This past summer, my family took on quite the trip. We drove up to Cape Breton in Canada. It’s about a fourteen hour drive. However, we had a few pit stops along the way. Our first stop was in Kennebunk Port, Maine.  Kennebunk is a small coastal town that actually is the home of President George W Bush summer house. We were only there for a few hours, but it was absolutely beautiful. They have this incredibly old church by the sea.                  

When you’re there you feel like you’re in the some british novel, a stone church, the sea bashing against the shore, and and endless view of rolling mountains. Kennebunk Port is a great place to take a quick stop, but it is very touristy. That basically means it can get pretty crowded, so it may not be the best place to wind down. Our next pit stop, Portland, Maine was slightly different. Portland is a city that is one big mashup of historical significance, natural beauty, and artistic expression. One of the best parts of Portland is the many lighthouses they have. Each lighthouse has a unique quality, my favorite was the one on Cape Elizabeth. Cape Elizabeth is actually the United States Coastal Guard Portland Head Light. That means the Coast Guard manages part of the light house. Cape Elizabeth is amazing because is has amazing views of the coast. It also has a remarkable trail you can hike on. The trail leads you away from the lighthouse to get an incredible look of the entire area. We visited about 5 lighthouses while we were Portland. Like I said before they were all very different.

That night we took an overnight ferry to Yarmouth, Canada. We were able to take our car on the boat, which was something I have never experienced. The cruise had little cabins for all the passengers. The ship also had two dining areas, a snack place, a casino, a massage and spa area, an of course a kid’s area. I was surprised at the amount of amenities they had for an overnight cruise. They all had a unique option for travelers that didn’t want a cabin. They had a floor that had seats like those in airplanes, which could recline. If you were traveling by yourself, this would probably be a better option and also a cheaper option. They also had showers on the floor, so it wasn’t just a floor of seats.

Once we got to Yarmouth the next morning, we drove through customs and drove to Lunenberg. Lunenberg has this very famous row of colored houses that is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site. After lunch, we headed to Peggy’s Cove, which is by far the most breathtaking lighthouse site I have ever seen. The lighthouse is on a broad landscape of milky white rocks, it feels like you can see the end of the world from the top of those rocks. It’s at some point you forget about material beauty and see the world’s true beauty. To finish off an amazing day we went to Nova Scotia’s capital, Halifax. I will catch you up on the rest of the trip next week!