We spent our second week in the Annapolis Valley Region of Nova Scotia about mid-way down the Bay of Fundy, at The Cove Campground in Annapolis Royal. This campground was suggested to us by a Nova Scotian we met on PEI. We were originally planning to stay at another CG nearby (Dunromin). We were given a large spot in the front row, overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Since it was past Labor Day Weekend we essentially had the place to ourselves.

In front of our RV was a large grass lot and then below that was a rocky coastline which we ventured out on during low tides.

Right across the street from the campground is Nautical Seafoods Cafe & Market, so we ate well! In addition to live lobsters, they sell 1-lb bags of frozen lobster meat for $30, which is only about $23 US. A great deal. We purchased a 1-lb bag and made fantastic lobster rolls with bacon, tomatoes, celery and bacon mayo. OMG! We made 4 large sandwiches with the meat and then went back to the store to buy three more bags before leaving the area.

On our last evening at The Cove, and on the Bay of Fundy, we purchased steamed lobsters and seafood chowder from Nautical. We then had a wonderful dinner sitting outside the RV, watching the sunset.

There are a couple of Canada Historic Sites near the Campground. The first one we visited was Fort Anne. It is Canada’s oldest National Historic Site. The Fort is no longer there but we were able to walk the earthen walls and look out onto the beautiful Annapolis River. We also explored the 1797 Officers’ Quarters Museum. We learned a bit more about Nova Scotia’s history. We also found the Red Chairs. We just love how Canada has 2 red chairs at each of their National Parks and/or Historic Sites.

The other historic site we visited was Port Royal. The story behind this site is quite interesting. The Habitation at Port-Royal was established by France in 1605. It was their first settlement in North America and it served as the capital of Acadia until it was destroyed by the British just 8 years later, in 1613. In 1925 the original location of the settlement was classified as a National Heritage Site and in 1939 a group began to reconstruct the original habitat. What stands today is an outstanding replication of what the habitat must have looked like back then. They did an unbelievable job with the structure and furniture.

We also took a tour of the Annapolis Royal Tidal Generating Power Plant. It is the only one of its kind in North America. You are given a hard hat, safety glasses and taken down 8 stories to see the generator. I felt like I was back at work at GE.

On our next to last day in Annapolis Royal we had absolutely beautiful weather. We decided to take advantage of it and drove down to Brier Island. It is about an hour and a half Southwest of Annapolis Royal. You take 2 ferries to get to the island.

While on Brier Island we went on our second Whale Watching Trip. This one was much better than our previous one, as we were able to see humpback whales right next to our Zodiac. You could almost touch them. The weather was perfect for such an adventure; sunny, warm and smooth waters.

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Charlie caught a good video which, if interested, you can view on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fP6hTQR7qH0

After whale watching we toured the island via driving and hiking. It is a very small fishing island with one small diner, general store and a one pump gas station. I’ve got to believe that everybody on the island has somebody in the family that fishes, as there isn’t anything else to do in this remote location. The island’s coastline was interesting. Rocks were not round, but more square. There are pretty prairies leading up to the rocks with hiking trails throughout them. Whales and seals were within viewing distance from the shore. All in all, we had a great day on the island.

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We have seen an adaptation of the next picture quite frequently throughout Nova Scotia. We are consistently amazed at how much wood people stack up for the winter months. It must be their primary way of heating their home. Generally, the wood is organized in long and high rows beside the homes. At times, the height of the wood seems to align with the roof line of the house. If you look closely at the picture you will see 3-4 large piles for this home.

During our stay we also visited Digby. It was a hazy/foggy day when we visited so we didn’t see much. I was able to get a few pictures of the fishing boats along the dock and pulling into port though.

One other day trip we did was over to Kejimkjukik National Park for a little hiking. We only hiked a couple short trails, as we arrived late. The trails were uneventful. We had planned to return to do longer hikes, but never made it back. Here are a few interesting pictures from the hike. As you can see, the trees are just starting to turn. Very few of them though.

A few final pictures from The Cove Campground. Sunset was very nice one evening and I was able to play with my 100mm Macro lens.

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Our next stop is Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It will be our first stay on the Eastern side of the Province.