Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia

A while back I was sitting in a waiting room (not a the type of waiting room where no one talks or looks at each other, but a waiting room with chatter going on). I overheard someone say that he had been busy publishing a motorcycle book. That caught my interest since John's son is a motorcycle enthusiast.

We ran into the man a little later on the street. Being that we were in Nova Scotia, where people actually talk to each other (as opposed to places in Ontario where everyone is a little too busy to bother with anyone else) I stopped and asked the man about his book.

It turns out we met Harold...the editor for the Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia. This is a great little reference book, and not just for bikers. You can get this guide FREE. Here's how:
Go to www.novascotia.com/ride or call 1.800.565.0000

If you have a club needing multiple copies, you can contact them directly at http://www.motorcycletourguidens.com/ or email mtrcycletourguid@accesswave.ca

Today we're off to the races in Chester. Hope we get some good photos to share!

Annapolis Royal - Fort Anne

On our recent stop at Annapolis Royal, we took a walk around Fort Anne. I'm not much of a museum fan (I love the history of old things, and love antique stores and auctions but for some reason find museums a little dull). But the walk around the grounds was wonderful. Here is a plaque showing the footprint of the fort:From the descriptions on the sign:

A ravelin is a triangular defensive work built in the ditch in front of the curtain wall.

The glacis is a slope of land approaching a fortification which is shaped so all areas are exposed to cannon fire.

The covered way is a kind of road that runs around the ditch and is protected by the slope of the glacis. Often an earthen step was located on the covered way for soldiers to stand on and fire down the glacis.

The ditch is a trench around the fortifications that slows the advance of attacking troops.

The Powder Magazine

Built by the French in 1708 the powder magazine was used to store the fort's gunpowder. It is the only surviving building from the French period. And, as you can see by the photo below, the soldiers must have been a lot shorter back then...we had to stoop to get through the door.
Charles Fort (information below from a sign at Fort Anne)
A group of about 70 Scottish settlers began a colony here in 1629, eight years after King James I granted "Nova Scotia" to Sir William Alexander. Led by Alexander's son, the Scots built a small fort, the remains of which lie beneath Fort Anne. Despite many deaths during the first winter, the surviving colonists thrived on agriculture, fishing, and trade with the Mi'kmaq. Most returned to Great Britain in 1632 after France reacquired the region by treaty. Although the colonization attempt was short-lived, the province of Nova Scotia owes its name, flag, and coat of arms to this early Scottish settlement.

Annapolis Royal

Friday we had a lovely trip to the north coast of Nova Scotia and made it to the Evangeline Trail (all our previous jaunts have been along the Lighthouse Route). We drove up to Middleton, and then headed west. We stopped in Annapolis Royal to stretch our legs and get a bite to eat. I took this photo to show you the height of the tides along this coast. Notice the tires at the edge of the pier? That gives you some perspective to see how much the tide goes up and down.Annapolis Royal is filled with historic buildings. Two of the oldest wooden buildings in Canada can be found here (one a private residence and one a museum). Beautiful flowers and flower boxes are everywhere. We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant called Compose. (I found out later the building and restaurant are currently for sale for a very reasonable price if anyone is interested!)We ate on the deck (shown above) with this beautiful view:John had a lobster club, and a had "the Mozart"...an open faced sandwich with sliced chicken breast, peaches, curry sauce and melted cheese and side salad with orange dressing (divine!)After lunch, a walk along the boardwalktook us to Fort Anne and then along to Digby. (photos available soon)

Hubbards

We discovered Hubbards many years ago while we were just tourists from Ontario.There used to be a fantastic fish and chips truck down by the harbour. We took our granddaughter there a couple of times. Unfortunately, the truck is gone now. But we did find some other fish and chips that were pretty good. Just follow the fish and chips signs on Hwy 3 and you'll end up at a canteen in a camping park. Not wonderful scenery like you get at the harbour, but good fish and chips nonetheless.Did you know? Hubbards was the filming location for the CBC tv series Black Harbour, which aired 1996 to 1999.Tonight we're back to Hubbards...to The Shore Club...home of the Original Nova Scotia Lobster Supper since 1936. Oh, and they offer chicken dinners for those who don't like lobster!

The Shore Club is also the last dance hall in Nova Scotia with dances held every Saturday night during the summer, since 1946. Tonight we'll be jiving away to The Corvettes...a 50's and 60's band.

LaHave Bakery

One of our favourite places to go is Crescent Beach. We love to walk the beach in any type of weather. Between Bridgewater and Crescent Beach is another Nova Scotia treasure...LaHave Bakery.Listed in "Where to Eat in Canada" for each of the past 9 years, LaHave Bakery is worth a stop.You may have to be patient to get your treats but it's worth it. The menu is rather limited...sandwiches, pizza (not your run of the mill pizza slices) or soup. We usually pick up a sandwich (thick slices of home made bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese, real meat (not the packaged sliced meat), and maybe even some radical rhubarb relish.The bakery also offers lots of cookies and squares. And as you can see on the shelves, lots of jams, jellies and spreads. The building is an old one with lots of character. Love those original tin ceilings!There's a lunch counter and lots of tables (indoors and out). Here's our favourite spot to eat...Right at the end of the wharf. And what a view (well, you wouldn't get John in your view, but insert your favourite person instead)