News Ways to Sip, Savor and Sightsee by the Sea in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia offers a multitude of diverse signature culinary experiences along its 4,500 miles of coastline.

NOVA SCOTIA  – Nova Scotia, which produces a quarter of Canada’s seafood and boasting a billion-plus dollar fish and seafood export industry annually, offers a multitude of diverse signature culinary experiences along its 4,500 miles of coastline. And, Nova Scotia is now closer to more U.S. travelers with new non-stop service to the capital city of Halifax from Chicago and Philadelphia beginning in June 2019, adding to the direct flights currently offered out of New York City and Boston.

Often a first stop for visitors, Halifax is home to the oldest farmers market in North America and has the notable distinction of having more pubs per capita than any other province in Canada among its many culinary charms.

New opportunities to “sip, savor, and sightsee” in 2019 incorporate experiences for active and adventurous travelers throughout Nova Scotia.

Here are a few highlights:

A Distillery Tour on Foot and by Boat 

Old Town Lunenburg UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to artisan distilleries with award-winning rum, colorful architecture, and traditional foods. Here, on foot and by boat travelers can explore the waterfront of the historic town with their taste buds. The Lunenburg Distilled: Culinary Adventure takes guests on a walking tour with an eighth generation Lunenburger to Ironworks Distillery, the first artisan distillery in the province. Listeners will gain insight on creating spirits and liqueurs from scratch. Afterwards, a boat tour with Heritage Fishing Tours drops visitors at an exclusive Dory Shop to sample traditional foods from the region. The tour ends with a seafood dinner onboard the Teresea D. Conner, a historic schooner from the Lunenburg waterfront. Price is $395 CAD per person. Dates available: June 19, July 14, August 21, and September 25.

Wine Blending on the Bay

A reflection of the region that’s shaped by the sea, Avondale Sky Winery’s crisp Tidal Bay was the first appellation wine of Nova Scotia. This year, guests can be a winemaker for the day with the Avondale Sky Wine Lab Adventure. A tour of the vineyard reveals rolling hills situated on the St. Croix River as it meets the Bay of Fundy, home to the highest tides in the world. Samplings are done in the tasting room and experimenting begins in the wine lab, where guests ultimately create their own Tidal Bay blend with a signature custom-made label. Award-winning winemaker, Ben Swetnam, will lead a blind tasting competition of the blends to crown the next master winemaker. The chosen wine is served at a gourmet, chef-prepared dinner for the group to enjoy. Price is $295 CAD per person. Dates available: June 22, July 6, July 20, and August 24. 

Hike, Eat, Repeat 

Active travelers work up their appetite for seafood by hiking, kayaking, and swimming during the Seaside Adventure & Beachside Feast. The day starts with a hike to the Kejimkujik National Park Seaside with Parks Canada interpreters, followed by a two-hour kayak tour through this unique and protected coastal estuary. Participants will fuel up with a lobster roll picnic and cool off by enjoying a swim on the white sand beaches. A final seafood feast will be served at the Quarterdeck Beachside Villas, and a night in a new studio loft at this luxurious beachside resort is included in the experience. The one day and one-night starts at $849 CAD per person or $1,600 CAD per couple. Dates available: July 3, July 22, August 24, August 28, September 7, September 18, and October 5.  

Coastal Helicopter Ride and Picnic 

For a birds-eye view of the stunning Nova Scotia coastline, travelers can journey by helicopter to a sommelier-led picnic on a private island. The Heli-Picnic Island Escape, a two-hour tour over Halifax to Sambro Island, is an opportunity to view the wildlife and coastline from a new perspective. After landing on a private beach, guests will indulge in Nova Scotia bubbly while exploring the hidden coves. The sommelier in attendance will lead a tasting picnic of local wines, smoked salmon, cheese, and chocolate at a lighthouse. Price is $575 CAD per person. Dates to be announced. 

Sunsets and Stargazing 

Storytelling, sunsets, seafood, and stargazing make up the Lightkeeper’s SeaFeast. The tour begins on a Cape Islander’s fishing boat that sets sail from the Yarmouth waterfront. The boat comes equipped with oysters, Nova Scotia wine, and stories with Tusket Island Tours. After landing at the Cape Forchu lighthouse, a chef prepares a lobster feast on the beach, and guests watch the sunset over the water while being entertained by Acadian songs. The tour goes on after the sun sets, with a dark-sky expert leading stargazers through a certified Starlight Tourist Destination. This experience is available on Thursday nights throughout July, August, and September. Price to be announced.

For more information about the province, visit Nova Scotia or call 1-800-565-0000.

For more information on the four provinces, visit these websites or follow on social media: 

New Brunswick

Web: www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca

Instagram: @DestinationNB

Twitter: @SeeNewBrunswick

Facebook: @DestinationNB

 

Nova Scotia

Web: www.novascotia.com

Instagram: @VisitNovaScotia

Twitter: @VisitNovaScotia

Facebook: @NovaScotia

 

Newfoundland and Labrador

Web: www.newfoundlandlabrador.com

Instagram:  @newfoundlandlabrador

Twitter: @NLtweets

Facebook:  @NewfoundlandLabradorTourism

 

Prince Edward Island

Web: www.tourismpei.com

Instagram: @tourismpei

Twitter: @tourismpei

Facebook: @tourismpei

 

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Come to Atlantic Canada for Foliage, Flavor and Festivals This Fall

Prince Edward Island’s red clay roads are delightful for biking in fall.

ATLANTIC CANADA  – The Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island offer more than breathtaking horizons of gold, crimson and amber leaves in autumn.  This fall, travelers to Atlantic Canada’s coastal region will find fewer crowds, lower rates and a variety of festivals, culinary indulgences and experiences that deliver more than simply peeping at leaves from a car.

Prince Edward Island

Throughout September, the Fall Flavours Festival takes foodies on a culinary journey across Prince Edward Island.  From mussel and lobster shore boils and grilled cheese chef challenges, to made in Canada food tours, the festival also features signature events hosted by popular celebrity chefs including PEI’s own Chef Michael Smith. Pricing for individual events vary.

For leaf peepers, the red clay roads on Prince Edward Island(http://www.tourismpei.com) are lined with trees full of apricot orange, fiery red and bright yellow and showcase best between mid-September and mid-October.  Bicycling on the Confederation Trail, which is built on old railroad tracks and spans about 270 miles (435 kilometers), offers spectacular views of colorful foliage with sections that lead through wooded areas and along the coastline.

Nova Scotia

With a famed heritage for its giant pumpkins, Windsor in  Nova Scotia ( http://www.novascotia.com) hosts the annual Pumpkin Festival and Regatta, where people paddle in hollowed out oversized pumpkins and race across Lake Pezaquid. With a backdrop of autumn leaves, spectators can cheer on the pumpkin racers, children can participate in scavenger hunts and so much more during the festivities on October 9.  For more information, visit http://worldsbiggestpumpkins.com

For nine days in October, Cape Breton Island is alive with music, activities and events celebrating the community’s rich culture during the annual Celtic Colours International Festival.  Held from October 6-14 when the leaves of Cape Breton are vibrant in red, yellow and orange hues, Celtic Colours has grown to become one of Canada’s premier musical events. At one of the many concerts, guests will be entertained by musicians from around the world sharing the stage with Cape Breton’s best singers, dancers, players, story-tellers and culture bearers in venues that range from community halls and churches to modern schools and theatres. For more information, visit http://celtic-colours.com/.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Foliage enthusiasts looking for an offbeat way to view fall colors can head to Newfoundland and Labrador (http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com)and hop on an ATV.  In Western Newfoundland, Mount Musgrave ATV Tours travels along Marble Mountain’s jaw-dropping vistas of Humber Valley. The one and half hour tour brings ATVing guests beyond the chairlift to the summit of Mount Musgrave to spot wildlife such as moose, caribou, black bear, and of course, the vibrant hues of changing leaves. Available through October 31, price is $55 CAD per person.

From October 6-8, Fogo Island celebrates the partridgeberry, the tart red berry that grows in abundance in Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Fogo Island Partridgeberry Harvest Festival showcases local produce of Fogo Island and Change Islands through farmer’s market, crafts, bake-offs, harvest competitions, demonstration of traditional woodworking and quilting, music, jam sessions and much more.

New Brunswick

Indulge, New Brunswick’s annual food and wine festival in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, features three days of food experiences and more from October 13 to 15. From a walking tour and tasting of top chefs’ wares along shorefront Water Street to a farmer’s market, tasting dinners and wine trails, guests enjoy local culinary delights.  On October 14, adventurists can race the tide across the ocean floor on bike during Cyclocross the Tide on Ministers Island.  Pricing for individual events vary.

In Miramichi, New Brunswick (http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca), the newly opened Over the Cove Zipline stretches more than 980 feet (300 meters). Adventurers can zip over water and through the changing colored leaves in two directions at French Fort Cove, which also offers walking, hiking and biking trails. Over the Cove Zipline is open weekends through October 9. Price is $20 CAD per person.

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