July 6 (day 69) – July 14 (day 75), Halifax and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Virtual postcard from the Halifax Citadel

Halifax and Peggy's Cove

We spent 6 nights at Shubie Park, a nice campground in in the midst of Dartmouth, a few minutes from the Dartmouth ferry to downtown Halifax.  The campground is on one of many lakes in the area with several excellent walking trails.  The girls loved the trails, and we enjoyed being close to town.  We spent a couple of days getting some repairs on the RV and shopping, and a few days visiting tourist standards – the iconic Peggy’s Cove lighthouse, most photographed lighthouse in Canada; the Halifax Citadel, fortress built to protect the Halifax harbor and city; the immigration museum – recently updated with excellent exhibits and stories; and the Halifax maritime museum – honoring the major maritime events that shaped this city.   Halifax was an important port for transport conveys taking supplies to Europe during both world wars, and was the site of the largest explosion prior to the atomic bombs when a munitions ship exploded in 1917, with more than 2000 killed and thousands more left homeless as a large section of the city was leveled.

The Halifax seaside boardwalk attracts a lot of tourists in the summer, and we enjoyed a city and harbor tour on the Harbour Hopper amphibious vehicle tour which showed us around town and ended with a nice boat ride around Halifax Harbour.  We took in a nice slice of Halifax’s sites, and realized there is much more worth seeing in this city.  Most folks who travel by RV in the Maritimes fly to Halifax and rent an RV to tour for a couple of weeks, but with our Washington plates we were not only the anomaly, but near celebrities when they found out we had actually driven the entire way from near the Pacific Ocean.  We ended our visit with dinner at the most recommended seafood spot – John’s Lunch in Dartmouth, a no frills restaurant known for the best fish and chips in town/province/country depending on who you talk to.  We weren’t disappointed.

News Flash – Grandson Jordan and Ruth brought a baby boy into the world July 10^th in Englewood, CO.  Welcome Zachary Kai Huffman as our proud new great grandson! 

the pot holes finally caught up with us,
requiring repair to our RV sway bar.
Driving roads in the Maritimes
take skill and nerves.

The winters here are brutal with the winter of 2014/2015 being the worst in years, and take their toll on roads and vehicles, our motorhome being no exception.  On our drive from Canso to Halifax I noticed a “different” chassis sound that led to a challenge to find a repair facility that would take a look.  Turns out the sway bar had come loose from the frame and was banging around underneath.  Their diagnosis was quick and the repair done well so we could be on the road again.  Even at slow speeds the pot holes are serious business.  The Maritime roads aren’t for sissys!!  Sometimes makes me yearn for my motorcycle with the agility and size to avoid most of the potholes.  The potholes are often times serious and then there would be a sign warning about potholes ahead – sounded like we might be dropping into the abyss!     

On July 12^th we moved to spend a couple of days at Lunenburg, a short drive down the south shore from Halifax.  Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as the best surviving example of a British planned community in North America.  The harbors here are beautiful, and the town has many beautifully preserved homes and businesses.  We took a horse drawn carriage tour to see some highlights in this beautiful community where many buildings date back to the early 1800s and some the late 1700s. 

Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage town

Our Nova Scotia route from Canso to Halifax and Lunenberg