My Country Peanut – East Coast Part 3

After a quick two day visit with my cousins in New Brunswick we were off to Nova Scotia. The trip would take approximately 3.5 hours. About 30 minutes into the drive we hit a bump that was so deep that the trailer nearly rolled (THANKFULLY IT DID NOT) however, when we got to the park there was a surprise.

Nova Scotia is beautiful. There is so much nature all around you. You can drive for miles in the trees. My GPS took me on the coastal route which was lovely. Small towns and communities on the waters edge. So idilic. About 2 hours in to the drive I was in Hurricane Henrys rain. It was coming down decently but it did not make me nervous. I could still see clearly.

I checked in to Oakhill Pines Campground in Oakhill, Nova Scotia at about 2:30pm. They gave me a map to my site and off I went. I chose to check in on a Monday knowing there would be less people at the park since I’m new to backing in. I followed the little streets to site #77 and pulled up in front of it. I got out, assessed the space – trees on the left, slight downward slope on a cliff (NO PRESSURE HAHA) oh and rain. I got back in the car, lined the trailer up, had a mini panic attack, straightened myself out and backed in to the spot on the first try perfectly. Under 5 minutes. Miracles do happen.

I proceed to put the chocks under the tires, jacks down and hook up the hydro. Remember that surprise I mentioned well here is it… I opened the door to the trailer and stepped inside to find water all over the place. What the heck? I sealed the crap out of Peanut before leaving. So I looked around to see where it came from. Low and behold as I looked up at the roof vent I could see light coming in. As it turns out when I hit that massive hole the trailer shifted so much that it shattered the old dried out rim to the ceiling vent causing the vent to pop open while driving. And of course I can’t see the roof of the trailer while I’m driving so the hurricane rain got in. I quickly wiped it up while the dogs were asleep in the car before we got settled.

About an hour after getting everything in and dry my mom and aunt checked into their little cabin just a few trailers over. My mom thought the reviews were not great at the hotel she booked so she opted to cancel the hotel and check into a tiny cabin with a toilet, sink and beds… and of course the hurricane rain. You could say they were roughing it a bit haha!

That evening we drove to Bridgewater to pick up some dinner at 27 South – excellent food! We stopped at the Giant Tiger and local dollar store before heading back to the trailer park to eat. Although Peanut is only 9 feet long the 3 of us fit at the table and ate. Snug but comfy.

It continued to rain long into the night. At around 12:09am I woke up from the wind, trees and rain coming down loud and hard. As I lay there I could hear a tree snap and come down very close by. I looked outside but couldn’t see anything. Peanut was ok. A minute later my neighbours in their little pop up trailer came out clearly distraught. The next morning I asked the husband if they were ok. He mentioned that the tree came down and sliced the canvas on the one end of the pop up trailer. What a terrible experience to have. They had to duct tape their canvas back together in the pouring rain. Thankfully no one was hurt.

Tuesday morning the sun had come out. It had been forecasted to be rain the whole day so this was very welcome. The worst part of my campsite was that is was all dirt and mud, no grass anywhere and with the slope it meant that all the water drains through my spot. I had to clean Peanut several times a day. I also had to wear my crappy flip flops around because I was covered in mud and dirt anytime I stepped outside. It really did not make for a fun experience. But thankfully this day was sunny!

We decided to head to Annapolis Royal to walk the town. On our way in we saw a sign for a German Bakery so of course we had to give it a shot.

Right across the street was Fort Anne. There was a century old cemetery, a fort, canons, a monument and paths around the water. We walked a small path which led us back to the sidewalk into to town. What a beautiful place. The houses are all century old, full of vibrant colours and the landscaping was just charming. Not to mention the view of the water. No stress while you stand their taking in the sights and fresh air.

We popped into a couple cute shops. At one I bought a cute handmade owl to hang at my house as a souvenir. And my Aunt Brenda got us a cute Nova Scotia magnet as a souvenir as well.

From Annapolis Royal we headed to Annapolis Valley. We did this part of our trip driving. It was as beautiful as all the other towns we’d gone through. This route took us back towards the campground. We stopped for dinner on the way back. We decided to eat in the cabin this time as it was a little roomier. We had hoped that with all the heat this day that it would also be a bit cooler than the trailer – it wasn’t. Since Chaya and J have had to come everywhere with us (in the dog stroller) everyday they were pretty tired and they both fell asleep together in the dog bed on the porch (holding paws).

As we sit on the porch I had this feeling that I should start walking back to the trailer. As I did the rain began to pour and suddenly I was sprinting (along with the other people in the park) back to the trailer. I had opened the vent and windows to let the heat escape when we got back just before eating. I got there just in time to close up before it was so heavy I couldn’t leave the trailer for 10 minutes. This rain also helped to cool everything off and luckily this was it for rain for the remainder of the trip.

We called it a night around 830pm. We had a long warm day and our bellies were full. It was time to make the bed and put on a movie before falling asleep. I opted to bring my laptop and purchase a portable CD drive for the trip. It only cost about $25 which is pretty cheap. I also packed about 30 DVDs to choose from to bring on the trip for rainy days in case we were trapped indoors. I used it a few nights in a row at the park. I had a pretty sweet set up. I wouldn’t make it through a single movie the entire trip without passing out.

Wednesday was going to be the hottest day of the entire trip so we decided to head out super early. Our first stop was Peggy’s Cove. It was about an hour and a quarter from the campground. We decided to do it first since it was the furthest away. We wanted to beat the heat and avoid the crowds.

Peggy’s Cove is just breathtaking. Myself and my Aunt had never been before. I would highly recommend anyone going to Nova Scotia take the time to visit this landmark. It is worth it. You can climb the rocks up to the light house. The view from every direction is spectacular and to hear the waves crashing into the rocks was so relaxing. Chaya and J came up onto the rocks as well. They were both super relaxed as they sat in the stroller taking in the sights and smells.

Chaya wouldn’t be queen without her crown LOL

As it warmed up and the people started to show up by the car load we decided it was time to head to the one place I had been planning to visit since I first learned of it, Lunenburg. We stopped in at a cute little Antique store along the way. I purchased a cute vintage Necktie holder – another fun souvenir.

Lunenburg is a UNESCO Heritage site. All of the homes (almost all) are designated heritage and must be preserved in their original state. The weather now was almost 40 degrees with the humidex and getting hotter.

Every house in Lunenburg is full of colour – like a rainbow. Beautiful wood work, gingerbread cutouts, wrap around porches, breathtaking views of the water. The streets reminded me a bit of Newfoundland – extreme hills that are somewhat intimidating lined with adorable boutique shops and restaurants. We got the Bluenose as we strolled by the water edge. There is nothing more that we wanted but to see every single house and not miss a thing because they were each so unique. We walked for about 45 minutes before we were just to hot to continue on. We hopped in the car and proceeded to drive every single street to see every single house we could before heading to Mahone Bay.

A handful of Lunenburg houses

Since our day in Lunenburg was just too hot to be outside I’ve decided that I will have to take another trip to Lunenburg another year in the cooler weather – I’m thinking a fall trip where I can be outside and walk each street to fully experience this town.

Final stop on the trip was Mahone Bay. Another town full of heritage homes on water. The one thing that is unique about Mahone Bay is that there are 3 churches in a row and when you cross the Bay and look at the town they are beautifully displayed across the water.

We drove the streets and decided to go to a little restaurant called Rebeccas for dinner pick up before heading back to the park and calling it a night. When we pulled into the parking lot across from Rebeccas my mom began to shout “unlock the doors” she suddenly leapt out of the car. What a small world, that Francis and my mom would be at the same place at the exact same time. While they visited my aunt and I went into the little store next to the restaurant while we waited for the food to be ready. A few minutes later we were on our way back to the campground to eat and relax.

Dinner was delish! I had Smoked bacon Mac and cheese. And a bite of my moms homemade fish cakes. We called it a night around 9pm when it had finally cooled down enough to go inside. I waIked over to Peanut and noticed how cute the area was all lit up.

I prepped the bed and put on a movie and fell asleep. Thursday would be day one of a 3 day journey home.

Thursday, I was up around 530am. I got showered and ready and started to pack up and hitch up Peanut. We began the journey with a quick stop by the main road that leads to the Confederation Bridge so my aunt could head home. We said our goodbyes and off we went in two different directions. My mom and I headed back to my cousins in New Brunswick for the night before heading to Quebec. We had an exceptionally yummy dinner at my Aunt Gisele and Uncle Donalds house (whom had also not seen for 14 years).

At 7am we were packed up, cleaned up and on the road for our 9.5 hour drive to Drummondville where we would spend the night at the Comfort Inn and eat St. Hubert – yummy! It became clear very early on that Chaya and J were more than happy to stay anywhere comfortably. They really like to vacation 🙂

Saturday was our last day on the road. We had 6.5 hour drive left before getting home. We left at 6:15am and arrived at 12:45pm. Plenty of time to unpack, tarp Peanut, and settle the dogs in. They were both VERY happy to be home.

This was certainly a vacation to remember. A lot of firsts; First time pulling a trailer, first time traveling alone, first time in Nova Scotia and first time traveling with dogs. I learned that I am and will always be a glamper – rainy campgrounds, running to the bathrooms and showers and being in mud is NOT my thing. Also – IT COST WAY TO MUCH TO PULL A TRAILER — 3 times more in gas than just driving. What would usually cost around $450 in gas (round trip) cost almost $1300…

Peanut was a bucket list item. I can happily say that I got to experience owning, renovating, traveling with and staying in a tiny vintage trailer. And I am happy I did. What comes next for Peanut — I’m not 100% sure. Maybe a cute bunky? Maybe I sell her? She didn’t make it out unscathed from this trip. The vent has to be replaced and the back aluminum wall has separated from the trim which means she needs more work… and money. For now she is on her parking pad hanging out tarped. And I am OKAY with that too.