We believe 3 things to be true when exploring locally. 1: There are amazing things yet to be explored right in your own backyard. 2: You don’t necessarily need to get on a plane to experience something amazing and unexpected. 3: There are glimmers of joy all around us. Sometimes you just need to slow down, take a detour, or know where to look. These 3 things were what inspired Aimee Redmond to start Local Detours.
For Aimee, that sense of discovery has always been a part of life and most often, that discovery, has started with a road trip.
As the third child of Scottish immigrants, with modest means, some of Aimee’s earliest memories of travel were made in the backseat of a car. Family road trips were how they explored, spent time together and discovered new places. Although she’s been on a flight or two, road trips are the preferred method of exploration. Even when visiting different locales, road trips are always part of the adventure.
That tradition continued when Aimee met her husband, Noel, and came to Nova Scotia. With Noel’s home province as their backdrop, the two explored Nova Scotia together, discovering its coastlines, communities and hidden corners. Eventually, those road trips became family adventures of their own, as they raised their daughters here.
Over the years, Aimee collected more than just photographs and favourite places. She also captured the blueprint for the types of adventures that could changed an ordinary day into something unique.
As her daughters grew up and life allowed for more time to explore again, Aimee found that spark for discovery was still there. You don’t always have to travel far to feel that sense of wanderlust. Sometimes, the places closest to home have the most to offer, when you take the time to notice.
Many of our first routes are close to home along Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Places Aimee discovered and enjoyed with her family. The routes, shaped by personal experience, great memories and a genuine love for the province. As Local Detours grows, so will our collection of routes, and areas to discover. All infused with the same curiosity and passion for helping you experience the things that make Nova Scotia special.
Anyone who’s spent any time here knows what makes Nova Scotia so special, apart from the stunning landscape, is the people. There are so many of our fellow Nova Scotians operating businesses and offering experiences that are world class. It’s central to our mission to help people find and experience what these local spots have to offer. For the most part, in true Nova Scotia fashion, these places are well supported by their communities but seem to have eluded the rest of us. Let’s discover together.
Planning a trip can feel overwhelming. All that time spent searching online and the decision fatique is real. Sometimes the easier choice is to stay home or go somewhere you’ve already been. We’ve been there and we got you. We’ve done the searching, the discovering and made the decisions too. Take the quiz and we’ll suggest some routes, or you can choose from our list. We’ll send you all the details needed for a one day road trip. We even make the packing list… because your actual destinations will be withheld until your journey begins. They get unveiled one stop at a time, when you decide, as the day progresses.
Whoever you hit the road with, we hope you’ll take time to look for those glimmers, notice the things you might’ve missed and experience a Local Detour.