Traveling Solo in Nova Scotia

My trip to Nova Scotia was magical. I went alone and was concerned at first that I would want company — someone to share the epiphanies that come with experiencing something new. I realized quickly that traveling solo is absolutely delightful. You don’t have to run your plans by someone else. You eat what and when you want. Most importantly you do whatever appeals to you without the inevitable, “I don’t know, where do you want to go” back-and-forth that eats time and ends with compromise.
 
Nope, I woke up when I felt like it and hit the road. I wore no makeup the entire time I was there, so morning prep time was minimal. My plans were to see as much of the natural sights as I could pack into five days, to hike, and to meet new people. I stayed in Airbnb’s most of the time, and a motel one night. I rented a car and drove all along the coast from Halifax on the East Coast to Cape Breton in the North and back down to Bear River on the West Coast. There is a scenic trail that runs the perimeter of Cape Breton Island and the views were worthy of stopping every ten minutes or so to pull over and soak in the beauty. And oh, the trails! Some were simple and some very difficult, but none disappointed.
 
Staying in Airbnb’s was great. My first ever experience was with a newly married couple who were first time hosts. They were engaging and fun and very hospitable. They invited me to eat supper with them and we got cozy fast. It was a great first-time experience. The second stay was in an old miner’s cottage in the midst of repairs. It was a tiny two-story with a steep, narrow, curved, wooden staircase, and one bathroom with no shower. Back in the mining days, in the bitter cold winters, the homes had large grates in the second-floor floorboards to allow the heat to rise, and this house still had them. It was easy to imagine life in that home a hundred years ago. The last Airbnb I stayed in was a spectacular barn that had been remodeled into a beautiful home. It was on a vineyard and I arrived on harvest day, so the hosts were all a-bustle getting the grapes in before the rain. I spent a good amount of time wandering around the property in the rain, enjoying the blueberries, apples, pears and all the charm the estate had to offer.
 
The food was fantastic in Nova Scotia. Lobster rolls, chowder, poutine, which is really just French fries with gravy and fixin’s, but it was delicious. Seafood is copious, and the Digby scallops were so fresh and sweet. One really surprising thing to me is how many vineyards and wineries are on the peninsula. I partook. I did several tastings as well as a beer tasting at a brewery, and enjoyed every sip.
 
The views though – they were spectacular! The shores consisted of rounded stones the size of silver dollars and covered with orange moss that rippled in the wind and the shallow waves. There were sweet, colorful flowers I had never seen, and cattails, and moss hanging in deciduous trees. There were small waterfalls, herons, and quaint lighthouses along the peaceful coastal areas. And the Atlantic Ocean seemingly stretched out forever, like I was standing at the end of the world. The water was a deep azure and rather choppy, not at all like the Southern Alabama gulf beaches I know.
 
Driving inland was just as picturesque. It was October so the trees were oranges and reds and yellows, and the gently rolling hills were covered with farms. Red barns, perfectly manicured crops, and little white churches dotted the landscape, like pastoral scenes straight from a painting. As I drove north, the trees and scenes changed to more conifers and rockier landscapes. I hiked a trail called Cape Split that was a two-hour ascent to a sheer cliff that is meadow-topped and split right in the middle. The drop is 200 feet and there are no guard rails. You look straight down over the edge at the swirling currents that surround the obelisk-like rocks jetting up from the bay. The exhilaration of being that high and that close to the edge was conflicting. There was a definite feeling of freedom, but also of constraint. Ultimately it all gave way to a feeling of complete awe and respect for nature. It was spectacular!
 
What sticks out most about this trip is that I felt like I had time to breathe, to think, to relish the experience with all my senses, with no distractions. It was freeing, and the time was so precious. This was my first solo trip, and it has primed my adventurous heart for more. Thank you for the memories, Nova Scotia! I will always remember you fondly because you were my first.