French Basin Marsh Trail in Annapolis Royal
French Basin Marsh Trail in Annapolis Royal
The French Basin Marsh Trail in Annapolis Royal is a family-friendly hike definitely worth checking out!
It is described as the following:
Right in Town, the French Basin Trail is a 45-minute walk around a Ducks Unlimited wetland. Keep an eye open for several species of ducks, at least one pair of Great Blue Herons, a family of muskrats and possibly our resident foxes. The well-maintained gravel trail around the marshland leads into the railbed trail that goes east or west as far as your feet will take you.
About the Trail
The trail is 1.2km around the marsh. The path is crushed gravel, making it perfect for strollers, toddlers or bicycles.
There are shady spots along the trail, and lots of places to sit down and enjoy the scenery.
There are lots of look out points, too!
It took us about 30 minutes to walk the trail, but you could definitely spend longer, enjoying the sights and exploring the marsh!
Trail Head
At the start of the trail, there are lots of great features including a skateboard ramp.
And a doggie park.
Location
The French Basin Trail, or locally known as, The Marsh, is located on Route 1, or Prince Albert Road, almost across from the Home Hardware.
Definitely take time to explore this hidden gem, tucked away off the main road in Annapolis Royal! You won’t be disappointed!
Exploring the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal is Family Fun
Exploring the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal is Family Fun
Disclosure: Our family received a free pass to the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal in exchange for this blog post. We aim to tell you about more great places to visit with your family.
About the Historic Gardens
The Historic Gardens features 17 acres of amazing gardens in Annapolis Royal!
Historically themed areas tell the story of Nova Scotia settlement from an agricultural and horticultural perspective, showcasing gardening methods, designs and materials representing more than four hundred years of local history.
Read more about the Historic Gardens here
About our Visit
We spent over 1.5 hours wandering the paths and exploring the various areas of the gardens. Thomas is our resident map reader, so he took the map and carefully plotted out a route so we would discover everything.
We especially loved the areas around the ponds, and even heard a few frogs!
We took time to stop and smell the flowers, literally. We watched butterflies in the butterfly garden and learned about snapdragons!
We visited the Acadian cottage!
La Maison acadienne features the only archeologically authenticated replica of a pre-deportation Acadian dwelling in the Maritime region. The potager is based on original diary notes from the Acadian era, while the orchard and willow hedge are heritage cultivars from the 17th Century. La Maison acadienne is based on a 1671 time period when Port-Royal (later Annapolis Royal) was the centre of Acadie.
And the kids got to try on wooden clogs.
Activities for Kids
When you think of historic gardens, you might not immediately think that this is a place you want to go with kids. But, trust me. You do!
We agree!
There are several scavenger hunts that kids can complete in the gardens. Thomas opted for the sculpture hunt. Each year, there are new art sculptures throughout the gardens, and kids can have fun spotting them!
There is another section of the garden that is filled with ceramic birds. Walk through and see if you can find 37 of them, plus a crow!
We walked through several times, and our highest count was 25! See if you can do better than us!
In the rose garden, there is a maze! Can you get all the way around?
The kids also just had fun wandering the paths and seeing the beautiful flowers!
There is also a cafe on site, too if kids get hot and thirsty and need a place to recharge.
Hours and Admission
The Historic Gardens are open seasonally, from May to October. For the rest of the year, the Gardens are not maintained, but are accessible to the public by free will offering.
During the summer of 2018, all children under 18 are FREE to enter the gardens!
Location
The Historic Gardens are at 441 Saint George Street.
When looking for a family-fun adventure, definitely head to the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal! It’s a place you will want to go often, in different seasons, so you can see the changes.
Experience the calming effects of nature. Get inspired for your own garden. Make it a science and art lesson. Make it a fun family-fun day out!
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park Walking Trails
Sackville Lakes Provincial Park Walking Trails
After recommendations from several people, we were on our way to the city one day and decided to stop off and check out the Sackville Lakes Provincial Parks and Walking Trails!
Here’s what the website says about the Sackville Lakes Park:
- A great lake access park within city limits.
- Wheelchair accessible.
- Wide crusher-dust pathways.
About the Trails
There are a series of several connected trails that you can use to build your own hiking adventure.
Our Hike
For our adventure, we decided to do the loop trail (blue on the map above) to explore the area around Second Lake.
This is a 2.8km trail that took us about 45 minutes to complete.
The trail is flat and wide, making it perfect for strollers, wheelchairs and bikes.
We saw lots of wildlife en route, including a frog
and a toad. We also saw fish swimming in the lake.
There were great views of the lake, and a couple of places with a mini beach where you could probably dip in the lake!
Location
As you drive along, there are many trail head signs along First Lake Drive. These offshoots will take you to the main trails.
One of the main trail heads is on the left side of the road, and one is on the right side of the road. So, decide where you want to explore, and park and start your walk!
The main trailheads are on First Lake Drive. They are clearly labeled. 
And, yes! there are outhouses on site! Benches, and picnic tables.
The next time you are heading to the city, stop off for a quick stroll to enjoy this lovely nature area minutes from Highway 101. You will never know you are so close to the city!
Happy hiking!
Economy Falls Hiking Trails on the Glooscap Trail
Economy Falls Hiking Trails on the Glooscap Trail
We were on our to Five Islands Campground, heading towards Parrsoboro along the Glooscap Trail and were looking for a place to stop for a picnic and a mini adventure.
That’s when I discovered Economy Falls Trail!
Here is what the website says:
Economy Falls was renowned for its beauty and geology since the days of Darwin. Some of the oldest rocks in Nova Scotia can be found here. In the early 1900’s an apron was built to allow logs to cross the falls on their way down the river to a waiting scow at the mouth of the Economy River.
In 1997 an historic phenomenon occurred when one side of the rock face collapsed… practically unheard of in lowlands such as this. 2,000 tonnes of rock fell into the huge pool in front of the falls and piled up. Since that date, floods, yearly spring freshets and rise in the river’s water level due to long rainy periods, have rearranged and continue to sculpt a new course for the waterfall and it’s gathering pond below.
About the Trail
Follow the signs along a woods road until you reach the stairs (0.75 km) and descent into the gorge on 186 steps to the bottom.
The entire trail took us about 30 minutes, round trip, not counting time we spent at the falls.
We saw many people heading there with swimsuits and towels, so it seems to be a popular place to cool off in the summer!
Amenities
There are no washrooms at the trail head. There are no picnic tables, but there are 2 benches on the trail. One is at the head of the stair case, so we stopped there for our picnic.
Other Trails in the Area
The Economy Falls Trail is actually part of a network of several trails, called the Kenomee Trails System. This is a network of hiking trails situated in West Colchester highlighting the Economy River, gorges, waterfalls and the Economy River Wilderness Area.
For great maps and other trail routes that connect with the Economy Falls Trail, check here.
If we were to come here again, we would definitely combine this trail with another to make it worth the drive out there.
How to Get There
At 7 km on the River Philip Road in Economy, take a left turn and travel .5 km to parking lot.
Enjoy the scenery, the cool air and magnificent power of these falls on your next trip along the shore!
Breakout 902 Escape Rooms in Coldbrook for Family Team Building Fun
Breakout 902 Escape Rooms in Coldbrook for Family Team Building Fun
Disclosure: Our family received a free sneak preivew of the Breakout 902 Escape Rooms in Coldbrook in exchange for this blog post. Our goal is to help you explore the Valley so you can have more family fun. All opinions are our own.
There’s a new game in town and you need to check it out! It’s called Breakout 902 Escape Rooms!
Our escape rooms are an exhilarating test of your wits.Our 60 minute rooms are recommended for 4 – 8 players, where players solve a series of puzzles and riddles with clues to ultimately escape.
Our Experience
How it Works
Ages
The Rooms
Success or Failure?
Hours and Admission
Parties
Location
Overall, we had a great time at the Breakout 902 Escape Rooms in Coldbrook and can’t wait to go back to check out the other rooms when they are ready!
It’s a great, fun and unique way to spend an afternoon with family, in a stimulating and fun environment!
Totally worth it! Go check it out!
Annapolis Tidal Station Museums and Tour
Annapolis Tidal Station Museums and Tour
It’s one of those places we drive by almost every time we drive to Annapolis Royal, but haven’t taken time to visit the Annapolis Tidal Station!
I went when I was a kid, so thought it was High TIDE we went again!
Our Annapolis Tidal Power Plant came online in 1984. It can make as much as 20 megawatts of electricity and has a daily output of roughly 80-100 megawatt hours, depending on the tides.
Learn more about the power station run by Nova Scotia Power.
The museum is upstairs (elevator available) and has several display boards talking about the tidal station.
There are also a few really good short videos that the kids and I watched to learn how tidal power is generated.
There is also a model of the turbine with lots of buttons to push to see it in action.
If you want to learn even more, there are Nova Scotia Power guides available to give you a full explanation.
Underground Tours
Conditions permitting, a tour of the plant may be offered to persons over age 16 with appropriate footwear. During this tour, get a one-of-a-kind view of the basin overlooking Granville Ferry and Annapolis Royal. Often osprey and other birds are sighted and even dolphins playing in the basin.
Hours and Admission
The Annapolis Tidal Generating Station Interpretive Centre is open seasonally from May until October. The centre is open from 10-6.
Admission is free.
Location
236 Prince Albert Rd, Annapolis Royal
It is definitely worth a stop at the Annapolis Tidal Station in Annapolis Royal. The kids learned more than I thought they did, because we quizzed them afterwards!
On the ground floor is the Visitor Information Centre, so you can learn about more things to do in the area on your visit!
