Like many visitors, I enjoy cycling through the Annapolis Valley, feeling at home amid the rolling hills and fertile valleys. Perhaps it's genetic. My ancestors settled here 350 years ago; the countryside remembers. A national historical site at Grand Pre commemorates le Grande Derangement of 1755— the great upheaval that deported so many Acadians to places like Louisiana.
Valley towns are warm and easy. It amazes me that a winsome place like Wolfville— where towering trees shelter quiet streets— can boast a renowned university, an exceptional theatre company, and four terrific restaurants.
Yet even in the valley, the sea beckons. Just over the surrounding hills, the Bay of Fundy swells prodigiously. Watching the world's highest tides is underwhelming, but riding the tides in a capricious zodiac is a rush.
The bay's formal religion is whale watching. Surging waters are home to dolphins, minke, humpback and fin whales, as well as the endangered northern right. Knowledgable guides know most whales by name. My one rendezvous with these playful giants was profound and spiritual. A friend actually caressed a sleeping humpback during an evening cruise, a memory that still brings tears.
Nova Scotia is brimming with surprises, says John DeMont, who travelled the province writing The Last Best Place (Doubleday).
"This is a very old province, one of the oldest places in North America. And it's still an area that is so diverse, and largely unspoiled, from the highest tides of the Bay of Fundy to the wild beauty of Cape Breton...
"There are all kinds of little adventures out there, waiting, but I think your attitude has to be different. I don't think this is a place to bustle; I think travellers should take their time and let things happen. Get off the city clock, relax, and let it wash over you."
Pedal & Sea tours that include the Annapolis Valley:
Evangeline Trail || Best of Both Coasts || Evangline Trail (Self-Guided)
Nova Scotia Stories: Cape Breton
Nova Scotia Stories: Cape Breton
Highlands
Nova Scotia Stories: Fortress Louisbourg
Nova Scotia Stories: Halifax & the
South Shore
Nova Scotia Stories: Port Royal
Prince Edwards Island Stories:
Green Gables
All Atlantic Canada stories by Richard
Levangie
The Best Coast Group
