Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom (And Whimsy)

Posted on June 25, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

Touring Torbay

 

“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,

Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind.”

Summer Breeze – Seals and Croft

It’s shaping up to be a banner tourism season here in Nova Scotia. The stars seem to be aligned. The weather has been pretty good so far. With all of the lunacy going on south of the border, many Canadians are choosing (wisely, methinks) to vacation closer to home or somewhere in this great, vast nation. Many Americans will travel north of their border to escape the madness. With the exchange rate in their favour, a Canadian vacation is a great option.

Summer is a time of hope and blackflies!

Last weekend, a friend of mine and I decided, on the spur of the moment, to take a Saturday road trip to Guysborough County. Over the decades, I travelled the main roads and the back roads of Guysborough when I was in business. Other than one memorable, treacherous drive to Little Dover on the last day of RRSP season in an ice storm, every trip to Guysborough seemed to unearth some new treasure.

Like any true Bluenoser, and lover of music, I have attended Stanfest on numerous occasions. And, yes, I have taken the Country Harbour Ferry!

Our ultimate destination was Torbay.

We drove to Auld’s Cove, took a hard right and headed up (down?) route 344 from Mulgrave to Boylston. It was a spectacular day as we passed through Pirate Harbour, Steep Creek, Middle Melford, Sand Point, Hadleyville, St. Francis Harbour, Manasette Lake, Port Shoreham, and Manchester before making a hard left into Boylston. People rave about the Cabot Trail and rightly so. It is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I have driven it dozens and dozens of time, and actually walked the entire 300 kilometres in the summer of 2019. While Route 344 doesn’t have the mountains, the ocean vistas and quaint harbours have their own special attraction.

Of course, locals know that one of their own, legendary Canadian author, Harry Bruce, spent many years penning wonderful stories about Atlantic Canada from his home in Port Shoreham.

We were getting peckish and decided to lunch at the Cast Away Café on the waterfront in the town of Guysborough. It was a first visit for me and won’t be the last. The building has a distinct vibe, the food was great, and the location, nothing short of spectacular, overlooking Chedabucto Bay. I even bumped into well known musician, artist, and handyman, Steve Wright.

We drove through Lundy and Larry’s River before arriving at our destination just a few kilometers from Seawind Landing in Charlos Cove. If you want to get away from the madness for a day or two, I highly recommend this establishment.

We walked down the boardwalk at the park in Torbay. It’s always a bit cooler on the coast than inland but the ocean breeze was gentle and refreshing. We stood on the beach and just stared in wonder. I couldn’t help but think how unbelievably lucky we are to have visions of paradise right in our back yard.

Might I suggest a staycation in Guysborough County. Spectacular scenery, great food choices and fine folk.

And you can take the Country Harbour Ferry!

Summer breezes certainly make me feel fine.

Have a great weekend.