Much Anticipated, Long Awaited; A Trip to the Maritimes
For years and years Mark and I wanted to take a trip to the Maritimes; even the names, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia had an exotic ring to our ears. But since we operated restaurants in Maine and Boston, and were always ramping up in the spring and crazy busy in the summer and fall, our window of opportunity to travel in this region didn’t exist. Happily this year we finally found a way to take a road trip to the area, and I’m pleased to report it was well worth the wait! First off, this is one of Canada’s most historic areas so those of us who are interested in history, are as they say, pigs in you know what. Second, it is not very populated and the scenery is quite pretty with winding roads, quaint towns, and seemingly a million lighthouses. Third, despite being rural, we found that in towns like St. Andrews, cities like Halifax and even in forest lodges there was a lot of great food to be found.
GETTING THERE
Just a quick reminder: Canada is a sovereign nation and not another part of the U.S. So you will need your passport, valid driver’s license and registration. Another note of caution, the roads especially in the south of Nova Scotia can be very rough, so it’s probably a good idea to leave the Maserati at home.
Although it may seem in our minds that the Maritimes are almost as far away as New Zealand, it just ain't so. We left our home town of York an hour north of Boston and were in Lubec, just before the border in under six hours. Our plan was to visit Campobello Island after a restful night in Lubec and then make a long circle through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, returning just north of the border in St. John’s by ferry and then sadly heading home. We took 95 north to 295 and then 1 to Lubec on our first day. We took 127 to St. Andrews the next day, where we happily hung out for two nights and then we took 1, 104 and then 2 to Halifax for two nights. On our way to the Unesco town of Lunenburg we followed the very scenic coast highways of 333, and 332. After an overnight in this pretty area, we headed south on 103 and then north on 203 to the Willy Wogs of the Tobeatic Wilderness Area. After two nights in the forest we headed to the ferry in Digby via 203, 340 and 1. The ferry took us to St. John, (not a place to hang out) and then headed south on 1 to 9 until three hours later we stopped in Bangor Maine for a quick overnight.
DAY ONE: LUBEC
After a leisurely five and half hour drive we arrived at the tiny scruffy fishing village of Lubec. Lubec is the easternmost town in the United States and oddly the country's closest continental location to Africa. The town was first settled in 1775 and named after Lubeck in Germany. After the War of 1812 it was the site of considerable smuggling, although to this day its principal industry remains its fisheries. Today there is not much to do in this town but take in the glorious scenery and maybe relax, enjoy eating the local seafood and read a book.
WE STAYED AT AND ATE AT: The Inn on the Wharf
No one will be comparing this place anytime soon to a Four Seasons anywhere, but as a place to stop a night and take in the scenery it was just fine. The Views from the wide decks are amazing and the onsite restaurant provides some very tasty seafood.
DAY TWO AND THREE: CAMPOBELLO AND ST. ANDREWS
We are both fascinated by the story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, have visited their home in Hyde Park and read countless books about this compelling pair. So we were especially excited to visit the family's summer getaway home CAMPOBELLO on Campobello Island. The Island, although just over a tiny bridge from Maine, is actually in Canada, so we passed through a border crossing on our way to the international site administered by both the Canadian and U.S. governments. The rambling summer “cottage” given to the couple by Franklin’s mother as a wedding present is a rare look, not only into the Roosevelt’s lives, but into the lifestyle of America’s aristocracy around the turn of the last century. The home had no electricity, the family owned two spectacular yachts and employed a plethora of servants to keep the rustic household running. Sadly it was here in 1921 that the future President would come down with Polio.
We loved ST. ANDREWS! Just a hop skip and a jump from Campobello, which did include returning to the U.S. and re-crossing into Canada, St. Andrews is well worth a visit. The town is a national historic site of Canada, which remains in many ways true to the characteristics of an 18th century colonial settlement, complete with many of the original buildings, layout and market square. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, St. Andrews became a seaside resort for the well healed of Montreal and Boston. In 1889 the lavish ALGONQUIN was built, becoming Canada’s first seaside resort.
Walking is something we enjoy doing when traveling, and St. Andrews is the perfect town to explore on foot. The neighborhoods are beautiful, and some of the homes and gardens are quite impressive. But if you like to ride a bike this is the perfect area as well. The VAN HORNE TRAIL, formerly the railroad line, is a paved way through much of the town, and a great way to explore. While we were there, the FARMER’S MARKET in the center of town was in full swing and well worth a stroll through. The KINGSBRAE GARDEN, with over 27 acres of spectacular botanical displays and sculpture, is certainly one of the jewels in the St. Andrews crown. After a walk through the soothing grounds, stay and have lunch, you’ll enjoy it!
WE STAYED AT THE ALGONQUIN RESORT
The Gilded Age is alive and well at the Algonquin Resort which, as we already mentioned was built in 1889, burned down in 1914, was rebuilt, went through a steep decline in the 60’s and 70’s and has happily been returned to much, if not all, of its former glory in a recent renovation under the Marriott flag. The architecture with its broad porches and great common rooms evokes a quieter, perhaps more gentile era. We were upgraded to a beautiful corner room overlooking the water and enjoyed a pleasant meal at the hotel on our first night. There is a good fitness center and indoor pool on property as well as an outdoor pool which was sadly still closed during our visit as it was hot and sunny. The staff here were welcoming and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable.
WE ATE AT CHAR AND CHOWDER, KINGSBRAE GARDEN CAFE AND THE MCGUIRE CHOCOLATE COMPANY
CHAR AND CHOWDER, was an unexpected treat. This trendy (read hip and cool atmosphere) quasi outdoor, quasi indoor place is a lot of fun and the food and drinks are delicious. We enjoyed sitting at the bar, meeting the affable Chef Owner, the full of fun manager and being served by a terrific young Ukrainian bartender named Anton. The menu is casual, short (a good thing in our book) and well chosen. We had some of the best hamburgers we’ve ever had here.
MCGUIRE CHOCOLATE COMPANY, owned and operated by a charming couple, is just the sort of place you hope to find on a brief visit to a town like St. Andrews. For us it wasn’t about the chocolate, which by the way looks amazing, but about the great coffee and terrific bread; never has toast with cream cheese tasted so good. This is the perfect place to start your morning, sip some coffee and watch the world of St. Andrews go by.
KINGSBRAE GARDEN CAFE, set on the delightful grounds of the botanical gardens is a lovely spot to sit on the terrace and relax. The food is pleasant, the service cheerful and you can’t get a better view in town!
DAY FOUR AND FIVE HALIFAX
Having never been to Halifax, we didn’t really know what to expect of Nova Scotia’s biggest city and like all cities, we found that this one has a flavor all its own. As one would assume of a famous maritime center, business center, city of half a million and a number of universities, it has some diversity although oddly not as much as one would think. The downtown where we stayed, is fairly vibrant and full of student’s and business people on crawls of the many pubs, bars and nightclubs. Since it was pouring rain the entire time we were in the city, our options for sightseeing were a bit more limited than usual, but that did not deter us from experiencing some of the best the city had to offer.
The MARITIME MUSEUM OF THE ATLANTIC is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada and well worth a visit. There is a terrific exhibit that introduces the age of steam travel with dozens of huge impressive models, a great collection of local small crafts, a terrific interactive exhibit on the massive Halifax Explosion of 1917 (who knew it was so vast and destructive) and a great section on Nova Scotia’s role in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster.
Visiting two museums in a row can be a bit daunting but after a delicious pot of tea at a hip new venue called Mera, we were ready to tackle the ART GALLERY OF NOVA SCOTIA, and boy, were we glad we did! We’d heard, of course, of the famous primitive painter, Maud Lewis, but we were unprepared to see her home, itself a painting of sorts, completely reconstructed in the gallery as the centerpiece of a showing of her works. Her story, her charming art, and the history that it evoked opened our eyes and hearts to the story of Nova Scotia. Another tremendous highlight of this museum was the presentation of “Miss Chief’s Wet Dream”, the monumental masterpiece of native artist Kent Monkman. This stupendous and controversial work, which contemplates the meeting of European Colonialists and Native Americans, is alone well worth a visit to this museum.
WE STAYED AT THE SUTTON PLACE
The stylish, five star Sutton Place is a great place to stay when visiting downtown Halifax. The front desk folks were pleasant and efficient. Our beautifully appointed suite had spectacular views over the citadel and harbor. The space was thoughtfully appointed, nicely decorated and super comfortable. The clientele seems to be mainly loud conventioneers and frumpy tourists but escaping to the room makes up for this. The fitness center at the hotel surprisingly has a great view and has everything one would want for a great workout. The one downside to this place is the awkwardly laid out entrance, and restaurant, which is strangely divided in half for maximum chaos. We would recommend skipping the bar. The service here was plenty friendly but the wine pours are stingy and the martinis miniscule and warm.
WE ATE AT BAR KISMET, CAFE LUNETTE, BIRDS NEST CAFE +CATERING AND MERA CAFE+BAR
We thought we were having a flashback to restaurants like Plate in 1980”s Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, when we walked into BAR KISMET. The funky decor of this cozy restaurant and bar was delightful, but even better, this was hands down the best eating and dining experience we had in the Maritimes. The Chef Annie Brace-Lavoisier and her partner Jenner Cormier, who oversees the bar, create exceptional, vibrant food and super creative cocktails. The service here is professional, swift and gracious and the cuisine will make you want to return again and again.
On our second night in Halifax we ate at CAFE LUNETTE, one of a number of trendy eateries created by a local restaurant group. In this case the venue is French, and although the menu presented by Chef de Cuisine Vanessa Belanger is somewhat predictable; isn’t that why one goes to a French bistro? The food is well executed and the service is pleasant and efficient. This place won’t awake your inner foodie, but you will have a reliable experience in a pretty setting.
BIRDS NEST CAFE+CATERING is just one of those places that feels authentic, not corporate, and as if the staff really cares. This is the perfect place in downtown Halifax to enjoy exceptional coffee and a creative and delicious breakfast or lunch. The staff here went out of its way to serve us and even offer ideas on how to enjoy the city.
MERA CAFE+BAR, is but a baby, two weeks old when we visited, and the brainchild of a charming young guy named Cush. The decor is a modern knock out and not in the least what one would expect anywhere for a coffee and tea bar. Every person who we spoke with here was outgoing and friendly including the owner, who obviously sets the bar for graciousness. Oh, and the pastries and tea were delicious!
We were excited to visit and stay in the town of Lunenburg which is one of only two Unesco World Heritage Sites in North America. Seventy percent of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still standing and the colorful facades of the buildings are a delight to see. The place is an interesting mix of rough and decayed and newly gentrified and upscale. There are shops, distilleries and new restaurants aplenty in the town and it is well worth a stop.
WE STAYED AT THE LIGHTHOUSE MOTEL AND COTTAGES
Quite frankly, when we realized that the place we had chosen to stay “in the town of Lunenburg” was not only six miles across the water in the little town of LAHAVE, but also a twenty five minute drive we were a little upset. But, when we arrived at this charmingly and creatively restored riverfront hotel we were happily surprised. Mark the affable owner greeted us and showed us three beautiful waterfront rooms we could choose from, each of which was thoughtfully outfitted and appointed. Our bedroom was literally above the water and it would be hard to find a more romantic spot.
WE ATE AT BEACH PEA KITCHEN AND BAR AND THE LAHAVE BAKERY
BEACH PEA KITCHEN AND BAR is the creation of the talented Chef restaurateurs, Martin and Sylvia Ruiz Salvador. At Beach Pea, they have created a trendy refreshing space in which to serve straightforward and delicious food from the area. Although we began to wonder if the cooks were actually going to the island to harvest the oysters after we ordered them, the eventual result was some of the most pristine and expertly shucked oysters we’ve ever had. Our server was friendly and outgoing as was the host who seated us. When in Lunenburg be sure to check this place out.
For breakfast the next morning we went down the road from our motel, to the LAHAVE BAKERY. Set in a charming old building that has been at various times a chandlery, a fish plant and a bank, you couldn’t ask for a better setting. The food here is authentic and straightforward and the coffee is better than most. This is a busy old style bakery as the name implies, not just a cafe, and on the basement floor you will see rack after rack of freshly baked bread. As an added bonus a hallway leads to the expertly stocked LAHAVE RIVER BOOKSTORE.
DAY SEVEN AND EIGHT KEMPTVILLE
There are certain special places in the world where you can really relax and unwind; we're talking about places like Ventana in Big Sur and Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. THE TROUT POINT LODGE is one of these places. Set in the Unesco Nova Scotia Biosphere Reserve, (translation in the real Willy Wogs) this thirteen room retreat feels and looks like a log cabin lodge of a bygone era. The setting at the confluence of two large streams is truly amazing. The rooms are large, simple and comfortable. There are multiple walking paths through the pristine forest and there is great canoeing on the river. During our stay it poured rain most of the time, but we enjoyed just sitting by the fire in the great room, perusing the library, writing and having great cocktails whipped up by the outgoing staff. There were forest fires raging nearby which unfortunately precluded the use of the wood fired sauna and hot tub which would have been great to enjoy, but even in this paradise reality intrudes. The Lodge provides breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and three and four course dinners of exceptional quality. The tab here, as one would expect, is quite hefty, but the experience is pretty special.
DAY NINE BANGOR
You know you’re having a great time on a trip when you really don’t want to go home, but sadly they all come to an end. We have to say though, we made the most of our return taking the two hour ferry from Digby to St. John which was an adventure in itself and then stopping for the night in the little city of Bangor so we didn’t have to arrive home at midnight.
We feel that we have just scratched the surface of the beautiful and fascinating Maritimes and we will look forward to exploring more of this fascinating part of Canada. For a getaway trip from the crowded northeast this area is perfect; check it out!