Our summer was flipped upside down back in the Spring along with many other people. We had been counting down to spending a month in Alberta for the last few years. We were all pretty bummed to miss out on the family time we had been looking forward to.
I knew we were going to be home and would have to stay close all summer. Sandy and I had much conversation around what we could do to make both his sabbatical leave and our summer months the best they could be with these pandemic circumstances.
We started a spreadsheet with friends of all of the places we wanted to explore in NS this summer and then with perfect timing, the NS Crawl for Mental Health was released. We thought this was a cause definitely worth our support, since it does hit very close to home. And on top of that, a list was created for us with lots of fun destinations to explore. The kids were onboard and super excited. The Merrill family wanted to do it as well, so the kids were even more excited to go adventuring with their cousins.
There are 20 destinations on the list from the top of NS to the bottom. Most we hadn’t been to before as a family, so that made it even more exciting. We have concerns about traveling in NS once our province is open to Canada, so we wanted to cover as many as we could on days off while it was safe to travel.
Our first stop was easy, it was close to home here in Grande Pre. The kids had a fun hide and seek game while we explored. Our next adventure was a beach day where we stopped at Fort Anne for a walk and then after some fun at Mavillette Beach, we stopped at another destination, Belliveau’s Cove. It was beautiful to drive along the shore and see the old churches in the Clare area. I did this as a child, but not with our family.
Our next adventure was a city day. We had made our way over to Polly’s Cove with the intention to have a beach day. The weather didn’t cooperate, so we changed plans and headed to the city to check some more spots off the list. We were blown away by Polly’s Cove and can’t wait to explore more. It’s still in our top 3 of places we’ve seen so far!
The next weekend we were off we decided to plan a Carter’s day. It is always one of our favorite beaches and conveniently it was close to another destination we needed, the Keji Seaside. We enjoyed a day of white sand.
That same weekend we took the trip down to Digby Neck and explored Balancing Rock. It was neat to take the ferry over to the island. Noah didn’t love the trip across because of the fog, but really enjoyed it on the way back when we could see. 🙂 We also went to Sandy Cove beach while we were in the area. This is another trip we’d like to do in the Fall.
Things here in NS have been pretty good Covid wise, so we decided to plan a last minute trip to Cape Breton. We had planned to go at the end of August, but we also decided to get a new puppy, so we wanted to make the trip before puppy training began.
The Merrill’s came with us as well as Amanda, Jesse & Easton. It was an awesome getaway. We did a whirlwind trip of each coast in 3 days. We started with exploring Port Hood. Noah said this was the warmest beach he had been in outside of Florida lol. Then we took in the Fiddle and the Sydney waterfront that evening. The next day we went over to the Highlands and walked the Skyline Trail. Talk about breathtaking! The next day we explored Fortress Louisbourg. The kids loved it there and definitely want to go back. We hope to return in the Fall if Covid allows.
On the way home we stopped to check off a New Glasgow destination at the riverside marina and enjoy some Pictou County Pizza. Great way to end our weekend away.
Next we took a trip down to my hometown in Yarmouth. I hadn’t been there in a while, especially visiting the lighthouse. They’ve done so much work and it was awesome to explore the trails. On our way back we stopped at my childhood bakery for some treats and spent the afternoon at Mavillette. I think this has become my favorite NS beach. It’s so peaceful there, the sand is perfect and the water is warmer than most.
Our last day trip we did a loop up to Truro and back the shore. I had never really explored the Noel shore before. Not much there, but BurntCoat Head was certainly worth the drive. I was astonished. I had no idea that this amazing shore was so close to home. We explored for a few hours and then made our way back. I will definitely go back again, it made our top 3 list as well!
During the loop we also did a stop at the NS History Museum to take in the Egyptian Exhibit. We stopped at Mastodon Ridge as well as Kiwanis Park in Truro. We had never been before. It was a nice little walk around a pond. Since we were so close we treated ourselves to Sundaes at Fundy Scoops. So yummy!
And now we are down to 3! This weekend we are doing an overnight getaway so we can explore Ballantyne’s Cove and Sherbrooke Village. I have not been to either place, so I’m looking forward to exploring areas we have not yet been to. And lastly we will head toward my fathers part of NS, Shag Harbour area for the UFO sighting area as our final item on the list. Then we will have all 20 destinations done!
This has been a blessing for our family. We could have created our own list, but it wouldn’t have been the same. I’m thankful for extra time with our family and cousins as well as friends that have been able to join us along the way. We’ve definitely made the best of these circumstances and I’m so thankful to be able to explore NS.
By the time we finish our last 3, we will have explored all the coasts that we hadn’t been to in the past. We are already working on a Fall adventure list as the kids just don’t want to stop and neither do we!
If you’re in NS there is still time to sign up for the NS Crawl and support this amazing cause. You don’t need to complete all the destinations, but regardless, I’m certain you’d have lots of fun along the way!
I Dream of Summer 
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