Down by the bay today?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Canary seeds
cleared for
consumption D2
D
5 SHOWS TO WATCH TONIGHT
GAME OF SILENCE
MOTIVE
MR. D
Pilot
Global, 8 p.m.
The Score
CTV, 8 p.m.
Gerry Turns 40
CBC, 9:30 p.m.
BROOKLYN
NINE-NINE
BEYOND
THE TANK
FOX, 10 p.m.
ABC, 11 p.m.
Cody Whynot and partner Karlene Hauer operate Whynot Tours, specializing in guided and self-guided outdoor trips in Nova Scotia.
LOCAL TOURISM
Down by the bay today?
Seek adventure
in your own
backyard
THE CHRONICLE HERALD
newsroom@herald.ca
@chronicleherald
If you truly want to have great
escapades in Nova Scotia this
summer, adventurer Cody
Whynot said his best advice is to
pack an overnight bag, find a
highway you’ve never driven
before and go.
“Nova Scotia is full of historic
lodges and bed and breakfasts,
employed by locals who are teaming with advice for an ‘authentic’
experience in their area,” he said.
“And if you’re really looking for
something wild, grab your tent
instead and spend the night next
to a campfire.”
“There’s magic in spontaneity.”
Whynot and partner Karlene
Hauer operate Whynot Tours, specializing in guided and self-guided
outdoor trips in Kejimkujik National
Park and Lake Rossignol, the
province’s largest freshwater lake.
The self-guided trips are by far
the most popular package they
offer, he says. “People from all
over the world come here for the
solitude and beauty our wilderness brings.”
“We tell people to give us your
dates and some input to planning
meals. All they have to do is just
show up with a toothbrush and a
credit card, we take care of the
rest.”
That includes booking your
campsite, purchasing and packing
fresh food and outfitting you with
all the proper equipment you’ll
need. When you get there, they’ll
teach you how to set up your tent
and use your camp stove and
away you go.
“There are so many hidden
From Wolfville you can ride the hop-on, hop-off British double-decker that is the Wolfville Magic Winery Bus.
gems in our province ... especially
wine country,” says Susan
Downey Lim, tour director with
Grape Escapes.
World-class wineries and local
food culture is making the Annapolis Valley a popular destination
for as many locals playing tourists
as real ones from outside the
province.
“My favourite part is talking to
people who have no idea we have
such great wine and scenery, and
experiencing their surprise when
they discover how wonderful it is.”
Downey Lim and her husband
are embarking on their fifth season chauffeuring visitors from
Halifax to destinations in the
Annapolis Valley and South Shore,
including dinner tours and local
winter escapades.
Interpretation of local history
and wine offered en route on a
five to seven hour day tour visiting
some of the region’s best wineries
and giving guests an opportunity
to sample some of the most celebrated, award-winning vintages.
“We aim to make wine society
accessible, and less pretentious, to
those who are unfamiliar,” she
said. “But we can also speak ‘sommelier’ with those who are fluent.”
From Wolfville you can ride the
hop-on, hop-off British doubledecker that is the Wolfville Magic
Winery Bus.
“Our wineries are innovative
and create unique experiences
that have our guests returning and
encouraging others to visit,” said
David Hovell, experience manager. “We are authenticating the
region as a premier wine and
culinary destination.”
Departures begin the end of
June on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until midOctober.
And how about experiencing
the Bay of Fundy’s world highest
tides first hand? Advocate Tours
located on the north shore of the
Bay of Fundy in Cumberland
offers tours from a rigid-hull
zodiac that is both comfortable
and safe to board and ride on,
says owner Darcy Snell.
You'll certainly get a unique
view of Annapolis Valley stunning
landscapes and spectacular geological formations including around
Cape Split, Cape Chignecto Shore
and the Three Sisters, complete
with lunch on the beach.
You can also a book an excursion to Isle Haute, a wildlife
sanctuary populated with birds
and seals in the upper Bay of
Fundy near the entrance to the
Minas Basin
Advocate Tours also partners
with NovaShores Adventures for
those who wish to kayak. “Either
one you choose, wind is the caveat
that prevents us from going out on
the water,” said Snell, “and obviously we have to have water, so
tide times are important.”
If you opt for an activity or
guided tour requiring tickets or
special considerations, don’t
throw caution to the wind. Saturdays sell out quickly, so you’re
advised to plan ahead and make
reservations.
These are just a sampling of the
growing number of affordable day
tours and see and do excursions
for those with a palate for the
easy, local and fun. For more
ideas across the province, visit
novascotia.com.