Beyond the ordinary

Treat yourself to a stay at Atlantic Canada’s unique lodges

BY JOHN AND SANDRA NOWLAN

Take a harbour tour at Liscombe Lodge.

The four Atlantic Provinces can rightfully boast of a wide variety of excellent accommodations. From quaint B&Bs to luxurious hotels and resorts, this region is known for its unmatched friendliness and hospitality.

Many visitors to the East Coast are keen to include something exciting, new or unique. We discovered a number of such places throughout the region that provide special experiences for their guests:

NEW BRUNSWICK TOURISM September. A moose hunting license is required but the package includes transportation from Edmundston, cottage accommodation, all meals and one guide for each hunter.

As expected, the restaurant serves hearty meals including its famous moose burger (two beef patties), chicken stew, BBQ ribs and—a favourite of Quebec visitors— steak poutine.

NEW BRUNSWICK

Adair’s Wilderness Lodge

“Joy, laughter and fun in the wilderness is what this world needs now.” That’s a comment from Ida Adair who, along with her husband Lou, owns a popular rural getaway in southern New Brunswick. Located close to the Fundy Trail Parkway, Adair’s Wilderness Lodge features five cottages, 10 motel rooms and four bunk house rooms.

Guests at Adair’s love the outdoors. The

ADAIRS WILDERNESS LODGE Lodge features a private lake for speckled trout fishing, and several kilometres of trails through the Acadian forest and adjacent waterfalls. Tour guides are provided for visits to nearby Fundy National Park and to Glen Gorge, often called “the Grand Canyon of New Brunswick”. Ida Adair told us two nesting loons fly over the lodge and cabins each morning, yodeling a brief greeting to guests. Evenings are often spent around the campfire listening to the sounds of nature and perhaps, the distant howls of coyotes.

Moose Valley Sporting Lodge

At the opposite end of New Brunswick, about 50 kilometres north of Edmundston, Moose Valley Sporting Lodge attracts visitors year round with an even bigger appetite for outdoor adventure. Owner Lee Blanchette has groomed snowmobile, snowshoe and ATV trails, all available with guides. The most exclusive activity is his five-day Moose Hunting Package, available in late NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Indian Falls Chalets

Next to the town of Springdale in central Newfoundland, Michelle and Shawn Rowsell own Indian Falls Chalets. This 4.5-star property, along the banks of the Indian River, includes three modern, full-housekeeping cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows, wifi, locally made soap and shampoo, and a front porch BBQ.

Seaglass B&B and Studio.

KAREN SMITH

Shawn Rowsell takes special pride in his smoked salmon workshops. Guests learn the technique of properly preparing and smoking local salmon then, of course, enjoying the final product. Shawn also delights in taking guests to the best fishing pools along the Indian River and teaching the basics of effective fly fishing.

Seaglass B&B and Studio

In the delightful Trinity Bay community of New Perlican, the old general store and adjacent traditional Newfoundland house have been turned into a cozy, seaside two-bedroom B&B with its own fitness instructor for optional gentle workouts on the deck.

The owners, Karen Smith and Michael Laduke, are both talented artists and offer unique classes in their specialties. Michael is a stained-glass maker and in his workshop (the old store) he shows visitors how to create their own complex, colourful glass treasures. Karen is a photographer and offers her guests photo sessions in and around the town.

Breakfast at Seaglass includes traditional toutons (fried bread dough) and Karen’s own version of Pain Matin (morning bread)— pumpernickel fried lightly in butter with sharp cheddar and Quebec maple syrup.

NOVA SCOTIA

Liscombe Lodge

A welcome refuge along Nova Scotia’s rugged Eastern Shore, Liscome Lodge has a tradition of hospitality dating back more than 60 years. Formerly a government resort, it’s now privately owned with 30 comfortable guestrooms in the Riverside Lodge, 17 private chalets spaced along the Liscombe River and five large, shared cottages.

Because the lodge is located where river meets harbour, it’s also a popular stopping place for hungry yachters, eager to enjoy the lodge specialty, planked salmon. The talented, British-trained chef has his own

SUBMITTED herb and vegetable garden and has now started a unique mushroom garden.

A bonus for guests at the lodge is Chester and his harbour tour. This old timer, full of stories, steers his pontoon boat along the shores of Liscombe Harbour while regaling visitors with local history, geography and gossip.

Trout Point Lodge

Located in the most remote part of southwest Nova Scotia, adjacent to the Tobiatic Wilderness Area, this five-star luxury lodge has eight suites in the main building, three suites in an adjacent structure and one fully equipped two-bedroom cottage. With gourmet cuisine and an award from Wine Spectator Magazine, it’s the perfect place to unwind and relax, surrounded by nature with no cell phone or TV.

“Forest Bathing” is a Japanese concept (“Shinrin-yoku”) that is now fully embraced by Trout Point. Guests are guided on a slow walk along the river and through the forest with all senses fully attuned to the sights, smells, colours and atmosphere of the surroundings. A stop is made as the guide brews tea from fir tips and wintergreen leaves. Science has shown that “bathing” your entire psyche in the forest’s essence lowers blood pressure, heart rate, stress and depression.

The remote lodge also has a resident astronomer with an excellent telescope who invites gusts to view and discuss the night sky in all its splendour.

JILL POIRIER Yurt lodging at Nature Space Resort. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Nature Space Resort

Near St. Peter’s Bay in eastern PEI, Heather and Jarrod Gunn McQuillan have built a unique Resort and Retreat Centre. They want visitors to enjoy the natural world of PEI while offering wellness experiences like yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Heather, a certified yoga teacher, designs her classes for all levels.

Accommodation at Nature Space is also special. The resort includes four authentic Mongolian yurts, each with a queen size bed, a day bed, a woodstove and private deck with personal hot tub. The owners like to call it “glamping” (glamorous camping).

The Inn at Bay Fortune

This five-star property near Souris—a working farm set among 48 acres of seaside serenity—offers some of the finest accommodation and cuisine in the region. The main Inn has 16 luxurious rooms while its sister property, The Inn at Fortune Bridge, offers six uniquely decorated suites.

A major draw at the Inn at Bay Fortune is its celebrity chef, Michael Smith, and his elaborate Fireworks Feast. Chef Michael told us his goal is “to immerse his guests in an interactive farm to fork experience.”

The Feast starts with a culinary farm tour at 4pm followed by a special Oyster Hour at 5pm and then the grand finale at 6pm. The seven-course meal, much of which is cooked over local hardwood, is a showcase of Chef Michael’s talent, featuring the best from land and sea that PEI has to offer.