Road Trips - August 2013

Oh I Wish I Was in Sherbrooke Now

The forecast for last Sunday was predicting excellent road trip weather so my traveling companion, Kelley, suggested we head out of the city and head up along Nova Scotia scenic eastern shore as she has friends who recently opened a café in Sherbrooke.  She had also wanted to capture some photographs of the historic Sherbrooke Village, an open air museum that depicts a typical Nova Scotia village from the late 1800s, so we seized the opportunity of a beautiful day off and hit the road.

We decided on an early start to our adventure as Sherbrooke is about a two and a half hour drive from Halifax and we wanted to ensure we had enough time visit the café and to take in the sights.  Leaving shortly after 8am, we headed east through Dartmouth and made our way along the coastal Marine Drive.  With the sun shining brightly and a nice, August breeze coming through the open windows it seemed like no time until we were passing through Musquodoboit Harbour.  The drive gave us ample opportunity to catch up on gossip as well as to enjoy the groovy tunes from Johnny K’s latest “Way Back Playbacks” (I realize this is a shameless plug of one of my other blogs however I did not want to miss the opportunity).  We stopped briefly in Sheet Harbour, which is a little more than half way between the city and our destination, to take some photographs and stretch our legs before passing through Liscomb and arriving in Sherbrooke.

It had been some time since I’ve been in Sherbrooke; I remember stopping at a fantastic Chinese restaurant on a road trip of yesteryear and I was pleased to see that the House of Jade Restaurant is still there and thriving.  We didn’t stop there on this trip for it was Sunday brunch that we were after and the best place around would be Beanie’s Bistro located in the heart of Sherbrooke at 27 Main Street.  As it turns out, Kelley has known Beanie’s Bistro owners Barbara and Max for many years and she was very excited to see them knee-deep in happy customers, all waiting to enjoy the homemade brunch fare that has made them a popular spot in this quaint community.

Barbara & Max: Beanie's Bistro

The name chosen for this establishment has significance; especially for Max.  He had spent his summers as a boy in nearby Port Hillford with his grandmother, Charlotte Reid McConnell, also known as Beanie.  It is in honour of her that Barbara and Max have named their eatery, serving up contemporary versions of the fresh, homemade food and fun that she had done so well.

Brunch at Beanie's Bistro

Sherbrooke was a happening spot at midday on this Sunday and everyone seemed to be stopping by Beanie’s.  Kelley’s sister and her family were going to join us so, as we waited for them to join us we grabbed some coffees and mingled with other patrons until our table was ready.  On this day they were only serving from their Brunch menu and it seemed like nothing from these choices would disappoint.  After seeing tantalizing plates go by, Kelley opted for the homemade waffles with fresh fruit and a side of bacon whereas I decided to try Barbara’s signature dish, Eggs “Beanie” served on potato cakes with perfectly poached eggs, St Mary’s smoked salmon and homemade hollandaise sauce.  I could think of only two things to compliment such a fine feast; a good cup of coffee and something sweet.  Both would be obtained as Beanie’s serves up not only a fantastic cup of java but also mouthwatering homemade pie.  Although reluctant to indulge too much (as if I hadn’t already), I could not resist a piece of the homemade butterscotch pie which was so good, I was craving a cigarette after devouring!

By the time we finished our feast, the rush of hungry patrons was starting to subside (Beanie’s Bistro was only open until 2pm on this day) which allowed time for Kelley to reconnect with her friends and take the obligatory group photographs before we continued on our journey.

The Sherbrooke Drug Store

Kelley had hoped that she could take advantage of the trip and visit Sherbrooke Village for photo opportunities.  As she has family in Sherbrooke, she had previously managed to get some great winter shots through the historic village but she wanted to catalogue some photos while the site was open.  Although we did a whirl-wind tour of the site, we did manage to check out some fun and interesting places.  A stop into The Sherbrooke Drug store taught us the vibrant red show glode hanging in the front window has been a symbol for a pharmacy or apothecary, in much the same way as a barber’s striped pole signified tonsorial establishments, since 17^th century England.

With full bellies from our earlier brunch at Beanie’s Bistro and educated minds from an enriching, historical walk to years gone by at Sherbrooke Village, we started the journey home.  The day was still warm under

Clam Harbour Beach

the late afternoon sun so we decided to pay a visit to one of our favorite Nova Scotia beaches; the waves were rough but the water felt great at Clam Harbour Beach as we jumped into the Atlantic for a swim.  The beach seemed deserted by the time we arrived; the lifeguards were wrapping up there day and many sun-soaked beach goers were packing there cars.  We had no trouble securing a great spot to throw down the beach blanket before jumping in.  It seemed like the perfect end to the perfect day as we frolicked in the surf before continuing our drive back to the city.

Sunset at Head of Jeddore

The only thing that could make this day of road tripping more enjoyable was to take in a gorgeous sunset on the drive home; Mother Nature seemed all too happy to oblige.  We stopped briefly to capture a photograph of the sun setting over the Salmon River at Head of Jeddore before making our way back to the city.  It was a large and exciting day along the eastern shore on that perfect August Sunday. 

 Photographs courtesy of Kelley Edwards & Jonathan King

Check out last year's adventures at my Road Trips 2012 blog: http://roadtrips2012.blogspot.ca/