Super-fantastic Journeys

 This weeks view from the Wing Tip is of downtown Dallas, TX.  We had taken off to the south and turned left heading to Charlotte, North Carolina.  It was a nice clear day so you could see all of downtown without any obstruction.  The area is also a major hub for multiple highways so this area is called the mixmaxter, you can certainly see why from this view.

 The Five Islands Lighthouse has not had a very easy life.  Currently located in a wonderful park overlooking the north shores of Minas Bay where you can enjoy the wonderful park views of the bay, this has not always been its home.   The lighthouse was first built in 1913 and was located on Sand Point.   The design is a pretty classic square house design that holds both the living quarters and the light itself.  The original coast to build the light was $750.  I wonder what the exchange rate was back then? The structure has been moved three times before arriving at its current locations.  The first two moves were because of shore erosion back in the 1950s.  It came to its current locations in 1996 after the property it was sitting on had been sold.  I am thankful that the community cared enough to save this lighthouse because it serves as a focal point in this stunning park. The views here a panoramic and the tides are amazing.  Clamming is big here and as we visited during low tide we

 During our adventures in Nova Scotia, we learned that there is no shortage of breweries and distilleries available throughout the province. While we were in Lunenburg we walked down the street to check our and visit Ironworks Distillery.  Located in an old blacksmith shop just a block up from the waterfront the distillery takes its name from the heritage of the shop that they now occupy.  When you walk into the building you can see that they are passionate about their brand and connecting to the history that they have adopted for new purposes.  You can see the bright shiny copper still and yet it still breathes the years of history it has experienced. It is a very cool building. Ironworks distillery has a range of different products available for tasting. They had a number of different flavors of liqueurs including blueberry and cranberry which I enjoyed.  They had a decent selection of Rum products which is not one of my favorites so I did not taste any of them.   They also had a gin

 Lunenburg is a town built for the Atlantic coastal tourist who wants to learn a little bit about history, eat great food and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the streets of a beautiful town overlooking the harbor from almost anywhere you stand.  Located about 90 minutes south of Halifax, Lunenberg is an easy drive to make for an easy getaway from the big city.  It is a town that is one of the most photographed in the province because of its beautiful colors, traditional style, and that sought after shot from across the bay at Sunset. We arrived in Lunenburg late in the afternoon because we were coming all the way from Advocate Bay and had a couple of stops that we made along the way.  We chose to stay in a town just south of Lunenberg to escape some of the tourism traffic and found a wonderful location, the Lighthouse Motel, and Cottages.  Located on the LaHave River this property is a great value.   From our hotel, we would make a short trip upriver and then head back downriver to ge

  We were in Lunenberg for the evening and saw this very inviting restaurant up above the harbor area.  We arrived just as the sun was setting enjoyed a great evening of food and conversation over our dinner.  This outdoor eating experience was the perfect cap to a beautiful day. While only open seasonally, this restaurant focuses on fresh seafood.  They had six different types of oysters that you could get served on the half shell, broiled, or done Rockefeller style.  I had two different kinds of oysters, the Chebooktook from New Brunswick and the Gowanbrae from Prince Edward Island.  They were served on ice with a slice of lemon and cocktail sauce in a cute little squeeze bottle.  The oysters were perfectly shucked and delicious. For entrees, I got the seafood paella which was packed with a ton of seafood.  There were shrimp clams in the shell, mussels, scallops, and fish.  The flavors were great and it was a definite treat.  The price point was very fair based on the amount of seafo

 This week's view from the wing tip comes from our departure from Nova Scotia.  Our last glimpses of the Province we had just toured for a week was this amazing sunrise.

 The Terrance Bay lighthouse is located at the end of  Chebucto Peninsula between Halifax and Peggy's Cove.  The light is a square pyramid design with a balcony around the top.  The light sits 43 feet above the water and is painted with the classic red and white paint job of many of the Canadian lighthouses. Access to this light is a problem.  There is a dispute in the community and the property and the access trail that leads to the light.  The trail goes between two houses, and the house on the left is not very friendly to people cutting through to go out to the light.  I spoke to a local who was out on her daily walk and she said that we could walk out to the light but that the people would probably give us some trouble.  In the end, we decided that we did not need to deal with all of that and we got the best picture that we could, power lines and all. If you are trying to check lighthouses off your list, then the drive down the peninsula was beautiful and you drive through a nu

 The Three Sisters references a rock formation that is located off the cliffs of Cape Chignecto Provincial Park near Advocate Harbor, Nova Scotia.  I had seen many pictures of this location and it quickly made it onto my bucket list of places that I wanted to go kayaking.  I have enjoyed sea kayaking for a number of years, and have always had to travel to get to participate in it.  Kayaking seems to be the best way to experience these particular rocks and the cliffs that surround them.  There are some trails from within the park that will get you to viewpoints along the cliff but there is nothing that can top quietly paddling amongst the rocks. When we travel we will find a local guiding company to go out on the trip with.  They will provide you with all the equipment that you need except for some basic clothing items.  They also know about the local tides, currents, and the winds in the area, all of which can cause you to have issues if you are not careful while kayaking.  I do not wa

 Advocate Harbour is a small community of around 800 full-time residents that serves as a great landing spot for exploring many of the outdoor adventures available in this area.  Seasonal tourism is a significant part of the livelihood here so there are some options for lodging and food available here.  Located close to Cape d'Or lighthouse and Cape Chignecto Provincial Park there is lots to do here in addition to enjoying a little quiet time strolling on the beaches with the driftwood. Things to do in Advocate Harbor: Nova Shores Adventures 37 School Lane Advocate Harbour Nova Scotia Toll-Free: 1-866-638-4118 Web Site Open May thru October Sea Kayaking in the Three Sisters was on my bucket list for Nova Scotia and is the real reason that we ventured down to this part of the province.  Kayaking on the Bay of Funday is an amazing experience and seeing the difference in the tides is amazing.  Nova Shores Adventures is your best choice for guided kayak tours from half-day to multipl

 Cape d'Or is located on a prominent point that sticks out into the Bay of Fundy near Advocate Harbor.   From this point, you can see the Bay of Fundy on one side and the Minas Channel on the other side of you.  On this point sits one of Nova Scotias lighthouses situated in an ideal spot for mariners.  Standing 30 feet tall and painted a classic red and white, the lighthouse is still operating today. In addition, to being an active lighthouse, the lighthouse keepers home has been converted into a Bed and Breakfast with amazing views of the water and rugged cliffs of Cape d'0re.  The green grass around the lighthouse is deceiving as there are rocky cliffs in both directions.  The cape was named by the French explorers because the cliffs have native copper deposits that made them look as if they were the "Cape of Gold".  This is a unique spot to watch the tidal rips as the tides change.  The rips can be quite large and one of the activities involves rafting the rips in

 Located less than an hour's drive from downtown Nova Scotia is the iconic Atlantic coastal town of Peggy's Cove.  The cove here is a small inlet with docks and a boat ramp that would provide fishermen refuge from the sea and a place to call home.  The prominent rock outcropping that protects the entrance to the cove also served as an ideal spot to build a lighthouse for navigation along the rocky eastern coast of Nova Scotia.  The first light on this site was built in 1868.  The first light was atop a wooden house and stood until 1914 when it was replaced with the current octagonal lighthouse with it's classic red and white paint job.  The lighthouse stands 49 feet tall and can be seen from 10 nautical miles away.  The light is still an active light and is run by the Candian Coast Guard. The location of Peggy's Cove makes it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the province of Nova Scotia.  While it is extremely busy it should be on your list of sites to visi

 Page Arizona was established as a temporary work camp in 1957 when the Glen Canyon Dam was being constructed.  Now it serves as a hub for many of the outdoor activities that are in this area of Southern Utan and Northern Arizona.  We planned our trip to have about 24 hours to explore the area around Page Arizona, and now I realize that you could spend a week or more here and still not experience everything the area has to offer.  The town has just over 7,000 full-time residents and is all about tourism in the area. Where to Stay: There are numerous places to stay while you are in page with a wide range of pricing.  The hotels have been built along the north side of town on the hill so that they can claim to have a view of Lake Powell as a part of their marketing. We stayed in the Courtyard by Marriott Page at Lake Powell .  Wow, I would hate to be the one who answers the phone and has to say that name a hundred times a day.  The Courtyard is a very typical property for Marriott and t