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	A journey along the historic lighthouse route - on the trail of Captain Kidd
	story Alex Eberspaecher   photographs Craig Silva and Judy Eberspaecher There are few signs along Hwy 103 that point to the village of Martin’s River, and that suits just about everybody who lives there. It is not that the inhabitants don’t like visitors, after all tourists bring in much needed cash. It is just that at one time they had more than their share and with that came problems. To be just, it isn’t even the village that caused all the troubles, but the small island that is not much more than a large rock pile off Western Shore. Nova Scotia has scores of such islands but few have attained such notoriety as this particular one near Martin’s River. Of course the restaurants and the gift shops still like visitors and their cash, but most others are just as happy that the cars now pass by Martin’s River as they speed from Halifax to Yarmouth. The first sign of trouble came as far back as 1795 when Daniel McGinnis located a wooden pulley hanging from a large tree on Oak Island. Although the island has had its share of ghost sightings over the years, it was a buried treasure that inspired a drove of international treasure hunters, including President D. Roosevelt. They descended on Oak Island to investigate a mysterious system of tunnels and shafts that apparently was left behind when Captain Kidd buried his pirate treasure before slipping into eternal oblivion. Over the years little was found, and I suspect that some of the bones and other assorted junk that was hauled from one of the many shafts that have been dug up over the centuries, probably belonged to a treasure hunter not a pirate. Indeed if anybody ever should find a good pair of sunglasses down there, perhaps 20 metres down, they are mine. I learned 35 years ago that one should never look down into a treasure shaft while wearing expensive glasses. Today many millions have found themselves on the hunt for Captain Kidd’s treasure. Six lives were lost and ownership of the island changed from local to not-so-local individuals and corporations. The last time I went to the small treasure museum near Martin’s River, the island was closed to the public and all those many millions have still not located my lost sunglasses! The shaft, if there is one, has been excavated during 39 attempts to a depth of 235 feet at one time or another and, if a pirate managed to dig a hole 235 feet with primitive tools through sand, boulders and solid rock just to bury a treasure that he could never retrieve again, let it remain for eternity. Then again, some feel that there is no treasure at all, but a place where the Knights Templars buried the Holy Grail. Nova Scotia is a small province as Canadian provinces go, perhaps in population not much larger than Mississauga and Oakville. It is a province that is unique in its maritime beauty, full of history and tradition but more so its people are legendary for their hospitality. To drive from one end to the other, Cape Breton to the east and Yarmouth to the west, would take only one good summer day. Yet should we stop at any of the many scenic routes, be it the Cape Breton Highlands, the Sunrise Trail at the Northumberland Strait or the Evangeline Trail along the Bay of Fundy, we would be hard pressed to make it to the next town in one day. It is that part of the Lighthouse Trail that will take us along the seashore from Peggy’s Cove near Halifax to the historical UNESCO designated town of Lunenburg. In all probability the back roads that we travel it is not much more than 130 kilometres, perhaps 200 if we drive along the shore but it can easily take us a week if we take the time to explore every nook and cranny. A few kilometers southwest from Halifax our trip will begin on Route 333 and the only lighthouse in Canada that incorporates a functioning post office. Placed amongst massive 415 million year old granite boulders, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse is without doubt the most photographed and recognizable tourist destination in Canada. From here we take Route 3 the scenic coastal road, linking one picturesque village to another, until we reach Hubbards at St Margaret’s Bay with its many public beaches. The 215-year-old seaside village has long been a fashionable summer destination for many Nova Scotians and outsiders alike. Like all along our route with a variety of quality inns, seaside cottages, B&Bs and camping facilities, Hubbards is the gateway to the unspoiled Aspotogan Penninsula. The area boasts picturesque fi shing villages, marvelous seaside scenery and perhaps the warmest ocean water along the Lighthouse Route. You must be aware here of yet another mystery along the Lighthouse Route. Not everybody may be admiring the scenery as they stare out into the vastness of the sea as the sun sinks behind the horizon; they may be looking for the Amazon. It was near here in 1860 that the 100-foot brigantine was built and played the rough waters before the Americans bought her and renamed the ship the Mary Celeste. As the Mary Celeste, the vessel went on to become perhaps the most mysterious ghost ship of all as she drifted undamaged and without her crew into the Bay of Gibraltar one cold November night in 1872. None of her crew or the captain and his family were ever heard of again. A side trip along the picturesque Route 329, still on the Aspotogan Peninsula, the village of Blandford is spread out along the ocean for the next six kilometres. Across from the wharf, you still can see the remains of the former whaling station that finally closed down in 1972. Known for its unsurpassed boating, the village of Chester, our next stop on our westward trip, has become to some extent a dream destination for the rich and famous. A relaxed lifestyle that can include golf and tennis among stately homes on treelined promenades draws many European and American newcomers into discovering not only Nova Scotia but also all of Canada as a country of choice. Established in 1760 by a handful of settlers from France, Germany and Switzerland, Chester Basin is often considered the Jewel of the South Shore. This area boasts a rich history of boat building, barrel making and even gold mining. The view of the rugged shore is rewarding, the quaint old cemetery and tree-lined country lanes with their period homes is a heaven for painters and photographers alike. It is from here that we could consider a short voyage inland. Traveling north on Route 12 toward New Ross for about 25 kilometres, we arrive at the Ross Farm Museum. Unlike other museums, the Ross Farm is a working farm that still operates in the 19th and 20th century style. Horses and oxen pull plows and wagons while the blacksmith or the cooper work side by side with the teacher that will take you through one of Canada’s early pioneer schools. Ross Farm is also the home of the few remaining Canadian horses among an impressive collection of other heritage animals. Our next destination as we journey back along the Lighthouse Route, just after we stop off for a short visit at the Oak Island Treasure Museum not far from Chester Basin, we arrive at Mahone Bay. Established in 1754, this town is best remembered in history for its shipbuilding. But modern day visitors must see the everlasting quaintness of the three churches at the head of the bay that have graced more calendars than all the capital cities of North America together. Over the past few years, Mahone Bay has not only become a very popular tourist destination but also a place of choice to many outsiders who have been looking for a more sedate way of life. This way of life is also reflected in the many art and craft shops that are only a step from fine restaurants and coffee shops. Our final destination is reserved for the colourful town of Lunenburg. Once a world-class fishing and shipbuilding community, little has changed over the years. Boat building however is now confined mostly to the outstanding Fisheries Museum on the waterfront and fish canneries are slowly being turned into sailing schools, handicraft stores and workshops. Lunenburg’s narrow and very hilly streets, along with its century old homes that are immaculately kept and usually brightly painted, have brought the old part of the town the honor of being designated both a Natural Historic District and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What really sets Lunenburg aside from other historic cities in Canada, perhaps in North America, is that the old part, especially along the waterfront, has been preserved, not restored, to its original condition. The 250- year-old fishery buildings, perhaps even leaning somewhat now, are painted bright red, white, yellow, and blue as intensive as any colour will permit. You still can wander out onto one of public docks to talk about fishing to the locals. Nearby St John’s Anglican Church, Canada’s second oldest Protestant church and now a National History Property has recently being reopened after a disastrous fire in 2001. Down along the waterfront, you will have great difficulties finding an international fast-food eatery and you probably will have to be content in one of the local restaurants choosing between some of the freshest seafood anywhere, while drinking the local beer. You also now know why the fastest fishing schooner in her time, the Bluenose, has chosen Lunenburg as her home. If you have set aside enough time, take a cruise out to the open sea as a guest on the Bluenose 2, that of course is if you don’t take too many whale watching excursions as we usually do. Nova Scotia is often called “Canada’s Ocean Playground” and depending on your likes, this is the appropriate designation, but you should also know now why it might take a whole week to travel the mere 130 kilometres. Then again, Canada is a very large country. GL	Peggy's Cove, NS Mahone Bay, NS Ross Farm, New Ross, NS Lunenburg, NS