Birchie in Nova Scotia Part 3: Cape Split + Tasty Treats

For those just joining the party, blogger extraordinaire Birchie is making a point of visiting all U.S. capitals (and their Capitol buildings), along with all the Canadian provinces and their legislative buildings. Luckily, I live in the Maritimes, which made Nova Scotia the perfect launch pad: we spent time together and she crossed THREE provinces off her list. (See Part 1 and Part 2 of our adventures!)

DAY FIVE: BBQ + LAVA CAKES + HITCHCOCK

She wrapped up her whirlwind tour of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick on Friday and made it back to Nova Scotia just in time for supper.

She came bearing treats, including Earl Grey tea. She knows me too well! (Jenny, I wish you were here to share a cup with me.)

John took charge of grilling: BBQ salmon, burgers, and sausages. And I prepped two salads: a cucumber-tomato salad (featuring produce from our neighbour’s garden) and a creamy potato salad. I was so hungry, and it all hit the spot — Nom, as Birchie would say!

Since Birchie had spent most of her day in the car, I figured a sunset walk would be a nice way to stretch our legs. We headed to a local reservoir trail and soaked up some stunning views before heading home for chocolate peanut butter lava cakes served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Yes, please! They were yummy! I forgot to take a picture, but we enjoyed them while watching North by Northwest. Birchie is slowly converting me into a Hitchcock fan!

Earlier in the day, I’d done an intense yoga session followed by a run with John, so by the time my head hit the pillow, I slept like a log. This was perfect, because Saturday was packed with plans.

DAY SIX: CAPE SPLIT + CUPCAKES + BAKEOFF

For months, most wooded trails in Nova Scotia (and the rest of the Maritimes) had been closed due to fire risk. But, as luck would have it, trails in our county reopened just in time for Birchie’s final weekend in town — so we made a beeline for the iconic Cape Split hike.

We started the morning with Baked French Toast (I loosely follow the recipe — no cream, half the sugar, and I top it with a small batch of apple crisp topping). I packed a few snacks, we loaded our water bottles, and headed out. John and Indy went deep sea fishing, and Belle was delighted to have the house to herself.

We stopped at the Valley Lookoff for a few minutes to admire the view, then made our way to the trailhead.

The hike was magical. Though the leaves haven’t turned yet, the trail was blanketed in crunchy foliage — such a sensory delight to walk through. We stopped at one windy lookout and worked our way through all 36 Questions (plus all sorts of bonus prompts we came up with).

Time flew. It felt like we’d just left the car when suddenly we were at the cliff’s edge. (Reality: ~2 hours.)

The views are spectacular. And mildly terrifying. One wrong step and…well, let’s just say I was not a fan of hiking here when the kids were young!

We snacked on chocolate-covered potato chips Birchie brought from PEI — salty, sweet, and totally addictive. It was too windy to stay long, so we ate our snacks, took a few pictures, and headed back toward the car.

The trail back is more sheltered (and primarily downhill), so we made good time and filled every second of it chatting.

Just look at all those crunchy leaves! I have a feeling Anne of Green Gables would very much approve of this hike.

After a final detour to another lookout (still windy!), we headed home — 14.55 km later. Not a bad way to spend a late-summer morning.

This moss was giving very strong Kristen vibes. I texted her this picture and got her stamp of approval.

We went out with Belle for a late lunch at Swiss Chalet in an effort to get Birchie some delicious poutine. Unfortunately, they were all out of cheese curd (which is a pivotal ingredient). Oh well, it was still delicious and a good time was had by all. We managed to fit in some errands and I went to pick up books at the library, so of course we had to pose for a selfie!

It gives me all the feels to be back in the children’s section. SO many happy hours were spent here when the kids were younger. I don’t miss much about that stage of life, but I do miss all the picture books.

We both got a chuckle out of this memorial to abandoned bookmarks. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t a grocery list in the mix! The chopstick did make me laugh. In the bottom left middle is toilet paper; that cracked me up, too.

Back home, Belle was determined to bake and enlisted Birchie (after I declined in favour of collapsing on the couch with a book). The chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting they made were delicious, and we enjoyed one while watching The Great British Baking Show. Birchie had never seen an episode before and I was thrilled to introduce her to one of my all-time favourite shows.

We ended the day with a late supper featuring fresh fish caught by John and Indy that same day. It doesn’t get fresher than that.

I went to bed and slept like a ROCK. Fresh air works wonders.

DAY SEVEN: CHURCH + CHARTS + UNTIL THE NEXT TIME

I slept so well that when I opened my eyes, we had less than an hour to get to church. Oops! Thankfully, the kids (and Birchie) got themselves ready without a hitch.

Afterward, we tried to hit up a local shop for Nova Scotia souvenirs, but it was closed. Boo. We made a quick pit stop at home, then headed out for another café date at Charts.

In honour of my sister-in-law, I had to try the Danish Pork Sandwich with pickled cabbage and it was out-of-this-world good. On the side, I had a hot Cinnamon Apple Cider that tasted like fall in a mug.

We chatted with a grad student who was fascinated to learn we’d met through blogging.

Neither of us was ready for the day to end, but after one last walk around town, it was time to say goodbye. Or, as Birchie put it: “Until next time.”

Later, I watched F1 highlights with John and casually agreed to a “little rest.” I slept for nearly two hours. I texted Birchie a screenshot from Oura and she pointed out the Cape Split hike had caught up to me.

John and I walked to the grocery store for date-night supplies (and for fresh air to wake me up!), and I capped the day with another episode of Bake Off in Birchie’s honour. Time will tell if we converted her.

And that’s a wrap! Birchie was exactly what I expected, but in technicolour — warm, funny, a great conversationalist, and totally game for anything. She seamlessly blended into our routines and made the everyday feel a little more magical.

Many thanks to her for flying to Nova Scotia, exploring this province with us and making special memories.

Your turn.

• What’s your go-to cozy fall treat — lava cakes, cider, or something else?
• Are you a Great British Bake Off fan? Who’s your all-time favourite contestant? (We thought Rahul was hilarious, and I loved Georgie from last season!)
• What’s your funniest or weirdest bookmark story?