She's On Her Way!

Just a quick update on the Lighthouse return..... a grand celebration was had this afternoon in Saint John, the Lighthouse has been lifted, and secured on a flatbed and it is awaiting to soon board the Ferry to start it's journey back to Digby tonight.

I couldn't be there and that was very disappointing, however there are some sneak peek photos of the lift and pack up of the Lighthouse in the photo gallery at the Digby Courier if you all would like to take a look. I can't wait until she is on this side and I can go see her in person!

Hope you all are enjoying this nice fall weather..... Happy & Safe Travels!
~Jenn

Only 1 week left!!!!!!

To anyone who has been following the news (or my posts) you will have heard about the little lighthouse the originated in Digby, NS that has been in Saint John, NB for quite a long time.... long enough I'm sure to some it has been forgotten why (and where) she was built in the first place, and the request to bring her 'Home".

She has been in the news for months, and on my mind as well (I really do not want to miss her arrival!!!!!)..... the wait is almost over. Next week she will be loaded on a truck and sent back home, I am hoping the truck goes right on the ferry as I would LOVE to be waiting on this side to watch her come off on to this side..... but time will tell.

In all my many years traveling on the ferry I have never noticed her sitting on the other side.... then again I was also a kid who slept a lot on long journeys, not to mention any time we were on the ferry it would either be midnight in Saint John (sleepy time) or 5am from Digby to Saint John (early morning = nap time for a young person once on the other side)..... in any case, I will post a photo from the celebration announcement just to show you what she looks like as she is now before her big move :)

If you would like to learn more about the Celebration that is happening on the Saint John side of the Ferry, please visit this website. If any locals go and want to share some photos with me to share on my blog that would be fantastic!!!

Happy & Safe Travels
~Jenn

Orca Sighting in the Bay of Fundy!!

There has been an Orca Sighting in the Bay of Fundy!













This is a pretty rare occurrence and very cool to say the least!  I wish I were able to go out and get a ticket to go whale watching but it's not quite in my budget right now, but I did get a hold of the great people of the Brier Island Lodge and asked for permission to use some of their photos on here to show you what they get to see.







Amazing photos!.... there were some very lucky Whale Watchers out there today!

There have been a few related news articles about this sighting. If you would like to read them you can do so HERE, HERE & HERE.

So there's a sneak peek at what's exciting in these parts.  Hope you enjoyed this post and I hope I can get some more help like this in the future to bring you other stories that I don't get to experience in person but would still be great things to share with you all.  I guess we'll see...

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

Ship A-hoy!!!

Today the Annapolis Basin is home to a Cruise Ship. The Quest for Adventure's "Valletta" sailed through the Digby Gut and into the Annapolis Basin at approximately 1pm this afternoon.  The town of Digby has been awaiting it's arrival and has spent the morning setting up vendors, scallop shucking demonstrations, as well as entertainment for our visitors from England.

There are also many buses down at the Digby Marina waiting to take our guests on tours of our area surrounding area, places like Bear River and Annapolis Royal. A stop on their voyage I'm sure they will enjoy very much, even if it is a short stay.



As I sit here in my livingroom looking out at the waters I am seeing one of the shuttle boats bringing passengers of the ship to shore, and tour buses already full of people driving by to begin their journey ashore. I hope they enjoy their stay, and come back to visit with us again soon.

Happy and Safe Travels
~Jenn

For more information, please read the article from our local newspaper, the Digby Courier.

**Update** another article about the Ship.




Just wanted to update tonight with some shots of the ship as it left us tonight to head for St. John.  Safe Travels, and good night to all on board, hope you all had a pleasant visit with us.

Margaretsville Lighthouse

It's that time of year again, Fall is officially upon us, everyone here is busy with being back in their daily routines of school and work. Our free time is harder to come by for travels not to mention it's starting to get cold so adventure season is coming to an end, but not before getting one last Lighthouse visit in.

This Lighthouse is one I've been trying to get to for a few years, I have been to many lighthouses along the shore in either direction of this one and it has always driven me crazy that this one was in the middle of it all and I had not yet been to it. Well, now I can FINALLY be at ease and cross this one off the list and keep moving further along the shore.

Without further ado, here is the Margaretsville Lighthouse.  Located in the outskirts of Middleton, this lighthouse sits at the end of a windy road on the rocky shore. There is no real parking, so just at the end of the road is where you'd have to leave your vehicle. There looks to be a little picnic area, however, to get over to the lighthouse you would have to walk through someones yard, which for me I don't care much for so I did not go right over to the lighthouse during this visit. For the most part, it just looks like summer homes and cottages, so it may be a little more quiet later in the season or in the beginning.

This lighthouse is somewhat special as it is the only Black & White Lighthouse in Nova Scotia.  It does make it look way different than any other which in itself makes it desirable to take the time to go see.

It was raining during our visit so we didn't stay long, but there is a wharf off to the right, and quite a few waterfalls off the rocky shore ledge, not sure how many of those still fall when it's not raining, but it is still a picturesque spot.

As usual, if you would like to learn more about the Margaretsville lighthouse you may find it on Lighthouse Friends. Until next time........

Happy & Safe Travels
Jenn

More from Stewiacke

As I mentioned a few times yesterday I wanted to share with you some of our family photos from Mastadon Ridge. I don't normally share family photos as I try to keep this blog as professional as possible, however there were just some things I thought were fun, or points of interest here that I wanted to point out that I didn't get photos of that didn't have my family in the frame.

So here are more things that you can see and Enjoy at Mastadon Ridge, in Stewiacke, Nova Scotia.

So what are you waiting for???  Get out there and have some fun!! My family sure did :) Oh, and while you're there say "Hi" to the man in the tub for me! lol

Happy & Safe Travels
~Jenn

Welcome to Stewiacke!!

Welcome to Stewiacke, Nova Scotia!!

As the sign says, the halfway point between the North Pole & the Equator.... very cool right? Well, I thought so anyway. lol There are lots of things packed in this nook just off the highway in Stewiacke, NS. A great rest stop during those long treks accross Nova Scotia, or just a good place to stop in general. Coffee, Gas, Food, Gift Shop, Ice cream, Mini Golf, Mastadon Ridge AND of course that invisible line between the North Pole and the Equator.



Today I am going to show you around a little bit and show you some of the things you will see at Mastadon Ridge.

There is a large gift shop / Museum here. We did not go inside, but just from what I've read there are some artifacts inside, more about the history of Mastadon Ridge, and parts of the bone structure of the Mastadon found here in Stewiacke.


There are many interesting carvings, and displays within the park.  Ponds, with frogs, and plant life, walking trail, nicely landscaped. Set on a large hill, just off the highway gives an amazing view of the surrounding area.

There are plenty of information signs set on the path side in the park telling you all about the people, animals and history of the area.

Just outside of the park there is a hiking trail, and off to the right there are wide paths cut in the tall grass as a place to take your Pups for a walk.

Here at Mastadon Ridge there is a life sized replica statue of a Mastadon, and there is information about the skeleton that was discovered in this area posted nearby as well as lots inside the gift shop I'm sure as well.

Just a note, there is also a stone structure, we called it the Flinstone's House, as well as a Flinstone car AND a "Dino". I will show you some of our family photos with these items in a post tomorrow as this post is already getting photo heavy.

This Mastason is rather large, but I was actually rather surprised that it wasn't bigger considering it is an exact replica.  Again, I will share some family photos tomorrow that will show some size comparisons to people.



Here is a picture of the Globe set up at the "line" for the halfway point between the North Pole & the Equator.  I thought it was really neat that they put the star on Nova Scotia on the line.

and below is a photo of myself at the line.... 4985km to the north or to the south (3097 miles for all of my imperial friends and followers).

Anyway, like I said earlier, I thought it was a neat little fact, and I'm happy to have had the opportunity to stop and spend some time in the area, even though it was a quick stop.

I will end this entry for now, but I will return tomorrow to share those family photos with some of the other fun things in the area. Until then......


Happy & Safe Travels
~Jenn

New Blogger......

Despite my being set in my ways and refusal to change I am finally looking in to the new Blogger set up and what it has to offer.  I will admit that I am not a fan of change when it comes to things I use on a regular basis because when I know what I'm doing the work obviously gets done a lot faster, however, I do LOVE the ease of designing the posts, and moving the photos around. I also like that I can also customize the mobile view on the website, making it simple, easy to read and functional for my readers on the go. So yes, I will embrace the change to blogger (though I've been fighting it for months), and will work with it instead of against it.

So please bear with me while I play with new settings, and try new things in future posts as I learn my new blogger style :)

Thanks for stopping by.
~Jenn

Following the Light news

Hi folks! I don't have a lot of time today for any major updates but I did want to share with you a few news articles I've read this week about the Lighthouse that will be returning to Digby from Saint John.

You can read the article from CBC news HERE and there is another article from CTV news HERE. I am so excited!!! I cannot wait to hear the announcement for the Date on which she will be coming home :)

Thanks for stopping by to have a quick read, we have a trip to Truro to make next week, and I am hoping to be able to stop at a Lighthouse and maybe a few other sights along the way.... if I do I will definitely come here to show and tell you all about it.

Until then, happy & safe travels
~Jenn

Return of the Light News

I have some very exciting news to share with you today!  A beloved icon to the town of Digby (and I'm sure it has been to Saint John as well), will be returning to Digby this fall.  As a Lighthouse enthouseist I am thrilled to hear this news that another lighthouse will be brought to Digby, Nova Scotia....  it is a happy moment in time and it is very refreshing to see a small town step up and take action for something they believe in and to get what they want in the end.

After the rough battle of having to fight the government  to keep some of the Lighthouses we've already Province wide I am sure Nova Scotia as a whole is delighted to Welcome this lil Light home as well. :)

HERE is the Article from the Digby Courier announcing this great event with some great facts on the history on this little light. I will be sure to post updates on this topic as I see or hear them and try to collect and post articles about this as time goes on and we approach delivery day later this fall.

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy & Safe Travels
~Jenn

Lights Along the Shore Festival

Ok, so as a major fan and follower of the Lighthouses in Nova Scotia, I feel a bit out of the loop with this festival. When I heard it was going on this week-end I thought "Oh that's really cool, I wonder what they have planned to draw attention to these beautiful structures." Then, to my surprise I learned that this is the 13th Annual Lights Along the Shore Festival!!! How have I never heard of this before?!?!?! Oh well, no time like the present to get involved. :) This year it is being held the week-end of September 14 through the 16th (which just so happens to be the same week-end as Open Farm Day -- another great way to experience what Nova Scotia has to offer).

Upon reading the list of events scheduled I learned that there are a lot of events all along South West Nova Scotia at many different lighthouse locations. Unfortunately for me since I'm just learning of this today, I don't have the gas to do much traveling to check things out, but there are a few things going on here in Digby at the Prim Point Lighthouse so I may try to squeeze that in to my schedule. There are a few small tours and info sessions going on at the Lighthouse itself on Saturday, there's a hike on Sunday.... I'm not much on hiking (especially when I hear it's a 3 to 4 hour hike!) so I'm going to see if I can get someone to go in my place and get some photos and the story behind where they are going. Any takers??? lol

If you'd like to check out what's happening during the Festival you can visit the Destinations Southwest Nova Scotia website. If you happen to be around we'd love to hear about your experience!!

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

WRR 2012

Hey folks! Another Wharf Rat Rally has come and gone!

Wow, what a busy couple of days it has been!!!  This one I think had the best turn out I've seen so far and there was some nice weather too.

The highlights for me were un-bike related, but still worth mentioning.

#1 - I LOVE that Nova Scotia Webcams put up a web cam in town, it was very cool to be able to check out how busy things were before heading out the door to walk the two minutes it would take me to get to all the action! LOL  Especially since I have the 3 boys to take with me it was nice to keep them off the streets but they could still see everything that was going on.











#2 - Beaver Tails! OMG I love Beaver Tails..... cinnamon and sugar was the best, but also tried the reese and peanut butter one..... looked gross but was sooooo good.  :)

I took SO many pictures this year, so rather than overload the system and have you wait long load times I'm just going to stick them on here in a slide show again like last year for you to enjoy.... now if you excuse me I am going to get some much needed sleep after a fun but noisy week.

Enjoy!

~Jenn

Cape Sable Island

Now here’s the post I have been looking forward to writing. I don’t have anything super exciting like the last story to tell, but this is probably one of the coolest lighthouses in the province that you could ever see.
I really wish I could have gotten closer, if it was better weather (not so windy or foggy), and the tides were just right I probably could have gone for a nice long walk and gotten a lot closer than I did. Then again I also had time ticking away in my head as we had other things to do (like get back and actually spend some time at the campground we were paying for).
Even from a far off distance this lighthouse looks like one BIG monster of a structure, and it should considering it is Nova Scotia’s TALLEST Lighthouse and stands 101 feet tall!!! I can only imagine getting a chance to get real close to this one, I mean I’ve been next to some pretty tall ones (like the Brier Island Lighthouse), but they would seem like nothing compared to this big guy.
I did a few google searches and found a few close up photos to share with you and they are brilliant. Please click on the photos to learn more from the photographers that took them.

There were only so many different shots and angles I could get… but I tell ya I really didn’t want to stop or leave. I’m thinking the next time I want to visit the Lighthouse route I should make some new friends with a boat and try to see them from the water….. there are so many more to see if I could’ve had the opportunity to get out there, although I’m sure I would have been a wreck just like at Baccaro Point once the fog was too thick to see through. LoL

So that’s it, this was the last Lighthouse I got to see during my adventure along the Lighthouse route. I sure hope you enjoyed getting some regular updates, ones that were ACTUALLY about Lighthouses, and hopefully I can bring you some more (at least one more), before the season is over.

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

West Head

Here is the next Light on my travel route along the south shore that I got to see. This one wasn’t too hard to find, not far from the Causeway on to Cape Sable Island and just off to the left of the Wharf up on the hill in Clark's Harbour. I wouldn’t really call it a Lighthouse though, “Light station” seems more suitable for this one, however, I do enjoy seeing Lights that are different from the usual Pepper Shaker Style so I enjoyed seeing this one.

Just a quick fact, this light is definitely one of the smallest I have ever been to, if not the smallest, standing at just 6.1 metres tall. Slightly smaller than the original light that once stood in this spot (it was only 11 metres). To learn more visit the West Head Light on Lighthouse Friends. J

One more to go in my South Shore adventure, stay tuned for my next post for the Cape Sable Island Lighthouse, tallest Lighthouse in Nova Scotia.

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

Baccaro Point

The only thing that seems to suit my initial reaction to this Lighthouse Adventure is – OMF!! (Oh My FOG!!). This Fog was like no other Fog I had ever seen! It was think as Peanut Butter…yes I know someone is going to email me and say “thick as Pea Soup” and if that does happen, yes I will respond “you eat what you like and I eat what I like” (if you don’t recognize the movie I am referencing then I apologize as this whole paragraph with have been a big waste of your time. Lol).

Getting back on track, this was the scariest trip out to a lighthouse to date. Sure I expect foggy conditions at times, that partially why there are lighthouses to begin with, but I never expected anything like this! It wasn’t just at the light either. We traveled a good 15 minutes or more on a road where we couldn’t see past our front bumper! I was NOT the best “co-pilot” to have that day, I was freaking out…. Mostly by constantly saying “slow down” even though we were already going 20 under the speed limit.

All of a sudden the “pilot” stopped the van, I asked him what he was doing why were we stopped, I was actually starting to panic as I couldn’t see a thing, then I may have let out a scream as I saw the reason why he stopped. From within the fog I saw a GIANT (that maybe was said a little over dramatically), structure emerge. When I look at the pictures and think back to that moment I will admit it was kinda cool, but in that moment in time I was pretty terrified, and I had ever y right to be. There standing in front of us, fairly close I might add) was this lighthouse, but I couldn’t see the ledge, I couldn’t see where the water was, or how close we were to it, I couldn’t see the road behind us where we had driven in, there was nothing but a bunch of FOG to be seen.Pilot of course is not happy with where we were and needed to get closer, again I was not being a good co-pilot, but as we got closer the fog began to thin out some and we could see the lighthouse a little better (ok, good call on the Pilots part I guess)…. But it was still thick enough that not a whole lot could be seen around us.

It goes without saying that the Fog Horn was blasting non-stop so here is what that noisy thing looked like sitting out there behind the lighthouse. Speaking of the Fog Horn, when I was reading about the lighthouse in the book I have it was saying how it attracted MOOSE with its sound…. Yeah, another GOOD reason to not be out there unable to see and certainly a good reason to stay in the vehicle when ya can’t see what is around you.

Obviously I had quite an experience going out to see this lighthouse, even though it was stressing me out at the time It’s a great story to have to tell and share and a memory to add to the books J

Happy & SAFE Travels!

~Jenn

Seal Island Light Museum Part 2

So yesterday I made wrong a post showing you the Lighthouse part of the Seal Island Light Museum. Today I am going to focus this on the “Museum” part of it for you.

As mentioned in my previous post this Light was never technically a ‘real’ lighthouse. It is not anywhere near the shore to help vessels stay out of danger, Its purpose really always was to be a museum. Located in Barrington, Nova Scotia, it is a replica of the original Lighthouse of Seal Island and its light is from the original lighthouse and is more than 80 years old. When you walk in there are some interesting artifacts on the main floor, as well as some small gift shop type items. You are free to look around, the museum is staffed however, in my experience they weren’t much for showing me around or telling me anything…. I guess if I wanted to know what something was every time I saw something new I had to ask. So it was a good thing I’ve read up a lot on this Light, and knew what some of the photos and things were from my research.

Like I said, there are some neat things to see inside such as the Original Lens form the Bon Portage Lighthouse shown below:A whale gun recovered from the sea:

This old, yet still very large fog horn:

…and of course quite a bit of information about the history of the Lighthouse Keepers.

Once you make your way around the building it is natural to want to start your way up the stairs to see what else is inside, but wait…. This is the point when I was told they’d have to charge me admission if I wanted to go upstairs. Hmmm…. If it were me running the show, I would think it be better to charge first, giving the visitors the most to see for their money. I guess though, in giving the people half of the experience first you are leaving their curiosities open to wonder about what else there may be inside. Maybe that is their strategy and hey, if it works for them who am I to judge. I am not in any way complaining that there is a fee, they obviously need to make some money to keep the operation going and it is a small / fair amount to be asking. $3 per person, children under 5 are free and $10 per family is not a lot.

Once you head up stairs there isn’t a whole lot left to the museum part of things, the 2^nd floor has some points of interest, however the further up you go, the more narrow the floors get so the less stuff there is. So if you are not brave enough to step out on the top deck, the main floor is where you will get the most from your experience.

I grabbed one of their travel brochures for my scrapbook and it’s a little out dated. One thing they point out is that there is a Lighthouse Take Out restaurant and picnic tables for staying to enjoy lunch, there was actually only 1 picnic table, and the Take Out was closed, in fact, it had a for sale sign on it that said the building was for sale and to be moved away.

The light is open seasonally from Mid-June to Mid-September, 7 days a week, and as a lighthouse lover I strongly suggest stopping to visit this light, I think I mentioned it in my previous post that it was a nice break from chasing real lighthouses in the fog, and if you really enjoy lighthouses like I do, any chance to be able to be inside one is an extra special treat. J

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn