Sunday Drivers - Special Edition

Today's episode of Sunday Driver's is brought you by the letter L and the number 40.  That's right, today is a very special birthday for a certain someone.  To celebrate, we had breakfast at McDonalds on our weekly journey out and about the Fundy Shore.


It was a beautiful but brisk Sunday morning as we started out with a nutritious on-the-road breakfast and some hot beverages.  Laur wanted to head south (or west, if you live 'round these parts) and so we hit Shore Road at Hampton and proceeded towards Delaps Cove.

Along the road you'll see many Sugar Maples tapped for sap collection. This person was rather creative, what with their Toy Story bucket and all.

Close up of the tap and hose.  A small hole is drilled into the tree, just inside the cambium where the tap is placed. The cambium is the small band between the bark and the wood, where the nutrients flow up the tree. The sap then drips down through the tap, down the hose and into the covered bucket below.  Once enough sap is collected, most of the water is then boiled off leaving the thick syrup.  Perfect for waffles on a Sunday morning!

Want to know something neat about Nova Scotia?  Place names are not always pronounced the way they are spelled - regardless of whether they are of French origin or English.  Take for example "Nictaux", not very far from us.  A savvy Canadian might say nick-TOE. American pronunciation might stretch it to nick-TOCKS, or even nick-TOKES.   All of us would be wrong, wrong, wrong.  Locals say NICK-tahw.

Another example?  Delaps Cove.  Try saying DEE-laps and see how long it takes people to get that "you're not from here, are you" look.  Roll that around your tongue for a bit, and try to figure out the local pronunciation.  I'll get back to you at the end of the post!

At the Delaps Cove trail head.  A short trail leads down to the cove and was the perfect length for a Sunday jaunt.  Laur found one of our old cameras and gave it to Boy to use.  On the lowest resolution, that baby packs a whopping 33 images!  I was honoured to be chosen as his very first subject!

An easy-to-follow trail leads from the parking area, through the forest and over coastal basalt formations.

Delaps Falls, from the trail.

Delaps Cove and boat wreckage.

View from Meier point.

The shorter trail is well marked.  There is a longer trail, but it is closed due to washouts, as seen above.  Charlie's Trail leads around an old Black Loyalist settlement, which was originally comprised of over 500 people.  There are still stone rows and foundations dotting this area, where many once made their livelihood off the land.

The sun was shining, but as soon as we left tree cover for the rocks it was cold. Oh man, there was a frigid wind blowing!  By the light of the computer screen as I type this, I can see Laur's dessicated little face still glowing red!  Luckily, the boy was wearing the anorak I made for him.  With the hood up, his face was protected from even the stiffest breezes.

We made our way around the short hiking loop and back to Gertie, parked way back in the trees and continued on our Sunday Driving way.  With such amazing scenery and history, we will definitely be revisiting this location once the weather is a bit more agreeable. 

Onward to Digby Gut!

Our wanderings eventually led us to the wharf at Victoria Beach, and SANTA!!  

I can only assume he'd enjoyed one too many on St. Paddy's Day.  Did you know Santa was Irish?

The other Victoria Beach fisherman's wharf.

Did you know Nova Scotia had it's own version of the Pony Express?  I find it interesting that the venture was funded by the Associated Press.

And on that note, we made our way homeward - passing through Lequille of course, for some dried meat and refreshing bevvies to tide us over until birthday sushi supper.  Sadly, our day concluded with nary a Nova Scotia kitty to welcome us.

Today's Quote Du Jour came from Laur who said, "Yeah, I don't think I could live in Victoria Beach - it's just like Meat Cove, only paved."   If you've ever been to Meat Cove, you'll know exactly what she was talking about!


Oh yeah - Delaps Cove!  Did you guess correctly? It's pronounced duh-LAPS.