Location: Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada (1 1/2 hrs. to Halifax, 25 min. to Antigonish, 10/Cape Breton)
Accommodations: The Writer's Retreat, Studio, 1 Bath (Sleeps 2)
Nestled on an eighteen-acre peninsula with sweeping views of Breen’s Pond and St. George’s Bay beyond, this romantic retreat is the ideal getaway.
Inside the charming new shingled cottage, you’ll be welcomed by its warm pine paneling, skylit open-truss ceiling, original art, and unique furnishings like the red-leather round table and the hand-made birch four-poster bed.
Outside you’ll be welcomed by the extraordinary array of birds and wildlife that share these eighteen unspoiled acres–bald eagle, marsh hawk, kingfisher, blue heron, deer, rabbits, just to name a few.
Inside or out, it's a wonderful place to relax. In the morning you can sip your tea or coffee at the picnic table on the deck and watch the mist rise on Breen's Pond, or walk down the path to the water's edge where kayaks are waiting and glide through the mist to Eagle Island or Cape Jack Beach. In the evening you can sink into the sectional couch in front of the glass-front woodburning stove and read a good book or watch the sunset. And at night you can you lie in the rustic four-poster bed and watch the fire, the Cape George lighthouse, the Celtic twilight, and the stars overhead.
And you're only ten minutes from the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton with its famed Cabot Trail and Celtic Music Interpretive Center, and twenty-five minutes from the university town of Antigonish.
As our guests have told us, it truly is a magical place.
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Linens Provided
- Off Street Parking
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer
- Wood Stove: Glass-front view-the-fire woodburning stove.
- Beds
- Queen Bed: Unique birch four-poster bed.
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen
- Cooking Utensils Provided
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Outdoor Features
- Gas/Electric BBQ Grill: Portable electric BBQ Grill.
- Deck/Patio: Big two-level deck with beautiful water & sunset views.
- View/Location
- Waterfront, not Lake/Oceanfront. Ask for details: The Writer's Retreat is waterfront overlooking Breen's Pond and St. George's Bay beyond.
- Communications
- WiFi (Wireless Internet): High-speed wireless.
- Other Amenities
- 2 one-person kayaks & 1 one-person canoe
- Suitability
- Pet Friendly: No cats, please.
- Smoking Not Allowed
- Activities (on site and nearby)
- Shopping
- Sightseeing
- Restaurants
- Rafting
- Kayaking
- Sailing
- Boating
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Antiquing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
- Live Theatre
- Museums
- Other Activities
- Birdwatching, whale watching, buying fresh lobster off the boat (in season), exploring Cape Breton's famed Cabot Trail and hearing the best Celtic musicians at the Celtic Music Interpretive Center
Rate Details (In US Dollars)
$895/wk or $150 a night (2 night minimum & $75 cleaning fee)
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 2008
Writer Claudia Johnson is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir STIFLED LAUGHTER: ONE WOMAN'S STORY ABOUT FIGHTING CENSORSHIP, nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the inaugural PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, presented by Paul Newman. Her widely adopted text CRAFTING SHORT SCREENPLAYS THAT CONNECT is now in its 3rd edition, and her new novella A CHRISTMAS BELLE (written with Matt Stevens)is the first sequel to Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. She was a member of the founding faculty of the Florida State University Film School where she teaches one semester a year as Distinguished Writer in Residence. Her husband Ormond Loomis is a nationally recognized folklorist and former English professor at Florida State turned viticulturalist in Nova Scotia where he and Claudia are creating a vineyard on their property overlooking Breen's Pond and St. George's Bay.
Why the Owner Chose Antigonish
We bought our 18-acre peninsula and built our vacation rental overlooking Breen's Pond and St. George's Bay because of the serenity, the numerous eagles, artic terns, kingfishers, herons, bobolinks, deer, and other wildlife that share this peaceable kingdom with us, and the unbelievably beautiful views of Breen's Pond and St. George's Bay, the incomparable sunsets and long Celtic twilights. The starry nights aren't bad either.
The Unique Benefits of this The Writer's Retreat
Staying in the Writer's Retreat is wonderfully romantic, warm, cozy, and cheerful, with its unique birch four-poster bed where you can simultaneously see the view of the water, the fire in the woodburning stove, the sunset and Celtic twilight, the St. George lighthouse, and the stars overhead. We love sitting on the deck, too, and kayaking on Breen's Pond or hiking our trails or out Cape Jack to Cape Jack Beach. We also love kayaking, hiking the trails on our land, buying fresh lobster off the boat for roughly $5.00 a pound, and whale watching or listening to great Celtic fiddling in nearby Cape Breton.
Property Photos
- The Writer's Retreat glows at sunset - Waterfront Vacation Cottage In Nova Scotia, Canada - Enjoy Kayaking & Swimming
- Celtic twilight - Waterfront Vacation Cottage In Nova Scotia, Canada - Enjoy Kayaking & Swimming
- Warm pine paneling surrounds the birch four-poster bed and open-truss ceiling - Waterfront Vacation Cottage In Nova Scotia, Canada - Enjoy Kayaking & Swimming
- Comfy sectional couch and sun-lit kitchen
- Terra-cotta leather round table and sculptural chairs
- Hand-painted ceramic sink and glass-tile countertop in the cheerful bathroom
- A great spot for enjoying the view of Breen's Pond and St. George's Bay
- Father and son relax by Breen's Pond
- Traditional Nova Scotia barns on Cape Jack as you walk to Cape Jack Beach
- Kayaking across Breen's Pond to Cape Jack Beach and St. George's Bay
Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #232281
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This listing was first published here in 2009.
Date last modified - October 16, 2009
