Husband and I planned to kick off our 25th wedding anniversary celebrations with a weekend trip to explore the coastline between Shelburne and Parrsboro but, when it became clear Sunday would be grey and rainy, we opted for a day trip instead.
First thing Saturday morning, we headed out and, after a leisurely stroll along the Shelburne waterfront, drove to Cape Sable Island and stopped for a short walk on The Hawk Beach. We were fortunate to arrive at low tide when the "drowned forest" is visible. A woman working at the visitor's centre in Shelburne mentioned it but we had no idea what we were looking at until after we got home and googled it. Apparently, the tree trunks sticking out of the sand are petrified and around 1500 years old. Very cool. (Click on the photo for a larger view.)
The sun shining brightly and the white sand reaching out into shallow waters made it nearly impossible to discern sea from sky.
I didn't mention it to Husband at the time but I had an ulterior motive for wanting to drive to the tip of the Island and back. The roads we took make up the route for the Nova Scotia Marathon, which takes place in late July. I haven't decided yet whether I want to do a half or a full marathon but the route is so beautiful I'll be tempted to do the latter.
Just as we were leaving the Island, we stopped to savour more views of the white sandy beaches that circle the island and were amazed to see kids in swimming and playing in the water. Brave little souls.
Our next stop was in West Pubnico, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Red Cap Restaurant (a slice of rappie pie to share, followed by haddock with lobster sauce for me, and pork schnitzel with mushroom sauce for Husband) before driving to the end of the road to get a closer look at the massive Pubnico Point Wind Farm, which we'd been admiring as we drove down the coast.
I was impressed by how quiet these massive windmills were - even when we stood directly under them!
From Pubnico, we headed straight up the highway to Church Point, to get a quick look at St. Mary's Church (the largest wooden church in North America) and its impressive 185 ft spire, before we meandered our way back to Yarmouth. Our last major stop was at Mavillette Beach just before suppertime. It was too cold and windy to linger but we definitely want to get back for a visit soon.
From Pubnico, we headed straight up the highway to Church Point, to get a quick look at St. Mary's Church (the largest wooden church in North America) and its impressive 185 ft spire, before we meandered our way back to Yarmouth. Our last major stop was at Mavillette Beach just before suppertime. It was too cold and windy to linger but we definitely want to get back for a visit soon.
At Yarmouth, it was time for another celebratory meal - this time at Rudder's Brew Pub and Seafood Restaurant. We weren't expecting much from the food (we mostly went there for the beer) but the it was actually quite good. Husband had beer-battered haddock, which was flavourful and perfectly cooked. I went for deep-friend bar clams, which were also beautifully tender and delicious.
By the time we made it home late Saturday after more than 13 hours on the road, we were pooped, so the rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. Sunday, we hung out by the fire, mostly reading though we managed an 8k run late afternoon when the rain let up. Monday, Husband headed off first thing in the morning to help our friends with a roofing job, while I went for a motorcycle ride, wrote a little, read and made a delicious supper (if I do say so myself).
I also spent some time with my camera, trying to figure out how best to use different kinds of light - for example, morning light pouring in a window...
...evening light peeking over rooftops...
...and midday light shining brightly from above.
Obviously, I enjoyed the spring flowers as well. I love it when our perennials flower.
That's it for this post. It's time I headed home to welcome my sister-in-law from Ottawa and finish packing for our Cabot Trail adventures this weekend. Look for a full race report early next week. And send positive thoughts our way please. The forecast's not great and I feel woefully under-trained so I expect my run's going to feel a bit tough. Here's hoping the fun outweighs whatever suffer-fest may lie ahead.
Happy running and writing!
I've driven past the wind farm on the highway, but didn't go in. They look like some sort of alien machine plopped down in the beautiful scenery, as they contemplate taking over the world in a gentle but peaceful sort of way. Sounds like a great day trip!
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