Take the long way down the South Shore
As seen in
With my Newfoundland-born aunt and her husband visiting from Ontario, I knew I’d be venturing out for a few tourist-inspired day trips. They visited
Nova Scotia before but had really only seen it from driving to the Newfoundland ferry in North Sydney.
On a humid grey summer morning, we fuelled the car and drove to Lunenburg along Highway 3 from Tantallon. I could tell my aunt was feeling a twinge of longing for the East Coast. She’s lived in Brampton, Ontario for the last 45 years and her Ontarioborn husband is keen to move to Nova Scotia when they retire but he hasn’t convinced her yet.
As we drove through Tantallon I pointed out some of my favourite stops – Delish Fine Foods, The Red Barn Market, The Bike & Bean Café, and Cavicchis’ Meats. Any other day I would stop in each of these places and revel in their wares, however, this day I was playing tour guide and my company wanted to keep moving.
As we wound our way along the hills and curves of St. Margaret’s Bay Road, passing Cleveland Beach then Queensland, I was reminded of how much I enjoy travelling the long way. Though my work often brings me to the South Shore I usually choose the faster route along highway 103.
Approaching Hubbards I point out The Hooked Rug Museum of North America, Hubbards Cove Coffee, The Trellis Café, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards, The Vintage Crow, and the Hubbards Barn Farmers’ Market. As I gave my family a quick description of each place I felt proud that I could show and tell them a bit about some of the wonderful local businesses.
We drove farther down Highway 3 to Chester and I suggested turning in a taking a drive through town. As we passed a small inlet filled with sailboats, streets lined with gorgeous old homes, and the small main strip with shops and the beautiful restored Chester Playhouse my aunt said, “I could live here.”
We drove out of town, back and continued onto Mahone Bay. I pulled over in a gravel parking lot at the entrance of town so my aunt and step-mom could take pictures of the three famous heritage churches lined up across the water. We found a parking spot in the free public lot across the street from the churches and went to The Teazer gift shop. With a large display of ceramic gurgling fish pitchers inside the door, kitchen and housewares, scarves, socks, children’s books and clothing, jewelry, and more, The Teazer is a lovely spot to buy a gift for someone or a treat for you.
We popped into Jo-ann’s Deli Market and Bakeshop next door to The Teazer and left with a box filled with coconut cream pie, gingersnaps, date squares, and slices of piña colada cheesecake. We had been in Jo-ann’s for so long admiring the preserves, local produce, baked goods, and back wall lined with original vintage floral wallpaper, that my aunt’s husband had left to sit outside and wait for us to finish. Our time was short in Mahone Bay, we hadn’t even scratched the surface of things to do and see, however, the afternoon was moving on and we knew we should too.
I visit Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a few times each summer. I never grow tired of the bustling town and its brightly coloured historic buildings. As the four of us walked from the car into town along Montague Street we could smell the ocean on the humid air.
We stopped at The Savvy Sailor and had a terrific lunch. The lobster roll, fish burger, and haddock were fantastic and we were thrilled to find a spot, in the heart of a tourism epicenter, with fabulous food and service.
Throughout lunch on the patio at The Savvy Sailor, as we sipped rosé, and gazed over the expanse of Lunenburg Harbour, my aunt said once again, “I could live here.”
We finished lunch, paid the bill, and took a short stroll through town. The sidewalks were teeming with people of all ages; hands filled with shopping bags, cold drinks, and ice cream cones. There was a bustle and energy resounding through the streets that only the high season can bring. We walked back to the car and drove home to Dartmouth in near silence. As we approached the city the rain finally broke through the humid cloud cover.
“I want hot weather,” my aunt said. “Does it get hot in Lunenburg? And what about winter? Does it snow a lot there? Would winter be hard?”
“It gets hot,” I said. “But it also gets cold, windy, foggy, rainy, snowy, and everything else in between. You grew up in Newfoundland, you know there are no guarantees when it comes to the weather here on the East Coast, but I can guarantee you one thing: There is no place on earth like Nova Scotia.”
She sat back in the passenger seat of my car and sighed, a hint of a smile on her lips.
My aunt isn’t convinced to move here yet, but she knows what I said was true.