Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

WINTER/SPRING 2024 DREAMSCAPES 19 Embracing Evangeline in W hile many stick close to Halifax, I left Nova Scotia's capital city in my rearview mirror in favour of chasing the hues of amber and garnet along the open road this past fall. The GPS was programmed for southwestern Nova Scotia to a place known for a love ballad written for a girl named Evangeline. American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the epic poem about two lovers sepa- rated in 1847, and ever since then, there's been a tug at the heartstrings for this iconic story that continues to feed the imagination. And there I stood in the idyllic village of Grand-Pré staring at a statue of Evangeline. As the golden sunlight peaked through the leaves the soft shadows danced on her smooth stone visage. I could not help but breathe a sigh of gratitude. Love, devotion and faithfulness have inter- sected for the fictional Evangeline. And like my road trip that led me to charming seaside towns, and idyllic countrysides, I encountered a Maritime hospitality from seafaring locals and salt of the earth residents that is as common as the sea around them. If you are like me and seek those unique local experiences, a south- western Nova Scotia road trip is sure to leave an indelible mark on your soul. FOLLOW THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED Highway 101 may be the most direct route for the northern part of this western Nova Scotia loop, but trust me when I say you will want to take the road less travelled as you pass homesteads dotting the subtly sloping landscapes of Trunk Highway 1 a.k.a. the Evangeline Trail. Named after the iconic poem, you will hear numerous tales of Acadie along this route of gentle curves that lead you into the heart of the Acadian homeland. Learn about the Acadians as they arrived in the 1600s from Brittany, Nor- mandy, Picardy and Poitou, France and settled in the Annapolis Valley, the stunning patchwork of vineyards and farmland we see today. EXPERIENCING ACADIA To truly appreciate Nova Scotia, you need to spend time learning about this vibrant culture and there is no better place than Grand-Pré. The UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses the beauty of the southern Minas Basin, a lesser-known part of the ever-popular Bay of Fundy. I was blown away by the Acadians' ingenuity as dykes they built transformed marshes into fertile farming, and later I was heartbroken to learn how families were separated during the Great Deportation in 1755. When you visit the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, you'll discover that Acadian pride is strong with waving flags in blue, white and red embossed with a bright yellow star to symbolize Mary, the patron saint NOVA SCOTIA BY LINDSAY DAVIES DID YOU KNOW? Grand-Pré is also home to Just Us! Coffee, Canada's first organic fair trade coffee roaster, which is 100% small producer owned. This indie company also contributes to the local Mi'kmaq community by donating proceeds from their Wikunapu coffee beans for educa- tional scholarships. PHOTOS: YARMOUTH AND ACADIAN SHORES TOURISM ASSOCIATION | GRAND-PRÉ NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE/LIEU HISTORIQUE NATIONAL DE GRAND-PRÉ | TOURISM NOVA SCOTIA/@DAVEYANDSKY

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