Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/651528
TRAVEL GUIDE TO CANADA CHOICES GALORE Visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to selecting a place to hunker down for the night (or several nights). Want to experience the wild but not bother with setting up a tent? Many campgrounds have everything from yurts to tree houses and Parks Canada features oTENTiks (a cross between a tent and cabin). Of course there are hundreds of motels, hotels, lodges and inns, ranging from modest to 5-star. Food lovers will relish the culinary scene; options in this realm are mind-boggling. Look for Taste of Nova Scotia featured in restaurants throughout the province where you'll fi nd down-home goodness everywhere from mom-and-pop operations and food trucks to exquisite fi ne dining establish- ments. Wineries, the craft beer industry and specialty distilleries have grown by leaps and bounds; excursions from cooking classes to culinary tours get rave reviews. Weekly farmers' markets are hugely popular in villages, towns and urban centres where great food, unique crafts and local music round off a rich and satisfying experience. WORLDƒCLASS DESTINATIONS Acadian Skies and Mi'kmaq Lands in southwestern Nova Scotia (Argyle, Clare and Yarmouth) is the fi rst certifi ed UNESCO-Starlight Tourist Destination in North America. Aside from encompassing huge tracks of easily accessible pristine wilderness areas that showcase spectacular star-gazing opportunities, guided walks in various locations and a Startlight Festival in the fall are also popular. Nova Scotia is also home to three designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Joggins Fossil Cliffs with its beautifully preserved 300-million-year-old fossils dating back to the coal age; the landscape of Grand Pré and Acadian history; and Old Town Lunenburg, a British colonial settlement. Each site is unique, replete with plenty to see and do. FANTASTIC FESTIVALS Nova Scotians love to party! There are festivals galore celebrating everything from Celtic music and craft beers to fantastical folk art. Imagine taking part in a motorcycle rally with thousands of bikers, or landing a 272-kg (600-lb.) tuna fi sh. It matters not if you are passionate about music, sea kayaking, comedy, fi lms, busking—you name it—with over 500 festivals and events on the go, you'll fi nd something to tickle your fancy. WHAT'S NEW? World-champion log-roller, Darren Hudson, offers Lumberjack AXEperience in Barrington with log-rolling, tree climbing, competitive sawing and other outdoor activities (www.wildaxe. com/lumberjack). Cobequid Segway provides Segway tours in Victoria Park in Truro, on theTrans Canada Trail in Northern Nova Scotia and in the Cobequid Bay area ( www. cobequidsegway.ca). The Thinkers Lodge in Pugwash, a national historic site and home to the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize, is now accessible and provides tours (www.thinkerslodge.org). Acadia First Nation Sipuke'l Gallery in Liverpool showcases First Nation artists, artefacts from the Mersey River and other collections (www.novascotia.com/see-do/ fi ne-arts/sipukel-gallery/6482). The Good Cheer Trail, the fi rst winery, craft brewery and distillery trail of its kind in Canada, allows you to sample locally produced wine, beer and spirits from over 35 passionate producers across the province ( www.goodcheertrail.com). CITY LIGHTS Halifax rocks. It not only has the greatest number of trade schools, colleges and universities per capita in Altantic Canada, it also has the most pubs. Being cosmopoli- tan, hip and savvy, the city also offers everything from A to Z. POPULATION: , CAPITAL CITY: Halifax PROVINCIAL WEBSITE: www.novascotia.com INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY: Halifax Stanfi eld international airport, 35 km (22 mi.) from downtown CeLtiC SHoreS CoaStaL traiL, CaPe Breton • nS toUriSM