Despite the bugs in certain areas, we had a fantastic tour around this spectacularly-scenic province, visiting Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Advocate Harbour, Peggy's Cove, and Lunenburg. I also accomplished most of what I'd hoped to do in the Amherst area. We visited Fort Cumberland where the Ripleys first landed in the Chignecto area. We were able to find 4 of the 5 cemeteries in which generations of great grandparents are buried and took many photographs. I was finally able to meet local genealogist Susan Hill, first cousin Tannis, and distant cousins Rachel and Art Ripley. I also learned of a Ripley who has a sugar woods in Fenwick. In River Philip we located the plaque honouring the Yorkshire settlers and possibly the locations of the original Ripley land grants there. We waded in the River Philip to cool off and bought local strawberries in Oxford. It was wonderful to acquire a sense of "place" that you just don't get from looking at maps.
I will be able to add much information to the website in the weeks to come. It's clear I need to come back and spend a week or two at the Cumberland County genealogical centre going through the papers of Ernest Coates, who collected 8 files on the Ripleys. Hopefully next summer...though making maple sugar in the spring certainly sounds tempting.