Goodbye Church Point Light..........

It comes with a sad and heavy heart that the first Lighthouse post for the 2014 season is a sad one.  After the "Juan-a-be" storm of storms passed through the Maritimes on March 26th it didn't do it without leaving a damage trail every place it hit.  Some places were lucky, just some snow, a few blown over trees here and there, power outages across the board, but with crews that worked hard to get it back for us and for as busy as they were, I think they did it in a timely manner. Other places were not as lucky, a ton of snow,  holes left in rooftops, entryways to some buildings completely destroyed...... but for this lighthouse enthusiast the most devastating news (as far as damage is concerned), was that of the Church Point Lighthouse being completely destroyed.

I would have flipped out, had I looked out my window one day and it being there and the next day it be gone. I can't imagine how the locals are feeling.  Yes it was old, yes it was run down, but it was still a local icon.  The fact that she was still standing as she was under the care of the Saint Anne University showed that she meant a lot to the area, when most would just say "tear it down", they kept her as she was.  With lighthouses being a huge tourist trend these days, I'm sure visitors will be sad to learn she is gone as well.

The Church Point Lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses I got to visit back in 2010 when I started on my quest to visit as many of the Lights in Nova Scotia as I could.  She was a classic red & white, wooden pepper shaker style light, yet her look was unique from all other pepper shaker lights I've seen.




Even old and run down, she still took stunning pictures though. As nice as she could have looked fixed up and all preserved, there was just something about her the way she was that added a ton of character and that really told her story of being a lighthouse and what she had been through over the years, the storms she had seen and the 'life' she had 'lived'.

 At that point in time when I was there she was in company of just one small wind turbine, these days there are two that were standing with her.  With any lighthouse, they look small until you stand right next to them, but even at 9.4 meters, this little light sure looked small standing along side those big guys no matter how close you got.





After having a few years of not getting the chance to visit new lighthouses the way I had planned and after looking at these photos of destruction, it has really been brought to Light just how important it is for me to get out there and get back on the trails to see as many more as I can.  With storms getting worse and taking their toll on these old structures, along with closures, and threats to tear a lot of them down it is important to me to get out there and see as many as I can while I still can.  So here's to hoping 2014 is a better year, and one filled with lots of Lighthouse Seeking Adventures.

The following is a News Article about the Lighthouse after the storm:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/church-point-lighthouse-destroyed-by-storm-1.2589000

If you would like to learn more about the history of the Lighthouse please visit my favorite resource, Lighthouse Friends and view their description:

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=1346

I would also like to thank Dan Robichaud at this time for allowing me to use these 4 photos of destruction of his on my blog to share with my readers.


Safe Travels Everyone!
~Jenn

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

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

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

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

Pubnico Harbour

Here it is! The first Lighthouse we got to see along the Lighthouse Route (there are others before this one along the way, but due to time restraints this was the first one we could get off of the highway for to stay on track time wise), the Pubnico Harbour Lighthouse. This was a nice one to go visit, a nice short walk on the Breakwater and it brings you right to it. I must admit, with the foggy conditions and the waves crashing loudly on the side of the breakwater, I was a little more than cautious…. Maybe a wee bit scared (as a non-swimmer, I can say that I am a tad bit scared of open waters).

I liked the paint on this one, red on top, white on the bottom, I liked being able to get right up to this one and touch it. It wasn’t a ‘huge’ lighthouse, but it was big enough. If it weren’t so foggy, I should have been able to see a Power Windmill not too far off in the distance off the left side of the light…. There is a nice photo that shows what I mean over on the Lighthouse Friends website.

I didn't even realize until after I looked through my photos when I got home from our trip just how foggy it actually was when we first arrived at this light, but it was pretty thick as you can see.The first thing you see at the end of the road and all of these Lobster Units (sorry, I have no idea what the technical term is for them, guess I should have maybe learned that while I was in Canada's Lobster Capital...lol)......and since I do also enjoy taking random photos of things outdoors I thought this made for a good photo opportunity (and yes, an attempt by man to move them was made but they didn't budge a single bit).

and lastly before I end this blog post I did see a very special friend of mine.... Sponge Bob!!! lol I would like to say he was Sun bathing in the nude, however in this thick fog I guess maybe he was just bored and playing tricks on the tourists. ;) Stay tuned…. There are a few more blog posts to follow of our South Shore adventure. J

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

Another early START.....

Here's another thing I have been excited to start doing and couldn't wait any longer! I needed a trip to the beach. Since we were already half way there due to other engagements, once they were over with and it was a beautiful day I thought "what the heck?" and drove the rest of the way down the french shore to Mavillette Beach.

There were lots of sand drifts on the boardwalk and stairs leading down the the beach, as well as on the hills behind the rocks. It was very clear that the long winter months were windy ones and things just weren't meant to stay in their rightful places.

It was a great day on the beach.... still a lil cool (I didn't expect perfect conditions, it is still April afterall!), but it wasn't too windy..... it was just right to take an evening stroll in a light sweater. The waves were small, the tide was just on it's way out, the sun was shining bright.... a great way to end our day out and about.

I know this post isn't very "Lighthousey", but this is one of my favorite places in Nova Scotia, and it really is one of the hidden gems of the province. See my poorly drawn arrow on this picture below?? Well that tiny spec of a structure you see underneath it is the Cape St. Mary Lighthouse, so there... I got a lighthouse in here for ya after all! LOL

I hope you have been able to enjoy this lovely weather we've been having, if not, I hope you are at least planning a trip out to capture your own idea of beauty around you where ever you are.

As always, Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

The Lighthouse Cuts Deadline is Quickly Approaching!!!

It breaks my heart whenever the topic of Lighthouse closures comes up. Especially with the way the Government has been demolishing important structures of our history, I fear for the future of a lot of Lighthouses not only in Nova Scotia, but across the entire country. I am especially partial to the ones here in Nova Scotia. Lighthouses are a point of interest to many people all over the world, and as a province who depends on the Tourist season we NEED these things that draw so many here kept "alive" so to speak. Here is a link to my original post back in 2010 when the topic first came up http://nslights.blogspot.ca/2010/06/lighthouses-are-diing-breed.html and Here is the latest news release about the topic ( http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/03/08/ns-save-lighthouses-petitions.html)

Now it has been posted for sometime that there are opportunities to save some of these lights by applying to have them made Heritage Sights and save them from being demo'd, unfortunately it is quite a process, a lot more than just making a petition and gathering some signatures.

Right now there are more than 60 Lighthouses on the list in Nova Scotia alone, and only 14 are on the list to be saved so far. The deadline is May 29th, 2012, and that day is quickly approaching. If anyone is interested in learning more about what it takes to save a lighthouse, or if you are interested in helping out there are a few links below that can help educate you of the process and what is already going on.

• Parks Canada - Heritage Lighthouses of Canada - Petition Process
• Active Lighthouses Declared Surplus - Heritage Lighthouses of Canada
• Inactive Lighthouses Declared Surplus - Heritage Lighthouses of Canada

Anomg those that are on the these lists some that have yet to be nominated are: Black Rock, Prim Point, Cape St. Mary, Cape Forchu, heck even Peggy's Point is on the list of Active lights on the chopping block!! Peggy's Point is one of the MOST photographed structures in the WORLD!! Isn't that worth saving!?!?! Now I would think most of these listed above already have paper work in progress (or at least I hope) but can we really be sure?? On the inactive list, one that hits close to home is the Bear River Light. I just find this all mind blowing and it really sets me off.... I wish I would win the lottery or something and use the money for good and help save as many of these beauties as I could!

Here is the list of Lighthouses that has been nominated so far:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/lhn-nhs/pp-hl/page01.aspx

I am not writing to single anyone out or make anyone feel bad, I only hope I can help build some awareness and if I'm lucky help a Lighthouse... or 2.... or 10 in this final push to the deadline.

Thank you so much for reading! If there ever was a time to get out there and plan your trip to see some of these amazing structures now is the time.... some may not be around much longer. You can see a nearly complete list of the Lighthouses of Nova Scotia and their individual history and location of each one at Lighthouse Friends dot com.

~Jenn

Welcome to NS

Well, it has been a little while since I’ve been here to post and although this will be a short one I think you may enjoy it J

Early this spring (like only days in to spring), I had the opportunity to go on a quick trip and while on the trip I did get to see the land to land entry point sign to Nova Scotia from New Brunswick. Back in one of my first posts I was able to post the sign from here in Digby that Welcome’s visitors to Nova Scotia that travel on the Ferry, but the “land to land” entry sign is especially cool.

What says “Welcome to Nova Scotia” better than a…… you guessed it…. A Lighthouse? Well, perhaps seafood, but speaking for myself, I’d much rather be greeted by a lighthouse than a scallop, or a lobster or a big ugly fish. LOL

After seeing this one, I was curious to see what the other signs across Canada looked like. I managed to find a really neat blog that has a post on ALL of the land to land entry signs (unfortunately there were only signs for the 10 Provinces, nothing for the 3 Territories), but it was still an interesting blog to read and if you are interested in checking them out the please visit that blog HERE. I can personally say that I think Nova Scotia has the nicest sign that shows a lot of thought and care was put in to it, and I also like the one welcoming you to Quebec.

Anyway, I really liked the sign, and was happy to finally get to see it in person, and I found my research on the other signs to be interesting and I wanted to share both with you. It’s that time of year to start planning your summer journeys, hopefully some of you are planning on coming here to Nova Scotia, we would love to have you. J

Happy & Safe Travels

~Jenn

Another Revisit.....

Yes, I went out and did another revisit this evening. After my last adventure out at Sunset I really wanted to try and get some night time photos of a Lighthouse serving it's purpose.... LIGHTS ON!

I didn't have to go far for this one. The Prim Point Lighthouse is a short drive away from home (10 minutes tops), and I thought this was the perfect one to go to to put my camera and it's nighttime setting to the test (after all if it didn't work this night I could always go back out the next). I must say, I was pretty impressed with what I was able to capture... next time I'll remember to bring the tripod so I can get a steadier shot.

I love these photos, and love how this Lighthouse looks in the dark (well, almost dark). It has given me a new appreciation for what they were made to do for us.... they are more than just a pretty picture waiting to happen.

This goes to show you, how old things.... things you've seen a whole bunch of times, can always seem new in a different light.

Good Night from Digby, NS

~Jenn

Getting Started with the 2012 Season!

It's here! It's here! My 2012 adventure season is FINALLY here!! Well, it's almost here...LOL It is only March, so still a little early yet to be taking road trips to the cool shore lines of Nova Scotia, but we have had some real beautiful days this month so it's been really hard to contain my excitement and to keep myself from heading out there.

Today, I started the season off by going to one of my Favorite Lighthouses.... one that I visit every year, not just because it is nearby, but because it is a really nice spot to spend some time and of course, it's also a great looking Lighthouse!. It doesn't matter how many times I visit the Gilbert's Cove Lighthouse, I can never seem to take enough pictures, and with as many pictures as I do have, it's hard to believe I can continue to get some that look different from all the others.

It was getting close to sunset before I decided to take the drive down... really I was so tired from spending the week-end at home that I just HAD to get out and do SOMETHING! There were a few other people who had the same idea, but it wasn't too busy, after all it is still 'pre-season'. It was kind of nice seeing this Light at a different time of day.... really should've stayed longer to see it lit up, maybe another time.

I am so happy to have been out at a lighthouse already, now if I can just get on route to see some different ones that would be GREAT! I think I have made my decision of which way I'd like to go this year. Yes I still hope to finish off the Annapolis Valley, at the very least I want to see the Margaretsville Lighthouse near Middleton, it's not the closest of the 3 left. What I REALLY hope to be able to do is get to as many on the South Shore as possible. I could take a long week-end and pack the kids up, start in Yarmouth, work my way around... spend the night at a few campgrounds.... it could be really FUN! Plus there are other things that would be great to see and do.... I've been wanting to take the kids to the Fisherman's Museum in Lunenburg for a few years now, would be neat to go see the progress they are making on the rebuild of the Bluenose II, hit the Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, go find some geocaches.... whatever we can find to get in to. I have BIG plans, just need to figure out how and when to make the plans a reality.

So here's to hoping I can get some new and interesting stuff on here for you all to read about this year. :) Hope some of you are able to get out and have your own adventures this year!

Safe & Happy Travels
~Jenn