I lived in Stewiacke East for almost two years, just down the road from Mastodon Ridge. I passed by it regularly, and not once did I ever stop in to check it out.
I had always dismissed it as one of those silly roadside attractions that inspired the Tragically Hip tour. I’m glad I finally stopped in to discover that Mastodon Ridge is much more than a to-scale mastodon statue.
This is a pretty sweet road trip stop if you’ve got the whole family along for the ride. They have a little something for everyone. There’s an awesome mini-putt course, funny pictures cutout, and ice cream for the kids (or for a date). There’s even a replica Flintstones house and car. Gillian has three generations of family photos taken with the photo cutouts at Mastodon Ridge.
Mastodon Ridge has placed a big emphasis on education. The outdoor exhibits have been set up to be something of a one-stop shop for things you’d want to learn about Nova Scotia. Whether it’s info on Nova Scotian plant life, Bay of Fundy tides or Mi’kmaq creation stories you’re looking for, you’ll find some interesting tidbits here. You’ll also be reminded, ad naseum, that you are standing at the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole.
Up close, the mastodon statue really is pretty cool. It is a life-size replica of a male Mastodon that was unearthed at the National Gypsum Quarry near Milford Nova Scotia in 1991. The bones were studied by archeologists at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History (@ns_museum), and is believed to be about 79,000 years old!
In addition to the Mastodon statue, they also have a (somewhat unrelated) mascot to once again remind you that you are halfway between the Equator and the North pole. Since we are huge fans of polar bears, the last photo goes to this guy.
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