by Denise Davies

Out and About Antigonish — Antigonish Town, excursions within 2 hrs, day trips, outdoor recreation, hiking, history, culture, beaches, trails, nature and more

Antigonish, Northumberland Shore, Eastern Shore, Guysborough, Pictou

Out and About Antigonish is based on my explorations of Antigonish and Northeastern Nova Scotia.

I grew up in Sydney NS and graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1969.  As a child, my family visited Antigonish many summers.  During my 45 years of living and working overseas I would be back to Antigonish almost yearly after the 1980s when my Mom and Dad, Joe and Audrey Chiasson, moved to Antigonish to work at Coady International Institute. 

In 2010 I decided to move back permanently to Antigonish to be closer to my family.   It was at this point that I really realized the beauty and variety that we had here and I was inspired to share my photography and explorations by creating Out and About Nova Scotia  ( www.outandaboutns.com )

This led to travel writing and publication of Nova Scotia travel articles in SaltScapes, The Casket, The Cape Breton Post, At Home on the North Shore, Trivago Magazine, Issuu, Travel World Magazine, and of course Out and About Nova Scotia.  (https://denisedavies.contently.com )

This book is based on content from many of these articles and trips around Antigonish County, Guysborough County, Pictou County and a foray into Cape Breton.  It is amazing how much you can see and do within a 2hr drive of Antigonish Town.

The book is available in Antigonish at the Curious Cat Bookstore and the Antigonish 5-$ on Main Street, Antigonish. Or online at the following link.

I hope you enjoy traveling with this book as your guide.  The places are by no means exhaustive and I am sure that you will be adding your own favorite places and activities.

I wish to acknowledge that Antigonish and the areas of Northeastern Nova Scotia covered in this book are on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people.  

Denise Davies

Thank you to Coastal Nova Scotia / DEANS for their support of the 2nd Edition of Out and About Antigonish.

Book Details

The book includes Antigonish Town and excursions along Hwy 337, 245, 7, 316, HWY 104 East and West and the Eastern Shore. Photos, descriptions, maps, and QR codes to more information online.

Explore Antigonish and the surrounding areas.  This is a wonderful gift for newcomers, staff, family and friends.   The book will be available in local book-stores and online for a retail cost of $24.95. 

Antigonish Town, excursions within 2 hrs, day trips, outdoor recreation, hiking, history, culture, beaches, trails, nature and more

Table of Contents Edition 2

click for larger image of each page

EXCURSIONS AND SHORT DRIVES

There are many beautiful spots, things to do and enjoy within a 2 hour drive of Antigonish.  Some are only 10 or 15 minutes away and many can be combined into a longer day trip or a few days mini vacation.  The following section is divided into routes starting in Antigonish and the time to drive there. 

Explore the area and create your bucket list of places to go and things to do.   There are lots of turn offs and things to add as you explore. 

For example, take a lovely drive along the Hwy 337 past St. Martha’s Hospital and on past Mahoney’s Beach, and Ballantyne’s Cove to Cape George Lighthouse.  You will see signs for hiking trails along the route and spectacular views of the Northumberland Shore.

Head along the Hwy104 West towards Truro and you will find The Keppoch, Beaver Mountain Park, New Glasgow and Pictou with side trips to Balmoral Mills and SeaFoam Lavender Farms.

Follow the Northumberland Shore and the Sunrise Trail with spectacular views, Arisaig with beach, fossils and the famous Steinhart Distillery. There are several beaches within a 30 min drive of Antigonish.

Whether you have an hour, a day or a weekend there is always some place to go Out and About Antigonish. The destinations in this book are not by any means exhaustive.  This is a starting point and you have lots to add as you explore our Antigonish area.

Every season has its own beauty with flowers, buds and blossoms in the spring; glorious beach and hiking days in summer; the vibrant fall colors in autumn; and the snowy landscapes and icy streams and ocean in winter.

Maps and QR codes are included.

AUDIENCE

• New people to town
• Current residents who want to explore
• Doctors, Professors, teachers, new employees
• Welcome Basket, new employees, recruitment

Author

Denise Davies has spent the past 10 years traveling, writing and photographing in Nova Scotia.  She returned to Antigonish in 2010 after traveling and working internationally for 45 years after graduating from StFX in 1969.   Her love of the area is reflected in her writing and photography in her blog Out and About Nova Scotia www.outandaboutns.com. She says “I see a need for a book about Antigonish for newcomers, visitors and residents.  We have so much to enjoy in the town and within a couple of hours we have an amazing range of destinations for all ages and interests.  This book will make this information readily accessible and encourage and inspire people to get out and learn more and enjoy.”

Buy Online $24.95
ISBN 978-1-7775638-1-3

Paperback
160 Page

Available special bulk price available please contact for details davies@eckova.com

Available in Antigonish at the Curious Cat Bookstore and at Antigonish 5-$

Reviews

Out and About Antigonish showcases the beauty of Northern Nova Scotia.  It shares our story with visitors through many incredible pictures.  I would encourage visitors and residents alike to pick up this book and challenge themselves to visit our communities and enjoy all of the authentic experiences we have to offer. 

Cindy MacKinnon,  Managing Director
Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores

“Denise Davies has created a masterful reference tool for both locals and tourists alike with her Out and About Antigonish guidebook. With excellent directions and descriptions for myriad day trips within a two-hour jaunt from Antigonish, the traveler’s most difficult decision will be which adventure to pursue first. Chock-full of beautiful photographs and succinct descriptions of each waypoint, Out and About Antigonish will help the traveler decide which spots to visit, and ensure no hidden gems are overlooked.  History buffs and photographers will find this tool especially helpful. I highly recommend this superior book!”

Dave Belt
Owner, Seafoam Lavender Company & Gardens
Seafoam, Nova Scotia

Out and About Antigonish is a superb and long-awaited guide to Antigonish and its surrounding counties. While it will particularly attract the growing number of tourists to northeastern Nova Scotia, there is much here for locals to learn about and enjoy. As a “come-from-away” (a mere fourteen years ago), I have made a point of exploring the many highlights of my new home. Yet I found in Denise Davies’s new book a feast of fresh information and excursions to look forward to.

None of this is surprising, because as readers we are in the hands of a highly experienced travel writer and a superb photographer. I counted over 150 photos, almost all in full colour and of the highest quality. Denise has also included an abundance of maps to supplement her descriptions. This makes it extremely easy for the newcomer to follow the wonderful array of trips and trails on offer. She has also kept her descriptions succinct, though never overly so, and there are links to a wealth of websites that allow for further exploration. This is especially appropriate given the depth of northern Nova Scotia’s cultural, political and economic history.

Denise achieves an admirable balance in tackling Antigonish and its environment’s rich tapestry of nature and culture, rural and maritime life. The arts and culture, museums and markets, prominent institutions including St Francis Xavier University and Coady Institute, the many beaches and other recreational spots are, each one of them, more than adequately covered, and I could find not one omission. 

Denise Davies is to be congratulated on producing such a beautiful and informative work.

John Graham-Pole, Publisher. HARP the People’s Press