What do you do with a 1000-lb pumpkin? In Windsor Nova Scotia you turn it into a boat and race it in the annual Pumpkin Regatta

 

Windsor-Hants: Every year this tiny Nova Scotian town, which has proclaimed its self the World Pumpikin Capital, hosts a Pumpkin Festival that includes a Weigh-Off and an hillarious regatta with boats carved from giant pumpkins. About 50 to 60 pumpkin boats compete in the 500-metre race across Lake Pisiquid - some paddled and others motorized - taking from 7 1/2 to 30 minutes to cross the lake. Video

Where: The Pupmkin Regatta and Parade is held on the waterfont of the small town of Windsor. It's 66 km northwest of Halifax and 20 km from the eastern end of the Annapolis Valley. The father of mammoth pumpkinsin the region was the late Howard Dill, who is credited with launching the international craze of growing giant pumpkins. Dill was a four-time Guinness Book of World Records holder, and developed Dill’s Atlantic Giant Pumpkin Seeds. During August and September free tours are available at the Dill family farm pumpkin patch. Windsor is also know as the Birthplace of Hockey.

In the News: The 2012, 28th annual Pumpkin Festival and weigh-off is Oct. 6. The heaviest pumpkin in the 2011 competition was 1227 lbs! The Annual Pumpkin Regatta and Parade is scheduled for Sunday Oct. 14. Photo courtesy of Windsor West Hants Pumpkin Festival

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

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