Comfort and Hospitality at the Clockmaker's Inn

The Clockmaker's Inn at Windsor, NS stands proudly at a spot called Curry's Corner; this stately home with its distinctive mansard roof was built in 1894 for local merchant Rufus Curry, who occupied it until his death in 1934; his widow, Cornelia, stayed on in the house until 1946.  After some thirty years, it was bought by Dennis and Veronica Connolly, who converted it to a bed and breakfast and named it after Sam Slick, the "Yankee clockmaker" who appeared in the tales of Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton, a native of Windsor. The current owners acquired the property in 2005; the Inn as it appears today is shown above in a painting by artist David Howells.

Extensive renovations added three new suites on the third floor of the Inn like the well-appointed King's Suite shown above, adding to the five rooms and one suite on the second floor. The ground floor houses common rooms including the breakfast room, and is graced with several handsome fireplaces. 

Ornately carved woodwork, parquet floors, and handsome stained-glass windows give a gracious feel to the house, like this dramatic window, located on the landing of the main stairwell. 

Breakfast is hearty and cooked hot to order at the time of your choice, with choices like French toast, pancakes, omelettes and more; juice, coffee and tea, yogurt, cereals are available too, served buffet-style in the breakfast room.

The Clockmaker's Inn is owned and operated by the Dunhams, Debbie and Rick; their daughter Sarah, her husband Sean and their two adorable sons Frankie and Charlie. They provide a warm and friendly welcome. You'll find a link to the Inn's website here.

The Master Boatbuilder

If you happen into Trinity on a summer's day, you may just be treated to one of Newfoundland and Labrador's most beautiful sights: the schooner Leah Caroline as she slips into view, sails set to catch the wind. This beauty was built by Henry Vokey, a resident of Trinity and a boatbuilder since the 1950s. Henry grew up in the now-resettled community of Little Harbour, Trinity Bay; when he moved to Trinity he established Vokey's Shipyard, which produced over a thousand vessels from rodneys (small punts) to longliners using traditional methods, and at times employed up to forty people. With the shutdown of the shipyard in the 1990s, Henry continued building boats from the shed behind his home. In 1986, the schooner J & B was launched from the shipyard; it was operated as a tour boat for a number of years before being lost in a hurricane in 2007. Recently, Henry decided that it was time to build another schooner. The result is the beautiful and graceful Leah Caroline, launched in July of 2012. The day of the launch was a festive one in Trinity, drawing a large crowd despite the rainy weather. See a video of the launch, posted by Dale Gilbert Jarvis, Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Officer for the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, here.

An Eighteenth-Century Inn

I recently had the pleasure of staying in a remarkable B&B, Lunenburg's Lennox Tavern. The building dates from 1791 and stands at the corner of Fox and Cornwallis Streets, not far from the impressive Lunenburg Academy. Lovingly restored by owner Robert Cram, the simple yet imposing Georgian structure dominates its setting. Robert has undertaken the inn's restoration himself, and was pleased to point out some of its many unique features. He

bought the place in its bicentennial year, 1991, after it had spent many years as a rundown apartment building. Its restoration has been a labour of love for Cram; remarkably, much of the original plaster, woodwork and doors and windows remained. These were supplemented with items bought at yard sales and antique shops and salvaged from derelict houses.

Cram visited historic homes and museums, and pored over architecture books and magazine articles on historic restoration. He discovered coins beneath the floorboards, and one dated "1791" embedded in the upper course of masonry in the fieldstone cellar, in keeping with German tradition of dating a house. He outlines the steps in the renovation here.

Today's guests have the opportunity to choose from four comfortable guest rooms furnished with antiques; two have ensuite bathrooms while the others share bathroom facilities. A hearty and varied hot breakfast is served in

the old Tavern's taproom, with its stenciled floors, based on the original design, traditional "dresser" style cupboard with an array of china platters, and its handsome fireplace. Stenciled chairbacks add interest to the seating in this room that's filled with natural light. Lennox Tavern is located on a quiet side street, away from the bustling scenes of Lunenburg's waterfront tourism district but within easy walking distance of downtown's historic streetscapes. It makes for an interesting and comfortable departure from mainstream hotel accommodation, and Robert Cram's passion for this long-term restoration project makes him a fascinating host.

For the Love of Whales

Wayne Maloney of Bay Bulls, NL is an admitted whale-aholic -- at least that's how he puts it. He's addicted to the big cetaceans that make their way to the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador every summer to feed. Wayne's been operating the boats that go out whale watching from Bay Bulls for close to thirty years. He's the son of boatbuilder Gene Maloney, so when he found himself in a position to start a whale watching

business of his own, the question of where he'd get a suitable boat wasn't difficult: he'd build it. And build it he did -- from the keel up, and from a design that incorporated a "wish list" that was many years in the making. Countless hours were spent poring over plans to get the lines just right, and the details of the deck layout complete. Theatre seating would allow for excellent forward-facing viewing, and the aft cockpit would mean uninterrupted sightlines for those on board. The shot above shows this beautiful boat, christened

Blackfish 1, in progress. He'd be the first to tell you he didn't do it all himself; he's quick to give credit to the good friends who lent a hand, a strong back, or a heaping helping of moral support. Their assistance just helped to spur on the inevitable, though, since this is a man who was born to the water and who has what seems to be uncanny whale sense. He's studied humpbacks and their habits for years, and it's paid off in a knowledge of whale psychology that's remarkable to see in action. It's all based on a deep-seated respect for the whales, and for observing their interaction without intrusion. In addition to the humpbacks that arrive in the area in midsummer, there are minkes, fin whales, dolphins, occasional visiting pods of orcas on the hunt, countless seabirds to be seen on the islands of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and miles of spectacular coastal scenery. Wayne and Blackfish 1 are now in business as Captain Wayne's Marine Excursions, and can be found on the Northside Road in Bay Bulls, NL.

The Work of a Craftsman

I stopped at the service station to inquire: "I hear there's a man here who makes some really nice lawn chairs." The young man behind the counter looked up, grinned and said, "Yep! He lives just down that way by the lake." Armed with the name and phone number of the chairmaker, I headed "that way" until I got to the right general area, then phoned for more specific directions. "I heard a rumour that you make the nicest lawn chairs in Nova Scotia," I said. I could hear the smile in his voice as he replied, "You must be

looking for a big discount!" A couple of false starts later, I was in Herman's driveway, looking at some of the most beautiful lawn furniture I'd seen in some time. There were two benches in the garage where he was waiting, and they were works of art. Every corner was rounded smoothly, every screw was countersunk and filled -- there wasn't a rough edge or awkward line in sight. "They're made from hackmatack" he stated. They're made from hackmatack, the local name for larch, all right, and they have a rich,

attractive grain. This is the hardest of the softwoods, a conifer that drops its needles in the fall and puts out a new crop in the spring, a deciduous softwood that has as much in common with hardwood as it has with its softwood cousins.

The workshop was neat and tidy, with every tool in its place -- including the all-important cribbage board on the table. A quest for lawn chairs had turned into a voyage of discovery and an encounter with a delightful character. Just imagine how good those chairs are going to look on the shore in Shag Harbour!