My spouse and I had an anniversary coming up which also coincided with our vacation time. We decided on the east coast. Neither of us had been and we’ve always wanted to go.
We arrived in the late afternoon. Our first evening there we went to the harbourfront. It’s such a romantic spot! We had a romantic dinner on the patio at The Bicycle Thief. The pasta, cheesecake, and atmosphere were incredible. After dinner, we went for a walk along the boardwalk.
Before we left for our hotel a massive cruise ship left the harbour and blasted a song with the horn. It was super loud and really cool. It all felt magical and romantic. It was a great way to start the vacation.
The second day we went to Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove. Lunenburg was cute and touristy. I loved seeing all the colourful houses and shops. We walked along the harbour and browsed through the stores.
Peggy’s Cove lighthouse was where we stopped on the way back. We were warned extensively by the locals “Do NOT go out on the rocks! People die here”. There were signs EVERYWHERE warning people not to do this, letting people know death has occurred and there is no help close by. I was blown away by how many people ignored these signs. I did not. Getting washed out to sea was not part of my vacation itinerary!
On the way there and back we drove through Mahoney Bay. I really wish we had stopped there. I loved the town as did Jay. We could both see ourselves living there. We also drove by the turnoff for Oak Island. That place fascinates me. I hope there is a treasure and I hope they find it. I don’t think you’re allowed to go on the island, but it would be fun to take a boat trip around it!
That evening we had dinner with a friend I have known for a decade, but have never met. I was really looking forward to this. We have been writing for years and this was the first time meeting in person. We had a wonderful dinner at Ela (a Greek restaurant) with our spouses. They were lovely people and it was like having dinner with an old friend.. because it was, you know what I mean. The martinis were delightful and the salad too. I can’t believe we forgot to take a photo, but that just means the company was great.
The next day we drove up to Cape Breton. It was a beautiful scenic drive. Gas up and get some snacks! Gas stations and places to get something to eat are few and far between.
We stayed at the Northstar Inn. The rooms were really pretty and the Inn’s restaurant was delicious. We ordered macaroni and a blue cheese salad and split them between us. Both were so delicious.
We watched Jaws before bed and cracked the door so we could listen to the sound of the ocean while we fell asleep. The humor here is that this very day a great white was seen swimming around the shore by the locals, not too far away! Unfortunately, the shark died. If I had of known there was a shark around I would have skipped the hikes and went straight to see the shark!
But hike we did and got some much-needed exercise. We went to visit this lighthouse near the hotel. This is the site of the first lighthouse built in Canada! The lighthouse there now is not the original, but pretty cool all the same. Walking up the hill we smelled cinnamon! I NEED to know what this plant is and plant it everywhere. It smelled so good. It made the site even more special. I will remember that smell whenever I think of our visit here.
After the lighthouse we headed down to the Gull Cove trailhead. It was… on the marshy side in some spots, but gave beautiful views of the ocean. The hike goes out 10km one way for a total of around 20km. We only went halfway.
There were spots you could get down to the ocean. There were lots of shells and claws along the water. We saw a lot of birds and one gargantuan-sized spider that I almost walked into.
And look at this cool mushroom! It looks like the mushroom from Super Mario! I didn’t touch it. I have no idea what mushrooms are safe, but it was fun to look at.
Our last night we headed back to Halifax for another night at The Halifax Tower Hotel. We had breakfast there (also good) and headed out to the harbourfront again to spend our last few hours. We wanted to go to Annapolis Valley, but we didn’t have enough time.
This time we got to see some sea creatures! Little schools of mackerel were swimming by. They were so neat looking! There were TONS of star fish! I was so happy! I thought star fish were tropical. There were tons of them stuck to the pier and along the bottom. I wish I had got a photo. They made me so happy. I would love to visit again, we had a great time.
We ate out every meal. A million times at Subway (I love the mozzarella bella!). I was nervous to see if I gained any weight back. I was only up a pound. Sometimes it takes a couple days to show up, but today was good news. I had saved up for the vacation, so I didn’t put myself into further debt either. Now that we’re home it’s back to the gym and healthy meals.
Current Weight: 171lbs
Weight lost: 7lbs
Current debt: -$20785
Starting debt: – $21000
Lobster Shorts 