CHESTER, NS, CA
One of my favorite places. Chester is a small town on the east coast of Nova Scotia where I have grown up going with my family. Right on the water, it defines peace and rest. You want to know some things to do after finding this poetic little town on the water. But first, let me describe it to you…
At ten years old, I’d run down the mossy stone stairs, look both ways across the street, and sprint across the road to the old wooden dock across from our house. We had just eaten scrambled eggs and pita bread with honey for breakfast and now, net in hand, I was off to discover creatures hiding in the seaweed. With my net and my bucket, I was delighted to uncover shrimp, minnows, and tiny eels hiding in the seaweed. Later that day, we were going on a motorboat ride to the nearest rocky island, where I would hop from rock to rock trying to find sea glass hiding in the sand.
At fifteen, I loved walking into town, feeling so old with my little purse and my jean shorts. I’d go to the coffee shop and get some type of my favorite coffee (well, honestly, it was mostly sugar and milk) before looking around in the quaint shops. Then I’d go back to the house, change into my bathing suit, and paddle board around the small peninsula, looking for starfish. Afterwards, my family would get dressed up and go eat at the Sunroom (the nicest place in town) before watching Pirates of the Caribbean and then going to sleep listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the dock.
Now, at nineteen, I relish the peace and rest that this small, quiet town in Canada brings. I wake up late, go downstairs and read my Bible before kayaking with my older sister. Then we walk into town and get coffee (actual coffee at this point) and oat cakes from the Kiwi Cafe before returning to play cards and read books on the front porch. I now take long walks, appreciating the gardens so immensely crafted by the Canadians, admiring the sailboats that fly by, and finding joy in the escape from all of the noise that this world holds.
That is Chester for me. I think it truly is such an incredible place to learn more about your family, yourself, and your Creator, all while enjoying some some maple donuts and nice lobster.
ITINERARY
Ok… you’re in Chester… now what? Here’s an itinerary for things to do in a day or a week in Chester*
ONE DAY IN CHESTER
7 wake up!
7:30-8:30 kayak
9:15-10:15 breakfast at the Kiwi Cafe
10:20-11 explore town!
- Chester’s (coffeeshop and bakery)
- The Village Emporium (gift shop and fun Canada items!)
- Lightfoot Tower and Zoé Vallé Memorial Library (this is a cool tower you can climb, as well as a small library!)
- Artisan’s Gallery
- Linens For Life
11:30 pack a picnic
- Grab sandwich supplies at Spidles’ Your Independent Grocer
- Run to Subway and grab sandwiches!
12-3 boat to Quaker Island (or, as my family calls it, Blueberry Island)
- Eat!
- Hike the short distance to the top of the hill to the lighthouse! It’s a beautiful view from the top with a flower field and blueberries and raspberries growing along the trail during the summer!
- Walk along the beach and look for seaglass
- Lay out! Relax!
3:15 come back and lay on the porch! Read! Nap! Play cards!
6:15-8 dinner at Sunroom (or if it’s a Thursday, eat burgers at the Chester Yacht Club)
- I recommend getting a reservation for Sunroom!
8:30 night paddle board or fish!
10 goodnight!
ONE WEEK IN CHESTER
SUNDAY
- 9:30-10:30 breakfast at the Kiwi Cafe
- 10:30-11:30 explore town
- Chester’s (coffeeshop and bakery)
- The Village Emporium (gift shop and fun Canada items!)
- Lightfoot Tower and Zoé Vallé Memorial Library (this is a cool tower you can climb, as well as a small library!)
- Artisan’s Gallery
- Linens For Life
- 12 lunch: grab something in town or make food at home
- 1-4 Freda’s beach
- Fish
- Lay out and relax!
- 4:30-5:30 paddle board around the harbor or get nets and try to catch fish and crabs or find starfish and eels!
- Dinner at home and movie!
- Maybe grab a frozen pizza from Spidles’ Your Independent Grocer
MONDAY
- 7:30 wake up
- 8-9 kayak
- 9:30 breakfast at home
- Go to Tim Hortons and get donuts! Best donuts in Canada! Make sure you try the maple donut 😉
- 10:30 boat to Quaker Island
- 10:45-1 hang out on Quakers!
- Eat!
- Hike the short distance to the top of the hill to the lighthouse! it’s a beautiful view from the top with a flower field and blueberries and raspberries growing along the trail during the summer!
- Walk along the beach and look for seaglass
- Lay out! relax!
- 1:30 lunch at the Rope Loft or the Kiwi Cafe
- Snuggle up, read a good book, and watch the boats roll in
- Dinner at Sunroom
- This will be your nice meal of the week. I recommend wearing something a little nicer and making a reservation!
TUESDAY
- 8 wake up
- 9 stop by Chester’s for coffee and breakfast
- Stop by fast food to grab a lunch to bring on the hike!
- 10:30-2 Crystal Crescent hike
- About an hour’s drive from Chester
- Beautiful and fairly easy hike! Lots of big rocks to climb on. The whole hike is beside the water and through a forest. One of the best hikes I’ve done!
- The trail can be a little muddy so make sure you have shoes that you’re ok getting dirty!
- You can turn around wherever on the hike.
- Bring a bathing suit and hang out on the beach once you’re done!
- !!!WARNING!!! The third of the three beaches is a NUDE BEACH! We did this hike with my two little sisters and had no problem, but just a head’s up!
- 2:15 drive to Halifax
- About a 40 minute drive
- 3-8 explore Halifax! A beautiful and cool city to shop in
- Dinner: find a cool restaurant on the waterfront! and make sure to get some ice cream as well!
- Drive home! Goodnight!
WEDNESDAY
- Two options for today
- Option one: rest day!
- Lay around, be lazy, watch movies in bed, go for a long walk, paddle board, etc.
- Eat lunch at Ferramenta Pizzeria
- Eat dinner at the Rope Loft
- Option two: Peggy’s Cove
- 1-5 hang out at Peggy’s Cove!
- Peggy’s Cove is a quaint fishing village right on the water. It’s the perfect place to spend the afternoon hiking, watching the tides, and, of course, eating good food.
- There’s several good hikes/ walks to go on around the Cove
- Polly Cove Trail is a 3.8 kilometer loop trail
- Peggy’s Cove Northside Trail takes about 25 minutes and is a there-and-back trail around 1.8 kilometers
- I hope you like lobster, because there are quite a few restaurants known for their lobster rolls right by the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse!
- Tom’s Lobster Shack
- Dee Dee’s Ice Cream
- U-Cook Lobster
- Peggy’s Cove Lobster
- Foggy Rock Cafe (COFFEESHOP!)
- Bubba Magoos a& Bistro (also a gift shop)
- You have to go see the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse as well!
- There’s several good hikes/ walks to go on around the Cove
- Peggy’s Cove is a quaint fishing village right on the water. It’s the perfect place to spend the afternoon hiking, watching the tides, and, of course, eating good food.
- 5 leave
- 6 get ready to eat!
- 7 eat dinner at the Rope Loft
- 1-5 hang out at Peggy’s Cove!
- Option one: rest day!
THURSDAY
- 9 wake up
- 10 leave
- 10:45-11:20 Lunenburg market
- The market is open from 8-12
- It’s located in the Lunenburg Arena
- If you’re a coffee person, wait for your morning cup until you get to the market so you can get some of Laughing Whale’s coffee!
- There’s free parking by the arena
- 12-1 lunch at Half Shell!
- Half Shell Oyster Bar is a fabulous restaurant with a view overlooking the water. However, a line starts to form around 11:40, so if you don’t want to wait, I recommend going to get in the front of the line around 11:35.
- 1-4 after lunch, explore Lunenburg!
- Lots of fun shops
- Sail on the Bluenose
- There are whale watching tours, but most people will tell you that it’s very rare to see a whale. I would not recommend this.
- Walking tours
- 4:30 head back to Chester
- 5 dinner at the Chester Yacht Club
- The CYC has a weekly BBQ on Thursdays at 5! An easy walk, the Club is right by the water and all the sailboats! You don’t want to miss this!
FRIDAY
- 9 wake up
- 10-10:30 Farmer’s market in Chester
- This market runs from 9:30-12
- The address is 37 Smith Rd, Chester, NS B0J 1J0
- 10:45-1 Graves Island Provincial Park
- Golf at the Chester Golf Club
- Make sure to book your appointment! nonmembers can book up to 6 days before their reservation.
- Dinner at golf club
SATURDAY
- 9 wake up
- 10-12 Hubbards Market is MUST! This is my single favorite thing about Chester. It’s a beautiful market inside a barn with hot coffee, live music, and fresh veggies. If you do nothing else this week, go to this farmers market!
- 8-12 on Saturdays!
- 12:30 lunch at the Kiwi Cafe
- Squeeze in one last paddle board, fishing trip, or island run! Or start packing up for the trip home.
- Make dinner at home tonight! I’m going to guess you’ve uncovered a newfound love for lobster… so get ready for a homemade lobster meal (recipes for both coming soon!)
- Lobster
- Cobbler
- Goodnight!
***As a vegetarian, I no longer eat lobster, but it’s a family favorite from our summers here!
*This itinerary is based on the summer weather of Nova Scotia!
You’re so close! You have almost everything you need to have the most epic time in Chester! Here are a few more things that may be helpful to know.
PACKING LIST
Here are some items that I would make sure to bring! When packing everyday items, you are totally good to wear athletic wear, jeans/ jeans shorts, or other casual outfits.
- Chacos
- For your paddle boarding, kayaking, and beach adventures
- Rain jacket
- It rains A LOT! I would have a rain jacket with you at all times.
- A good book
- Chester is so restful and quiet. Bring a good book for your lazy days.
- A fleece
- In the summer, it’s either 50 degrees or 75 degrees. I’d come prepared for both!
- A bathing suit
- A nice dinner outfit
- Hiking boots/ tennis shoes
- For your explorations!
PLACES TO STAY
- Grey Gables Bed and Breakfast
- Oak Island Resort and Conference Centre
- Mecklenburgh Inn
- Surfside Inn
- Check out some of the Air B&Bs in Chester!
FUN FACTS
- Being the Southern girl that I am, I would never dare speak to an adult without the necessary “yes ma’am”, and “no sir”. However, Canadians don’t love that. I remember being 8 or 9 and calling an older woman “Miss”; she proceeded to yell at me and tell me that this offended her. Here is your fair warning; no need for you Southerners to hit them with “excuse me ma’am.” They won’t appreciate it.
- The Bluenose ship in Lunenburg is the same ship that is on the Canadian dime!
- Speaking on Canadian money, their currency is super cool.
That’s Chester for ya! I’m hoping and praying that you find both rest and adventure in this place that I have grown to love so much.Be still and know that He is God! That He who created you loves and cherishes you! Sit in the joy and peace of that truth as you experience Chester. Love ya, AnitaBelle