After Halifax, we enjoyed a lovely visit to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, followed by a relaxing and educational visit to Kejimkujik National Park, and finally a ferry ride to Maine.
Lunenburg is a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town was founded in 1753 by the British in an attempt to settle Nova Scotia with loyal subjects. Protestants were actively recruited and provided plots by lottery. The town, which is quite charming, retains its: a) original grid layout as designed in England, b) original colonial architecture, and (c) 1800s appearance.
Lunenburg has a rich fishing and shipbuilding heritage with attractions such as the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and the iconic Bluenose II. It also served as a base for rum-running to the U.S. during prohibition (1920 to 1933). In addition, Lunenburg has many fine shops and eating establishments.
The colorful homes of Lunenburg 
The Knaut-Rhuland House, purportedly the oldest house (c. 1793) in Lunenburg. 
Diarama of original and current town layout. 
Meet the Rhulands.. 
The town’s colorful mural 
The Fisheries Museum includes many artifacts detailing Lunenburg’s rich marine heritage. 
Shipbuilding tools of old. 
Glass appearing as water. 
Replicas of vessels from the past.. 
The wharf 
We attended Mass at St. Norbert’s 
Church is quite small as British emphasis was on recruiting Protestants. 
Stained glass windows. 
Two happy, salty dogs..
We dined at several nice eating establishments and enjoyed excellent food and drink. We stopped by the Ironworks Distillery on our walk back uphill to the campground on a chilly, rainy afternoon. We didn’t take many photos as we were too busy sampling their wares and trying to stay warm!
Some restaurants provided great ambiance, food and drink. 
Charcuterie at Bar Salvador. 
The bar… 
Excellent cocktails. 
While others provided ample outdoor seating and a great view. 
Lightship Brewery 
Terrifc outdoor venue on the water. 
The view of Lunenburg across the water from Lightship Brewery. 
We had a great view of the harbor in the cool air conditioning on a warm day. Looks like a painting but that’s a window! 
BBQ 
Brisket, Mac and Cheese with potato chips, and Coleslaw 
We did our bit to sample distilled spirits, in the Lunenburg tradition. 
Ironworks Distillery is in an old blacksmith shop.
After Lunenburg, we spent a few nights in very special Kejimkujik National Park, where we were immersed in nature and the Mi’kmaw culture. We paddled through centuries-old waterways, rode our bicycles, hiked historic pathways, and simply enjoyed a quiet, peaceful time in this spectacular Atlantic coastland. Kejimkujik also is a Dark-Sky Preserve!
One of our favorite parks. 
Our campsite in the woods. 
Stunning shoreline. 
Many trees have grown around the rocks deposited by the glaciers. 
On a tour of petroglyphs in our bare feet. 
Drawings (petroglyphs) on slate are fragile. 
At some time, sail boats passed by. 
Beautiful morning to kayak. 
Two very happy paddlers. 
Dark Sky!
Kejimkujik is a park in transition. Its Hemlock Forest has been hit hard by an invasive pest, the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA), that has and will continue to result in the mortality of most of these majestic old trees. In our travels, we have seen vast numbers of trees destroyed for any number of reasons, such as fire, drought, rising water levels, pests and diseases. We find we must constantly remind ourselves that nothing is forever and that Mother Nature is resilient and always finds a way to rebound.
In closing, we’ll leave you with a couple videos of the peaceful Kejimkujik waters…
Next, we’re off to Yarmouth and the Ferry to Bar Harbor, ME…..
If you are new to this site, may want to check out some of our early travel posts from 2022, 2023 or 2024.
Thank you for following along!
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