Notes from the host
Stunning Oceanfront Island Home Near LaHave Islands Marine Museum
POSSIBLY THE MOST SPECTACULAR RENTAL LOCATION ON THE SOUTH SHORE
A Unique Experience
Experience Nova Scotia island-living at its finest at the Fennel Old House. Now with high-speed Internet! Please view our house tour video, which is posted with our pictures. Or search "Fennel Old House" on YouTube.
Our renovated, turn-of-the-century home is accessible by car with no need for a ferry or boat. We sit on a spectacular, multi-acre, oceanfront site, just 50-feet from the water. Bordered by woods on three sides, we overlook a picturesque, rocky cove and wide bay beyond.
The front deck facing the water is huge and breathtaking… The only house you can see from it is a half-mile across the bay! Guests have called the 180-degree view of the ocean and islands beyond one of the most amazing they’ve ever seen, and that the pictures we provide don’t do the view justice.
The LaHave Islands: a Unique Destination
From the minute you approach Crescent Beach, a popular 1.2-mile long beach which leads from the mainland out to the LaHave Islands, you know you’ve come to a special place. After driving down the wide beach (or taking the road behind it), you follow a winding road and cross two bridges. You encounter postcard views along every turn -- colorful houses, old fishing wharves, and fishing and pleasure boats passing by. At the end of the road, you’ll find the Fennel Old House.
Conveniently Situated
We’re a 7-minute drive from the mainland and the Lighthouse Route, which runs the mainland between Halifax and Yarmouth. It’s 30-minutes to Bridgewater, which is the area’s main shopping area, and 40 minutes from the historic seaport of Lunenburg and seaside town of Mahone Bay. We’re an hour-and a half southwest of Halifax and the airport (YHZ).
Our property offers charm and privacy, yet is located in a vibrant island community, on the most populated of the two dozen islands which make up the LaHave Islands. We’re also in an area of the South Shore which has much to offer tourists.
The Outside
Enjoy the outdoors from our sprawling, nicely landscaped yard with flower gardens, 4 sundecks (including a roof deck and deck by the water), floating dock, and screened gazebo perched right on the shore Incidentally, our gazebo and dock were damaged during a recent hurricane and have not been repaired yet.
You can pick wild blueberries and raspberries, and. play croquet and badminton. Or just relax, listening to the seagulls, watching fishing boats in the bay, and viewing deer, fox, seals, otter and blue heron. In the evening, barbecue in the back yard and enjoy spectacular sunsets over the cove.
The Inside
The Fennel Old House has painted wood floors, period-moldings and wainscoting, newer plaster walls downstairs and tongue-in-groove walls upstairs.
It can comfortably sleep six adults in four bedrooms. The master bedroom has a large, attached changing room, which can also accommodate a crib. The other two upstairs bedrooms have three twin beds between them. A downstairs bedroom has a double bed and adjoins the bathroom. Our guest limit is six people. If you desire to have additional people visit you at any point, you must contact us and see if this is possible.
Our home features a newly-renovated kitchen which looks out over the dining room. It has new hand-made cabinets, beautiful Brazilian soapstone counters, new high-end stainless steel appliances (including a glass-top stove, a French door fridge with ice maker, 3-level dishwasher, farmhouse sink, and dimmable, 3-color temperature lighting under the counters. Also comes with a microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker and grinder, food processor, and quality china and flatware and much more. We wish you happy cooking!
Eat your meals at the dining room table while enjoying a wide open view of the cove and bay through a large picture window. The living room has a 36-inch HDTV (no cable or satellite but you can use connected devices such as Apple TV or a Roku box to get programming), a stereo/CD/tape deck, mini pool table, and a large book collection of Nova Scotian culture.
Come home from a day at the beach or touring to warm in front of one of two wood stoves. The first floor also has baseboard electric heating with thermostats in each room, and portable, safe, high-powered heaters on the second floor.
We provide bedding and bath towels, other supplies such as toilet paper, and a washer/dryer. Guests provide their own beach towels. We have replaced our compost toilet with a standard flush toilet so please disregard any issues with the old toilet mentioned in any previous reviews. We have high-speed wireless Internet (25 mbps download & 5 mbps upload), and the cell service is good. We do not allow smoking of any kind inside our home.
The Area
Locally, there are many attractions. Half a dozen beaches are within a 10-minute drive, including Risser's Beach Provincial Park, with a fine-sand beach with lifeguards, a winding boardwalk along a back marsh, a visitor’s center, a snack bar, and shower facility. On nearby Crescent Beach, people love to park their cars on the beach, walk their dogs, surf, kite-board, stroll the beach at sunrise and sunset, and of course, swim!
On our island are many quaint paths and roads to walk or bike, a marine museum, community hall, government wharf, a church, and a cemetery. Several fishermen and their families still live on the islands, some who will take visitors out fishing or on island tours (ask us). Locals also love to share their community's history through casual encounters along the road and at events like the morning coffee hour (weekly, during the summer). The community hall also hosts guest lectures and other events.
Along the Lighthouse Route on the mainland are lots of craft and antique shops, artist studios, restaurants, museums, and historical sites (such as the Fort Point Museum in LaHave, where the French first landed in Canada in 1604). You can take in musical events, county fairs, farmers’ markets, art shows, ox pulls, movies, theater and more.
For sporting activities, you can rent kayaks and paddle boards, golf at several courses, go horseback riding, rock climb, wind surf, para-sail, and enjoy the resort at White Point Beach, where you can get a day pass to use the pools, yard games, and boats.
Don't miss the most famous bakery in Nova Scotia, the LaHave Bakery (15 minutes away), where you can sit down in its quaint dining area and enjoy an amazing breakfast or lunch.
Another guest favorite is 'The Ovens,' which is a series of ocean caves accessible by wooded walkways, where the waves pound in and out. At Ross Farm, children will love to see a “working” farm where they still raise animals and grow crops. And bake sales and lobster suppers in community halls all over the area are delicious!
A Quality Rental Experience
We've been renting our two homes for 25 years to people from places as far away as Germany and Hong Kong. We strive to make our guests' stays completely enjoyable. After you reserve, we will mail you driving instructions, information about the house, and things to do in the area. The house will be thoroughly cleaned before your arrival and if something should occur during your stay, we have a handyman on standby and a variety of service specialists who should be able to fix any problems quickly. We also provide excellent communication by phone and email prior to and during your stay.
Boating
Our floating dock, attached to a land-based ramp, can accommodate up to a 17-foot boat, and you can use it to swim, lounge on, and view sea life (catching crabs is fine – catching lobsters is illegal). Unfortunately, our dock was damaged in a recent hurricane and has not been repaired yet. We do have a wooden slip which can be used for kayaks.
Our Rates
Our rental rates are priced similarly to other higher-end Nova Scotia oceanfront homes. The cost and the minimum nights we require vary depending on the time of year and the duration of your stay. For week-long rentals, we rent from Saturday to Saturday but may be able to make an exception based on demand. See more below under "Rates & Availability."
The rent we charge is in US dollars, includes all taxes, and will be converted to CDN dollars for Canadian guests. We do not charge a cleaning fee. We recently reduced our rates by 20% to help compensate Canadians cope with the high US dollar. If staying for two weeks or more, the rate is $100 US less for each additional week. Pets are welcome for a non-refundable $100 US fee.
Availability
If The Fennel Old House is booked during the week you are travelling, note that we also own 'SKYVIEW ON LAHAVE ISLAND,' a 20-year old home perched on the highest point of our island -- above the tree tops -- with an amazing 360-degree vista of the LaHave Islands and the ocean. Gorgeous views from every window! It can sleep up to six. Please see VRBO listing #370757 and HomeAway listing #3320214.
Contact Us
We hope you have the chance to experience our little piece of heaven. We must take reservations through the website, but please reach me at 617-909-7279 to discuss any questions. I can call you back to save you any charges.