Or perhaps the kids have been keeping you up at night during your vacation?

Or maybe you’ve just got a long day ahead of you at work.

Well, whatever the case, the colourful coffee shops that dot Lunenburg and Queens counties have just the right brew to get you perked up, back on your feet and ready to tackle the day.

If you’re looking for a change of pace from the restaurant scene, Lunenburg County’s famed community suppers, held in villages and towns throughout the area, are guaranteed to whet your appetite.

Whether you get your grub at a dinner theatre, at a bed and breakfast or at one of Lunenburg County’s famed fire hall dinners, a wide variety of local delicacies are certain to delight.

A lovely park, hidden under a canopy of aged softwood trees at the edge of Card Lake, the getaway offers a small beach and provides the perfect chance for a quick dip in the cooling fresh water, or the perfect launch for a canoeing excursion.

With 280 acres of public parkland, including extensive walking trails, a picnic area and ideal spots for fishing, Card Lake Park is a simply stunning place to spend a day and truly is one of Lunenburg County’s hidden, lesser-known natural jewels.

But, fear not, dory race lovers, for the International Dory Races will still grace Lunenburg’s pristine harbour during the late summer, this year as part of the waterfront and seafood festival, which is scheduled to take place on August 18 and 19.

With plenty of fresh seafood, scallop shucking and entertainment galore for the masses, the first waterfront and seafood festival is sure to be a resounding success.

Dreams of what secrets may lie locked in flooded limestone caves beneath the isle have driven men and women alike wild for literally centuries now, ever since young Daniel McGinnis first happened upon a depression in the ground back in 1795.

Since then, millions of dollars, and a number of lives, have been expended in search of the treasure the island has kept to itself.

Is it pirate booty? Lost manuscripts belonging to William Shakespeare? A holy relic deposited by the Knights Templar? Or could it be the ill-gotten goods of imperial New World plunderers?

The theories abound, but so far Oak Island has given up only hints of what it may hide.

The Oak Island Tourism Society hosted the Explore Oak Island Days in recent years, which includes public tours of the island. This year, the celebration will be held again, from August 10 to 12.

That’s why you’ll find a UN flag flying in Lunenburg, making the town one of a select few destinations in the world that can stake such a claim.

The old town received its esteemed designation because it is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America.

Established in 1753, the old quarter of Lunenburg was able to maintain its original layout and its overall appearance, based on a rectangular pattern conceived of in the home country.

The town’s inhabitants, many of whom have descended from the original foreign Protestants brought to settle the shores of what became the Lunenburg County we know today, have done remarkable work over the centuries in appreciating and preserving the abundance of wooden architecture.

Operated by the Mahone Bay Founders Society, a volunteer, non-profit organization, the museum provides visitors and locals with access to the town’s rich heritage and storied history.

Whether you’re interested in viewing old photographs of Mahone Bay from years gone by during the golden age of sail, or if you would like to read an account of what it was like to grow up in Mahone Bay nearly 100 years ago through the eyes of Ms Clara Quinlan, the Settlers Museum has the resources you’ll need.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday during its regular season, from June through September. Special appointments can be made during the off-season.

School groups of all ages are welcome at the museum and there are special activities to make sure that history comes alive even for the youngest of visitors.

Bluenose II was built to honour the legacy of the great age of sail and as a monument and replica of her famed predecessor, the original Bluenose, which had one of the most storied racing careers in marine history.

Bluenose II and her crew are in high demand, making appearances at festivals and regattas throughout the Atlantic world during the summer season, so if you’re lucky enough to catch her while she’s at home in the Lunenburg port, be sure to take advantage of the precious opportunity and take a shipboard harbour cruise.

After the rousing success of that event, the association began plans for the Great Lunenburg Schooner Race, an event that will be held in conjunction with the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic later this summer on August 25.

Each year, literally thousands of people come to Lunenburg to listen to folk music at a variety of sites, including the waterfront, the opera house, the bandstand or the main stage tent on Blockhouse Hill. Among the bevy of performers scheduled to appear at the 2007 show are Al Simmons, Gillian Boucher, Faith Nolan, Tom Chapin, Allison Lupton, Andrew White, Dyad, Sierra Noble and Shauntay Grant.