Summer memories...Part I South Shore Drive

Summer is a time that most people travel, they go to far away places that they have been saving for all year. It would take me many years to save up enough money to go to any of these places so I have never gone. That doesn't mean I haven't been to some great places but I have never really gone far from home. But as I sit and try to think of my favourite summer time memory I have a hard time deciding. Every place I have gone has been with it's down side but every trip has brought great memories. It is hard for me to decide my favourite so I will post a few posts of some of my favourite summer trips and some of the places I am glad I have gone during the summer.

In the summer of 1990 my mother in law came to visit us while we were living in Nova Scotia. Since we had only been there a year we decided to see the sights...remember I was 7 months pregnant and it was hot :) We travelled all up the coast of Nova Scotia going from Digby to Halifax and every where in between. There are some amazing sights driving down the coast of Nova Scotia. So here is a bit of a Canadian history lesson for you...

Peggy's Cove...The community is named after the cove of the same name. Peggy being a nickname for Margaret, and the village may have taken its name from St. Margaret's Bay upon which it is situated. Local folklore has several alternative origins for the name. Some people claim Peggy was an early settler. Others say she was a young survivor of a shipwreck who remembered nothing of her life before her rescue; not even her name but was given the name Peggy by the family who adopted her.

Peggy's Cove has a classic red and white lighthouse still operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The light station is situated on an extensive granite outcrop at Peggy's Point, immediately south of the village and its cove. The lighthouse is one of the most photographed structures in Atlantic Canada and one of the most recognizable lighthouses in the world.

The lighthouse contains a Canada Post office on the lower level and during the summer it serves as the village post office where you can send post cards that are stamped with a special cancellation mark in the shape of a light house. This is the post card I sent to our house from that post office (stamps are now .57 cents)

Lunnenburg...is commonly known as the prettiest town in Canada. Lunnenburg is the birthplace of the world famous Bluenose and Bluenose II. The bluenose is a award winning schooner that was launched from Lunnenburg March 1921. Bluenoser is the nickname given to Nova Scotians from the late eighteenth century. This boat has such a big place in Canadian history that it is pictured on the Canadian dime.

Lunnenburg is a beautiful place and you can walk along the dock and take tours from teh shipbuilding center.

Mahone bay...another beautiful town along the coast of Nova Scotia. Across the harbour you can see a beautiful sight of the Anglican. Lutheran and United Churches lined up...

If you travel far enough down the South shore you will end up in Halifax. The story of Halifax is the explosion of 1917. A French cargo ship fully loaded with wartime explosives accidently collided with teh Norwegian SS Imo and exploded. Halifax was devastated it was estimated that 2000 people were killed and over 9000 were injured (remember this is 1917 and today the population of Halifax in 2001 was 119,292). There are many attractions in Halifax and a few of my favourites were,

St. Paul's Anglican Church...it is the oldest Protestant place of worship in Canada, founded by King George II in 1749.

Citadel Hill...is a glacial drumlin (a little hill ridge) located on the Halifax Peninsula measuring approx 80 metres about sea level and give an amazing view of the entrance to the Halifax harbour. Fort George is built on this citadel. The town clock is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the historic urban core of Halifax. The idea of this clock is credited to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who arranged to have the clock to be manufactured before his retun to England in 1800. The clock tower is a three-tiered irregular octagon tower built atop a one storey white clapboard building. The clock is 4 sided displaying Roman numerals and the number 4 is shown as IIII.

So if you ever get the chance to travel and take in the beauty of nature a trip down Nova Scotia's South Shore :)