Touring the Sunrise Trail in Nova Scotia

Wallace Bay Lighthouse

Picking up and on the move from Antigonish to our base camp in Amherst. Research is done and more to do. We traveled in a an east-west direction exploring the Nothumberland Shore Region of Nova Scotia on what is called the Sunrise Trail (which is really a 2 lane highway).

The whole province is divided into sightseeing routes. This route passes by farms, cemeteries, beaches and small villages. Traffic was sparse, tail gaiters stayed home.. making for a great drive.

Today was a sightseeing tour with some “feet on the ground” research planned along the route. Most of the trip was filled with lots of gabbing and long moments of silence as the scenery took over. There were stretches of forest leading to peek-a-boo views of the Northumberland Strait. Low tides giving way to long fields of summer sand and run-away beaches.

We drove through the small villages of Wallace Bay, Tatamagouche and Pugwash on our way to our new base camp on the Amerst Shore. During the trip we were checking off the top destinations we wanted to include in our research for the NovaScotiaEH.ca website. The plan was for me to double back the next day and explore the destinations we deem worthy and important to travelers.

Waterside Provincial Park

However, we did stop at Waterside Provincial Park as it was closer to Pictou than our base camp in Amherst. Too far to double back….

When we arrived at the Waterside Provincial Park it was early morning and not a soul around. A slight breeze accompanied Bro and I  as we walked along a boardwalk trail through a wetland of tall grasses and dunes leading to the beach.

Songbirds chirped… you could hear them but not see them. The sky was parting ways and the blue was winning the tug-o-war with the clouds. It was the start of another great day rain or shine.

At the end of the boardwalk trail was a vast white sandy beach. Anchored on one end the beach was a  rock outcropping and on the other some cottage twins. In between both book ends was lots of wet sand. The long horseshoe bay of a beach was boasting another low tide so there were tidal pools collecting at our feet. The water was warm – the sand even warmer.

On our visit, not a soul in sight, so I enjoyed a walk on the beach and splashing like a child in a kiddie pool through the tidal pools. It is these types of moments when nature entertains that puts a smile on my face lasting for days.

Today was a working road tour. Now we relax at base camp and plan for the next day of adventure and research.