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DeBaies Cove - On the Lower Ship Harbour Road to DeBaies Cove, you can be most certain the tranquility of the cove and its surrounding area will reflect in your vacation day. It's a beautiful and peaceful spot - just a wonderful world! DeBaies Cove is at the mouth of Ship Harbour.

Ship Harbour stretches from the ocean inland for approximately eight miles. The mouth of the harbour is dotted with numerous islands that help to protect its waters from the open ocean. None of these islands is inhabited. All are heavily wooded and have sheltered coves, beaches, and inlets. The largest two have beautiful sand beaches and afford miles of hiking along rocky beaches.

Because of the many sheltered coves and inlets, bird life is abundant. Ospreys and loons are plentiful, a large variety of sea ducks can be seen swimming and feeding along the shores, eagles soar overhead almost any day and a variety of gulls, terns, and other water fowl are common. Seals are always popping their heads above the surface and lying around on the ledges and it's not unusual to encounter pods of porpoises. Enjoy Nature's Playground but please help preserve habitat by leaving only footprints (if you must) and taking only photos.

Hungry? Travellers in this area who stop at Family Fries in Ship Harbour are rewarded by the smiles and down home cooking of chief cook and bottlewasher, owner Pearl Kelly Newcombe. Try some homemade pie and ice cream. Pearl's is the 2nd 'truck stop' after Webber's heading east from the city. Open year round and as everyone knows, where the truckers stop, good food is at hand.

East Ship Harbour - Back to the Marine Drive, Highway 7, East Ship Harbour visitors will be rewarded with even more spectacular views. In this area watch for numerous small floats dotting the bays. These floats mark the strings of mussels farmed under the surface waters.

In East Ship Harbour, you can stop at AquaPrime Mussel Ranch and pick up fresh mussels at $1.20 a pound. Boil a pot on the closest beach or steam them in wine for a special treat. AquaPrime has been operating a sustainable, environmentally friendly business in Ship Harbour since 1990. We are now about one hour outside Metro Halifax.

Tangier

No visit to Tangier is complete without a stop at Willie Krauch's World Famous smoke house where you can buy some of the best Danish-style smoked fish anywhere. The smoked salmon (lox in New York!) produced here is coveted by some of the finest restaurants in the world.

And for those of you who thought the Maritimes was only all about ships, coal and fish, it is interesting to discover that in Tangier there was a gold rush back in 1861 and gold mining became an important local industry. The Blueberry Hill Mine still operates off and on. Sorry folks, no tours and no panning allowed!

Scott Cunningham at Coastal Adventures is one of Nova Scotia's kayaking pioneers and nobody knows the Eastern Shore kayak routes better than he. Offering tours for beginners to experienced paddlers, Dr. Cunningham's kayak excursions are always informative and entertaining.

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