What's New?

National guidebook series publishes Nova Scotia edition
 
Amy Smith
The Kings County Register

When you get your first driving license all you want to do is drive. It doesn't matter where.

Then you get older and the novelty wears off a little, but there's still something about packing up the car and setting off on weekends to places you've heard of - or have even been to once upon a time - with big plans, fond memories and vague directions.

The publishers of the Backroad Mapbook series, outdoor guidebooks for the everyday traveler, have recently pinned down all of Nova Scotia's hotspots in their newest edition. Moving eastward from their already numerous British Columbia, Prairies, Ontario and Quebec titles was a “huge attraction,” according to Jason Marleau, sales and marketing manager for the company.

“You go to the north end of the province, you go the south end of the province - it's just beautifully wild.”

Nova Scotia's rich history, outdoor recreation possibilities and undeveloped geography all add to the appeal it held to publishers, who themselves know the value of an afternoon out in the sunlight. The book is brimming with information concerning all of Nova Scotia's sights and sites, from historic Acadia to Peggy's Cove, and all the lesser known lands in between. Nova Scotia's physical proximity to the Atlantic Ocean also gives the book a certain flavour, with the wide range of activities related to our coastal domains.

World-class canoe, kayaking and fishing opportunities frequents the pages of the book, but the Nova Scotia edition is also full of inland attractions. Nova Scotia's well-established hiking trails, camping parks and snowmobile trails all gained much praise from the book’s writers who visited the province on several occasions. Nova Scotians themselves were also a great part of the book's formulation, with efforts from local individuals and the provincial government.

Generating a comprehensive guidebook for any region usually takes publishers three to five years of planning and labour, especially with a province as rich in outdoor recreation as Nova Scotia. As a result of co-operation from the Nova Scotia government, who aided with research and the collection of data, and volunteer outdoor groups who were able provide directions, information and research materials, the book has been published in just under three years, unusually fast for such an in-depth project.

When asked about Annapolis Valley attractions, Marleau said the back roads led him to the myriad of lakes, Gaspereau Lake in particular for some excellent paddling.