Down to Yarmouth and Back - R

Over the Labour Day weekend, we took a trip down and around the South Shore and Annapolis Shore. It was a lot of area to cover in a weekend, but we did our best.

First stop was Shelburne:

One of the first Dory shops in Atlantic Canada, and it still functions as such!

We stopped for lunch at the local Farmer's Market and had tomatoes, berries, and some treats
to eat as we walked along the rest of the waterfront

Just outside of Shelburne, is an area which originally started out as part of Shelburne where the Black loyalists were segregated and grew to be known as Birchtown. If you have read The Book of Negroes (a good read by the way) these places are mentioned.

Birchtown - where the Black loyalists were segregated

St. Paul's Church in Birchtown

inside the church

After Shelburne and Birchtown, we headed further south and stopped in a Historic Acadian Village just outside of Pubnico Harbour.

Aaron and Jonathan taking some shelter in the shade before we walked around the site 

The village is set up so that you can walk through the buildings on your own and encounter Acadian descendants of the original inhabitants of the village who would answer questions and tell stories of life in the 1800s.

Oh look, a bed just about right for Jonathan . . . and its almost nap time too!

Salt Cod 

This fellow explained how the villagers would trap lobster and make nets to use in the surrounding waters. He was a rather accomplished bilingual story teller going back and forth for the benefit of different groups. The lobster claws above him came off a 20-lb lobster!

Had to get a photo of the local lighthouse

1915 Model T Ford

Our next stop was Argyle, which is home to Canada's oldest Courthouse and Gaol.

We stayed in Yarmouth during the trip. A small city, but quaint and yet had everything you could need.

Jonathan took advantage of the extra big bed

Our next stop was Cape Forchu and the Lighthouse there

Yarmouth Harbour

Cape Forchu Lighthouse

Jonathan taking in the interpretive centre

Close up of the cuteness

We kept driving along the windy roads, and came upon this rocky shore near Cape St. Mary's

Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse

After driving around all day, we spent the evening walking around Yarmouth Harbour, and seeing their downtown.

Yarmouth Olde Courthouse

On our drive home, we took the Annapolis Valley route, and stopped in Gilbert's Cove on our way to Digby.

Gilbert's Cove Lighthouse

We drove out on the Digby neck, trying to find Balancing Rock - we never did find it, but found a great area to take a break from being in the car!

In Annapolis Royal, we stopped at the Tidal Generator Station which attempts to harness the mighty power of the Bay of Fundy tides.

Sorry for the tilt - it was the only way to capture the whole scene!

This was the original turbine designed to withstand the tidal changes in the Bay of Fundy . . . it functioned for all of 2 weeks before all of the blades broke off. They are still attempting to design a stronger turbine able to withstand the enormous forces caused by the tides.

In Annapolis Royal we also stopped in at Fort Anne which was the French answer to Halifax's Citadel - it traded hands many times before the British finally held it.

Not a Hobbit home, this was a magazine storage area - as in gun magazines

Fort Anne - soldier barracks and mess

Again, not a Hobbit home . . . this was a storage area for cannon balls and gun powder.

It was a lovely trip, but it was nice to get home and be out of the car for longer than 8 hours!

Cheers,
Racheal