Peggy's cove??? please advise

we will be arriving in Halifax by cruise ship, Sept. 22. I am conflicted about taking the time to see Peggy's Cove. We have tentatively rented a car, but I am worried about the difficulty of the driving and directions. my husband does not like the bus tours, and we want to be back to see the rest Of Halifax. Any insights and suggestions would be most welcome!

Halifax is a very interesting city but Peggy's Cove is special and as you have a car I would recommed a drive to it.

I am not sure exactly what you are asking. The drive is easy; it would be quite difficult to get lost.

You are right, here is a map and directions. http://www.peggyscovearea.com/travelinformation/

Rent the car and go to Peggys first thing before the others from the ship(s) get there. Then you can go back to Halifax for the afternoon.

If you're really worried about directions, expecially getting out of Halifax to the Road to Peggy's Cove, you can always get a GPS with the rental car for an extra fee. A map and a good navigator will work just as well ;).

Might I suggest while you're out that way, go a little further up the road and visit the Swiss Air 111 memorial. http://ns1763.ca/hfxrm/swisswhale.html

I posted this on another board also....

You could also sit down and order a meal at the Peggy's cove visitor center. They also have lots of souvies to buy there.

[:D] HERE's a TIP: If you go to Peggy's Cove, BRING YOUR PASSPORT!. The lighthouse is actually a post office as well and if you ask them, they will stamp your passport for you with a unique shaped PEGGY's COVE LIGHTHOUSE stamp. :) It was a nice little FREE souvinier. You can also mail postcards directly from there.

I read somewhere that the post office at Peggys Cove has been closed. If I remember coorectly it was closed last year.

According to Wikipedia, that is true. Too bad, but it does not take away from the beauty of Peggys Cove.

I read somewhere that the post office at Peggys Cove has been closed. If I remember coorectly it was closed last year.

oh did not know that. I was there a few years ago so could be true. That's a bummer.

oh did not know that. I was there a few years ago so could be true. That's a bummer.

It's true; closed I think because of a mold problem.

Here is the webcam for Peggys Cove:

http://www.peggyscovewebcam.ca/live/

You could also sit down and order a meal at the Peggy's cove visitor center. They also have lots of souvies to buy there.

My personal experience in Peggy's Cove is that if you do not arrive in Peggy's Cove via tour bus, you will most likely not get served at the restaurant.:mad: I live in Nova Scotia, and have been to the Cove many times. It's pretty to look at, but eat before you go, or after you leave. The service in the one restaurant is geared towards the tour busses.

Also... AVOID THE TEMPTATION TO HAVE YOUR PIC TAKEN AT THE WATERS EDGE... a wave could catch you by surprise, and before you know it, you are 150 feet from shore...:eek: the rip tide there is truly a killer.

oh did not know that. I was there a few years ago so could be true. That's a bummer.

Just had to mention that I LOVE the Carnival Windsock :D!

If you're really worried about directions, expecially getting out of Halifax to the Road to Peggy's Cove, you can always get a GPS with the rental car for an extra fee. A map and a good navigator will work just as well ;).

 

Might I suggest while you're out that way, go a little further up the road and visit the Swiss Air 111 memorial. http://ns1763.ca/hfxrm/swisswhale.html

If renting a car and doing both Peggy's Cove and Swiss Air 111 Memorial what time frame do I need to allow?

Allen, We'll have a rental car for driving to Peggys Cove. Do you have any restaurant recommendations for a nice seafood lunch on the water with a view? It doesn't have to be Peggy's cove.

Allen, We'll have a rental car for driving to Peggys Cove. Do you have any restaurant recommendations for a nice seafood lunch on the water with a view? It doesn't have to be Peggy's cove.

Not really, I live on the "other side" of the province (north of Kentville, near the Bay of Fundy:rolleyes:) but there are a lot of "local" options for food along the #3 highway. EVERY time I have been to Peggy's Cove (showing friends and family who are "from away") we have had VERY POOR service for food in the cove. Another 1/2 hour drive from peggy's cove will put you into Chester, then about another 1/2 hour will land you into Lunenburg and Mahone Bay - all three of these have very good restaurants all serving local fare. Since you will have a rental car, you will be not have any problem finding food. The local lobster is good (they tell me - i'm alergic so I don't eat it:eek:)

If renting a car and doing both Peggy's Cove and Swiss Air 111 Memorial what time frame do I need to allow?

Once you've got your car and on your way, it's less then an hour to Peggys Cove from Halifax, less then 5 minutes from there to the memorial and an hour back to Hlaifax. So really depends on how much time you want to spend out there. You could do it all in 3 hours no problem, less if you want.

You can go back to Halifax to eat on the waterfront, or preferably go on to the Chester, Mahone Bay area. Have a look on tripadvisor for restaurant reviews.

I might just do this trip this weekend. My MIL lives about 10 minutes this side of Peggys Cove and we're going to see her this weekend. I have an aunt that lives in Mahone Bay that I haven't been to visit since last Fall so it's time to see her. May or may not get to Lunenburg but we'll see how the day goes. I'll post my report and try to answer any questions next week.

I might just do this trip this weekend. My MIL lives about 10 minutes this side of Peggys Cove and we're going to see her this weekend. I have an aunt that lives in Mahone Bay that I haven't been to visit since last Fall so it's time to see her. May or may not get to Lunenburg but we'll see how the day goes. I'll post my report and try to answer any questions next week.

That would be awsome. I have rented a car and ready for this trip on the 20th. I did notice that there maybe some construction on the way to Lunenberg.

You can check current road conditions here:

http://511.gov.ns.ca/map/

This would be my current concern:

LUNENBURG COUNTY: Highway 103

Highway 103 between Exit 8 and Exit 9 will be reduced to one lane for cold planing, widening of the twinned sections and paving until mid-June. Work takes place from sunrise to sunset.

You can check current road conditions here:

 

http://511.gov.ns.ca/map/

 

This would be my current concern:

 

LUNENBURG COUNTY: Highway 103

Highway 103 between Exit 8 and Exit 9 will be reduced to one lane for cold planing, widening of the twinned sections and paving until mid-June. Work takes place from sunrise to sunset.

I did see that when I checked last evening. If anyone could give me a better discription on possible backups that would be great. Maybe not to bad if just a mile?

As Promised, a review of our trip. First a map of our route...

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=44.662487,-63.6238&daddr=Kempt+Rd%2FNS-2+N+to:Peggys+Cove,+NS+to:St+Margarets+Bay+Rd%2FNS-3+Trunk+W+to:St+Margarets+Bay+Rd%2FNS-3+Trunk+W+to:NS-329+W+to:NS-3+Trunk+W+to:NS-3+Trunk+W+to:Lunenburg,+Nova+Scotia+to:NS-324+N+to:Hammonds+Plains+Rd%2FNS-213+W+to:Joseph+Howe+Dr+to:Kempt+Rd%2FNS-2+S&geocode=%3BFSp_qQIdzig1_A%3BFcnnpgIdIrIw_CnFyxzm9_hZSzGzNrkPHaGopw%3BFWTqqQId8tYw_A%3BFbUxqQIdSc4u_A%3BFdASpwIdMHgu_A%3BFeQWqAIdbi0s_A%3BFS3BpwIdSAEs_A%3BFXAjpQIdV5Iq_ClD0a4gwVtXSzHrTTCtT3o5Vg%3BFS6OpQIdLP4p_A%3BFagFqgIdAoUx_A%3BFQx1qQIdIhs1_A%3BFdp-qQIdCDA1_A&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=14&via=1,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11&sll=44.661144,-63.618822&sspn=0.031196,0.07699&ie=UTF8&ll=44.569926,-63.914337&spn=0.49992,1.231842&z=10

We just had a wonderful day trip from Halifax to Lunenburg. We live on the Dartmouth side of the bridge across from Halifax so I didn't start timing till we got to the Fairview Lawn Cemetery just over the bridge on the Halifax side. The round trip was a bit less then 6 hours with 3.5 to 4 hours on the road. The route we took is a little longer then you might want to take if you're doing this during a port call.

We hugged the coast all the way to Lunenburg on Rtes 333, 3, 329 and 3. These are 2 lane narrow country roads with mostly unpaved shoulders, very winding with a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) with stretches in villages of 50, 60 and 70 km/h. We took the quicker route along Rte 103 & 102 all the way back to Halifax. If your time is limited you can do the coast from Halifax to Peggys Cove and then up to Upper Tantallon on Rte 333 then catch rte 103 to Lunenburg. Check out the map link with the route we took.

So we passed the Fairview Lawn Cemetery (where some of the Titanic victims are buried) about 11:10 a.m. and headed for the Road to Peggys Cove. Along the way you will pass the exit to Bayers Lake Business Park, a huge shopping area with all the big box stores. Also, before the exit to Peggys Cove Rd you will pass Exhibition park which hosts a huge Sunday market. All along this road there are several places to eat, cafes, restaurants, diners, fish & chip trucks, farm market & bakery, ice cream stands and convenience stores. I've never tried any of them, no doubt they are not fine dining but you could probably find something to fill you. Also along the way there were gallery's, artisan studios, a mini putt and driving range, a golf course, sea kayaking and horse back riding.

We reached Peggy's cove at 11:55 a.m. We had made a couple of brief stops along the way totalling about 5 – 10 minutes. We drove around Peggys Cove without stopping, we've been a few times before. It truly is a strikingly beautiful spot, so rugged and wild with a quaint little village nestled in the rocks. It was quite busy, lots of people walking around. We saw one large tour bus and one small 15 passenger tour bus. Took us 5 minutes in and out. Please pay attention to the warning signs not to walk near the dark coloured rocks, many people have been swept to their death by rogue waves coming up over the rocks, all for the sake of a photo. It's been about 20 years since I ate at the Sou Wester Restaurant there so I can't offer any reviews on it.

A couple of minutes up the road is the Memorial for Swiss Air Flight 111 that went down a few miles off shore from Peggys Cove. We've been before so didn't stop their either, it's a lovely peaceful spot for quiet reflection and offers a beautiful view of Peggys Cove.

About 20 minutes further along the road and to the left, we saw huge wood carvings in front of a cabin. These were 3, 4, 5 ft tall, carved from tree trunks and painted. We saw a blue jay, bald eagles, dolphins. Really amazing. There was no sign so I'm not sure what the story is but keep a look out for it. A little further along at the junction of Rtes 333 and 3 is the Acadian Maple producers, didn't look open on Sunday but might be of interest to some. I believe it's included in one of the cruiseline offered tours.

In Hubbards on Rte 3 we found a diner we ate at last year, Hubbards Landing Steak & Seafood. It was 12:45 and we were feeling a bit peckish so we decided to stop for lunch. Hubby had the hot hamburg sandwich (a ground beef patty between 2 pieces of bread smothered in beef gravy with fries) and I had the clams and chips (fries) the clams were lightly battered and deep fried. The food was hot, good and plentiful, our two meals with a coffee and tip came to $25. It's not much on ambiance but I'd recommend it for a lunch or breakfast (served all day) stop.

We left the restaurant at 1:20 p.m and proceeded along Rte 3 to Rte 329. Lots of colours along the way. The homes all along our route had such beautiful yards and flower gardens. There were rhododendrons of all colours in full bloom. Lots of phlox and lupins growing wild on the roadsides as well as wild roses. Just outside the town of Chester we came across Oceanview Garden Centre. It looked interesting and we do have lots of flower and vegetable gardens so we decided to stop in. Well if you're a gardener at all you will love this place, it has every kind of plant and flower you can imagine and some you would never imagine. The gardens go far back on the property and one could spend hours there. There's also home decor, gift and souvenir items, local produce and and ice cream. We know where we're going next Spring for our garden and plant supplies! We arrived hear at 1:40p.m and departed about 2:10 so spent half an hour here.

Between the garden centre and Mahone May we passed the Surfside Inn which, after researching on the internet, we've decided to come back to give it a try as a romantic getaway. Another place we passed some might like to take a look at is the Whirlygig Factory, a very colourful place full of movement!

We arrived at Mahone Bay at 2:30 p.m. and just drove right through town today (took about 3 minutes). There were lots of people strolling along the streets, enjoying the waterfront, the galleries, cafes, restaurants, ice cream shops and everything else there on offer. It really is a picturesque little village. There was a huge flea market happening in the parking lot of the local grocery store. We saw lots of people going with fresh local strawberries but at over $4 a box, we decided to wait til the strawberries in our own patch ripen.

So, directly on to Lunenburg. We arrived at about 2:45 p.m. We parked our car at one end of the street one up from the waterfront and walked along there, then dropped down to the street that runs along the waterfront to walk back to our car. There's a fenced area along the waterfront which blocks off the dock that is part of the Maritime Museum. Typically there is a charge to go through the museum and along the dock to tour some of the boats docked there (including our most famous Schooner the Bluenose II) but we happened to luck out and arrive on the one day when they have an open house and entrance is free. We toured all through the museum then along the dock. There was free cake and juice too! I don't know how much it typically costs but if you're interested in fishing, whaling or boat building in any way it's worth checking it out. Again there are lots of restaurants, cafes, galleries and gift shops to wander through if that tickles your fancy.

We spent an hour in Lunenburg and then began our trip home at 3:45. We took rte 324 out of town to Rte 103, we hit Rte 103 at 4:00. Rte 103 from Lunenburg (Exit 11) to Upper Tantallon (Exit 5) is a two late controlled access highway with passing zones on the uphill grades, the posted Speed limit is 100 km/h (65 mph). There is a section of a few kilometers between exits 9 and 8 that is divided 4 lane highway which has recently been paved and still has temporary markings so may be some delay at some point while they paint the lines. Beginning at Exit 6 to Hubbards they are resurfacing the highway for about 10 - 15 kilometers. When we passed through, the surface has been stripped so I assume they will be putting down the asphalt over the next few weeks, that will certainly cause some delays on the week days. For the most part, road work is not done on Saturdays and Sundays so if you're doing this tour on the weekend, roadwork should not be an issue. At Upper Tantallon (Exit 5) Rte 103 turns into a 4 lane controlled access divided highway with a posted speed limit of 110 kmh. Then it's smooth sailing all the way back to Halifax. We arrived back around the Fairview Lawn Cemetery at 4:55 p.m.

So that was our great road trip along the South Shore on Sunday June 13, it was a nice day, a bit overcast with some sun, the wind was a bit cool off the water. We were wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts and while in the car we were fine. It got a bit chilly when we were walking along the waterfront in Lunenburg but we didn't break out the parkas. If you have any questions feel free to ask away.

Colleen, Thank you for your wonderful review! It seems very doable to do this route for the time we have. What do you think the difference of time is between driving the loop on 329 or just taking 103 into Lunenberg? This would be from Peggy's Cove to Lunenberg.