Mo Canada

8/01/2018 Today I explored the Raven Haven Campground and the Sandy Bottom Lake beach. I also repaired the drain in the bathroom and gave myself a haircut. I think I am overstaying at this location as I have run out of things to explore. I did make reservations at the Lake Ellenwood Provincial Park in Tusket, NS. Lake Ellenwood is less than two hours away and is close to Yarmouth, NS where there are several historical sites and buildings to investigate. I have also found near Yarmouth the Lake Doucette Motor Speedway where there is a race on Sunday that I plan on attending.

8/02/2018 I created a mental itinerary along with a plan for my remaining days in Canada. I have not found anywhere that I can boondock, which is something that I enjoy doing occasionally. Boondocking or living of grid is part of the motivation and fun of having my travel trailer so I kind of miss that. Later I drove over to Digby, NS and acquired a pound of scallops that I purchased off the scallop boat with plans to cook half and save half. Just like my previous dinner at a Digby restaurant, I sautéed the scallops and prepared PEI mashed potatoes with my meal. Personally, I liked my version of the scallop meal better and at half the price. 

8/03/2018 I played golf today at the Fort View Golf Course that was previously the Annapolis Royal Country Club. When checking with the woman in the Pro Shop I asked if the course was walkable, she replied, “My husband walks it”. Well, I walked this very hilly course on an 85 degree, 90% humidity day that felt like 100 degrees to me. In addition, I believe every fairway, or at least a portion, was uphill from the first tee to walking back to my truck. I shot a 92 Canadian score on this challenging, dreadfully hilly, but fun course. I had aspirations of going into Annapolis Royal for the Natal Days Celebration but I could not muster the strength to do so. Instead, I stayed at the campsite and began the organization needed for tomorrow’s relocation to Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park. 

8/04/2018 The drive from Raven Haven Campground to Lake Ellenwood Provincial Park is about 85 miles or 1 and a half hours without stops. I stopped several times making my journey about 4 hours. One stop was for lunch in Saulnierville, NS at the La Cuisine Robicheau. This is an Acadian (French) restaurant where everyone speaks French or English if they are required by the customer. Located in a converted house, La Cuisine Robicheau is a small café where, from my table, I could see the adjoining, very foggy Bay of Fundy shoreline. After lunch, I continued to drive the older Highway 1 that ironically also follows the coastline similar to California’s Highway 1. Like California’s Highway 1 that is entitled El Camino Real, this too has the eponymous Evangeline Trail so named by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow famous, especially locally, poem Evangeline.

I also drove through St. Bernard, NS that has the impressive granite Église St Bernard Church of gothic architecture. I eventually settled easily into my campsite at the Lake Ellenwood Provincial Park. Afterwards I stopped at the Yarmouth NSLC on my way to dinner where Deb, the NSLC liquor Hostess, suggested Rudder’s Seafood Restaurant & Brew Pub. Upon arrival, I found this restaurant, on this very busy Saturday evening, required an hour wait for a table. While I waited for my table at the bar, I met Bob, a local, and I seemed to captivate him with my itinerary, both past and future. Never leaving the bar, I drank their remarkable house ale and devoured the Rudder’s lobster poutine that was outstanding. So far, I have found the Yarmouth denizens to be very sociable and, with their help, I will continue to explore the area during my nearby camp stay.

8/05/2018 About 15 miles from Lake Ellenwood is the Lake Doucette Raceway with the scheduled "Showdown on the Shore". I finally arrived, after my short drive made longer due to being misguided by the F-150 Sirius navigation, to a small but crowded racetrack. There were three classes racing on this day: the East Coast Mini Stock Tour (Honda), 4CYL (Woman’s Four Fun), and Sportsman (V8). After each class completed their heat races, the day’s competition was completed with each class  having a final shootout. There was a lack of the intentional jamming, colliding or ramming seen in NASCAR events as this event was competed with Canadian courtesy. What a great way to spend a clear, warm Sunday in Nova Scotia. 

8/06/2018 Laundry Day. I found the K D Wash + Dry Laundry in Yarmouth so I dropped off my laundry there so I could explore the Yarmouth area. I first had lunch at The Dinner Plate restaurant that I was referred to by several locals as the good, moderately priced place to eat.That is what I found at the Dinner Plate and more. Located on the commercial edge of downtown in a semi-industrial area with the exterior reflecting the neighborhood architecture.  Initially, from the outside appearance I had doubts about this place but when I walked in I found an older, yet very clean interior. With the typical diner appearance including booths around the perimeter walls and tables in the center I found a stall along the wall in this lightly occupied restaurant. Still doubting this choice, I asked Bailey, my very friendly, smiling young waitress for what the Dinner Plate was world renown. She suggested “the Hot Lobster Plate” stating that it was the most requested fare. Bailey’s suggestion was right on as I found this the best lobster dish of any variety I had ever consumed.

After leaving the Dinner Plate, very satisfied, I drove the several miles to Cape Forchu where I found a fog encompassed point with the traditional lighthouse surrounded by a small open space. I walked down the gravel pathways through the headlands reading the informational tablets that explained the cape history and its tidal pool compositions.

Losing track of time I almost overstayed my time at Cape Forchu barely making it back to the K D Wash + Dry Laundry before its closing. I left Yarmouth for the Lake Ellenwood campground with my clean clothes and this evening’s project of sorting and stowing these clean items. 

8/07/2018 I played golf today at the West Pubnico Golf & Country Club in the nearby village of Pubnico, Nova Scotia about 25 miles from my location at the Lake Ellenwood campground. It was a nice flat course that I walked on this warm, humid day with a nice breeze that cooled me on this golf outing. 

8/08/2018 This morning I left the Lake Ellenwood Provincial Park outside of Yarmouth  driving to the Walmart Supercentre southeast of Halifax in Cookville, NS. It was a 2 ½ hour, 135 mile drive that I extended to a 5 hour drive with several minor exploratory drives plus stops for lunch and fuel. After locating the Cooksville, NS Walmart I found a nice spot on the parking lot perimeter where I parked just as a heavy rain began to fall. After the rain I set up the trailer, went shopping in the Walmart then returned and remained in the mobile residence for the night.