East Coast Culture – Page 18 – Just An East Coast Girl

Life’s a BEACH!

Sandy Ocean Beaches, Lake Beaches, Rock Shore Beaches… Nova Scotia has some AMAZING Beaches! Nova Scotia Beaches aren’t known as “warm” beaches. Not like beaches in the Caribbean or South America that we’ve swam in BUT Nova Scotia has some of the most beautiful clean water beaches around and if you can brave the cold ( or get a really nice warm current in the middle of August) …you’ll see.

One thing on our list of “to see/do” this summer is checking out some of the”local” beaches. The ones closest to home. Back to our favourites, some we haven’t been to for awhile and also some new ones that we’ve never been to.

So to start… I REALLY, REALLY wanted to go to Carter’s Beach! It was always a favourite of ours. A little distance to drive but ah… so lovely!

Fort Point Beach about 20 minutes from Bridgewater.

Risser’s Beach~ About 30 minutes from home. I love the boardwalk there.

Crescent Beach~ is close too, just before Risser’s and the beach that we go to the most. It’s great for walking, and it’s the ONLY beach around that cars can actually drive on the beach.

Feltzen South Beach~ a rocky beach especially when the tide is high. Supposed to be a great beach to find glass but we went at high tide, so we’ll have to go back. It was a beautiful view.

Rose Bay Beach…aka. Sand Dollar Beach

“The Beach” to find sand dollars in the area. Well, that is if you get there first BUT on a HOT, SUNNY beautiful Nova Scotia Saturday that’s kinda hard because many people, locals and tourists flock the beaches.

The tide was low and so the shore line long and ripply. We went for a drive and a walk along the beach with our “Goode Family” on reunion day. It’s not a beach to lay on the beach and tan but the water was warm like bath water to do a little wading and we did manage to find 3 sand dollars among our group.

Clam Harbour Beach~ 2hours away in Clam Harbour on the Eastern Shore

Home to the Annual Clam Harbour Sand Castle Competition. We went on “the” busiest day of the year. But I really wanted to see what made this beach famous. Unfortunately, it was so foggy and very crowded that we weren’t able to get a good view BUT the beach had wonderful sand, was very clean, and the sand castles were AMAZING, some of the best we’ve seen. Our son and his fiance were there on a different day (far less busy) and this beach is one I definitely would like to visit again. And this beach…if you’re lucky…you’ll see starfishes!

And just so you can see what a beautiful beach it is…here are a couple of Andrew & Kristina’s pics

Queensland Beach~ Hubbards

Queensland Beach was one of the original 15 beaches first supervised by the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service in 1973. Queensland Beach Provincial Park is situated in the South Shore region, along a beautiful coastal drive. Although not large, it is one of the most popular on the South Shore. The warm air and sand draw large crowds on hot days in July and August.

Well, it’s the week after Labour Day and even though we still have a week vacation in September we probably won’t get chance to do anymore beach exploring. If we do it will be back to a familiar one, one that is close. So…with all the amazing beaches here, I guess I’ll just have to do another post next summer.

LOVE our Nova Scotia beaches!

I just love weekends like this

These simple pleasures, relaxing sunny days with no agenda, taking a few minutes to enjoy the simple delights… of a farmer’s market

…and a local bakery

A summer of seafood

How can you not enjoy the goodness from the sea when you live on the East coast?

There is no question I LOVE SEAFOOD!!!! I could eat it everyday. Lobster, scallops, shrimp,squid, haddock and salmon. And probably in that order. I love clams and mussels too however I don’t think they like me. I think I’ve developed a sensitivity so I am a little more cautious eating them(but I will on occasion) oh..and a little sushi.

Summertime and backyard picnics and quaint seaside restaurants eating outside of course, are a great time to enjoy the “catch of the day”

There is nothing like fresh maritime seafood!!!!

Gone Fishin’

Fishing. Lobstering. It used to be a way of life for many East Coaster’s, and still is. It’s hard work, not the life of leisure some imagine. It’s interesting that equipment that is old or worn or rusty can make such beautiful photos. I enjoy meandering around these little villages, poking my head in old fishermen’s workshops and boathouses.

What do Lighthouses See ?

What do lighthouses see as they spend their days staring at the sea? The stories they could tell. I sit for but a moment and wonder…

Lighthouses…so beautiful. Navigational beacons and protectors, and this one in particular I never get tired of photographing. It doesn’t matter the weather or the season. Nova Scotia’s iconic lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove.

So many people from all over the world come to Peggy’s Cove. The lighthouse, the rocks, the sea…all amazing! Unfortunately a few, ignore the signs, important signs placed for visitors protection, and they go a little too close. Wanting to see the sea and the waves and swells…they dare to go on the dark rocks…so beautiful BUT so dangerous.

Please enjoy the amazing views, they’re spectacular!!! BUT best at a safe distance. ( NEVER on the dark rocks)

See you on the Wharf!

Another weekend…another race!

This time it’s a foggy morning at the wharf in Lunenburg where Canada competes against the USA in international dory racing competition!!

What is a dory, you ask?

The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about 5 to 7 metres long. It is usually a lightweight boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. Dory boats are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the open sea.

And how did dory racing begin?

In 1951, Lloyd Heisler of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia and Tom Frontiero of Gloucester, Massachusetts, met in a bar in Lunenburg. They began a conversation that turned into a debate about which dory rowers from which fishing town were the superior rowers. They decided that the only way to settle the matter was to challenge each other to a race. Tom took the idea of this challenge with him back to Gloucester and the process of the International Dory races had begun.
In June of 1952, Lloyd and his dory mate arrived in Gloucester, Massachusetts to settle the bet. Although the race did go to the Canadian team, the competition and comradery that developed between the two fishing towns could not be forgotten. Every June since 1952, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia sends their best teams of rowers from each category to race against their American counterparts in Gloucester, and every August since 1952, Gloucester teams take their turn coming to Lunenburg to race in Canadian waters. This year will mark the 63rd anniversary of dory racing and the tradition is still going strong. These past 63 years has continued to strengthen the bond between these two fishing towns, and every year we once again look forward to some fun and competition with our American friends. Dory racing is a part of our heritage and we hope to continue this tradition many years into the future.

Today on the Adams & Knickle wharf, Canada meets USA again as is tradition, and this time we were there…

An overcast, foggy, misty morning… typical Lunenburg. 5 races. Juniors. Mixed. Women’s. Over 50. Seniors.We didn’t know what to expect. Believe it or not we never watched these races before. Let’s just say TODAY in Lunenburg, Canada that the Canadian Dory Teams didn’t disappoint. They WON ALL 5 races!!! Wow!!

And that’s it for another year! It was so interesting and so much fun!!!

They’re Rivals!

An old-time rival of the famous Bluenose is in Lunenburg. The Gloucester fishing schooner Columbia was launched in August 2014. This replica was built in Panama City, Fla., by Eastern Shipbuilding Group.

BluenoseII ( not my photo)

Columbia ( not my photo)

The Columbia and its eight crew members are spending a few weeks here. The Columbia schooner was built from original Bluenose blueprints and will be here to get a few repairs and adjustments as well as enjoy some sea time along side her rival Bluenose. Many of Columbia’s parts were built in Lunenberg and then shipped to Florida.

While it would have been nice to see the Columbia along side of the Bluenose ( we still might get chance) the Bluenose is sailing along Nova Scotia’s coast to Cape Breton stopping for visits in Sydney and Port Hawkesbury and won’t be back in port until later in the week when the Columbia is scheduled to leave.

We enjoyed a nice evening yesterday and got a few pictures…just to say we saw her!

**** Update Friday August 21, 2015

The Bluenose II sailed back into it’s home port of Lunenburg yesterday after being on tour around the province and the Columbia sailed out to meet her. These few photos along with others were on the NS website. I’m not sure who the brilliant photographer was but his/her name should be on these fantastic photos. This is what I had hoped to see. Here they are…the rivals…side by side…SPECTACULAR!!!

11036722_10153569467242264_627101974749922253_n

11863447_10153569467372264_782132457417310228_n

11049645_10153569467477264_7943592848026182042_n-2

Grab your shovel and your pail…

…it’s time for ART!

Or rather, grab the camera and lets take some photos of the art!

Today is the Annual Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle Competition. 37th year this year. Just 2hours from home, a drive to Clam Harbour Beach on a lovely Sunday afternoon sounded perfect!

We’ve seen some amazing sand sculptures and art in Rio when we lived in Brazil, so it was fun to see what the creative, artsy people of Nova Scotia could do. Let’s just say…there’s skill!

The competition opened at 9am and I am sure the beach was packed!! There is a 10km road down to the beach and when we arrived at 4pm, there was still a lot of cars parked along this stretch of road and no parking at the beach parking lot. There were so many people.

There were so many amazing creations. How to choose? After all, it is a competition.

…and if the wind is right you can sail away…

…Sailing…take me away ⛵

It’s race weekend!

This has been the biggest week of the summer for sailing enthusiasts in Nova Scotia.

Chester Race Week is Canada’s largest annual keel boat regatta and the little South Shore village of Chester is bursting with thousands of participants and onlookers from all along the Eastern seaboard and Europe.

Pictures in the local paper and on news links for the event are amazing!!! Of course, you NEED to be in a boat and on the water if you want to capture these kind of photos. Here are two from Tim Wilkes the event photographer. I even think you can purchase prints of various event photos and particular boats if you’re wanting to add to a collection.(Photos here used from local media)