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In World of Weekends, couples from across Canada take the RAV4 out to play. In Part Two, Doug and Renee explore the Nova Scotia coast.
We opened our restaurant in Dartmouth about three years ago, and have put our heart and soul into it every day since.
A few months back, we announced the upcoming opening of our second location nearby, a lunchtime takeout spot. It’s set to be fully operational this summer, and once we get the ball rolling things are going to get crazy busy—if we want to get away, even for a short trip, Renée and I figured it’s now or never.
With that in mind, we took our two kids, Phil and Zoe on a fun little road trip in the RAV4 just over an hour away, along the coast of Nova Scotia.
Once out of the city, we keep driving down to the South shore of Nova Scotia until we hit our first stop, the adorable port town of Lunenburg. With its quaint multi-coloured houses, Lunenburg is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as a site of cultural and historical value thanks to landmarks like the Lunenburg Academy, where we stop to stretch our legs.
Hungry from the ride, we decide to grab a bite at the Salt Shaker Deli, a casual eatery by the harbour. I order their delicious huevos rancheros, while Zoe settles on her all-time favorite, French toast. Renée and Phil, always thinking alike, both decide on homemade El Fresco pizzas topped with genoa salami, kalamata olives, mozzarella, fresh arugula and goat’s cheese. Not a leftover in sight!
“The town always looks so festive, like a living postcard that smells like the ocean.
After brunch, we take a stroll along the harbour, then circle back to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. The museum is closed, but we still make a point of walking along the waterfront, to admire the Bluenose II. A replica of the legendary racing schooner Bluenose, it’s an emblem of Nova Scotia’s traditional shipbuilding industry. Phil and Zoe love these old boats, and this is a beautiful reconstruction that sparks their imagination.
Walking around Lunenburg feels like we’re going back in time, and we take a moment to get some fun shots with the colorful buildings. The town always looks so festive, like a living postcard that smells like the ocean.
We’re set to spend the night at the White Point Beach Resort, a century-old establishment right on the Atlantic Ocean, just outside of Liverpool NS, another hour along the famous Lighthouse Route of the Nova Scotian coast. I stayed here many times growing up, but this is only the second time I’ve had the chance to visit with my own children. We really love how family-friendly the resort is and the seaside cottages feel like my home away from home.
After dropping off our bags in our cottage, we head over to the main lodge where guests usually congregate to grab some dinner and hang out. It’s Easter and the entire place is decorated, complete with bunny-themed garlands that set the holiday spirit to our kids’ delight. Right outside on the beach, there’s a fire pit where we spend the rest of the evening roasting marshmallows and enjoying fresh mussels. Phil and Zoe show off their signature marshmallow roasting techniques, calculating the perfect grill timing on either side of the fire pit, but before we can determine the winning method Renee and I have to cut them off, otherwise there’s no way they’ll ever go to bed!
The next day, Renee and I try to sleep in and make the most of our holiday, but Zoe and Phil have other plans in mind. The resort set up an Easter egg hunt around the grounds that ignites their competitive spirit. We quickly lose sight of them as they run around with newly made friends and collect as many chocolate eggs as possible. Outside, it’s so warm and sunny, I could have sworn we were in the middle of summer — temperatures this high in spring are almost unheard of.
The ride back is smooth, thanks to some fun road trip games and the RAV4’s adaptive cruise control—I’m definitely a big cruise control guy. A couple of bald-eagle sightings later and we’re back home in Dartmouth, with two sound sleepers in the backseat. This was a weekend we’ll be sure to remember years down the road.
