Diggin' Digby Pines Resort

We arrived at Digby Pine Resort and Spa in the late afternoon, a place oozing with character. The golf course and gorgeous gardens surround the main lodge, a 1929 Norman-style chateau. This building offers 85 guestrooms including six luxury suites and common areas. Those wishing a more private setting, choose among 31 one, two and three-bedroom Maritime-style cottages. Each cottage has a homey living room, with a cozy fireplace and spacious veranda. Complimentary wireless Internet is available throughout the property.

Digby Pines Resort and Spa
Photo @ Debi Lander

The lobby takes one back in time though everything has been refitted. I enjoyed the slideshow on the computer showing the Digby Resort back in the 1930's-50's. The veranda is a gracious spot for an afternoon drink, and we found the main bar and restaurant, plus the gift shop downstairs.

King Room with view of Annapolis Basin

My room on the third floor offered a King-sized bed and magnificent panoramas of the pool and Annapolis Basin. While the room itself was not oversized, I felt comfortable there. I could see the tiny town of Digby across the Bay of Fundy. That evening we dined on famous Digby scallops, known amongst scallop lovers for their tender, sweet, succulent and bigger size. Digby is the Scallop Capital of the World.

Scallop Appetizer at Digby Pines Resort
Photo @ Debi Lander

The Pines first opened in 1905 as a large wooden hotel. During World War I, army officers used the facilities.  After the war, its new owners, the Canadian Pacific Railway, replaced the original wooden hotel with the present building that opened on June 24, 1929. The Government of Nova Scotia purchased the hotel in 1965. In 2001, management by New Castle Hotels and  Resorts took over. In 2005, the hotel officially became the “Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa” in recognition of the past and celebration of the future.

The Town of Digby and Bay of Fundy

Looking toward the Wharf and Marina in Digby
Photo @ Debi Lander

Greg Turner of Gael Tours
Photo @ Debi Lander

After stepping into the town's Visitor Center, we met Greg Turner of Gael Tours, who led us on a walking tour to discover Digby's Stones, Steeples, Ships & Seafood. Digby was named after Admiral Sir Robert Digby, who organized the original community in the 1760's. The town became incorporated in 1890. Hence, it is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Downtown Digby
Photo @ Debi Lander

The streets of Digby are live with maritime history and flavor. We investigated the Admiral's Walk and Boardwalk, Fisherman's Wharf and the fishing fleet.  Unfortunately, many of the lobster and scallop boats were out working, and we were too early to see their return.  What a shame because I think that event would have been one of the trip's highlights. We did see the much needed steep stairways on floating docks that rise and fall with the incredible tidal changes.

Lobster and Scallop Boats make up the Fishing Fleet
Photo @ Debi Lander

We continued and climbed the hill to see historic homes along Queen Street and the Trinity Anglican Church, a National Historic site and cemetery before eventually returning to the Visitor Center. We learned that little Digby hosts the largest multi-day motorcycle rally in Canada,  the Wharf Rat Rally, on Labor Day weekend.  Imagine tens of thousands of bikes and bikers. (We're glad we missed that one.)

Interior of Trinity Anglican Church, Digby, NS
Photo @ Debi Lander

Greg explained the tides on the Bay of Fundy, a famous natural wonder for its miraculous shift of water, the highest in the world. Twice a day, 115 billion tons of water move in and out causing a rise and fall of 20, 30, often 40 feet. During a full moon and high winds, Bay of Fundy tides rise as high as fifty-three feet. In Digby, it ranges from 27 to 32 feet. (Next trip, I want to try Tidal Bore rafting.)

Low Tide

On our drive back to the resort, we witnessed low tide.  Whoa- what a change.  For anyone who ever read the children's classic book, The Five Chinese Brothers, I swear it looked my recollections of the  brother who drank up the sea.  Within our two-hour tour, a tidal pool of tremendous proportion was created.

The Tide Returns to Digby

High Tide restores beauty to the shores of Digby.

We returned in time for lunch at the 19th Hotel at Digby Pines Golf Course. From this vantage point,  the course looked beautiful and not too crowded. What did we pick to eat? Why, seafood chowder, and a lobster roll, of course!

Digby Pines Golf Course
Photo @ Debi Lander

Afterward, the Aveda salon at the resort pleasured us with spa treatments. I indulged in a facial that left me feeling moisturized and relaxed.

Digby is surrounded by interesting little villages, scenic coves and inlets and other surprises. One side trip took us to Rendezvous-vous de la Baie Acadian Interpretive Center in Church Point where Denis and his daughter Isabelle Comeau were waiting for us.

Surprise, surprise, they were distant cousins of a friend of Judy's. No surprise, every Comeau in North America is related because they are descended from the one Comeau who came here.

We sampled a classic dish, rapure or rappie (pronounced "roppie"), grated potatoes and meat stock, tasted dried fish, then learned about the French colonists who stayed in Canada rather than be deported to Louisiana.
  
Back to Annapolis Royal for Dinner and a Ghost Tour

Fish and Scallops at Cafe Compose in Annapolis Royal

Not too much relaxation allowed, we are working girls, so headed back to Annapolis Royal for dinner at Cafe Compose. The restaurant became a surprising delight. My fish was tender and light; the sauce divine. The Viennese owners serve delicious seafood and an audacious apple strudel a la mode. I squeezed in one bite of Sacher torte that was passed around the table, but found it a bit dry. The restaurant offers scenic views of the Bay; however, some tables sit directly in the sun as it sets.

The evening ended with a Candlelight Ghost Tour at what is now the Fort Anne Historic Site. Originally started in 1629 as Port Royal, the area fell to the British in 1710 and was renamed Fort Anne. Heritage interpreter Alan Melanson  leads a tour in Garrison Cemetery, formerly used by the French military, Acadians, the British military and the parish of St. Luke’s. The headstones that  survive represent only a portion of the total number of people buried in this graveyard.

Ghost Tour at Fort Anne

Melanson begins by talking about the traditions surrounding his outfit. He wears a ribbon on his hat called a “Weeper,” given to members of the funeral procession as a gift from the host.

Most participants pick up a candle-powered lantern to carry, and as the light fades, the tour sets off,  bobbing and weaving through the darkness. The lanterns create a pleasing atmosphere but one that attracts mosquitoes and not one especially adequate for photography. Soon we were being eaten alive and called it a night. Sadly, Melanson is a good storyteller, and this ghost tour is far better than most. However, douse yourself with bug spray if you want to enjoy the tour of one of Canada’s oldest English graveyards.

Overall, we dug Digby Pines Resort and the tidal change in the Bay and Fundy is something we will never forget. Annapolis Royal also gets our recommendation for a day trip.

Digby Pines Resort and Spa, Digby, Nova Scotia

The Biggest of Oopses

Just discovered that a post we thought had published while we were both on the road - Debi in Africa, Judy in Cambodia and Vietnam - didn't.

With many apologies to our hosts, here is Diggin' Digby Pines Resort. Chronologically it goes between Driving to Digby and Fundy Ferry to Passamaquoddy Bay.

Diggin' Digby Pines Resort 

We arrived at Digby Pine Resort and Spa in the late afternoon, a place oozing with character. The golf course and gorgeous gardens surround the main lodge, a 1929 Norman-style chateau. This building offers 85 guestrooms including six luxury suites and common areas. Those wishing a more private setting, choose among 31 one, two and three-bedroom Maritime-style cottages. Each cottage has a homey living room, with a cozy fireplace and spacious veranda. Complimentary wireless Internet is available throughout the property.

Digby Pines Resort and Spa
Photo @ Debi Lander

The lobby takes one back in time though everything has been refitted. I enjoyed the slideshow on the computer showing the Digby Resort back in the 1930's-50's. The veranda is a gracious spot for an afternoon drink, and we found the main bar and restaurant, plus the gift shop downstairs.

King Room with view of Annapolis Basin

My room on the third floor offered a King-sized bed and magnificent panoramas of the pool and Annapolis Basin. While the room itself was not over-sized, I felt comfortable there. I could see the tiny town of Digby across the Bay of Fundy. That evening we dined on famous Digby scallops, known among scallop lovers for their tender, sweet, succulent and bigger size. Digby is the Scallop Capital of the World.

Scallop Appetizer at Digby Pines Resort
Photo @ Debi Lander

The Pines first opened in 1905 as a large wooden hotel. During World War I, army officers used the facilities.  After the war, its new owners, the Canadian Pacific Railway, replaced the original wooden hotel with the present building that opened on June 24, 1929. The Government of Nova Scotia purchased the hotel in 1965. In 2001, management by New Castle Hotels and  Resorts took over. In 2005, the hotel officially became the “Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa” in recognition of the past and celebration of the future.

The Town of Digby and Bay of Fundy

Looking toward the Wharf and Marina in Digby
Photo @ Debi Lander

Greg Turner of Gael Tours
Photo @ Debi Lander

After stepping into the town's Visitor Center, we met Greg Turner of Gael Tours, who led us on a walking tour to discover Digby's Stones, Steeples, Ships & Seafood. Digby was named after Admiral Sir Robert Digby, who organized the original community in the 1760's. The town became incorporated in 1890. Hence, it is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Downtown Digby
Photo @ Debi Lander

The streets of Digby are alive with maritime history and flavor. We investigated the Admiral's Walk and Boardwalk, Fisherman's Wharf and the fishing fleet.  Unfortunately, many of the lobster and scallop boats were out working, and we were too early to see their return.  What a shame because I think that event would have been one of the trip's highlights. We did see the much needed steep stairways on floating docks that rise and fall with the incredible tidal changes.

Lobster and Scallop Boats make up the Fishing Fleet
Photo @ Debi Lander

We continued and climbed the hill to see historic homes along Queen Street and the Trinity Anglican Church, a National Historic site and cemetery before eventually returning to the Visitor Center. We learned that little Digby hosts the largest multi-day motorcycle rally in Canada, the Wharf Rat Rally, on Labor Day weekend.  Imagine tens of thousands of bikes and bikers. (We're glad we missed that one.)

Interior of Trinity Anglican Church, Digby, NS
Photo @ Debi Lander

Greg explained the tides on the Bay of Fundy, a famous natural wonder for its miraculous shift of water, the highest in the world. Twice a day, 115 billion tons of water move in and out causing a rise and fall of 20, 30, often 40 feet. During a full moon and high winds, Bay of Fundy tides rise as high as 53 feet. In Digby, it ranges from 27 to 32 feet. (Next trip, I want to try Tidal Bore rafting.)

Low Tide

On our drive back to the resort, we witnessed low tide.  Whoa- what a change.  For anyone who ever read the children's classic book, The Five Chinese Brothers, I swear it looked like my recollections of the  brother who drank up the sea.  Within our two-hour tour, a tidal pool of tremendous proportion was created.

The Tide Returns to Digby

High Tide restores beauty to the shores of Digby.

We returned in time for lunch at the 19th Hotel at Digby Pines Golf Course. From this vantage point,  the course looked beautiful and not too crowded. What did we pick to eat? Why, seafood chowder, and a lobster roll, of course!

Digby Pines Golf Course
Photo @ Debi Lander

Afterward, the Aveda salon at the resort pleasured us with spa treatments. I indulged in a facial that left me feeling moisturized and relaxed.

Digby is surrounded by interesting little villages, scenic coves and inlets and other surprises. One side trip took us to Rendezvous-vous de la Baie Acadian Interpretive Center in Church Point where Denis and his daughter Isabelle Comeau were waiting for us.

Surprise, surprise, they were distant cousins of a friend of Judy's. No surprise, every Comeau in North America is related because they are descended from the one Comeau who came here.

We sampled a classic dish, rauture or rattie, grated potatoes and meat stock, tasted dried fish, then learned about the French colonists who stayed in Canada rather than be deported to Louisiana.
  
Back to Annapolis Royal for Dinner and a Ghost Tour

Fish and Scallops at Cafe Compose in Annapolis Royal

Not too much relaxation allowed, we are working girls, so headed back to Annapolis Royal for dinner at Cafe Compose. The restaurant became a surprising delight. My fish was tender and light; the sauce divine. The Viennese owners serve delicious seafood and an audacious apple strudel a la mode. I squeezed in one bite of Sacher torte that was passed around the table, but found it a bit dry. The restaurant offers scenic views of the Bay; however, some tables sit directly in the sun as it sets.

The evening ended with a Candlelight Ghost Tour at what is now the Fort Anne Historic Site. Originally started in 1629 as Port Royal, the area fell to the British in 1710 and was renamed Fort Anne. Heritage interpreter Alan Melanson  leads a tour in Garrison Cemetery, formerly used by the French military, Acadians, the British military and the parish of St. Luke’s. The headstones that  survive represent only a portion of the total number of people buried in this graveyard.

Ghost Tour at Fort Anne

Melanson begins by talking about the traditions surrounding his outfit. He wears a ribbon on his hat called a “Weeper,” given to members of the funeral procession as a gift from the host.

Most participants pick up a candle-powered lantern to carry, and as the light fades, the tour sets off,  bobbing and weaving through the darkness. The lanterns create a pleasing atmosphere but one that attracts mosquitoes and not one especially adequate for photography. Soon we were being eaten alive and called it a night. Sadly, Melanson is a good storyteller, and this ghost tour is far better than most. However, douse yourself with bug spray if you want to enjoy the tour of one of Canada’s oldest English graveyards.

Overall, we dug Digby Pines Resort and the tidal change in the Bay and Fundy is something we will never forget. Annapolis Royal also gets our recommendation for a day trip.

Digby Pines Resort and Spa, Digby, Nova Scotia

Fundy Ferry to Passamaquoddy Bay

The time had come to leave Nova Scotia and enter New Brunswick, Canada.  From Digby, we would board the Fundy Ferry for a three-hour trip. This ferry carries people, cars and trucks and cargo. The loading and unloading runs like a  precision timepiece. Vehicles are directed to queue up by size, and then drive down into the ship's hold and park. All passengers must then head up to the lounges found two decks above. 

Aboard the Fundy Ferry

The best part of this excursion, at least for my group of writers, was the availability of WiFi onboard.  We went outside to watch the shore fade and then got right to work catching up on emails and stories. Other passengers watched movies, read or visited the snack bar and grill. 

The Algonquin at Dusk

Three hours passed quickly, and we pulled into the port of St. Johns, an industrial city. We briefly eyed the city as we drove through and finally arrived at the AlgonquinResort in St. Andrews by-the-Sea. How can you not fall in love with such a poetic sounding name as St. Andrews-by-the-Sea? The legendary hotel, like Digby Pines, is infused with character and historic elegance—and we later learned, ghosts. Families have been returning to this vacation spot for many years, sometimes decade upon decade.

My room in the Algonquin Resort

My room on the fourth floor felt swanky. It was spacious with a king sized bed, updated marble bath and calming mauve and gray colors. A pillow emblazoned in the logo 'A' for Algonquin sat on the bed. My window overlooked the hotel grounds with panoramic views of Passamaquoddy Bay.

Is this Pete's Dragon?

Now, the name Passamaquoddy kept replaying in my brain. Just what was the name of the movie and dragon set in Passamaquoddy?  I had to ask Google, and the answer smacked me in the head- why Pete's Dragon, of course. I thought the name was fictional but was happy to find the inspiration was Passamaquoddy Bay. I also was delighted to discover a dragon sculpture flying in the Kingsbrae Garden. Guess someone else thinks like me.   

History of the Algonquin Resort

Before dinner, we met Kevin Crane, Director of Sales, in the lobby who treated us to a pre-tour glass of wine. He related the history of the property and pointed out the vintage photos hanging on the walls, including one of Franklin Roosevelt as a young man at nearby Campoebello Island. Celebrity guests have included the former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his wife as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

The Elegant Algonquin

The Algonquin Resort opened in 1889 as Canada's first seaside resort town. The cost of a room at the time was between $3 and $5 per day. Five years later, the golf course was added. By 1912, the six-story Kitchen Wing appeared along with more guestrooms. The Casino opened in 1913, featuring a bowling alley, billiards and pool tables, and a grand ballroom.

Sadly, in 1914, a fire destroyed the majority of the hotel's original, wooden structure. After a year of rebuilding, the resort reopened with a new Tudor-style facade. Blame the telephone and new electrical installations for the rate increase to $4 and $7 per day.

The hotel closed during WWII. In 1991, an expansion added a rooftop garden and convention center. In 1997, equipment was installed so the Algonquin could remain open in the winter. The hotel again closed its doors in 2012 to undergo an extensive, $30 million renovation.

Braxton's Bar

The Castle-by-the-Sea reopened in March 2014, as we see it today. You'll find 233 guestrooms and suites with full amenities, free WiFi and an indoor pool with a three-story waterslide.

My group toured the rambling grounds especially admiring the upper patios that offered to-die-for aquatic views. We then proceeded to Braxton's Restaurant where we indulged in one of the best   Sounds strange and tasted more tangy than sweet, but it grew on me.

A Strawberry Basil Martini

dinners we've ever had. We began with one of the signature martini's: Strawberry Basil.

Chef Dale Nichols, a New Brunswick native, outdid himself. He began with a gorgeous seacuterie that consisted of Scallop Terrine with bacon and onion jam; smoked salmon pot du crème; cranberry and mint cured halibut; star anise and molasses cured halibut; and Sturgeon Caviar. A terrific take on traditional charcuterie with a seaside influence.

That was followed by a beautifully adorned salad plate.

Then came the most exquisite scallops I have ever seen.

Sensational Scallops

Salmon was the main course, topped by hair strand sized fries, adding crunch to the sensation sauce. Every bite was fantastic. We couldn't stop ourselves as dessert was a divine chocolate tart, creamy on the inside with a crisp tart crust. Then, the entire dinner was topped with a shimmering goblet of ice wine.  A heavenly meal to long remember. 

Our Entree was Salmon

Ghosts of The Algonquin

 After that feast, we needed a walk, so were taken on a ghost tour (just ask if you are interested in the resident ghosts). I did not realize until the tour paused directly across from my room, that I was so near one of the most haunted places. Room 473 is known as the Crying Bride's room. The story dates back to the early 1900’s when an out-of-town bride waited for her groom at a local church. Sadly, he never arrived. She returned to the Algonquin and cried all night long. The next day, friends found her body and claimed she died of a broken heart. I’m relieved to report that I didn't hear a whimper.

We rode the elevators down to the old underground walkways of the kitchen and food transfer area. Felt a bit creepy down there. The staff claims they sometimes see the bellman. Some say he went into the fire to rescue a mother and child, and all died. There is also a story about a piano saved from the flames that is kept locked. Only the bellman had the key but some folks swear they hear the piano being played. Another ghost likes to change the place settings in the dining room.

You decide. I felt entirely comfortable in the hotel, in fact, I believe it was my favorite lodging of our Two Nation Vacation. It's the kind of place you want to stay awhile and sit back. I loved the gracious yet friendly feel of the hotel, the dog-welcoming staff, the superb food, my comfy room and the location near enough to walk downtown.  Send me back!