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Making a Quick Getaway

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In and around Yarmouth and Acadian Shores
By Darcy Rhino

With its eclectic heritage, vibrant culture and contemporary comforts, Yarmouth, NS, is the perfect small-town destination for quick trips and memorable weekend getaways from most New England locations. It's only three hours from Bar Harbor and 5? hours from Portland aboard The CAT. Dustin O'Leary, marketing director for Destination Southwest Nova Scotia, is enthusiastic about the quick getaway approach. "There are tremendous sights and it's such a beautiful part of our province and, we think, of the world."

CAT passengers can leave their cars at the ferry terminal in the US and embark on a walking visit of Yarmouth: the bustling, small downtown is an easy walk from the ferry terminal. Visitors arriving by car can tour the coastline along Yarmouth and Acadian Shores, to see for themselves why O'Leary is so enthusiastic.

A working seaport since 1761, Yarmouth once thrived on a lucrative shipping trade with the New England states and West Indies; that prosperity is reflected in the town's Victorian architecture. A tour of Yarmouth is steeped in history, and many options are available, from selfguided walking tours to air-conditioned bus tours. There are also more than 400 Victorian homes in Yarmouth, the highlight of any tour.

For a look at the town's seafaring history, visit the Yarmouth County Museum and the Killam Brothers Shipping Office, largely unchanged from the 1800s. Another museum of interest is the Pelton-Fuller House, the summer home of Alfred Fuller, better known as the Fuller Brush Man. And, of course, perched on a rocky outcrop at the entrance to the harbour is the picturesque and historic Light Station at Cape Forchu, which has a museum, tea room, park, and gift shop.

Visitors interested in the arts will want to explore such places as the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Western Branch and th'YARC, a charming amateur theatre. Over 30 independent art galleries and studios are concentrated in Yarmouth and the Acadian Shores; one example of the private arts and crafts galleries is the Sign of the Whale, just outside Yarmouth. Along the Acadian Shore, the June Deveau galerie paints on the theme of "art heritage acadie." La galerie Comeau specializes in emotional paintings of St. Mary's Bay.

For overnighters, there are good hotels and B&Bs in the area. The largest hotel in Yarmouth, the 138-room Rodd Grand Yarmouth, with a lounge, indoor pool and fitness centre, offers some great weekend tour packages. Options include a dinner theatre and a 2-hour tour of Yarmouth.

Rudder's is one of Yarmouth's great restaurants. It offers a wide variety of seafood and microbrewed beer prepared on the premises; their beer is made from recipes created by an award-winning brewmaster. The Yarmouth Town Brown is perhaps the best of these ales.

From April to October, enjoy Acadian fare prepared by Master Chef Paul Comeau at Restaurant Chez Christophe. The restaurant, an 1837 farmhouse, is in the historic Acadian community of Grosses Coques, a 40-minute drive from Yarmouth.

O'Leary's advice for visitors touring the area by car or motorcycle: see Nova Scotia's small towns and villages. "Here's the most important point," he said. "You can't explore Nova Scotia or the Yarmouth area from a highway. You have to get off the highway. You have to get into the towns. The towns are where the quaintness and the beauty are to be found."

Along the Acadian shores east of Yarmouth is Wedgeport. Famous for its fishery, Wedgeport hosted the World Cup Tuna Match from 1937 to 1976, an event that attracted such celebrities as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart and Ernest Hemingway. A museum interprets this history for the visitor.

The scenic drive from Wedgeport leads to Ste-Anne-du-Ruisseau, famous for its Church of Ste. Anne, with vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows and paintings. Further along is the Pubnicos, a group of villages settled in 1653, making this the oldest Acadian community in the world. The Village Historique Acadien of Nova Scotia features period homes, buildings from the historic fishing industry and many artifacts. One 1864 homestead is now Le MusČe acadien.

To the west of Yarmouth along Route 1 is the Evangeline Trail, with 31 miles of Acadian villages. Named for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, a love story about a girl named Evangeline set during the 1755 Acadian expulsion, the scenic route boasts Acadian food, music, dance, and arts and crafts. The region's wood-and-stone churches are strung like pearls along the coast. For the naturalist, Mavillette Beach Provincial Park has towering cliffs and a mile-long sandy beach.

Many restaurants along the route feature live Acadian music, including Chez Christophe. Musique Saint-Bernard offers summer concerts on Sunday afternoons at the magnificent St. Bernard Church. Walking tours conducted in French and English, called Histoires de la Baie, bring Acadian streets and folklore alive. The oldest Acadian festival in the world, the Festival Acadien de Clare, is a is a month-long event held every summer. This celebration of Acadian culture and heritage has huge international appeal.

The Acadian settlements, restaurants, museums and beautiful coastline rich in history, are only a few of the highlights of this region. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of quick trips to Yarmouth is that the journey itself is part of the adventure. No matter what the chosen mode of ground transportation, a trip aboard the high-speed catamaran is a novelty. A ship-board view of the waters at the head of the Bay of Fundy sometimes includes whales and dolphins. For birdwatchers, the trip is always a unique opportunity to view birds rarely, if ever, seen from land. The quick trip from Maine to Nova Scotia and back again is a getaway full of adventure, possibilities and surprises.