October
4, 2006
Hello from Nova Scotia – Arrival in
Yarmouth
Another long and exciting day was coming to an end: from my early
morning interview with Patrick Redgrave, the owner of the Garrison
House B&B in Annapolis Royal
to my learning experiences at the Bear
River First National Cultural and Heritage Center to my drive
along the Evangeline Trail with
a quick stopover in Digby, a drive through the Acadian communities
in Clare County and a quick peak at the unusual Yarmouth Lighthouse,
I had finally made it to my destination for the evening: Yarmouth,
a town of about 8,000 souls on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.
The beautifully restored MacKinnon-Cann Inn
The weather had taken a turn for the worse, fog had rolled in off
the Atlantic Coast and rain was surely going to fall tonight. From
the Yarmouth Lighthouse I drove along coastal roads and causeways
into town and was able to locate the tourist information office
on Main Street. Although it was closed the map on the outside gave
me an opportunity to locate my abode for the night: the MacKinnon-Cann
Inn, a historic bed and breakfast.
I located Willow Street and parked my vehicle in the gravel-covered
courtyard behind the large mansion where I was going to stay tonight.
Two friendly gentlemen welcomed me right away and helped me carry
my luggage inside:Neil Hisgen and Michael Tavares, both co-owners
of the MacKinnon-Cann
Inn.
My guest room, decorated in a 1920s theme
Neil graciously helped me carry my suitcase upstairs to my room.
All seven guestrooms at the McKinnon-Cann Inn are named after a
20th century decade and decorated accordingly: there is the 1900s
Room, the 1910s Room, the 1920s Room, and the decades of the 1930s,
1940s, 1950s and 1960s are represented as well. I parked my luggage
in a superbly appointed and beautifully decorated guestroom and
headed downstairs to chat a bit more with the owners.
Michael, wearing simple jeans, a sweatshirt and a backward-facing
baseball cap, looked like he had just finished painting something
as evidenced by the paint splatters all over his clothing. He was
just taking a break from working on a renovation project next door:
a Victorian house he had just recently bought which he was in the
process of restoring. I found out that both Michael and Neil are
originally from the United States, and they also own another large
Victorian brick mansion, the Charles C. Richards House literally
up the street. Michael and Neil just purchased another recently
restored blue-coloured Victorian mansion that is still empty and
will be turned into a private home in the near future.
Another tastefully decorated guest bedroom
Now, not only am I a travel writer, but I also have a strong interest
in real estate, heritage buildings and architectural preservation.
I was excited when Michael told me he would have some time tomorrow
to sit down with me to tell me more about the four
properties that he and Neil had purchased and restored right
here in Yarmouth. He went on to say that he does most of the work
himself and loves getting right in there and getting his hands dirty.
I wanted to get a lay of the land of the Town of Yarmouth and Michael
was so kind to draw me a map for a wonderful local walking tour
which would allow me to capture some of the beautiful well-preserved
and recently restored Victorian architecture of Yarmouth. So off
I went with my hand-drawn map and indeed the Collins Heritage District
features an extensive concentration of beautifully restored Victorian
properties.
My architectural walking tour begins
Along streets with names such as Collins, Clements, Park, Forest,
Willow and William Streets I was admiring beautiful properties featuring
unique Victorian architecture. Some of the distinguishing elements
include widow’s walks: lookout rooms at the highest point
of the house which would allow wives of sailors to look out for
the husbands’ ships in the age of sail. Ornately carved and
painted verandas are another typical decorating feature of the late
19th century. Windows with intricate wood work and ornamentation
are also a characteristic feature of this era.
This beauty features a widows-walk at the top
After my brief architectural tour I walked down on Main Street
which features many business offices, retail stores and a few dining
establishments. Most of the restaurants and bars are located along
Water Street. Yarmouth was a major ship building centre in the past
during the Golden Age of Sail. Today it is still a local hub of
the fishing industry, but tourism is playing an increasingly important
role.
Stunning renovations everywhere
Yarmouth serves a community of about 70,000 people located in the
three counties of Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne. One of Yarmouth’s
major attractions is the ferry service to Bar Harbor and Portland,
Maine. “The Cat” is North America’s largest catamaran
and a high speed connection between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine
– a three hour journey, while the route between Yarmouth and
Portland, Maine, takes six hours.
Main Street Yarmouth
Outdoor adventurers will also find lots to do in the Yarmouth area:
from hiking to fishing to various seafaring adventures there are
abundant recreational activities in the area. Culture lovers will
find a variety of music, theatre and crafts events, interspersed
with a few museums including the Yarmouth County Historical Museum
and the Yarmouth Firefighters Museum, enhanced by a smattering of
galleries and historic architecture.
The Yarmouth Town Clock
After a long, exciting and action-packed day I was rather exhausted
and just picked up a little snack before I headed back to my welcoming
home at the MacKinnon-Cann Inn
for the night where I relaxed in my beautifully appointed guestroom,
watched some TV and took advantage of the in-room high-speed Internet
connection. I would need a good rest for tomorrow for the biggest
day of five-day Nova Scotia whirlwind tour: a trip along the Lighthouse
Trail to the historic town and UNESO World Heritage Site of
Lunenburg.
Useful books about travel to Nova Scotia:
Related articles:
My five whirlwind days in Nova Scotia
Acadian
history at the Grand Pré National Historic Site
400 years of history at Annapolis
Royal
Port-Royal, a French habitation from 1605
Dinner at the Garrison House
in Annapolis Royal
The Annapolis Royal
Graveyard Tour
The Garrison House Bed and Breakfast
Exploring the Evangeline Trail from
Annapolis Royal to Yarmouth
Learning about Mi'kmaq heritage at the
Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Center
Victorian heritage in Yarmouth
The MacKinnon-Cann Inn: Where Home
and Garden Television meets the Travel Channel
Yarmouth explained - the Yarmouth
County Museum
My car is in the ditch in Chebogue
River
The Lighthouse Trail from Yarmouth
to Shelburne
The Lighthouse Trail from Shelburne
to Lunenburg
The Town of Lunenburg - a UNESCO World Heritage
Site
An interview with the owners of the
Lunenburg Inn
The Lighthouse Trail from Lunenburg to
Halifax via Mahone Bay and Peggy's Cove
Arrival in Halifax and a stunning
musical performance - DRUM!
A Halifax city tour, the city's
connection to the Titantic and the 1917 Halifax Explosion
Exploring the Halifax Harbourwalk and
Pier 21 - Canada's immigration museum
A ferry trip to Dartmouth and saying
goodbye to Halifax
An interview with Pier 21 -
Canada's immigration museum
Helpful links for travel to Nova Scotia:
Tourism
Nova Scotia
Destination
South West Nova Scotia
Halifax Tourism
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