Susanne This morning I had left Yarmouth, and after a minor accident with my rental vehicle, I had explored the Lighthouse Trail and made a stop in the historic Loyalist town of Shelburne. By about 4 pm I still had quite a drive left to Lunenburg, and I wanted to make sure I would get into town before 6:30 so I would still have some daylight left for my first impressions of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
From Shelburne I went straight east on Highway 103. Had I had more time I would have explored the coastal peninsula south of Shelburne which features small villages such as Sandy Point, Jordan Bay and Jordan Ferry. On the other side of Jordan Bay, a long inlet, I continued past East Jordon on to Sable River. Lockeport, a small village on the waterfront, dates back to the 1760s.
Beautiful country churches line the Lighthouse Trail
The Seaside Adjunct of the Kejimkujik National Park used to provide pasture land for sheep and cattle. Some families actually lived on the land all year while others brought their cattle to summer pasture here. Overgrown rock foundations, old clearings, broken fences and cattle trails remain from that era.
The Kejimkujik Scenic Drive a little further east is a major connector between Liverpool and Annaopolis Royal on Novascotia’s northwestern shore and features a drive right through Kejimkujik Park.
Port Mouton, a little town located inlands just off Summerville Beach is actually named after a sheep that fell overboard in 1604 from Samuel de Champlain’s ship. This entire area features many scenic islands and beaches. The town of Summerville was founded in 1784 by Captain John Grant, a United Empire Loyalist, and was one of the major shipbuilding centres in the area. Just south of Summerville Centre on the coast is Summerville Beach Provincial Park whose highlights include a white sand beach with sand dunes. The park is wheelchair accessible and features picnic areas, washrooms and changerooms.
Nova Scotia coastline
Liverpool further east was founded in 1759 and is steeped in history. It was a centre of the privateering area between 1749 and 1812, when privateers (licensed pirates) were permitted to seize enemy ships and valuable cargo. Liverpool features seven museums including the Sherman Hines Museum of Photography, the largest museum of its kind east of Montreal.
Medway Harbour is punctuated by a number of interesting attractions: the Port Medway Lighthouse Park features interpretive panels that depict the rich maritime history of this area. The lighthouse was built in 1899 and was decommissioned in 1987. Some of the other lighthouses along this stretch of shoreline include Coffin Island, Medway Head, Spectacle Island and Western Head.
Stunning scenery
