Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Road Trip Photography – Trans-Canada '25 (XIII)

July 1^st, 2025: Day Twenty-Seven

Distance Travelled: 144KM
Days in Hotels VS Campgrounds VS Guest: 10/13/3

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia –
Halifax, Nova Scotia –
Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

I headed to downtown Halifax right in the morning, eager to get things done and then I saw a massive crowd gathering, all with flags and shirts and hats, etc. celebrating Canada Day. You know that elusive obvious that occurs sometimes? Yeah, that was me, not even realizing that I would have issues finding parking, navigating the streets with loads of people for the parade, and also limited to what would be open during holiday hours. None the less I took a stab at it. Now, I had checked the weather, and it didn’t seem like it would be that hot…it was. With no hat and a long sleeve shirt I was feeling it. After getting some photos of downtown over the course of an hour, including a cat in a stroller, I decided to head back to the hotel and regroup with better plans. Namely better headgear. Any head gear. The only upside was that parking was free.

Once back I realized the best plan was to go to Peggy’s Cove first, kill some time, then go back to Halifax later in the day when the light was better.

Peggy’s Cove was about an hour’s drive, and it starts on some nice wide and straight highways, then boils down to small, single lane, winding, meandering roadways. About ten minutes out, a fog had rolled in like the snap of a finger.

It didn’t take long after I arrived to realize what a tourist trap Peggy’s Cove was. Man, what a day of elusive obviousness. One of the most popular tourist attractions in Nova Scotia, on Canada’s birthday. I’m an idiot. I circled the parking lot for almost ten minutes before I found a spot.

I was about a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk from the famous lighthouse, and I made my way down, snapping photos along the way. When I got to the lighthouse, there were hundreds of people in what would have been the ideal shot, so I had to be extra creative to get a photo without anyone in it. I got up beside a large rock, and shot the lighthouse upward from underneath, covering the people on the rock platform. It worked like a charm, and the fog added the right mood for an overall solid shot.

I hate the trend of people going to these places and posing for their “gram” and this was no exception. Young girls throwing their hair back and sticking their asses out for what I assume are internet points.

There was a live band, and I sat and listened to them play a song (that I assumed was called Sarah) for a spell before making my way back.

I made two stops. The first was a gift shop where I got a Peggy’s Cove shirt, and the other was up the highway at The Finer Diner, where I had a lobster club sandwich and clam chowder soup as a side.

I couldn’t leave Nova Scotia without having lobster.

Back at the hotel I spent a little time sanding down my walking stick, Korbow.

POST TRIP NOTES: I had decided on stylizing the spelling to include “bow” in the name, like Donatello’s bow staff and start with a K like my last name.

Then things started going downhill. Headache, dizziness, fatigue. It wasn’t heatstroke but I overexerted myself. Despite having a hat for Peggy’s Cove, my hat-less excursion in Halifax did a number on me, as did the 10k steps I made without the day being half over.

I spent hours in the hotel room, in my undies, watching TV, chilling out, trying to feel better.

Ultimately, I have decided to stay another day. After discussing it with Sarah it seemed the best option. I was going to see the fireworks and shoot at night, but I just felt like shit. The fog also rolled into Halifax, and the fireworks were cancelled. Apparently, this is at least the second year in a row this has happened.

It hurts to feel this good. Like I told Sarah about my ankle, (which is better now by the way) it’s proof I have pushed myself to my limit and moved the goal post.

I need to make tomorrow count.