Posts by: AlanMc

The Yarmouth County Museum is arguably the best among all the smaller museums of Nova Scotia. Located in the town of Yarmouth, on the southern coast of the province, this museum is remarkable both for its collections and its structure. Few museums in Canada have such a wonderful home. The building began as the Tabernacle Congregational Church constructed in 1892 in the Gothic Revival style. The granite exterior which is rather plain gives no hint of the whimsical interior. Inside the ceiling is criss-crossed with white painted colonnaded ribs that create a marvellous visual effect. All the wood detailing is […]

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Near the entrance to the Cabot Trail, an absolute must for any visitor to Cape Breton, is the picturesque village of Baddeck. (Local Baddeck Info). It is located on Bras d’Or Lake and because of its setting and facilities for sailing and other water sports is a favourite with vacationers. A sail on the lake aboard 67 foot schooner or a tour by boat to Bird Island to see the puffins are excellent ways to spend a summer day as is a swim on the beach at Baddeck. The best known resident of Baddeck was Alexander Graham Bell who in […]

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No trip to Cape Breton Island will be complete without taking in two sites that are close to the city of Sydney. They are easily accessible from Sydney’s airport and harbour and are well worth the drive over from the island’s famed Cabot Trail. Just a 30 minute drive from Sydney, Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada, is a reconstructed, fortified French colonial town that provides a day-long living historical experience. Louisbourg played a very important role in the evolution of French settlement in North America. It was the site of two sieges in wars between the English […]

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Founded in 1753 as the second community in the British colony of Nova Scotia, Lunenburg was settled by immigrants from Germany, Switzerland and France. The influence of the early Germanic inhabitants is still felt today as the town draws many tourists from Europe. The current inhabitants of Lunenburg are very proud of the fine ensemble of buildings dating from the late 1700s and the 19th century. Everywhere you look there are brightly coloured, often massive wooden homes, churches, commercial buildings and warehouses. They are still in use, some having been transformed to luxurious inns, bed and breakfasts and restaurants. The […]

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Halifax museums offer a wide variety of unique experiences that inform and entertain visitors who are interested in military and marine history, art, culture and natural history. Tourists in Nova Scotia can’t go wrong in dropping in to one or all of the museums I have mentioned below. They all are great fun for the entire family offering special programs for the little ones as well as adults. You can’t miss Halifax Citadel because the city surrounds it. Although accessible by car there is no better way to approach the Citadel than on foot. This way you get a clear […]

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Tourists visiting Nova Scotia invariably want to see a perfect fishing village. They yearn to experience the fresh sea air with gulls and terns circling overhead, brightly coloured fishing shacks propped up on stilts along a rugged shore, weathered, shingled saltbox houses clinging to the rocks and brilliantly painted fishing boats bobbing in a protected cove. Of course not many functioning fishing villages are picture perfect. But Peggy’s Cove comes pretty close to the ideal. It is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Nova Scotia and there are very good reasons for this. The drive from Halifax to Peggy’s […]

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Kejimkujik National Park, located in the south centre of Nova Scotia, is a natural preserve and recreational park as well as a national historic site. The park, affectionately called Keji by its enthusiasts, is 174 km (106 mi.) from Halifax and 86 km (53 mi.) from Digby. Visiting a park of the magnitude of Keji without staying overnight is to miss a lot of the outdoor experience. The camping facilities in the park are excellent. At Jeremys Bay Campground there are three beaches, an internet station, interpretive programs, a playground and a walking trail joining the campsites to the shores […]

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Tourists to Nova Scotia should definitely not miss visiting the town of Parrsboro located at the head of the Bay of Fundy not far from Amherst and Truro. I recommend that you swing into Parrsboro before you leave the province for New Brunswick or just after you enter the land of “Bluenosers”. Before you get upset at the use of this epithet, let me explain. It’s fine to call Nova Scotians “Bluenoses” or “Bluenosers”. They are proud of the nickname which some say comes from the Irish Bluenose Potato, once a major product of the province. Others say it comes […]

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Situated at the south end of the Annapolis Valley is the town of Annapolis Royal. The picturesque town has some of the most beautiful heritage buildings in Nova Scotia. Take a leisurely walk through the town past the stately Victorian homes and explore the many shops that offer some of the highest quality Nova Scotia crafts to be had anywhere in the province. Right in the centre of Annapolis Royal are the extensive Historic Gardens that are sure to inspire enthusiasts of horticulture as well as photographers and children who will enjoy the Rose Maze. This garden, one of the […]

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Without a doubt the most scenic drive in Nova Scotia is the Cabot Trail. This winding, hilly highway that circles the coast of the upper end of Cape Breton Island, should be a must on every vacationers itinerary. The views are breathtaking. One’s experience on the Cape Breton Trail is entirely at the mercy of the weather. If it is wet and foggy, as it frequently is in the spring and early summer, there is a chance that the blue waters of the Atlantic that crash into the shoreline along the trail will be obscured. We drove the trail on […]

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