hirtles beach and beach hill road

We are a family that loves the water. We are also a family that loves to explore. It isn't surprising then, that nearly every drive we take leads to the ocean. There are so many cozy harbours you pass through as you wind along the shores of the Bay of Fundy. There are so many pleasant towns in the countryside with grand homes and rolling farmlands. And there are so many quaint fishing towns with their weathered huts on stilts, and their rusty lobster traps laying about and their colourful buoys bobbing in the waves. But when given a hot summer afternoon and an empty schedule, we pack our swim suits and books (and a million other things it seems), and we head to the beach.

We stumbled on this beach back in March, when my sister and her family were staying with us over spring break. Back when the waves crashed and the wind whipped icy spray as you walked the shore, and your wet face froze and the cold was almost unbearable.

The beach is called Hirtles Beach. It's down past Lower Rose Bay and in the Upper Kingsburg area, south of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Driving down Hirtle Beach Road and Beach Hill Road felt almost surreal. We had no idea an area like this existed here. It was like stumbling onto some road on Long Island, or town on the coast in Massachusetts, but with a decidedly Canadian feel. The cottages that line the hill as you drive in are an unusual blend of historic and modern, something I have yet to discover anywhere else in Nova Scotia (yet). Between centuries old homes sit modern cottages, many designed by world-famous architect Brian Mackay-Lyons. It has such a unique feel to it because though the styles can vary dramatically, there's a sameness to them. In the end, left to salty air and the seaside winds, they all wear the same way.

I packed a picnic for us to bring - as many snacks as are required to occupy four growing boys for the period of an afternoon. And for Ryan and I, we stopped in a nearby town, at a farm stand no less, to pick up two giant lobster rolls that the locals here have been raving about.

This cottage, perched on the top of the cliff, is obviously a favourite.

The beach itself is amazing. The waves were so much fun for the older boys, and while it's a bit rocky at the top, there's plenty of sand when the tide is out, and beautiful surroundings. It was windy, and the water was cold, but it's also the beginning of July.

The air is salty and the blooming beach roses add a sweetness. It's such an intoxicating smell, one that's found in some of my favourite places, and always brings with it a wave of the sweetest memories.

    

Something that makes this particular spot so great, is that while the ocean is cold and wavy, there are a couple of ponds just steps away, on the other side of the beach. These are warm and feel Caribbean-like, especially after being in the Atlantic. They were perfect for the little ones to swim in. It's also slightly more sheltered from the wind.

It was hours of fun body-surfing, combing the beach for shells, and chasing the tide. The water is cool, and with the wind, I'm thankful we threw in blankets in sweaters. I love being by the water on a warm day, but I think I especially love it when it's cool enough to sit with a blanket around your sundress, or to throw a cable knit sweater over your t-shirt and shorts.

As you drive down the back roads, the roads follow ponds with the ocean in the distance, and the cottages, randomly scattered, line the hills.

If you follow Beach Hill Road past the turnoff for the beach, there's a small community just a little further down, encircling another pond. Here you can find another little beach area that is part of the Gaff Point Trail.

Another favourite cottage overlooking the coast.

By the time we're thoroughly windswept, skin salty and sand everywhere, we pack up and make our way home. We take the slow, scenic way of course, while the boys sleep quietly, worn out from a day in the sun and waves.

The drive along the Lahave River is beautiful. You wind in and out, following the river, never leaving the edge of the shore. Here the old homes, all scattered along the banks, and church steeples, standing prominently at the furthest points, always remind me of a folk painting. For the first time, we saw all of the sailboats moored in the bays, a sign that summer has arrived on the coast.

nantucket - day two

         Our second day on Nantucket was devoted almost entirely to walking around 'Sconset.

Now at any other point, we would have rented bikes in town and enjoyed a bike ride out to this area - the island is perfectly suited for biking. But, given my current very pregnant condition, we rented a car for the day so I could walk around once there and enjoy the day comfortably. I'm so glad we did! We actually enjoyed so much more than we planned this day because we had the convenience of our own car.

Our morning started off with coffee and pastries in the courtyard of our hotel. Ryan would get up before me, stroll to get his coffee down the road and I'd find him later, reading here. Then I'd go get my coffee and we'd plan our day.

Breakfast at Black Eyed Susan's was our first stop. We both enjoyed a good, casual breakfast in a very bustling but cozy atmosphere.

 

Then we headed out to Siasconset - or 'Sconset as it's called. We parked and walked 'Sconset beach, looking for rocks and shells for the boys, enjoying the wind and warm sunny day.

If there's one thing we couldn't get over about this place, it's the sweet smell of wild roses growing all over and a fresh, saltiness of the ocean air. It's intoxicating.

Then we headed to Sankaty Head lighthouse before parking back in town and walking the 'Sconset Bluff Walk.

The walk is along this little footpath that wanders through the back yards of the homes overlooking the bluff. It's a beautiful walk with perfectly manicured yards of these meticulously kept homes on one side and this wild, heathland with breathtaking views of the coast on the other!

Nearing the end of the walk, I was starting to feel quite tired, so I ended up finding a shady spot to rest outside what became my favourite home we passed, while Ryan lovingly walked back into town to grab the car.

 

In town, we stopped again to walk around the older cottages - the ones that 'Sconset is famous for. These tiny, crooked, rose-covered cottages from the 18th century look like they're right out of a storybook! The roses were just starting to bloom and I can't imagine how much more gorgeous this area is once everything is in full bloom.

 

Can you just imagine this cottage in bloom?

 

I made Ryan stand beside one of them to show the boys the scale of just how tiny they are!

Before continuing on, we stopped at the 'Sconset Market and picked up some water and snacks before we made our way to another part of the island. The sign outside the market says "Fancy Groceries" and it made me laugh, until we walked in. It might as well have been a small corner store, but it was entirely stocked with every fine food and snack you could imagine! I couldn't get over it. I told Ryan I wished we had a little market like this... though it's probably best we didn't. It was the same with their playgrounds - these pretty little climbers that were white and shake and perfectly matching their surroundings.

Our next stop was Cisco Brewery for Ryan, where he enjoyed a flight of their island inspired beers in the garden while a live band played and food trucks sold raw oysters and frozen Rose - It's a thing there - frose. Too bad I was pregnant...

We then headed to Bartlett Farms where I picked up a peach and some cherries (I needed something healthy!) and then took a scenic drive back to our hotel.

As we had missed lunch, we decided to change and head out for an early dinner. We had planned to have burgers for lunch at Lola Burger, so we just made our way back there. Now, I know we were hungry, but these burgers and fries were something else. Seriously, one of the best burgers I've had. And these crispy little fries with garlic aioli? So delicious! We left stuffed.

We then drove out towards the Madaket Beach area, as we heard you can see the prettiest sunsets there. 

It didn't disappoint! It really was gorgeous. But it was also quite chilly and very windy, so we didn't stay long.

Ryan surprised me with stopping at Galley Beach for dessert - a restaurant I had wanted to try. We watched the sun sink from the comfort of a fire on the beach while we enjoyed drinks.

Then, once it was dark, we headed inside and had our dessert. It was a beautiful restaurant, but really, it's location couldn't be more perfect. We ended the evening on Old South Wharf, walking the docks by lamplight.

Because we were able to drive about, we were able to see so much more. It really was a near perfect day.