Hidden Gem - Dawson Brook Falls

Don the hiker knows hidden!  It took two sets of directions, a call to Don, two false starts and Heather Starr Williams’ tuna sandwiches to get there, but we did find Dawson Brook Falls.  Reached by a trail that branches off from a gravel logging road just outside the quaint town of Ellershouse, the falls tumble about 15 meters down the well carved, granite lined gorge of the brook.  The walk in took us past deer stands, wildlife feeders, an elaborate tree house, a group of ATV riders and a couple of savage looking guard squirrels and was truly off the beaten path.  Some of the trees holding trail marking ribbons have tumbled down, so finding the falls takes some faith and a little perseverance.  In a few weeks the woods will be filled with wildflowers making this an even more attractive destination.  If you can find it!

From Ellershouse we headed down toward Windsor, skirted the town, and took the Windsor- Chester highway out along the edge of the Annapolis Valley.  The apple trees haven’t yet bloomed, but the lake and hill scenery was spectacular.  We headed for Moses Mountain, a hiker’s mecca, and while the mountain was easy to find, the trails were not.  We stopped and had a good view of Murphy’s Lake and the surrounding farm country, but didn’t, alas, make the summit of Moses Mountain.
The photos today are courtesy of North End Halifax resident, local sheriff, amateur photographer and all around good guy Brian Williams who had the courage and lack of common sense to accompany us on today’s trek.  Hopefully he was able to make me look less chubby. 

They say the camera adds ten pounds, but in Canada  it appears to subtract six inches as well.

The full day ended with games night at St. Luke’s United

Group and board games are a staple of family fun with me, and twenty church members came out to share a smorgasbord of snacks and game choices.  Rollie Swim even taught me to play Crokinole, a game I had never seen before, that the Internet said developed in rural Canada in the 1860s.  Games night was another new experience and a chance to meet a lot of nice folks.  It was certainly a full, well-spent Saturday.

--Mark Lassman-Eul

Editors Note: Mark is now back home.. here is a farewell message:

Well, it’s back home, to my mundane and non-celebrity like life in the land of limestone, lakes and bluegrass.  I wanted to say good-bye to the ocean, so we walked along the board walk in downtown Halifax today, stopping in at Jennifer’s my favorite downtown shop to visit with Darlene, the owner.  It was a wonderful visit full of great weather, hospitable people, scenic vistas, and of course, hidden gems.

My thanks to Kevin, Kim, and Lucy Little my wonderful and long-suffering hosts.  My thanks to Stacey Jones-Oxner of this site for making the contest possible and to all who made submissions and suggestions on things to see and places to go.  I realize that many of you may want to hire me as a travel writer, bush guide, or “mature” male model.  I’ll retain Stacey as my agent for any such offers. 

 Thanks again to everyone for their kindness.  I don’t mean this as a threat, but I do hope to visit again!