Posts by: WantsToTravelMore

This Annapolis Royal Museum is more the normal point-in-time display.  In this case, O’Dell House Museum is the former home of Nova Scotia Pony Express rider Corey O’Dell and his family. There is a guide who’ll describe the rooms’ various functions and what’s displayed from the Annapolis Heritage Society’s collection of artifacts. For me these museums help have a glimpse into the past as to how people lived. More information:  annapolisheritagesociety.com/odell-house-museum Where to Stay in Annapolis Royal

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On St. George Street in Annapolis Royal, on Saturday mornings from late May to early October, there’s a market with lots of local vendors. Plus the stores along the street are open.  We had a Town Crier join the festivities as we happened to be there on Canada Day and there was a new store opening. People were socializing a great deal as the locals often bump into each other at the market. My son picked up a hoodie with Annapolis Royal on it. For more information: annapolisroyalfarmersmarket.com Where to Stay in Annapolis Royal

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Because of Annapolis Royal’s long history (from the European perspective) dating back to 1605, it’s not surprising that you’ll find some old buildings. The Sinclair Inn is the 2nd oldest wooden structure still standing in Canada.  It’s now a museum, but it’s a museum of the building itself.  When the town was re-invigorating itself in the 1980s, they were trying to figure out what to do with the Sinclair Inn.  As they started looking behind the walls, they found that it was far older than they thought. There was a construction style used by the Acadians called wattle and daub, […]

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The people of Annapolis Royal sure know what they’re doing about baked goods.  It was the first morning and I was fairly jet-lagged and breakfast was at Arch & Po Bakery.  We were on a weekday and despite it being lunch time for locales, it was not too busy.  The baked goods taste as good as they look.  You go to the counter to order and self-serve coffee.  I had their breakfast croissant.  My wife had an almond croissant and a maple scone that were best in class. Because everything in Annapolis Royal feels like you are in an antique […]

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Peggy’s Cove is likely the cutest seaside town you have ever seen.  Depending on the route you take (I prefer the taking Highway 103 from Halifax and connecting to Highway 333 so that you pass through French Village and Indian Harbour before reaching Peggy’s Cove.) you will need 40 – 50 minutes to drive to Peggy’s Cove.  During the busy seasons, it’s recommended to arrive early so as to avoid crowds. You have to plan to drive back or continue on somewhere else, because Peggy’s Cove is primarily for looking, not staying.  The town captures the essence of an Atlantic […]

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On April 15, 1912, the most famous ocean liner in the word sank at the will of an iceberg and the arrogance of shipbuilders.  Many Canadian ports were involved in the rescue and recovery operation.  Halifax had the sad task of being a victim identification centre and explains why three Halifax cemeteries hold graves from this tragedy. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (located at 1675 Lower Water Street Halifax) has a permanent exhibit, which was updated with new artefacts including a mortuary bag and a carved table leg.  Many Titanic artefacts have been spread all over Atlantic Canada – […]

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Many people know the name Acadian or Acadia, but probably would be hard-pressed to be sure who they were talking about.  When you visit Nova Scotia, it’s good to have the basics so you can better enjoy the various Acadian cultural artefacts and events. In the 1600s 500 French settlers colonized Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, calling the area Acadie, and prospered and, in the 1750s, their numbers were about 14,000. Unfortunately, the British had claimed Nova Scotia as its colony.  In 1755, Acadians were rounded up for an unwilling deportation.  Over 6000 Acadians were put on boats bound for elsewhere, […]

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