2025 vacation

2025 Vacation Wrap-Up

All in all, it was quite the adventure.

Our summer vacation to Nova Scotia and Maine was an endurance test for both driving (almost 70 hours worth) and photography (two weeks worth of photos to organize and edit).

There’s probably such a thing as “too much travel,” and we were right up against that limit. But we also had an amazing time and got to experience a beautiful portion of North America. 

A few final thoughts on our 2025 adventure:

  • The kids, thankfully, can now fully entertain themselves in the car. They’re old enough now to manage their activities, keep themselves busy, and not ask us parents for too much attention.
  • The driving was worth it. Yes, there was a lot. But I loved seeing Canada and the U.S. this way. I’ll never forget driving through New Brunswick and rounding a corner to see a beautiful lake at the bottom of a valley, or following the St. Lawrence River through Quebec and seeing where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • My photography kit was perfect. Having the super-compact and capable Canon EOS M6, along with a few lenses, was all I needed. I’ve created a video review of the camera – check it out on YouTube, featuring some of the photos from this trip. 

Now I’m off to work on our annual summer vacation photo book.

 

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Bar Harbor, Maine

2025 Vacation: Bar Harbor, Maine

We had two opportunities to visit Bar Habor, Maine: one after we completed our Acadia National Park adventure, and the other was via a lobster boat ride.

Our first visit, after the park, was during a beautiful evening where the town was hopping with people and activities. It’s summer, so of course us tourists were out.

The shops and restaurants were packed, and the sunset light was perfect for capturing some street photography. I saw tons of colors and characters, the perfect recipe to grab pictures around the town.

When we came back, we hopped on a lobster boat for a tour of Frenchman Bay.

It was a great tour. We learned about lobsters, about the fishing industry, and even took a loop around a lighthouse, where seals were squatting on the rocks.

For the first time, we all got to hold a lobster. After grabbing them out of the lobster nets, the kids had a chance to throw the lobsters back into the bay.

Bar Harbor, Maine

Now I know, first hand, where those delicious lobster rolls come from.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and a select few EF-M lenses.

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Foggy Maine

2025 Vacation: Foggy Maine Coast

This is almost like cheat-code photography.

Much like we saw at Peggy’s Cove, sometimes the fog would roll in off the Atlantic Ocean and flood our little corner of Maine in a dense haze. 

After the first time the fog rolled in, I made a point to check each morning to see if it was foggy out. I had this spot in mind up the peninsula, where boats were gathered by the shore, and I thought, “This would be an amazing foggy spot for pictures.”

One misty morning, the fog made an appearance, and I seized my chance to head up the coast and grab pictures at that boat landing. But then something funny happened: the further North I drove, the less foggy it was. When I landed at that spot, there was no fog at all.

Bummer.

Luckily, it was foggy enough during our week there that getting out and taking photos was not a problem. 

It was so fun to wander around Flye Point and see the entire landscape reimagined.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2 and 32mm f/1.4.

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Acadian National Park

2025 Vacation: Acadia National Park

I had the chance to visit Acadia National Park almost 20 years ago. It’s where I climbed my first mountain, and I was excited to show off the park to my family.

Acadia is not the biggest national park, but for sheer variety, it has a lot to offer: great hiking, mountains, oceanfront scenery, with ponds and rivers galore.

The park helped me appreciate the benefits of Canon’s lighter mirrorless kit. When you’re hiking up and down mountains, the portability of the EOS M series was definitely a benefit. And the image quality never suffers.

It’s a shame Canon discontinued the M series. With the R series, cameras got bigger, lenses got bigger, and apart from a few of the APS-C and point-and-shoot bodies, there’s nothing like the M series in the lineup anymore. Trips like this highlight the need for a smaller kit.

We worked our way around the park and by mid-day, we finished up and headed into Bar Harbor, Maine, for dinner.

Shot on the Canon EOS M and the EF-M lenses.

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2025 Vacation: First Day in Maine

After leaving Canada by way of New Brunswich and the border, we landed in Brooklin, Maine, our home for the next week.

We arrived at nightfall, so we had no glimpse of the peninsula where we sat.

Not until I got up early the first day and went to the beach.

This was the Maine I remember. And for that first morning, I had it all to myself.

I did what I always tend to do and went exploring – up and down the coastline, through the set of cabins on this part of the shore, taking advantage of the early morning light.

Lookout Inn - Brooklin, Maine

Then the family woke up, and we explored the jagged, rocky beach together.

The tide was a new thing for us Michiganders. Here on the peninsula, we had to pay attention: there were several islands you could walk out to at low tide. But come high tide, you might get stranded.

And the bay’s ocean water, just like in Nova Scotia, was freezing. So we mainly played on the rocks.

Later that night, after dinner, we took a stroll back down to the coast to watch blue hour come in at high tide.

Maine was different. More rugged. A little more wild. And there was lots more to see.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and several EF-M lenses.

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2025 Vacation: Lobster Carnival in Pictou

Up here, the locals call it “Carny.” 

To us Americans, Pictou, Nova Scotia’s Lobster Carnival was nothing short of a wonder. 

Pictou is a small town. But walking around on the last day of our Canadian trip, you’d think the whole town had turned out. And why not? On the East Coast, lobsters are a big deal.

Pictou made them a big deal.

A mini fair, with rides and games, a concert in the park, and one of the best lobster rolls I had so far this trip – Carny had it all.

We couldn’t have picked a better way to say “goodbye” to Canada.

Pictou, Nova Scotia

Before we left town, we stopped and had ice cream. Tomorrow? Through New Brunswich and on to Maine.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2 and 32mm f/1.4.

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Egypt Falls - Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

2025 Vacation: Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Imagine a New England state-size island, full of its own little towns and natural wonders, and that’s Cape Breton – off the eastern coast of Nova Scotia.

It was a bit of a drive to get there, but boy, it was worth it.

First, we took some nature trails and discovered Egypt Falls along the western section of the island.

For the kids, it was a grueling hike up and down the trail. But at the bottom? One of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen.

After Egypt Falls, we hiked the Lewis Mountain trail, a hidden gem behind a set of power lines. To get there, you take a lovely drive around Bras d’Or, the large inland body of saltwater.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

The trail, a gentle incline through a beautiful northern forest, followed a stream where (I’m proud to say) my family took a swim. 

Driving around the island, there was plenty to see. 

To close out the trip, we had dinner in Baddeck, where I couldn’t resist eating an entire lobster.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 with the EF-M 22mm f/2 and kit zoom lenses.

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Peggy's Cove

2025 Vacation: Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

After our Halifax adventure, we took an hour’s drive to the famous Peggy’s Cove. 

As we approached the shore, we noticed the fog rolling in off the Atlantic. This would be a theme for our vacation.

It was certainly a vibe: a rocky, jagged coast, a little fishing village, and not much visibility. We could barely see the lighthouse from the parking lot, but the visibility improved the closer you got.

Reds and greens. Blues and teals. Here, colors popped out of the fog. 

Driving from the coast, we made a few stops along the way to see what else the fog was hiding.

Some of it? We couldn’t see. It’s still a mystery. 

Sometimes, photography is like that. 

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2. 

 

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Halifax, Nova Scotia

2025 Vacation: Canada Day in Halifax

You haven’t experienced a national holiday until you’ve seen Canadians celebrate Canada Day on July 1.

The first clue came when we were driving into Halifax.

“Everyone’s wearing red,” I noticed. Like, everyone. 

First, we hit the waterfront district because that’s where the action was. Food, activities, vendors – and tons of people dressed in their Canada Day gear. It was super fun to see, especially coming from the United States, where our relationship with our northern neighbor has been rocky since January. 

“Good for Canada,” I thought with a little sense of pride. 

Our kids had fun seeing the big ships coming into the Halifax harbor and the giant wave sculpture.

Then we left the waterfront to walk around the Public Gardens.

Later, trying to find a place for dinner, we wandered around the north part of the city until we found a stellar cidery, the Chain Yard – complete with a DJ.

This situation – visiting a new city in another country on a special day – is exactly what I mean when I tell people I use photography as an excuse for adventure. It’s my favorite setting: a new place with new people, where I get to use my camera as a sort of third eye, capturing and getting to know the things I see.

Speaking of which…

From Halifax, we drove to Peggy’s Cove for some fog and lighthouse action. More on that next.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and (mostly) the EF-M 15-45mm kit zoom lens.

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Pictou, Nova Scotia

2025 Vacation: Pictou, Nova Scotia

After Rushtons Beach, we drove into Pictou, Nova Scotia, for dinner at a little seafood place by the water.

We also learned that, later in the week, Pictou would host their annual Lobster Carnival. 

Guess we’ll be back on Friday, won’t we?

On the drive back to the cabin, we caught a killer sunset along an inlet.

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2.

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Rushtons Beach, Nova Scotia

2025 Vacation: Rushtons Beach

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean was new enough for our kids. But swimming in the northern Atlantic? 

That water is cold.

The frigid ocean didn’t stop us, though, at Rushtons Beach, a scenic, sandy beach on the north side of Nova Scotia. 

We spent half of the day relaxing on the beach. For the other half, we explored one of the rivers flowing into the Atlantic. The kids discovered you could tiptoe across the water to the near shore. 

I took the boardwalk and went to explore around the provincial park a bit. 

After brushing the sand off, we went into Pictou for dinner and ice cream.

Not a bad first day exploring the Maritimes. 

Shot on the Canon EOS M6 and EF-M 22mm f/2 and 32mm f/1.4. 

 

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Marshville, Nova Scotia

2025 Vacation: Marshville, Nova Scotia

The first leg of our two-week vacation was along the north shore of Nova Scotia, in a little town called Marshville. It was a total throw-a-dart-at-a-map-and-hope-it-works-out location.

It totally worked out.

We’re an AirBNB/Vrbo family, and we try to get cabins on the water. This one was close enough – a short walk down a drive, then a set of stairs down a bluff, and we were oceanside.

The neighborhood was filled with quaint sea cottages, many of which proudly displayed their Canadian pride.

As always, I took the first day or two to explore the cabin and the neighborhood, exploring the light where I could find it.

Marshville was a good launching point for all our adventures. We had plenty to see along Nova Scotia’s North Shore, and it was centrally located to easily make our future drives to Halifax and Cape Breton.

Every morning, the kids watched the tide ebb and flow. And every evening, we went down to the beach to see the sunset. 

We saw the ocean in California last year, but not like this – not every day, and not this close to shore. After the kids overcame their fear of the little brown jellyfish and embraced the cold northern water, the ocean became part of their spiritual rhythm. 

The Canon M6, paired with either the EF-M 22mm f/2, EF-M 32mm f/1.4, or the M kit zoom, made for a light and satisfying travel kit.

We spent our first evening getting to know the place. The next day, we’d travel to a local beach to really take in the ocean view.

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