East Coastal Drive, Day 18 – Digby & Kejimkujik National Park

This was going to be a fun filled day. Even though it’s a Sunday, I (and the pugs) expected to experience some wonderful things. Sunday morning, 6 am, Yarmouth is deserted.

Raisin stops to inspect some flowers which look eerily blue in the dawn, overcast light.

The hotel opens breakfast at 7 am. Soon after that, we are off. I turned on to a cutaway around where we first see the Bay of Fundy. Only this time we are on the south shore.

I really enjoy the work of Nova Scotia artist Maud Lewis. When I was in Halifax on my own, I visited the Maud Lewis gallery and saw her home. I posted it in my Facebook album. I had planned on stopping at the Maud Lewis Memorial Park outside of Digby, in Marshalltown.

Because the house is now located in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, there is a steel replica of the house on the site where Maud and her husband Everett lived from 1938 to 1970. It just goes to show you don’t need much in life to be happy.

There was a gardener tending the flower beds. There are perennials, memorial plaques and picnic tables. It is out of the way of the highway – quiet and relaxing.

The house was constructed by Cherubini Metal works from the drawings of architect Brian MacKay Lyons and placed on the original foundations of Maud’s house.

We arrived in Digby and didn’t realize there was a farmer’s market happening on the waterfront. We dazzled the vendors with a few group photos. One guy was in the gazebo with some people, playing Stompin’ Tom Connors songs. He managed to get in a lyric about the pugs. Tom would have been pleased

The lighthouse is well travelled. Originally built in 1903 to service the ferry from Saint John at the Digby pier. The ferry stop was relocated and the lighthouse forgotten. Moved around it ended up in Saint John.

In 2012 the Mayor and 30 residents took 250 pounds of Digby scallops to get the lighthouse back. It was restored and serves as a landmark on the waterfront. Here you can see the line of vendor tents.

Okay, Digby is famous for it’s scallops. In fact they boast they are the scallop capital of the world, on the sign coming in.

However, I could not find a place to buy them. I asked a vendor who had lived here all her life. She said to try Carla’s Take Out. They have a market that sells fresh seafood. I went to Carla’s but the market was closed. I’m sorry but you can’t call yourself the scallop capital if I cannot buy fresh scallops, even if it is a Sunday. I got take out scallops and chips from Carla’s.

I headed to Annapolis Royal. I was going to have a picnic in the Historic Gardens. Yes, you guessed right. No dogs allowed in the gardens. They had a green space out front so we had our picnic there.

We left Annapolis Royal without further investigation. Drove south to Kejimkujik National Park where we were going to camp for 2 days.

Eve found a half a wiener in the fire place so she was happy with the spot.

Etiquette dictates you leave the fireplace clean for the next person. However, other than that, it is a beautiful campground. It is very large – I was in site 353. It is spacious and there is lots of room between campsites. Pine trees all around.

In Digby there was a vendor selling local apple cider. I got 1606 brew named after Samuel de Champlain. In 1606, at Port Royal, he established the Order of Good Cheer. I decided we would visit Port Royal. Also decided to establish the Order of Pug Cheer.

One thing I’ve noticed on the trip is that Raisin and Greta have become BFFs. Raisin will be chillin’ and Greta comes up beside her. She will sit for awhile, leaning her body on to Raisin, then relax down beside her.

That was a long, busy day. It had started out overcast in Yarmouth but was sunny and cool in Digby. However, after setting up camp, the clouds rolled in. We all went into the tent, I read for a bit, then had a long sleep.

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