Xander’s Nova Scotia Adventures Part 3: The Quest for Peace (The Evening and the Return)

Hey CYY freaks! I'm fresh off the boat from my Nova Scotia adventures, and it's safe to say I had an absolute blast. Once again, thank you to the good people on The CAT and at Bay Ferries for helping organize our trip, and for showing us such a good time. Here's part 3 of my adventure, where I explored downtown Yarmouth, and was wined and dined by the Mayor. Enjoy the pictures!

SEA CAPTAINS' HOMES

So after an adventurous lunch, tasting all of Nova Scotia's Acadian heritage delicacies, we met up with the Mayor, Pam Mood, who very kindly showed us around Yarmouth's heritage district. There, she walked us past all of the old sea captain's homes, which still have a lot of life, color and quirkiness about them. Glad to see the cupolas still get use!

One of the buildings, now a house, was actually Mayor Mood's first apartment out of school! The whole area is stunning - it's like the West End of Portland on steroids.

HERITAGE BREWERY

After our walking tour of Yarmouth's charming downtown, we made our way to Yarmouth's newest craft brewery - Heritage Brewing Co. The two owners and brewers, Jason and Albert, told us that they want to make their beer easy to drink, while still having that craft beer taste. As a fledgling beer aficionado, I can say with confidence that they succeeded!

We tried a blonde, an amber, and a stout, all of which were delicious.

SIP CAFÉ

Upon arriving on Main St after sampling some Nova Scotian Beers, the Mayor took us to Sip Cafe, which is helmed by chef Tyler Gordon, who also oversees all of the food on the CAT. There, we were joined by Bay Ferries VP Jeff Gaudet, where we answered some trivia and were gifted some delicious Nova Scotian wine, which I promptly hid from my roommates upon getting home.

We were then treated to a 5-course meal consisting of rabbit, salmon, beef tenderloin, ceviche, and a chocolate torte. Yum!

DEEP SKY EYE

After our dinner came the part of the journey that I was most excited for - the Deep Sky Eye Observatory. We drove out to the edge of town, where the light pollution tapers off. There, we met Tim Doucette, an astronomer who, mind-blowingly, is legally blind. Upon having surgery to improve his eyesight as a kid, however, his eyes' protection against ultraviolet light was removed, meaning he can see more when he looks up at the stars than any normal person can. His telescope will soon be taking orders from social media, so keep an eye on the observatory's website for more info!

THE RETURN JOURNEY

Bright and early the next morning, we hopped back on the CAT and made our way back home to Portland. After wrapping up my broadcast from the ship, I passed the heck out - sometimes having a ton of fun means you need a bit of a mid-day snooze.

Thanks again to Jeff, Monica, and everyone at Bay Ferries for having my DJ compadres and I up to Yarmouth - I'll be making my way back there as soon as I can! The CAT is by far the best way to get back and forth, too! It only takes 5.5hrs to get there from Portland, and best of all, the CAT does so with style. Book tickets to Nova Scotia today right here.