Introduction

Speaking about work, I took a trip up to Waskesiu Lake last Wednesday to take a load of stuff up to my cabin. Wow, it is still winter up there! There was a good foot and a half of snow there, everywhere! I think I better pack some winter clothes, but then the weather has turned nice and so hopefully I won't need them.

We finally have spring here, even the mud has dried up pretty good. It has taken awhile as I hear it has elsewhere to. We had danger of bad flooding for awhile, we were even cut off for a day because of it, but it has gone down now.

I mentioned in my last Ezine about my new Facebook Page "Annapolis Valley". Well it is going over extremely well, there are close to 300 people who have "Liked" it so far! I have added different questions about the Annapolis Valley on it, which people are answering and providing interesting information. I post links to my web site showing new pages, updates or just interesting pages. Sometimes I will even post links to other web sites and Facebook pages that have interesting news on them. I have mentioned several upcoming events and post reminders about them, however I am hoping others will start to do this themselves on here. This Facebook Page also gives me an opportunity to share interesting facts and bits of information about the valley that does not really fit on my web site.

Of course other people also write comments on this page. The section that is the most popular is the old postcard album. Everyone is commenting on the old pictures and they keep coming back to see more as I add new ones about every week. I even have people posting their own old postcards and pictures, which is great!

So I really suggest for you to check out this Facebook page you will find it by clicking here.

And please, feel welcome to leave your comments, tell about your events or post your pictures.

News From The Valley

• Annapolis Royal is being invaded by faeries! Cute little faery houses have been popping up all over town ever since Saturday May 9 when the first ones were discovered in the Historic Gardens during the Winter Market. Since then they have appeared at Arts Place, the Legion, the library, the O'Dell House Museum, the old train station and some of the churches among other places. Many are surrounded by mushrooms and some have a sign which uses the old spelling of faery instead of fairy. They are all different and seem to be made to fit in with their different surroundings. The townspeople are looking forward to Saturdays now to see where the new faery houses will appear.

• For all those geocachers in the area there is a new cache hidden in Amethyst Cove, near Cape Split, Kings County which celebrates a 200 year old love story from there. The new cache was left in February by Scout Leader Hugh Chipman from Wolfville who had heard about the love story and wanted to do something to commemorate it. This is a bit of a challenging hike down to the cove and you have to plan your trip around the tides.

• Work has begun on the new additions to the Upper Clements Park. The owners of the park have purchased 187 acres of adjacent crown land, including the former Upper Clements Wildlife Park and plan to expand skyward for an aerial adventure park.

• TripAdvisor has recognized The Hillsdale House Inn in Annapolis Royal with a 2011 Traveler’s Choice Award. This award places the Inn among the Top Ten B&B/Inns in Canada. This is the second consecutive year the Hillsdale has been awarded this award and they are the only Inn east of Ontario to receive it.

• Have you ever thought about trying fly fishing? Well now is your chance! The Milford House is offering classes with guided 4-day fly fishing excursions by canoe every weekend in April, May and possibly June. Call the Milford House for more information.

Upcoming Events

• Celebrating Magnolias - The beautiful magnolia trees are starting to show their blossoms around Annapolis Royal and the towns people want to celebrate! There are several events planned for this celebration in Annapolis Royal including:
  • May 1 - 29 - Inspired by Magnolias in the Chapel Gallery of A.R.C.A.C. This event features several different arts created to celebrate magnolias by local artist.
  • May 6, 7, & 8 - Annual Celebration of Magnolias in Annapolis Royal Check local listings for more details.
  • May 6 - Magnolias & Wine from 7 - 9 pm in the Historic Gardens.
  • May 7 - Three Garden Tour touring the gardens of Ian & Valerie Lawrence, Allison Smyth and Joanne Buckmaster. You may pick up a map and directions at the Historic Gardens.
  • May 7 - 2nd Annual Rare & Unusual Plant Sale at the Farmer's & Trader's Market, Annapolis Royal from 2 - 5 pm.
  • May 8 - Discussing Magnolias by writer and garden designer Nina Newington at the Interpretive Centre, Historic Gardens at 3:30 pm. There will be a tour of the Historic Gardens after.

• The Battle of the Atlantic Commemorative Dinner is coming up on April 30 from 6 - 10 pm at the Clementsport Legion. The Battle of the Atlantic Ceremony is going to be held on May 1, 2011 from 10:45 am - 12 pm at 726 North Broadway Ave., Cornwallis Park.

• The Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival is going to be held from May 25 - 30 this year with events happening throughout the Annapolis Valley. Check your local listings for a schedule of events.

• May 27 - 29, 2011 is the Annual Bluegrass Weekend at Port George.

Make sure to visit my Annapolis Valley Events Page to see what else is happening in the Annapolis Valley.

Updates & Changes to Annapolis-Valley-Vacation.com

There have been so many books written about the Annapolis Valley by local authors. I have found some of these offered in online book stores which I can affiliate with, but not a big selection. Some are sold on eBay and I have thought about going that route, to provide access to eBay auctions on my site.

However there are so many local authors who self publish their books and are looking for a way to promote them. Next winter I hope to work with some of these local authors to come up with a way to promote and sell books on the Annapolis Valley. If you are a local author who might be interested in selling your books through my web site please contact me during the summer. You may send me a message through my Contact Page.

I have not added any new pages to the site this month, however I have been continuing to update and tweak some existing pages. I did update all of my events pages to cover the summer's events right into the fall. I am working on a new system to improve these pages but that will not be implemented until next winter.

I have also been adding videos to several of my pages to make them more interesting to the visitors. Some of the pages with videos now include:

• Port Royal Habitation National Historic Site

• Fort Anne National Historic Site

• Grand Pre National Historic Site

• Bear River Cherry Carnival

• Digby Scallop Days

• Digby Wharf Rat Rally

• Hall's Harbour Lobster Pound & Restaurant

• Kings County Museum

• The O'Dell House Museum

• The Sinclair Inn Museum

My Sponsors

Here is a list of my sponsor companies with a little more information about them for you.

• Site Build It is one of the greatest things found on the web right now. If you have a passion for anything then they can help you turn that passion into a viable online business. They have everything you need to complete the formula C-T-P-M which has proven to work for over ten years now. And their action guide, either the written or the video is second to none other. Add to this all the resources, tips and techniques you will ever need plus the best support ever offered including their famous forums and you have a winning formula to success! I highly recommend Site Build It and that is why the rank at the top of every page.

• TripAdvisor is the World's most trusted travel advice site. At TripAdvisor you can easily find the most trusted accommodations, flights, restaurants and attractions as recommended by the people who know, people just like you who have stayed there and used them. Find Hotels That Travelers Trust. Over 40 Million Unbiased Reviews!

• Avis Rent-A-Car is one of the most recognized and respected car rental companies in the world. They offer both business & leisure customers a wide range of services worldwide. If you are looking to rent-a-car I recommend Avis.com.

• LeftLane Sports began in 2009 with a vision to give their friends access to industry insider pricing on the world’s best sporting goods products. Then they decided to offer these prices to everyone and became the first "Private Sale" website for sporting goods. Membership is free and easy. Top Outdoor Brands, Lowest Prices Guaranteed - Up to 70% OFF retail at LeftLaneSports.com

• All-Battery.com is the largest web site for all types of rechargeable batteries. In this day and age everything takes batteries and rechargeable ones are the only way to go. Make sure to stock up on lots of batteries for your vacation by visiting All-Battery.com.

• Factory Outlet Store is an electronics retailer dedicated to bring you top brand-name manufacturers. If you are looking for a GPS so you can try Geocaching in the Annapolis Valley this is where you will find great deals, Instant Rebates & Free Shipping on GPS, Phones, Headsets, Electric Shavers & Toothbrushes!

• When travelling life can be so much easier with great luggage and the place to find great luggage at fantastic prices is Irv's Luggage. They sell brand name luggage, briefcases, duffels, backpacks, handbags and travel accessories at guaranteed low prices. Remember - Irvs Luggage - Lowest Prices!

• Sears Canada is a familiar name and has been trusted for providing quality services, products and solutions to their customers for years. Whatever you are looking for make sure to check it out at www.sears.ca first for great service and low prices.

• Sony Style is Canada's largest electronics manufacturer. I have owned and used several Sony cameras and will recommend them to both the amature and proffessional alike. When looking for a digital camera or a video camera for your trip make sure to Visit Sony Style Canada for Great Sony Offers on cameras you can rely on.

This wraps up another month. Not as many visible additions to my web site but it was still a very busy month. The big accomplishment for this month was getting the Annapolis Valley Facebook Page up and running.

As I start back to work next week I will not have much time to work on my web site, but that does not mean I just forget about it. I still keep an eye on how it is going and I always read every comment and question that comes in. In case I do not find time to write another Ezine for awhile, remember to check out the Facebook Page for news. I will be posting to that on a regular basis.

Remember if you have any suggestions of things you would like to see on this site please feel free to contact me by answering to this Ezine, using my contact forms, or now by submitting your stories yourself.

Until next month, have fun, live good and love hard!