One of the Nova Scotia itineraries - The Sunrise Trail
We are on one of the Nova Scotia travel routes - the Sunrise Trail in Nova Scotia! “The sunrise path” sounds tempting, doesn't it? We are on our way long after sunrise. Still, it's beautiful. The route runs along the north coast of Nova Scotia, following the Northumberland Strait. This separates Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island. The island province appears again and again on the horizon. We take a day to explore this part of the Nova Scotia coast. We want to find out what the people in this area live on. This time we are traveling unaccompanied and have put together a list of places we want to visit. We hope to find out more about this region from them.
From Pictou Lodge we follow the Three Brooks Road which takes us to the Sunrise Trail. Although this is the road closest to the sea, we don't see any of it. The route runs a few kilometers away inland. To get to the sea, we would have to go out to Caribous and Munroe's Island Provincial Park or choose one of the cul-de-sacs that end right by the sea. Since the Shore Road, despite its name, actually only leads across estuaries and around bays in only a few places, we choose the direct route to the Sunrise Trail.
Nova Scotia Road Trip on the Sunrise Trail
We only come across the sea at Toney River. At this port, the river of the same name flows into Northumberland Strait, and in the small harbor basin, several fishing boats bob on the quay, which indicate that the people here mainly live from the lobsters that they fetch from the waters off the coast. You won't find any big trawlers here. They are small boats that the fishermen use to take out their lobster cages.
Since everyone is currently in port, I assume that there is currently no fishing season. A look at the Pictou Antigonish Library information pages shows that the lobster fishing season in the Pictou region is in May and June, and now - in August - fishing boats are actually waiting for the next season. A few lobster buoys dangle in the wind on the driveway to the harbor, and a few seagulls screech loudly above us, but not much else is happening in Toney River harbor at the moment. We take a few photos and films and continue north.
Rushton's Beach Provincial Park
We cross the St. John River, and a few miles behind, a sign points the way to Rushton's Beach Provincial Park. We turn off Highway 6 and drive through a small forest to a parking lot. The friendly lady in the tourist information office in Pictou recommended this provincial park. But as soon as I open the door, I am attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes that pounce on all of the undressed areas on my arms to suck their daily portion of blood.
As quickly as possible, I close the door again and refuse to offer the plagues even more targets. Petar, on the other hand, is braver and goes down to the beach through a small piece of forest - as he later explains. Behind it awaits a dune landscape and a sandy beach, which is separated from the edge of the forest by salt marshes.
A detour to the Sutherland Steam Mill
At Brulé Corner, we leave the Sunrise Trail in Nova Scotia and turn onto Highway 326, which brings us inland via a road more reminiscent of a roller coaster. In the Sutherland Steam Mill we stop. This sawmill was once used to process logs. On a steam-powered saw, the tree trunks that the farmers had gathered in front of the mill during the winter were cut. This happened every spring over 60 years. The sawdust served as fuel for the boiler. Inside you can see what was made of the wood: floorboards, shingles, the filigree decorations that we often see on houses from the 19. See the century, cars, sleds and even bathtubs.
Hidden in the forest: the Balmoral Grist Mill
We follow Highway 326, turn left onto Balmoral Road (Highway 256) and follow the signs that lead us to Balmoral Grist Mill conduct. This grain mill is tucked away in a wooded area. A big sign on the highway shows us the way to the parking lot. A wooden bridge leads over to the mill, from whose interior we can hear the grinding of the millstones. For visitors, flour is still ground today. We refrain from looking at what's going on inside, prefer to enjoy the beautiful location in the middle of the forest and watch the Mühlbach as it plunges below the bridge in the depths.
Eat on the train in Tatamagouche
Back on the Sunrise Trail in Nova Scotia: For our lunch break we chose the Train Station Inn in nearby Tatamagouche. Although there may be better food to be found in this place, there is hardly a more unusual place for it, because since 1989 the colorful historical train wagons at the Tatamagouche station have no longer been used for transportation. Some of them serve food. You can stay overnight in others. Even the Governor General, the Queen's representative in Canada, has already done so.
The old wagons look a bit plush and there isn't much space. But the car fills up quickly after we order our light lunch. With a mussel soup with toast, we can take ourselves a little bit back in time, when driving a train was something extraordinary. After a cup of tea at the end - somehow it fits into this environment - we head for it former dairy in TatamagoucheToday it houses a museum dedicated to the history of the area - from paleontology with its dinosaurs to modern times. Amazing what you can find in some village museums.
There's wine in Malagash on our Nova Scotia Road Trip
Our last stop on the Sunrise Trail in Nova Scotia is this Winery Jost in Malagash just twenty kilometers from Tatamagouche. The winery is located in a region whose climate is influenced by the warm water of Northumberland Strait. The fact that fog rarely appears here is an advantage for winegrowing. Hybrid grape varieties that better withstand the cold winter temperatures are preferred. This helps Jost wines win awards more and more, including the 2012 gold medal for their Tidal Bay at the All Canadian Wine Championships.
The winery is a little off the Sunrise Trail on a side street and offers a nice picnic area for a break. Alternatively, we can do a wine tasting in the restaurant of the winery, but since we still have to go back to Pictou, we refrain from it and prefer to take a bottle of Tidal Bay with us to taste it on our hotel terrace in the evening. We review our tour on the Sunrise Trail again. It was nice and well worth the one-day detour!
Travel Arrangements:
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival:
Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Air Canada, Condor and Icelandair fly from Germany to various airports in eastern Canada.
Car Rentals:
Cheap car hire - book quickly and easily!
Hotels:
Hotels along this route * You can book through our partner booking.com.
Do you already know:
Source Nova Scotia travel routes: own research on site. We thank Tourism Nova Scotia for inviting us to this trip. Our opinion remains our own.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos © Copyright Monika Fox, TravelWorldOnline
