2 Best Sights in South Shore and Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

When Shelburne's population exploded after the Revolutionary War, Black Loyalists were relegated to land 7 km (4½ miles) northwest of town. The community they created—Birchtown, named for the British general who oversaw their evacuation from New York—became the biggest free settlement of African Americans in the world. Birchtown's virtually forgotten story was told in Lawrence Hill's award-winning novel The Book of Negroes, adapted for a CBC TV miniseries in 2015 and filmed locally, and its founders are now honored at this site, which includes a national historic monument, a 1½-km (1-mile) interpretive trail, and the modern Heritage Centre that features a multimedia presentation, archaeological relics, and a genealogical research facility (some of the docents there are descendants of the Black Loyalists).

On Shelburne's historic waterfront, big-ticket attractions include three properties operated by the Shelburne Historical Society. The Ross-Thomson House and Store is reputedly the oldest surviving (and from the looks of it, best stocked) general store in North America, restored to its 1820s appearance. Shelburne once had a thriving boatbuilding industry turning out the traditional dories that were the mainstay of the fishing fleet. At the former waterfront workshop that houses the J.C. Williams Dory Shop, you can watch artisans craft new ones using old-fashioned techniques. Rounding out the trio, the Shelburne County Museum provides an overview of area history. There are tours of the historic district and a lively program of events and activities for all ages.