The time for to further explore Nova Scotia was at an end. On this day, I began the journey back home, albeit with a few brief stops along the way. The goal was to arrive in Moncton before sundown and enjoy one more seafood dinner on Canada’s east coast.
I woke up to a serene view from the deck of my room at the Hedley House Motel. The weather was perfect and after a really decent continental breakfast with yogurt, fresh juice, cereal and heaps of locally pickled blue berries, it was time to get back on the road.
I estimated there was enough time to check out a few small towns along the way. One of my co-workers, Justin, grew up in Nova Scotia and made several sightseeing recommendations sightseeing along the coast. I chose a few that were en-route as they held the promise of good scenery and quick access from the Trans-Canada highway. The first stop was Port George and the most remarkable thing about making the detour to this tiny town was the rough condition of roads. The Harley shook like like a cheap belt sander, there was barely a stretch of smooth road anywhere. To make matters worse, I took a wrong turn and had to retrace all the route back to the highway and start over again.
Here’s a short video of the ride to both towns on these rough roads.
According to Justin, the company that works on maintaining Nova Scotia roads is called R&B Paving Services, and are mockingly referred to as Rough and Bumpy by the locals. Once I arrived in Port George, I took a few photos and got back on the crummy side roads to Margaretsville.
Unlike Port George, the somewhat larger town of Margaretsville, caters to tourists and waterside restaurant was busy with the lunch crowd. I suppose the main attraction is the lighthouse and something resembling a downtown area. I’m sure there’s more to see, but there was no time.
The last stop of the day was Wolfville, home of Acadia University, it is the former stomping grounds of my co-worker. Justin recommended eating at Paddy’s Brew Pub, so I did. Lunch was some light fare washed down with a tasty local wheat beer. Later on, I went to the mud flats, where during low tide, the waters from the Bay of Fundy recede into the horizon and boats are left on the ocean floor. Lucky, I made it there after the water had receded during low tide.
Then it was back on the highway, with only one stop for gas. I arrived in Moncton around 5:30, right during rush hour, well at least what passes for rush hour in Moncton. There was traffic, yet everything was flowing smoothly without delays. Too bad my commute is nothing like theirs. Once again, I decided to eat dinner at the Catch 22 Lobster Bar and ordered an assorted seafood platter with white wine. A very nice way to end the day and last evening on the east coast. The following day I would arrive and stay in rural Quebec.
