The High Country made for a posh cruise and offered a commanding view of the Nova Scotia scenery

This summer journey could be best described as a Post-Lockdown Catch Up — a week in Nova Scotia wherein I attended an overdue Anne Murray band reunion on the North Shore, a family gathering near Bridgewater on the South Shore, and a musical memorial for a good friend and respected musician in Wolfville. The steed for this tour was a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country. It carried me and my wife Claire in swank comfort, spoiling us with ventilated seats, fine Bose audio, and a commanding view of the Nova Scotia scenery as we cruised our way to the various corners of this beautiful province.

Granted, since we didn’t need to tow a boat or trailer, this lengthy pearlescent pachyderm was a bit overkill, and I sure didn’t like the idea of feeding its 6.2L V8. Nonetheless, the High Country made for a posh cruise, and a judicious approach to throttle application netted 11.8 L/100 km at week’s end — not bad for a 2,530 kg truck with the aerodynamics of a tool shed.

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After Anne’s reunion (plenty of laughing, singing, lobsters and wine), my wife and I headed east along the North Shore to the town of Tatamagouche. A big draw here is the Train Station Inn where visitors sleep over in a echanting array of vintage cabooses and boxcars. They may look rustic on the outside, but the interiors are “private deluxe suites,” charmingly decorated. The 1928 Dining Car serves up some mighty fine local seafood, and after our meal (traditional salt cod fishcakes for me) we went for a hike along the Short Line Trail that stretches 107 kilometres along an old rail bed dating to the 1880s.

While in Tatamachouche (Mi’kmaq for “A little crossing place”) a visit to the nearby Jost Vineyards in Malagash is a must. It claims to be Nova Scotia’s first wine producer, having planted vineyards in 1978. Naturally, the locals thought they were nuts. Turns out the climate, tempered by the warm-ish waters of the Northumberland Strait, was perfect for cool-climate varieties like Baco Noir, Millot, and Castel. The wines here are world class, and Jost certainly has fun naming them: The Great Big Friggin’ Red being the most notable. It comes in a half bottle called the L’il Frigger.

Time to leave the North Shore and head to the South Shore for a gathering of the clan at my sister’s house hear Bridgewater. But first, a visit to historic Lunenberg with its candy-coloured wooden buildings, galleries, shops, and narrow streets that definitely were not designed to accommodate a modern full-size American pickup truck.

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The High Country’s cabin got redesigned for 2022, and while not quite as impressive as the top-tier Ram pickups, it does brag supple perforated leather with contrasting stitching, open pore wood trim, and a horizontal 13.4-inch centre touchscreen with Google Maps, wireless Apple Car Play and wireless Android Auto. Graphics are sharp and the infotainment system is logical and easy to learn. The $2,265 High Country Premium package adds 22-inch wheels, sunroof, and all-weather floor mats. You’ll want to spec the $1,380 retractable running boards that make ingress and egress somewhat more graceful.

Nova Scotia’s South Shore is blessed with endless beaches of white sand, and Crescent Beach near Petite Riviere is totally unique in that it is the only beach in Nova Scotia you can drive on. How could we resist? We respectfully rumbled the Silverado along the hard-packed beach, stopped for a few photos, then hopped out and strolled this magical two-km stretch of land that juts out into the Atlantic.

Our next destination was Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley where I attended a celebration of life for my long-time friend Grant Leslie. Grant and I embarked on our musical careers together, playing in bands as teenagers and consequently getting up to all kinds of mischief. He went on to play with many well-known artists — most notably a 20-plus year stint with blues legend Matt Minglewood. So, what happens when some of Nova Scotia’s finest musicians get together in a Lion’s Club Hall where there are drums, amps, a bar, and dozens of stories (some even true) to be told? This send-off surely had Grant grinning from ear to ear as he looked down on us from that big blues bar in the sky.

Grant would have appreciated my high-zoot High Country too, as he was also known as Mr. Plow in these parts, having shoved around snow with his old GMC 4×4 pickup for many years. However, with an MSRP of $73,748, here inflated to $84,818 (before freight and taxes), this Chevy truck is only for those with deep pockets — its biggest financial hit being the $3,135 6.2L Ecotec3 V8 (an upgrade from the standard 5.3L) that puts out a robust 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft. Mated to a 10-speed automatic, this engine/transmission combo is impressive. The auto slurs the gears imperceptibly and that big hunk of American V8 really hauls when the work boot hits the floor.

Okay, maybe not a work boot. This High Country seems altogether too sophisticated for the construction site. For those not familiar with these extravagances (my relatives and a few musician friends), the notion of a lavish pickup that kisses $90k is bonkers. Luxury comes in many forms, and this breed of pickup blends versatility, utility, technology, and opulence. If you’re a Chevy truck disciple, the High Country represents the top of the mountain, and it sure ain’t a bad way to tour Nova Scotia.

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