Thanks to our Discovery Pass, we had a chance to explore some of most beautiful parks in Canada and check out some of the National Historic Sites along the way.  We started off our day in Annapolis Royal with a visit to the Fort Anne National Historic Site. The kids had an amazing time at Fort Anne.  This is such a great stop for everyone in the family. There are lots of opportunities for learning about Canadian history while still having fun. We learned how to spell our names with flags, write in Morse code, and won some cool prizes for our efforts.  On the day we visited they were setting up the #Canada150 balloon.

Next stop was Wolfville for lunch followed by a visit to the Grand Pré National Historic Site, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We learned a lot about both the Canadian merchant navy involvement in the second world war and the deportation of the Acadian people in the 1700s.  The gardens here are beautiful, with a great spot to rest under large willow trees or time to chill with a relaxing walk around the gardens.   After burning off some energy outdoors we went back to the main centre to see a live play.

In the afternoon we visited Burntcoat Head Park where we walked on the ocean’s floor at low tide. Burntcoat Head Park is known for having the highest tides in the world. It’s similar to Hopewell rocks but much quieter and it’s free to enter.

For our final activity of the day, we stopped along the Shubenacadie river and watched the tidal bore. It was really cool seeing the tides moving in and seeing the water being pushed back upstream.  There are only a few locations in North America that experience a tidal bore, so it’s definitely a must-see if you are in the area.

The weather was all over the place – we started off in fall jackets and ended in tank tops. To make the most out of our trip in these areas always have a sweater and light jacket ready to go.  We did some research on these activities before we visited and our expectations were met. Be sure to check out the guided tours that are offered in both French and English.  The one thing that we wish we could have done but missed out on as it was sold out months in advance, was eat lunch on the ocean’s floor.  That will be on the list for our next visit. It’s amazing how much exploring you can pack into a day on the East Coast!