friends.

Happy Travels

~Jenn

Boar’s Head Lighthouse

The Boar’s Head Lighthouse can be seen from the end of East Ferry, just before boarding the Petit Princess Ferry that takes you to Long Island. The road to the Lighthouse is a very short distance (to the right) from where you get off the Ferry on Long Island, however this road is not accessable by car. The gate is closed, but there were no “No Tresspassing” signs posted so over the rail and up the road we walked. It was formerly a contaminated site (lead paint from original Lighthouse), but cleanup has been completed. The foundation of the Original Light is still on site.
It was a few km at least to walk out to this Light and a lot of that was uphill. I’m not a huge fan of long distances and even less of a fan of hills to climb, so I learned that day that seeing these Lights up close and in person must be really REALLY important to me to have put myself through the troubles.

It was worth it though, a cute Lighthouse with a great view of Petit Passage; I could see across the water to East Ferry, I watched the Petit Princess come across the water, and of course took my many pictures for this blog and my scrapbook. J

If you are interested in the history and directions to view this Lighthouse please visit Lighthouse Friends.

Happy Travels

~Jenn

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Lighthouses are a diing Breed?

So today I have a little bit of a rant to post. In the news now there is talk that the Canadian Government is planning on discontinuing almost ALL of the lighthouses across Canada. Here are a few news articles about this "Lights out for lighthouses?" & "976 lighthouses declared surplus".

I can already see the arguments and battles forming to stop this from happening. Especially here in Nova Scotia. It's no secret that Nova Scotia thrives on tourism and with over 100 Lighthouses in our province alone seeing these magnificant structures is a major part of that. I've lived here almost my entire life and the beauty on Nova Scotia would not be what it is without our beautiful shorelines and they would not be complete without these lighthouses! I am no expert BUT I can see that this is going to be harmful to the tourist industry.

One more bit of beef I have about this... why EVERY time the government decides to do something does it seem to hurt Nova Scotia the most? Crazy taxes, removing landmarks and pieces of our history, I'm almost afraid to ask "what's next?"

Anywho, that's my 2 cents worth about this. Uggh, I've been having so much fun visiting the Lighthouses that I can get to this year. Guess it's a good thing I didn't put off the adventures any longer, and I will continue to visit them and still plan to see as many as I can while I can.

Happy Travels & take LOTS of pictures... things may not be the same upon your next return!!
~Jenn

Monday, May 24, 2010

Indian Harbour Lighthouse

After visiting Peggy’s Cove and knowing that it wasn’t too much further down the road I decided to go see the Indian Harbour Lighthouse. This lighthouse is on private property so you can’t get right up to it, but you can pull off the road fairly close and get some nice pictures.

It’s a nice lil spot and definitely has some great views. To learn about this lighthouse and to get driving directions please visit Lighthouse Friends.

Happy Travels
~Jenn

Peggy's Cove Lighthouse

Finally after years of talking about it, years of thinking about it, years of trying to plan for it I was able to get myself out to Peggy’s Cove to see the lighthouse. I loved the drive out to the shore, the area is so beautiful and so different from the farmland and orchards I am used to seeing every day. The rocky inland and randomness of the boulders in the open space is quite picturesque all on its own.


Then I saw it…. The Lighthouse! I let out a shriek as I drove around the corner and up the road to the parking lot. It was the MOST beautiful sight I had ever seen, even better than I had ever imagined. I have always found photos I had seen from Peggy’s Cove to be breath taking but my oh my they‘ve really got NOTHING on seeing this lil’ Light in person!

So if you are ever in Nova Scotia visiting, or if you live here already but have never been out to Peggy’s Cove, I HIGHLY recommend making the trip out there to see its beauty for yourself. For more info on this Light and/or to get driving directions visit Lighthouse Friends.

Another point of interest in this area is the SwissAir Flight 111 Memorial. The story is sad but the location is stunning, open waters, rocky shore, and view of the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse all in one spot. You can really tell there was a lot of time spent in that spot, and a lot of thought went in to making that Memorial. I found the spot to have an eerie silence to it….Yet I felt that I wasn’t alone standing there. The only other times I have felt that feeling was when I was standing at Ground Zero in NYC and when I go to visit my Dads grave.


I paid my respects to those who lost their lives in the crash and said a prayer for each of their families and quietly and carefully moved along.

Until next time……
Happy Travels,
~Jenn