Nova Scotia: Things to See around the PAOC General Conference

Since I grew up in NS in the Halifax area, I’ve had a number of people ask me for ideas of what to do in NS around the PAOC General Conference. It will depend on your interests (e.g., hiking vs. museums), but here are a few of my favorite places to see that I’ve shared in the past with people who have travelled to NS.

• Halifax
  • Despite being well known for seafood, you may have heard that donairs are Halifax’s official food. If you like lots of meat, be sure to try one!
  • Take the ferry across the harbour between Halifax and Dartmouth. It’s only the price of a bus ticket as it is part of the transit system (but I believe still cash only)! And if you return within about 1.5 hours, your return trip is included. Just keep your “transfer” paper.
  • There is much to see along the boardwalk at the Halifax waterfront, including the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (many people find it a very meaningful stop). There is also an old warship you can board and tour for a donation. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is also right at the waterfront and is interesting, too.
  • Public Gardens is a beautiful place to stroll (and free!) Though where it’s so early in spring, I’m not sure how picturesque it will be right now.
  • Citadel Hill is Canada’s most visited historic site. You could easily spend the better part of a day there. It’s right downtown.
  • Many people appreciate walking through Point Pleasant Park, and there are some historic sites to see as you walk around there.
  • Across the harbour (on the Dartmouth side), my wife grew up in Eastern Passage, so she loves getting to the shops and walk around Fisherman’s Cove.
• Peggy’s Cove, of course! Plan to spend at least an hour there walking along the rocks and taking in the views. I like to stay much longer and roam along the rocks. There is also now a wheel chair accessible area. The restaurant at the top is worth eating at. But don’t waste your money on the lobster nachos (I could barely tell there was lobster on them).
• High Head Trail is slightly closer to Halifax. It is much quieter than Peggy’s Cove, but gives off a similar rugged coastal vibe. But nothing really compares to Peggy’s Cove.
• If you go to Lunenburg (a UNESCO World Heritage, historic fishing village, and home of the Bluenose), don’t take the #103 Hwy. It is faster, but boring! Instead, take the old #3 hwy, at least through to Hubbards. It will wind you along the coast and through numerous quaint towns. After Hubbards you might get on the 103, but I’m not as familiar with the #3 beyond there. Note that because it’s turny, those used to prairie roads might find the drive makes you nauseous.
• Risser’s Beach (not in the camping part of the park, but at the beach itself…the entrances are beside each other)-  It is not too far past Lunenburg. It is my favourite beach in all of Nova Scotia. White sand and not as crowded as many others…though I imagine most won’t be crowded in May 🙂 . The pictures online don’t to it justice. When I go there in the summer, I feel like I’m in the Caribbean. It would be a great place to stop and stroll and look for sea shells, including sand dollars–we always find lots there, although you do have to know what your looking for, and sometimes dig under the sand a bit to find those.
  • There is a restaurant nearby called the Blarney Stone. Not “amazing,” but I enjoy it. I recommend their clams.
• The Annapolis Valley
  • You’ll find many vineyards, wineries, and fields of berries, apple orchards, etc., as you drive into and through the valley.
  • In the Valley, I would suggest getting off the main 101 highway and taking the old #1 highway from Grand Pre. It’s a very nice drive through a number of towns. You could follow it further southwest, if you like. The drive from Greenwhich up through to the Look-off (see below) is lovely too.
  • Wolfville (home of the Apple Blossom Festival…later in May) is a quaint town that lots of people like to stop at and look through the shops along the main street. On the edge of Wolfville, I like to stop at Hennigar’s Farm Market every summer for ice cream and a stroll around their pond. The market includes a gift shop area.
  • Hall’s Harbour, on the Bay of Fundy where you will find the highest tides in the world. Technically its up the “mountain,” just out of the valley (there’s a nice restaurant there too :). This is a great place to see how high and low the tide gets. If at all possible, it’s definitely worth it to stop there twice, at both high and low tide, about 6 hours apart. Tour busses are known to stop here, but it’s not as popular (or busy) as Peggy’s Cove. In May, I’m not sure if the few shops there will be open, but the restaurant and main gift shop has just reopened for the season. If the tide is out, you can explore along the beach. If you walk off the beach to the right at low tide, you will find what is almost a cave that is eroded into the rock cliff. You can also climb the small cliffs. To hit here at low and tide, you could stop here, walk around a bit, maybe go the the restaurant, then go for a drive to the next two stops and return later before heading back to the city.
  • Blomidon Look-off– This is a quick stop, but a beautiful one. You can see the whole valley from there. And it’s not far from…
  • Caroline Caves. This will be a quiet stop, as I don’t think it’s well known. I believe the hike in from the dirt road was around 30 min, and you have to cross a river (when I was there, there was no risk of getting my feet wet, but I don’t know what it’s like in spring). After you finish the trail, you come out to a beach. Turn left and there are a few really neat caves to explore that have been cut in the rocks by the tide. There’s also a monument up on the rocks about a ship that sank there many years ago. You’ll need to make sure you are here when the tide is lower so you can actually get up to and in the caves:
  • In contrast to Hall’s Harbour, which showcases the vertical height of the tides on the Bay of Fundy, Kingsport Beach and Blomidon Beach are beaches that showcase how far in and out the tides go. It’s best to stop by when the tide is lower so you can walk out a distance. Prepare to get your feet very dirty as you walk on the floor of the Minas basin. Maybe bring something to clean them off at the end.
  • If you want a longer and rugged hike, the hike to Cape Split is nice. It’s very treed, but you come out to a beautiful view of the Bay of Fundy at the end. You’d probably want to take a picnic…or at least some snacks.
• Cape Breton has a lot of trails you can stop at. Some of the trails are shorter, so they don’t have to be long hikes.
• If you’re interested in some of the historic sites (neither are “must see”, but still interesting), a couple I like (check to see if they are open) are:
  • Ross Farm 
  • Uniacke Estate. Both are sort of between Halifax and the valley.

Enjoy your stay in my home province!

And, if you happen to be heading to PEI:

• Cavendish Beach Park is nice, not just for the beach, but also to walk along trails along the ocean cliffs.
• As you cross the bridge into PEI, there is a tourist stop/village with a little museum about the bridge and its construction.
• You can get lobster just about anywhere, but theFisherman’s Wharf Lobster Supper in North Rustico has a special place in my heart. It includes all-you-can-eat chowder, mussels, and salad bar. Not cheap though.
• My favorite place in the world for fish-n-chips and fried clams is Captain Scott’s Seafood Restaurant in Cavendish. You can find similar food elsewhere…I’m biased since this was my childhood stop, but it really is amazing food, with fresh-cut fries! I’m not certain if it would be open in May, though. There is a Cows Ice Cream (famous!) at the same “boardwalk” set of shops.
• Cows Ice Cream factory tour, on the edge of Charlottetown (it’s not long).
• I personally find the Green Gables Museum a bit disappointing, but if you love Anne, it’s still worth a stop (if I set your sights low, you might enjoy it more too :).
• In Charlottetown, you will find lots of history, including of course an emphasis on it being the birthplace of Confederation.
• While the coast is beautiful, I also love the picturesque drive down the #2 from Kensington to Charlottetown. Pretty much every road on PEI is beautiful, though. There are no big hwys in PEI!

Finally, while you are in Nova Scotia, I recommend attending the PAOC General Conference, too :). If you’re not able to be in Nova Scotia for the conference, you can watch the livestream here.

Question: Are you from Nova Scotia? What do you recommend visitors do around Halifax? Leave a comment below by clicking here.

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