Fun on the Fundy Shore
Treasure hunting with Secret Nova Scotia
It’s a gorgeous, sunny Sunday morning, perfect for cruising along the Glooscap Trail.
I’m not sure where we’re going yet, and the best part is that I don’t need to know — it’s all part of the adventure.
I’m being chauffeured around in Secret Nova Scotia’s tour vehicle along with my son, daughter and sister for the “Tasty Treasure Hunting on the Fundy Shore” tour. We’ll be spending six hours eating and adventuring, and I won’t have to lift a finger.
“When you go on a tour with us, you’re going to get special perks you wouldn’t get if you visited these places on your own,” explains
Tanya Conrad, Secret Nova Scotia’s chief operating officer and one of our tour guides.
Our very first stop is one of those “I’ve-alwayswanted-to-go-here!” spots. Our family has driven by the Great Village Antiques Exchange many times on our way to Advocate Harbour, but never stopped to explore the massive historic building. Today’s finally the day! I’m oohing and ahhing over the antiques right away, and I’m a little nervous the kids will get restless, but they find the place fascinating, too — hurrying around examining old toys, books and housewares.
“Even the building is an antique,” our son whispers as he climbs the old, uneven wooden stairs to explore even more rooms. Armed with a discount because we’re part of the Secret Nova Scotia tour, I scoop up two Hazel Atlas crinoline teacups and saucers, made from vibrant pink and white milk glass.
Even our tour guides are surprised when we cross the road and run into a wall of ... bubbles! Nova Foam Parties is on the side of the road for a demonstration, and soon we can’t see the kids because they’re buried in fluffy white foam.
Our next stop is the Wayside Cafe & Gallery in a decommissioned church. We get to choose from a special menu of snacks, drinks and baked goods — all included in our tour — and spend a while chatting and admiring the art all around us.
Further up the road at That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm in Economy, I joke to my sister that my kids are really only familiar with plain old mozzarella and cheddar, so I’m shocked when they eagerly try every gouda on the sampling platter. Our favourites are Garlic Mix, Truffle, Old Growler, Sundried Tomato and Jalapeño. Ooh, and we once again make good use of our special tour discount in the gift shop.
After our snack, it’s time to visit the animals. I had no idea the cheese farm includes a full-blown animal and nature park with rabbits, geese, miniature donkeys, peacocks, pot-belly pigs and emus. Our tour guides hand us bags of corn feed, and we delight in letting the animals snuffle it off our palms while we pet them. We barely make it up the goats' path before the eager little guys are bouncing all over us.
When we finally tear ourselves away from the sweet little goats, it’s off to Diane’s Restaurant in Five Islands.
It’s a popular spot and the parking lot is jam-packed, but our tour guides have pre-ordered our lunches and it feels very V.I.P. to skip the lineup. We grab our fish’n’chips (and burgers and chicken fingers) and head just a couple of minutes up the road to Five Islands Lighthouse Park to enjoy stunning panoramic views of all Five Islands, along with the Old Wife, the Brothers (also known as Two Islands), Cape Blomidon and Cape Split.
We’re all tired and happy while we pile into the Secret Nova Scotia vehicle to cruise back home.
“A lot of these stops are places people know about, but maybe haven’t visited before,” says Conrad. “We take the planning and the driving out of it for you, and you just get to enjoy the day.”
We had a fabulous summer day we’ll never forget, and now the only problem is how much I’m going to miss being chauffeured around beautiful scenery, enjoying meals and snacks that magically appear at exactly the right time.
Ahh, it’s the tour life for me!
Secret Nova Scotia’s Tasty Treasure Hunting on the Fundy Shore Tour runs Thursdays through Sundays through the fall. Other tours include Revealing the Tastes of Tatamagouche Food Tour, Revealing the Brule Shore Sea-nic Boat Tour and The Mystery of Maitland Mud Sliding Tour. Visit ww.secretnovascotia.ca to learn more or schedule a tour.