Accidental Adventures in Baie Sainte-Marie, Nova Scotia

No cars.  Not a one.  Despite having a copy of my reservation, there were zero cars to rent on Nova Scotia’s South Shore in June. 

Dear car rental companies,

Could you kindly fix your glitchy system that allows customers to go online and reserve vehicles, despite there not truly being any vehicles available?

Sincerely,

Stranded on the South Shore

The kiddos and I flew into Halifax in June.  My family loves to pick up/drop off at the airport, even though it’s 2.5 hours away.  We’re sappy like that.  There’s nothing like seeing your very own people coming down those stairs.  I had planned on picking up a car in Bridgewater for the week as I had a super fun event to attend aboard the ferry in Digby.  Despite the reservation, Yarmouth, it turns out didn’t actually have any. I thought that surely Bridgewater would come through.  Nope! 

My mother offered to drive us all the way to Digby, watch the kids for the day and we could plan to stay for the night somewhere along the French Shore.  These lemons were turning into lemonade right before my eyes.  She booked the Baie-Ste. Marie Cottages. They were stunning.  Cliffside and all windows with a breathtaking view to watch the Bay of Fundy tides flow in and out.  A staircase led down the cliff which allowed us to explore what the tides brought in.  We walked out a long way until – squelch – my oldest sunk into the sinking sand up to his knees.  Little sister thought it was so funny that she jumped in herself.  They were laughing so hard that they fell backwards accidentally on purpose.  After pulling them and their boots out we squelched and squrched our way back to the cottage and straight to the tub.  There were two twin beds in the downstairs bedroom and a Queen size bed in the loft.  The kids had already claimed their beds and after 73 emergency drinks of water they finally fell asleep.

The next morning, we hit up the local farmers market and picked up some hand painted decorations, a snack and walked out to a replica lighthouse on the wharf.  I had left a message that morning for Hinterland Adventures to see if we could get out kayaking.  As we were leaving the market he called back and said we could come out in a couple hours.  We quickly jumped into the car, grabbed a bite to eat and struck out along the long, windy road.  Just when we were positive that we’d taken a wrong turn we found it.  The owner, Hanford, has been a wilderness guide for 50 years and still guides 21-day kayak tours through the Tobeatic Wilderness Area.  He filled us in lots of local information and lore before we dipped our paddles into the Sissiboo River. This was my mother’s first time in a kayak and with his kind instruction she was an old pro in no time.  We weaved our way up the river.  I was in absolute awe of the peacefulness.  So was Maddie apparently, as she fell sound asleep for more than an hour.  That kind of peaceful feeling that you wish you could bottle and hang on to forever.  While paddling back we came across a nest housing a family of Bald Eagles. Mom, Dad and at least one baby.  They were keeping a close eye on us as baby’s head poked in and out before Dad spread his wings and soared away.  I stayed behind for a bit to quietly watch.  We made it back to shore and checked out the kayaks that he had for sale.  If you’re in the market for a sea kayak, he had the best price I’ve come across and with his 5 decades of experience, I’d trust his advice.

After the peace and tranquility of the afternoon we were down for some comfort food and found it at the Roadside Grill in Belliveau Cove.  The clams.  THE CLAMS!  Order the clams. They were super kid friendly with grilled cheese and chicken fingers, too. 

Back at the cabins we explored the ocean floor at low tide.  The kids found all kinds of shells and colourful stones and bet each other whether certain spots were sinking sand or not.  There was a long, loose stone breakwater that we climbed from one end to the other and back.

On our way out the next morning we stopped at Meteghan Family Park.  This is an ideal stop for young families.  I can’t list everything they’ve managed to include but our favourites were the small climbing wall, the climbers, a long slide, a fishing net to climb across and the perennial favourite, a zip line made from a fishing boat bladder.  Such a great idea!!  A skate park was found at the back of the park as well, but we aren’t at that stage just yet.

Next stop along the journey back was the Église Catholique Sainte-Marie in the aptly named, Church Point.  It’s the tallest wooden church in North America!  This was a surprise favourite.  Our guide knew just the things to point out to keep the kids interested. All of the intricately created stained glass windows were shipped from France. In Molasses! I swear, there’s nothing molasses can’t do. It’s the real super food.  The pillars are in fact tree trunks.  The most fascinating story involves the altar.  It came from Saint Pierre and Miquelon during Canada’s prohibition. The island is off the coast of Newfoundland but is actually part of France so wasn’t subject to prohibition. They brought the altar over with a bevy of bottles stashed away which weren’t even detected.  This is worth a stop if you are traveling in the area.

Our final stop was Mavillette Beach.  What a gem!  1.5 km of sandy beach.  The water was even warm (for June, anyway).  The kids ran, explored and jumped the waves until it was time to begin the drive back to Lockeport. 

Our car rental debacle had turned into one of the best getaways in a long time, made even better by getting in some real quality time with my mom because as Donovan Woods wrote “You can’t beg, steal, borrow or make time”. Living 2000 km apart makes these visits that much sweeter.  We can’t wait to explore more of the Acadian Shore this summer!