Have you ever paid an entry fee and later wondered if it was worth it? That happened to me this summer. One of the two day-trips my husband and I took in late August, we went to Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens.
I’ve wanted to visit it for some time. So, we parked. Looked at the fees. Debated it, and then, paid to enter. The images above are from our stroll through the gardens.
There are several delightful walking paths, many flower beds, a few water features, and some very large (and old) trees. There’s a path you can take that allows you to walk on the top of a dyke (bottom middle), and there’s a re-creation of an Acadian home from 1671 (top middle), complete with some vegetable gardens (bottom left).
It’s a beautiful garden.
However, we hit it late in the season and after a couple of storms; therefore, the number of blooms to be enjoyed was not as great as it could have been.
We also visited late in the day – a day on which the humidity was high. So, that made for some bothersome walking companions – mosquitos – lots of mosquitos!
Because of the mosquitos, we had to keep moving and were less able to stop and enjoy the gardens as I had hoped to do.
Since, I’m still battling with long covid, this caused me to spend that evening and the next day feeling quite ill.
So was the entry fee worth it?
For me: Yes, and no.
Yes, because it assuaged my curiosity, and I have some pictures to add to my collection of places in Nova Scotia. And it really is a beautiful garden.
No, because of the mosquitos that ruined our ability to truly appreciate and enjoy the gardens as we wanted to.
That being said, if you ever have a chance to visit Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, maybe try it earlier in the day and on a day without so much humidity, and maybe bring something with you to ward off the mosquitos. I think if you’re prepared, it’s a lovely place to experience at least once.
