A Canadian writer's life: Digby Sea Scallops

Monday, June 19, 2023

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (hanging out in the Digby NS area)

June 19th: I check my computer every single day to see what the actual date is... I lost track a few weeks ago. And today is Monday? Right?

We have one more night at the Seawinds Motel and Cabins on the waterfront of Digby, Nova Scotia, before turning back towards Wolfville. When I tweaked my reservations because of the enormous wildfire in the Shelburne area, I ended up backtracking for a bit before we continued on to the south shore later in the week.

And then my travel partner made this face when I was catching up on emails this morning.

Bored. Bored. Bored. Soooo bored.

Shortly after his eleventeenth massive sigh, I gave in, "Do you want to go on an adventure?" I asked him.

Judging by his happy dance and perky ears, "Yes!" was the answer.

I pulled out my old-school paper map (Rob Goth, you'd appreciate that) and checked for nearby communities. The long spit of land, or Digby Neck, looked interesting. We gave Miss Google the day off and headed out in a south-westerly direction and found the road leading to the Digby Neck. It is a long, narrow peninsula running parallel to the southwest shore of mainland Nova Scotia. It measures roughly 40 km long and 5 km wide. With Saint Mary's Bay on one side and the on the other, Digby Neck is nearly surrounded by water.

At the Petite Passage, between East Ferry and Tiverton, a free ferry between the two communities allows travelers to continue on to the second ferry running between Freeport and Westport. The total distance from Digby to Brier Island is about 70 kilometers. I stopped our journey at East Ferry. My travel partner isn't thrilled with ferries after his ordeal traveling to and from Grand Manan a few days ago. He was stressed by the loud and incessant foghorn.

We arrived at the East Ferry crossing close to lunchtime. While I watched the car ferry loading, I ordered scallops on a roll from Robyn and Barb at the Petite Passage Cafe and Whale Tours. The scallops were fresh and yummy! The ladies were welcoming and friendly.

Then Sparky and I turned back, heading north towards Digby. Small communities with names like Gulliver's Cove, Sandy Cove, and Mink Cove dot the shorelines. In every cove, there are historic homes, a dozen fishing boats tied up to sturdy wharves, usually a church or two, and sometimes a restaurant.

It's a pretty area. I'm happy my travel partner was bored, so bored, this morning.

Cheers

Lynda and The Sparkinator

Lake Midland

The downside of a fishing industry

Sandy Cove, Digby Neck, Nova Scotia

Little River, Digby Neck, Nova Scotia

Quite a few homes in this location at Little River

Free ferry, Petite Passage, Digby Neck NS

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Maitland to Digby Nova Scotia)

June 18th: As is typical of my road trips, I stuck to the secondary roads, which meant that the normal 237-kilometer drive from Maitland (about 150 miles) took Sparky and me over six hours to explore.

We visited several lighthouses and several small hamlets, and then I asked Miss Google to find me a grocery store near Digby, NS. She happily routed us along a windy adventure to the sweet little hamlet of Bear River. (Another delightful place where I could live if it weren't for the cold winters.)

Miss Google's route took us to a basic and not-well-stocked corner store. I decided to buy eggs, cheese, and bread because I had no idea what Digby had to offer. When we were on our way to our seaside accommodation, we passed both the Atlantic Superstore and Sotheby's. Miss Google was having a laugh at me!

Our waterfront efficiency cabin at Seawinds Motel and Cottages is cute and comfortable, and only a five-minute walk to the wharf-side restaurants with a view of the fishing fleet. When we arrived yesterday, Father's Day, the majority of the boats were docked, but this morning the boats were out again by 6:00 a.m. Digby has a sign in the town square, 'The Scallops Capital of the World'. Have a look at the CBC video link. Digby Sea Scallops

Today's sole task is to find a delicious Digby Sea Scallops dinner. After all, we are in the Scallops Capital of the World.

Cheers

Lynda and The Sparkinator