Sailing into Lizzie's Lunenburg

[mbhenty]

During the Vietnam war, I was a protestor. I got drafted but never served. But that is a long story. At the time I was prepared to move to Canada. I remember thinking about how unfortunate that would be. But having spent some time in Nova Scotia, now I say, how pitiful I did not. We find the people and the countryside of Nova Scotia beautiful.

We sailed into Shelburne this summer, Nova Scotia with Hurricane Arthur on our tail. After entering port, 24 hours later, Hurricane Arthur hit Shelburne with a vengeance. We were lucky to secure a mooring at the Shelburne Yacht Club, where they were gracious and accommodating.

Of course there is no history of Lizzie Borden visiting Nova Scotia, but Christina Ricci did bringing the lore of Lizzie to Lunenburg.

After a week in Shelburne, we sailed up to Lunenburg. Lunenburg harbor was full and we could not secure accommodations for my boat, Saudade. So we sailed a short way north to the Island of Herman and the Lunenburg Yacht Club. Once there we took a cab into downtown Lunenburg to explore. Of course we had to go looking for where they filmed the movie. Below are a couple of photos of Lunenburg that we took. Included is the waterfront, one of the street scene seen in the movie and the Solomon House B&B, and of my sailing vessel Saudade.

[mbhenty]

Lunenburg had some great architecture, colonial, ancient, similar to Newport R.I. or Wickford R.I.

Below are a couple of photos of colorful downtown Lunenburg.

It includes the oldest house in lunenburg, the first shot, built in 1761.

[mbhenty]

Poor Onsloe had a rough voyage. Seasick most of the time. Real happy when on shore and not having to pee on a pitching deck. Poor guy.

One shot below is of Onsloe looking out of the hotel window at the peak of the hurricane. We decided not to spend any time with Arthur on Saudade.

[Curryong]

I see Onsloe had got over his sea-sickness somewhat and was ready for every eventuality! How cute! Luneburg looks a fascinating place and I can quite see how the producers chose the town to impersonate the 19th century Fall River. It's quite a way to go for suitable locations, however. Aren't there any little virtually unspoiled hideaways along the eastern seaboard they could have chosen? I suppose not.

[twinsrwe]

Onsloe is so cute! I love the second picture you posted of him.

I see what you mean by Lunenburg having some great architecture. What a quaint little town, and very colorful! I went into the Wikipedia site for Lunenburg and found a gallery of photos. Click on the picture shown toward the top of the page, titled ‘Aerial photo of Lunenburg’, for a slide show of the town.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunenburg,_Nova_Scotia

[taosjohn]

Speaking of mysteries, Lunenburg isn't very far south of a different type of one altogether-- Oak Island.

(I really just wanted an excuse to use a pirate smilie...)

[mbhenty]

Yes, Oak Island treasure. The whole thing sounds like a story that fits more appropriately in the Caribbean.

Though we had hoped to explore Mahone bay, and Oak Island area, which is a beautiful cruising area, with countless little islands, where one could anchor and enjoy one's pina colada, unforeseen circumstances begged that we return to Massachusetts.

I know about Oak Island but very little to nothing about the lore. But I hear it is very interesting. Must look it up.

[MysteryReader]

Onsloe is such a cutie! I love the town's colorful buildings. I've always wanted to go to Canada. Thanks for sharing!

[Aamartin]

Good for you. I would have sent my sons to Canada to avoid the draft.... I spent their childhoods discouraging entering the armed forces or the reserves.

[mbhenty]

Yes Aamartin. I was so upset and scared when I received my draft notice that I missed Woodstock.

The year before I got drafted there was over 500 Americans dead in one week. Scary stuff. Not like today. No one I knew wanted to join. The word was that if you joined the military you would not be sent to Viet nam. Of course there was no truth to that and it was just a recruiting ploy.

I know we are not suppose to talk politics, so I will cut this short.

But if there was a draft today, the Iraq thing would never have happened.

When I was drafted, if you went to college you did not have to go. That has been changed today.

Now if I knew Lizzie, I could have given her a call and Louis Henry Howe could have gotten me a cinch'y job in the pay corp in Washington.

[Fargo]

When you were in Shelburne you were about 20 minutes away by road from my family's Homestead in East Sable River, it's been in the family since the 1700's and is still in the family. The family Cemetary has my 5th great grandfather who left Rhode Island in the 1700's as well as my Great Grandmother "Jennie" whose picture is on my avatar.

[Fargo]

Double post. I don't know how to edit from my cell phone yet, only from the computer.

[mbhenty]

Yes Fargo:

The East Sable River would not be a place to take a yacht, but looks like a great place to live. No deep water.

Though from what little study I have done, it appears the high end real estate market is taking the place over.

Very secluded.

To get a flavor for an area I will usually do a study of the real estate for sale. The East Sable River area appears to have an ample amount of high end real estate, new homes with views.

Though I loved Lunenburg, it would have been a perfect place to visit without the tourists. Don't like tourists, though it is difficult to explore a place without becoming one. When I was a tourist in Rio, in Brazil, my cousin dressed me like a local. He advised that when exploring the town not to look up with your mouth open. You may find your wallet missing.

Below is more Lunenburg, including exploring Herman Island with my best friend, Onsloe—one of our dinghy rides around the island.

[mbhenty]

double post.

[Fargo]

That last picture looks like the dock were they tie up the Bluenose II right next to the museum. I can't be sure if it's it though. I remember the " Large Marge Cafe". My cousin in Martins River considered Lunenburg to be a tourist trap but then again he lives in the area. I drove the lighthouse route from Lunenburg to Liverpool. Except for the modern cars the buildings along the way looked like I went back in time 100 years

[mbhenty]

Yes, Lunenburg sure is a tourist trap. Nice people, though. At least the locals were nice. The tourists would push you over to get to that spare table at the local clam shack. They were probably Americans....eh?

Good eye Fargo. Yes that is the dock for Bluenose.

When we were in Lunenburg they were having some trouble with the underbody, the rudder, on Bluenose, and it was docked at the end of the harbor and not open to the public. Speaking with some locals, they were not very happy with the repairs previously made. Not sure what was wrong but they added that they screwed things up when trying to make repairs and spent to much money doing it.

I was looking forward to seeing it, but.......

Below are some photos I took of Bluenose at it's private dock. Click on the photo to view a beautiful large image of Bluenose.

The sunset picture is of my vessel, Saudade of Swansea, in harbor near Herman's Island at the mouth of Mahone Bay.

[Fargo]

Nice pictures Mbhenty !

[Fargo]

My granddad, being a full Novascotian, wanted a picture of the original bluenose. but rather than buy a picture that several people had a copy of, he wanted a picture that only He had a copy of. So he got a friend of his to take a picture of the Bluenose, in Nova Scotia, at a full sail in `1936. I have that sealed framed picture somewhere.

Several years ago, I lost a Cousin on the Bluenose II, he was swept overboard in a storm, they never found him. I never knew him.