Places to Visit While In The Annapolis Valley

There are many interesting places to visit in Annapolis Valley that are not historical. Many of these places are great for the whole family, from the little tots to the grandparents.

In this section I am going to cover the many great Annapolis parks, other natural scenery and a few farms that offer something for visitors. Again I will cover the basics here and give you links to go for even more information about these interesting places to visit. Have fun exploring.

Attractions

Upper Clements Park

The Upper Clements Park was built on 25 acres of land around a natural lake. The park is one of the great places in the valley offering beautiful scenery, good entertainment with a nice mixture of rides and activities.

The park was designed to showcase the Provinces culture and history through its buildings, stores, craftspeople and the many performers there. The rides include ones like the Red Baron Airplanes for the little ones, to the Tree Topper Roller Coaster or the Rock O Planes for the older more adventurous type. On a hot summer day a slide down the Fundy Splash Water Slide or on the Sissiboo Sizzler Flume Ride are great places to visit to cool you off.

Hear more about the attractions, rides and scenery from my last visit there.

Action Jax

Another one of the good places to visit that promises fun for the whole family is at Action Jax Family Fun Park in Granville. This is Atlantic Canada's newest Go-Kart track. Turn off on exit #22 from the 101 and drive to the lights in Annapolis Royal. Turn right at the lights and follow the road over the Annapolis Causeway. Action Jax is about 2 kms on the right.

Here you will find a little bit of everything, both indoors and outside activities. Inside you will find arcade games, carnival games and pool tables. Outside there are the go-karts, water bomber, driving range, mini golf, a batting cage and canteen facilities.

In the early spring Action Jax is open only on the weekends. Later spring they are open Friday nights 6 - 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sundays 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. From July 1st until Sept 3 they are open Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free into the park and you pay as you play. Yes Action Jax is one of those fun places to visit for the whole family.

Oaklawn Farm Zoo

The next one of those great places to visit for the whole family is Oaklawn Farm Zoo. Oaklawn Farm is Nova Scotia's largest zoo and has the largest display of big cats and primates in Eastern Canada.

The zoo started out as a privately owned farm with a few exotic animals. As more people visited and more animals were added it has evolved into a zoo.

Many of their animals, both exoctic and domestic are on the endangered and the threatened list. Many of the native animals came there as either orphaned young wildlife or animals that have recuperated from injuries.

The zoo is among the great places to visit if you like interaction with several of the animals. Read more about the Oaklawn Farm Zoo from my visits there.

Eagle Watch Sheffield Mills

The Sheffield Mills area is close to the eagle feeding grounds and nesting areas making it one of the great places to visit to view them.

They tell me that the best time to come is from late November to mid March, with January and February being the best. Come in the morning around 9 a.m., as this is the time the eagles are feeding.

In the Sheffield Mills Community Center you will find a host of information on the eagles along with displays and facts on the eagle population.

Have a look at when I visited the Sheffield Mills Eagle Watch on the 26th of January 2008. It was a cold day, but my sister, Judy and I had a great time. There were so many eagles to see.

Port George

Located right along the rocky coast of the Bay of Fundy, Port George is worth the drive over the mountain to see. This gentle little village, with its community owned lighthouse, Candle in the Window Museum, great community spirit and location on top of the volcanic rock shoreline offers you a lot to take in. This is also a great place to watch the flow of the highest tides in the world travel in and out every six hours.

The village is situated right along the coast so there are many spots with access to the rocky shoreline. This gives you lots of access to walk the ocean floor yourself and hunt for treasures left by the ever changing tides. Search for semi-precious stones, unusual driftwood, or the array of life in the several tidal pools waiting for the tide to come back over them.

Blomidon Look Off

On the top of the North Mountain, not far from the Blomidon Provincial Park is located the Blomidon Look off. It is another of the great scenic places to visit and is well worth the trip up here to take in the beautiful view; it is breathtaking. From this point you are able to see Kings, Hants and Annapolis counties in the valley, Cape Blomidon and the New Minas Basin.

To get to the Blomidon Look Off turn left at the Harold Bordon monument in Canning and proceed up the mountain 5 km on route 358 to the look off at the top. You will find interpretive panels and binoculars there. Open year round.

Robie Tufts Nature Centre

Located in Wolfville this nature center was opened in July of 1990. This interpretative nature center was named after the late Robie Tufts who was a long-time resident of Wolfville and was a renowned ornithologist.

It was constructed to preserve one of the few local homes of the chimney swift. It also promotes awareness and interest in local natural history and the environment. It is most popular in August around dusk when the chimney swifts perform their spectacular antics every evening.

Other Annapolis Parks

There are all kinds of Provincial Picnic Parks, municipal parks and town parks to be found in the Annapolis Valley which are all great places to visit. There are parks with good playgrounds for the kids to play in. Others have interesting walking trails to explore while getting a little exercise. Maybe you are looking for a pretty picnic spot to eat your lunch at and relax for a while. Whatever you are looking for there is a park close to where you are staying. For a list of the picnic parks in the Annapolis Valley try these three pages:

Kings County Parks. - A list of picnic parks and places to relax in Kings County

Annapolis County Parks. - A list of picnic parks and places to relax in Annapolis County

Digby County Parks. - A list of picnic parks and places to relax in Digby County

Farms & Small Businesses

Many farms and small business have opened up their doors to visitors. They have made parks, petting zoos, business tours and many other ideas to make these interesting places to visit.

Noggins Corner Farm

Noggins Corner Farm is one of these interesting places to visit. Located along highway #1 in Greenwich, close to Wolfville and along the Cornwallis River it is one of the oldest farms of the area. The Noggins Farm Market specializes in local produce. During the fall harvest they sell 52 different varieties of apples. Also available are pears, plums, and peaches, home made jams, local honeys and of course freshly pressed sweet apple cider. They have a U-Pick there for those that wish to pick their own fruits and vegetables.

But that is not all. On the farm you will find a big play area with a Barnyard Adventure Area making this one of the good childrens places to visit. There is a tunnel slide, a large sandbox, a Tire Snake, a mini maze, and a stump walk. A big attraction is their 10-acre corn maze. They hold hayrides and campfires. You can take the guided tour of the spook house with the resident witch, if you are not too scared. All proceeds from this are donated to Safe Communities. There is an interesting guided tour available through the historic walking trail. The trail passes by where the American Bald eagle nest and by an old Acadian cellar and gristmill. You will see trees that are over 300 years old.

Noggins Corner Farm is open Monday through Thursday by reservations, Fridays from 12 - 6, Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 6. Admission for the corn maze is $5.00 for adults and $4.00 for ages 5 - 15. Hayrides cost $1.50 per person. For more information you may call  902 542 5515 .

Hennigar's Farm & Park

Hennigar's Farm Market is located on route #1 about two minutes from Wolfville. This market is one of the good places to visit as it is well known for their fresh Valley produce, gifts and snacks.

The owners have also opened their farm, a picnic park and the Tannery Hollow Nature Trail for visitors. As another one of the good places to visit for children you can spend the afternoon relaxing while the kids play in the Little Farmer Trike Track, or in the boat and giant sandbox. There is also a duck pond and a petting zoo. Their Tannery Hollow Nature Trail is a 2.5 km trail through a wooded ravine ending up with a panoramic view of the valley. For more information call  902 542 3505 . .

Fox Hill Cheese House

One of the good places to visit for all the cheese lovers is the Fox Hill Cheese House. It is a sixth generation family farm which specializes in the art of making cheese. Fox Hill Farms was awarded fifth place in Florence Cox Awards in 2002. They make their cheese here on the farm right from their own herd of 50 Holstein cows.

Lush fields, beautiful apple orchards and spectacular views of the Minas Basin and Blomidon surround the farm. With a visit here you will learn interesting facts about agriculture, regulatory food safety and the art of making cheese. Afterwards you can sample wines and cheese from a sample cheese tray.

To get there take exit 11 off the 101 highway toward Greenwich on route 358. Continue north through Port Williams and turn right onto Lower Church Street. You may book tours for ten or more for $2.50 each. For information call  902 542 3599 .

Just Us Coffee Roasters, Grand Pre

See and hear the story of Canada's first Fair Trade Coffee Roastery & Museum. Learn how the company was started by a small group of people who wanted to make a difference in the production and trade of its products, and how you can become a conscious consumer. This is one of the good informative places to visit in the valley. A complimentary gift is given.

The head office and roastery are located at 11865 on highway #1 in Wolfville. For more information phone  902 542 7474  or  1 888 668 8436  toll free.

More Places to Visit

I have only mentioned a small part here of all the interesting places to visit in this area. To find out more make sure you check out the other pages on my site. If you are interested in history check out my page on historic sites to visit. You can get there by clicking here.

There are also several very interesting museums found in the Annapolis Valley. There is sure to be something to spark the interest of everyone, whether you like history, antiques, ghost, railroad, old school houses, or the apple industry of the area. Check out the many museums you may visit in the Annapolis Valley by clicking here.

We are fortunate here in the valley with so much history and beauty to behold. Our people are proud of what we have here and love to show it off. Many self-guided and guided tours have been set up to help explain the things you will see while visiting here. You can walk, hike, mountain bike, canoe or kayak to points all across this valley and over to the Bay of Fundy. You can even join the crew of a boat heading out to observe the magnificent whales that feed here in the summer months. For a list of the many tours and trails set up in this area click here.

There are still more fantastic places to visit in the Annapolis Valley. Keep watch as I update this site often as I explore the valley more and share with you what I have found. How long did you say your vacation is? I think it should be longer. But then again if you do not see it all this time, there will be more to explore the next time you visit here.

And you do not have to confine your visit just to the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia has a lot to offer outside the valley also. If you would like to see more of what Nova Scotia offers check out this site Nova Scotia Vacation Guide.

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