Discovering The Natural Beauty Of Nova Scotia In Late Fall

This past week, our good California friends, Laura and Jack, invited us along to Nova Scotia, Canada. We came at the tail end of fall (late October), when a few shops had already closed and some seasonal activities, like golf and kayaking, had wrapped up for the year.

I wondered if we had picked the wrong month. But by the second day, I realized we hadn’t. The leaves were still turning, the air was crisp and clear, the roads were quiet, and we had the coastline almost to ourselves.

Plus we had time for great conversations and laughs by the fire with our friends that we don’t get to see often.

Here is what we did, where we stayed, and what we ate, and a recipe for the shaken rhubarb margarita I am going to make for the holidays. I’m also showing a restored historical home in Nova Scotia from House and Home Magazine. It’s Sunday Faves Nova Scotia time with Annie and Cindy.

Our home base was on the Northumberland Shore, on the north side of Nova Scotia, with Prince Edward Island just across the strait.

Where We Stayed: Fox Harb’r Resort

We based ourselves at Fox Harb’r Resort in Wallace, on the Northumberland Shore. It is a 5-star, 4-diamond resort on roughly 1,400 acres of golf course, forest and shoreline, about 90 minutes from the Halifax and Moncton airports. We had a spacious townhome with a kitchen and fireplace.

Rocky shoreline with the golf course beyond, and the drive along the coast.

Learning Archery

One sunny morning, while the guys shot clay pigeons, Laura and I tried archery at the resort’s Sporting Lodge. I had never drawn a compound bow before, and I loved it. With focus and patience, there is real satisfaction in watching an arrow find the target.

Archery at Fox Harb’r suits beginners, families and groups, so you do not need any experience. The resort also offers a Glow Archery session after dark, which is on my list for next time (when it’s not so cold after dark). Activities are booked through guest services, so ask when you arrive.

Biking the Trans Canada Trail into Tatamagouche

The highlight of the trip was a ride with Howard, Laura and a guide from the resort on e-bikes into the little town of Tatamagouche. The route follows the Butter Trail, a stretch of the Trans Canada Trail built on the old Intercolonial Railway bed.

It is named for the creamery in town where butter was once made. The surface is flat gravel, and the fat-tire e-bikes made it easy to ride.

Tatamagouche takes its name from a Mi’kmaq word meaning “meeting of waters,” where the French and Waugh rivers flow into the bay. Along the trail you can stop at Creamery Square and Patterson Wharf Park.

A Day Trip to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is an easy day trip from the Northumberland Shore. It took a couple of hours and we used the Confederation Bridge rather than the ferry.

Charlottetown is compact and walkable, and the city map kiosk says it all: “a city made for walking.” Howard, Laura, Jack and I bundled up in jackets and hats (in fact I bought a new Patagonia cap in one of the shops) and wandered the historic streets.

Lunch was at Claddagh Oyster House at 131 Sydney Street. It has been serving downtown Charlottetown for more than 35 years, in a historic building with the feel of a cozy Irish pub. We started with a platter of oysters on ice with lemon and two dipping sauces, and it was every bit as good as the reviews promised. Locals suggest reserving ahead.

What We Ate and Drank

The Maritimes, the three eastern Canadian provinces that sit on the Atlantic coast: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, are famous for their seafood. Between the oysters in Charlottetown and everything else, we ate lobster rolls, seafood chowder, poutine and mussels.

Wiley’s By The Wharf and the Rhubarb Margarita

A discovery was Wiley’s by the Wharf, a small seaside restaurant at 13909 Sunrise Trail in Wallace, not far from Fox Harb’r. We loved their shaken Rhubarb Margarita: tart, just sweet enough, with a salted rim and a wedge of lime.

If you go in the off-season, check hours first. The Nova Scotia tourism listing shows Wiley’s open Thursday through Monday and closed Tuesday and Wednesday, but hours shift in late fall.

Rhubarb Margarita at Home

This is my home version inspired by the one at Wiley’s. It starts with a rhubarb simple syrup, adapted from this Lunds & Byerlys recipe. Frozen rhubarb works well if fresh is out of season. The syrup keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

Why Go in Late Fall

Expect that some doors and activities are closed. But we had empty trails, clear skies, glowing leaves and tables at good restaurants. Nova Scotia in late autumn is quiet in a relaxing way.

What I Wore Hanging Out At The Condo

My super soft Spanx navy half-zip pullover and wide leg pants were cozy to play games like Travel Mahjong or to wear while writing this post. And this cropped shelf cami (size up) was warm and comfortable to shoot arrows at the archery range.

French wool scarf • olive cashmere cardigan • straight jeans • olive suede loafers

A Beautiful Historical Home in Nova Scotia

I subscribe to the Canadian magazine, House And Home. It was fun, knowing that we had this trip planned to see this circa 1765 heritage home in the magazine recently. It was refurbished by Designer Philip Mitchel.

They tried to use historically accurate colors.

You may also like My Travel Design Files for other fun trips.

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Let’s see what my friends have discovered this week:

Cindy Hattersley Design

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