A Stroll Through the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival

 

 The Mahone Bay Scarecrow festival in Nova Scotia usually takes place at the end of September with a few different fun activities and then the scarecrows are left up for a while after.

 

You get quite the selection to view as you stroll through town. The town also isn't very large so the smaller kids can go and enjoy it as well without getting too tired.

 

There are also no steep hills like Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, which is only a short drive away. Maybe ten minutes.

 

You may even see some characters you know join in on the fun.

 

There are little shops along the main street to enjoy as well.

 

Some displays can go large and incorporate other areas of Nova Scotia.

 

For instance the treasure of Oak Island was found by these guys.

 

 This witch greets you while hanging outside this shop.

 

Who knew Cruella got in on the action.

 

Even some animal representation along some yards.

 

The royals stopped in for a visit too.

 

Sometimes pumpkins just want to be a head.

 

 Birds also seem to flock to the Mahone Bay area.

 

 I guess he just wants to block you from jumping in the water.

 

You'll even be met by some on your way in and out of town.

Verdict on the Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia Scarecrow Festival

If you want to have a fun day on the weekend and take in some scarecrows it is a great place to go. Gets the kiddos hyped for Halloween, as if they need that, and you can take it some activities as well. Be prepared to walk though as parking is limited, especially with lots of people there for the festival itself. You will find easier parking if you are just going afterwards. But, as said, it isn't a big town, so even the little ones can walk most of it with ease.

Go and take in the scarecrows if you have never been. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going back year after year, unless you are going during when the activities happen, as I've found they use the same scarecrows many years in a row. Once you've seen them a few times, you've seen them.

Overall a fun family outing that should be explored in Mahone Bay at least once.

We All Do Summerville Beach in Nova Scotia

 

 

 If you are looking for a good beach in Nova Scotia, Summerville beach along the south shore of the province is a fine choice. Not only does it have the sun and sand of many other beaches, but it also has a bridge.

 

Have you ever heard the saying "if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you do it too?"

Well now you can say you jumped off a bridge. If that is your thing and if it is high tide and if you aren't afraid of any potential consequences. Mainly, you know, bodily harm. Jump at your own risk. 1000s have and are alive to tell the tale. Me included.

 

The water is also usually very clear. It is almost never that warm, but it is clear.

 

And you can go all year around with kids, dogs, or just by yourself. The out of season times there aren't as many around, so if your dog is reactive then they may like that more.

 

You can run along the water and even check out around the bridge. The dogs don't care, but the kids may like seeing if there are any crabs there, which there are sometimes. 

But doesn't it look calm? Where are the waves? Another perk of this beach. You get the best of both worlds.

At the far end is the section with the bridge. There it is farther away from the ocean. So if you fear your kids getting sucked out, sharks, or what have you, it is a nice perk.

 

An easily to travel boardwalk will get you to the the waves if you like. Whether dogs drag you or...

 

You just want to walk it yourself.

 

If you go to the right once there, you get this view of the bridge. There isn't much water at low tide, so use common sense and don't ever jump during this time.

 

The beach stretches on pretty far and it is almost never super crowded.

 

If you want you can even carefully cross the bridge to the shore on the other side. It is more sandy than rocky though. Here is a shot of underneath. It has seen better days.

 

While the dogs always like the waves, they seem to head here mostly every time. So we may get quite a few shots around the bridge.

 

They do find it fun to venture into the waves though. Whether that be alone or...

 

Together as they run about. Just be sure and watch for the jellyfish when they are out. There can be plenty on the beach like most others.

 

And if you want to stay close to it or just get something to eat, the Quarterdeck Resort is nearby. 

 

Maybe not nearby if you are this far away. As you can see the beach stretches on quite a ways.

 

 

You can easily relax and find a little spot to build sand castles too.

 

Or if you really want to have some fun, you can pick up the kiddos and chuck them in the water.

 

Everybody's verdict of Summerville Beach in Summerville, Nova Scotia

 

 The dogs love it. They get to explore the beach, swim in the waves and the calm water, and best of all the path to it is filled with vegetation if you go to the far end parking lot. So they can pee on everything on the way there. 

The kids love it too. There is plenty of space to dig holes. It is safer at the end with the bridge. Of course you still have to practice water safety. You can search for crabs by the bridge. And maybe even play with other kids that show up.

It is one of my favourite beaches due to the fact of the calm water. I'm not worrying that the kids or dogs will get sucked out by a waves. The undertow isn't bad at all at Summerville Beach, so I've found and been told by surfers, but I like to stay cautious. There they can have fun and actually swim without having to go out in the ocean waves. Plus, I've found there to be less jellyfish on that side of the beach.

 

They also have old wooden outhouse type bathrooms there. Along with some wooden shack change rooms. Nothing to get the sand off, but a shower can take care of that when you get back. One drawback is sometimes it can smell fishy I've heard. I've never noticed it, but just be aware.

So if you are looking for a Nova Scotia beach, Summerville Beach along the south shore of Nova Scotia is the place to be. The food at the Quarterdeck I'm told is good, little pricey, and the rooms I'm told are very nice as well. Price point was only complaint I've heard. But that depends on beach view and other aspects I'm sure.

 Overall, whether you are driving, staying nearby, at the Quarterdeck, or just walking by, Summerville beach is one the dogs, kids, you, and the rest of the family should enjoy.

Westies Watch on at Brooklyn, Nova Scotia Marina and Waterfront Park

 

 

 We were out for a drive and came across a park. It wasn't very big, but the human figured we could get some smells in and use the bathroom.

 

 

 

 It sure was pretty enough and a nice spot to sit and relax. Not that we ever relax. Too many things to smell.

 

 

 

It stretches for a little while. So if you just wanted to stop and give your dog exercise, it isn't a bad park to do it it. Of course there is a but coming. The but is why the human hustled our barking selves back into the vehicle and then carried on by himself for a few minutes.

 

 

The gazebo has easy access and the park is well taken care of.

 

 

There are also a few benches there to rest at and plenty of water to view, if that is your thing. Sometimes large flocks of ducks are in the water to feed, watch, and/or take pictures of too.

 

 

 

 

Then a short two minute walk, if that, away is the Brooklyn Marina. Many vessels use the wharf and some are stored there for the off season months.

 

 There is also a canteen there. It wasn't open when he strolled through. We are told that it is mostly a summer time thing.

 

 You can see many vessels docked on land along a few areas of the marina.

 

 It's got some good water views nearby. Also if you look across the harbour, you can see a plant.

 

 A look without vegetation in the way allows one to view the building a bit better from across the harbour. There they make marijuana and sometimes you can smell it all the way across the harbour. So we are told anyway.

 

 

There is also an old church across from the park and plenty of homes along the street it resides on. As for the reason the human hustled us back into the vehicle...

 

 

 The park seems to be home to many, many of these. Those geese weren't having any part of us. A few looked ready to come after us. Plus, there was lots of geese poop around for us to try and eat. The human was having none of that.

Murphy and Milo's Final Verdict on the Brooklyn, Nova Scotia Marina and Waterfront Park

We were quite happy to get out and stretch our legs. We could pee on things, chase large bath toys, and get a snack along the way. The human was having none of it though.

 

We have to admit though that, even if the park is well maintained and has a nice water view, trying to watch for geese poop, not get chased by the geese, and suck back the smell of weed from across the harbour doesn't make the park all that appealing.

The marina itself though hosts some events through the summer months that could be of interest to many at such times.

We'd rather skip this park though on most days. On days without any of the above drawbacks, it wouldn't be a bad spot to sit and rest a while. Or sniff and do your business if such is the case.

Westies Do Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

 

The human finally decided to take us to one of the most popular spots on the south shore of Nova Scotia. Crowds line the street during the summer months, which make some of the locals joke that the municipality only spends money on the town during three months of the year. Where is this tourist destination? It is the world heritage site of Lunenburg.

 

The human drove us up and down the one way streets until he found the right spot to park. There are a lot of one ones streets there and you will, almost daily, see people going the wrong way up a street. That is mostly in the busy season though.That red building in the distance is The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. We're told by the human that it is a nice museum.

 

 

We had no time for that though and jumped out of the car. We headed for the water to see if we could bark at any gulls. Nope. Just a boat. Maybe some fish, but we can't see those under the water.

 

 

We looked back to see this nice and colorful view of the town of Lunenburg from the wharf. We can agree that it is pretty, but we were more interested in sniffing.

 

Someone left their jacket hanging on a fence. It sure smelled good. A second was behind there, but we couldn't get at that. It's a safe bet that they have a dog.

 

This route had a big closed sign on it. We found it rather rude, but then safety is a good thing the human says. 

 

We took a look at another area of the dock as we strolled by. It seemed prime for gull action, so we decided to go further.

 

A nice little walkway heads out toward the dock and you have great views of the wharf, the harbor, and the golf course across the water. Many a human goes to Lunenburg to play golf too. Also, just to the left of the walkway is a washroom area in case humans need it.

 

Of course we never needed to stop there.

 

Some mighty big vessels are docked at the wharf many a time when you go to Lunenburg. Sometimes the Bluenose II is docked there too. The human has seen it there on occasion, but it wasn't there during our stroll.

 

We were sure to take a good look to make sure it wasn't the Bluenose II. I think I spotted a gull too. Time to bark.

 

Where did it go? Bird must have went under this wharf? Now that is just rude. If only the human would let us swim.

 

 Time to find another spot in Lunenburg. This place has so many sections of wharf. No wonder people like it. Plenty of gulls to bark at.

 

Another area blocked off to the water. That safety thing was really cramping our style. 

 

There is a nice little tribute section along the waterfront to those who have gone down in ships and never returned. We sniffed a bit before carrying on.

 

Colorful homes and buildings sure pack the street. There is very little room between most of them too. At least it makes for an easy lawn to mow. 

 

Another angle of a boardwalk along the Lunenburg waterfront. There are ways to go this way and that down there. Lots of benches for humans to sit on too if you need a break.

 

Some businesses are along the waterfront section as well. There are lots of signs and gates for those. We steered clear. Being fenced in is never fun, even if it is for our own safety.

 

We finally moved up a street. And by up, we literally mean up. Lunenburg is filled with hills. Going down is easy, going up can get rather tiring for many. Not us though.

 

We tried to get in one of the colorful doors, but they never came to let us inside. I guess we didn't have the magic password or something. Their lose.

 

After each hill a section of street runs horizontal with plenty of shops and homes and businesses along them. About three streets have this and then you are more into a residential section. We made sure to take in them all.

 

They even have a few antique phones along the sidewalk. The human cringed. I guess he'd rather pick up our droppings than put that to his ear.

 

We also went by the Smuggler's Cove Inn where the human has had great friends stay and they all said it was a wonderful place to stay. The owners even gave up their parking spot to them. That is a big thing in the summer when parking is slim to none in town. Or so we are told.

 

Plenty of more colorful buildings line the street as you go up further. A few banks can be seen here and there too. 

 

There is a little stairway section between businesses here that allows you to access the upper streets from the waterfront. We went up them and sniffed all along. We also sniffed near the green building to the left, which is the Grand Baker Seafood Bar & Grill. The human's friends have eaten there and said it was very good.

 

Then there was these weird sights down by the waterfront as we took another stroll through. A buoy on land. Who knew?

 

This old guy just sat there the whole time we barked at him. How rude was that? The human wouldn't let his lift our legs on him.

 

And then we returned near where we parked by the The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

Murphy and Milo's Final Verdict on Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

We enjoyed this stroll through the town and along the wharf much more than our Peggy's Cove one. There were many spots where we loved peeking off the side of the dock. The human had no idea what we were hoping to find, but he can be a bit slow at times.

We aren't sure what the big fuss is about. It is a pretty town with lots to smell there and lots of views. You could easily spend a day there, but some of that would be relaxing and watching the water. If that's not your thing, you still could stretch the day out depending on what's going on.

There are other things there like a whale watching tour to add to your itinerary. If you just went to walk and look though, you can do that in under an hour. The whole town, even with the hills.

We recommend taking your human to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia though. It is a pretty spot with plenty of places to eat, gift shops, and lots of nice water views. Just don't expect parking to come easily, watch for drivers going the wrong way, and watch for human tourists jumping in the road to take pictures.