Dan Will Travel

Cape Breton

This is a highlight of any trip to Nova Scotia. The island of Cape Breton pushes far north into the Atlantic with wild headlands and remote wilderness traversed by a spectacular scenic drive, the Cabot Trail.

I will let the scenery speak for itself.

After this, I am off to Newfoundland!

274 steps down and then up. Worth it for the setting!

Rare view into the highland wilderness. There are no roads and very few trails into the center of the park. Spring time in June.

This was scary to watch. The little one tripped jumping over the guard rail, and collapsed in a heap on the side of the road. Mom went back, nudged it, and got it up and walking again. I hope it was OK.

Look at the size of the female moose. So athletic and strong in this shot.

Posted: June 15, 2019 by admin

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High Tide and Low Tide

A simple occurrence everywhere in the world, right? 3-6’ between low and high, maybe a little more?

Well, at Parrsboro, NS, in the Bay of Fundy, they have the highest tides in the world. How high is that you say? Well today, on a mild summer day at the weakest point of the monthly moon cycle, it was over 40 feet (FORTY)! Different time of the year and cycle, it can approach 60 (SIXTY) feet! All in a cycle of slightly over 6 hours! Below, I attempted to capture this phenomena. It sort of leaves one speechless. One of the real oddities of the world.

Parrsboro wharf around 4:30 pm, high tide.

7:30 PM, water mostly gone. weird to walk down into an area that was fully under water just a few hours ago.

Same place, 9:00 PM. Amazing! And still an hour+ until low tide occurs.

Here are some other shots from this area. Really remote, beautiful part of Nova Scotia.

Isn’t this the cutest, most appropriate recycling bin that you have ever seen?

I loved this shot. Morning near Advocate Harbor, NS

Cape Chignecto, Nova Scotia. This is a place to stay, but they were full when I tried to book. You hand carry everything down the steep trail to it. And then back up and out. Maybe it was good that they were full, as I do not travel lightly! This is 10 gravel miles from anything. I like remote but this might have been a bit too remote.

Sort of like a fish out of water? Low tide, Advocate Harbor, Nova Scotia

Posted: June 13, 2019 by admin

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Where the “Cajuns” came from

Yes, they were originally from the area of what is now Nova Scotia. I spent one night in Annapolis Royal, very close to the center of their settlement area where they first arrived in 1605! Their history is long, complicated and very sad with the British trying to expel all of them in the 1750’s. They were not totally successful and the area today has a substantial population that in many cases can trace their lineage back over 20 generations.

Really pretty lake/marsh on a very rainy day crossing Nova Scotia on my way to Annapolis royal..

One of countless small churches you see everywhere in the countryside. Most all are Anglican.

Annapolis Royal (named by the same English person that also named Annapolis, Maryland, BTW) is famous for its history as you can see from my photos here, but also for a spectacular official graveyard tour that occurs every summer evening at 9:30 PM in Fort Ann Historical Park. Alan Melanson does the tour and has missed only 2 days in 28 years! Google it (http://www.tourannapolisroyal.com/graveyard.html ) and you will see rave reviews of it from everyone. And, they were right. He is one of the 20+ generation Acadians still living there and weaves wonderful stories into his tour allowing us to really experience the lives of the people that are lying beneath us as we walk around at night holding candle lit lanterns.