Our Last Day in Halifax and the Flight that Almost Wasn't

Greetings,  my faithful readers and friends! Here we are at our last day in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thank you for coming along for the adventure! We didn't have anything scheduled for Friday in Halifax because we wanted flexibility to do all the things we wanted, but they day filled up quickly!

First up, a run for me! The harbor is just beautiful, and such a great place to run! The boardwalk is really nice, and from the point where I started (straight down the hill from our hotel), it was a mile down to their famous Pier 21, where the Queen Mary 2 had been the day before. The weather was perfect with low humidity and temperatures only in the low 60s (Fahrenheit).

So, what's the best thing to do when you've had a good run? A good breakfast, of course!

Date bar, coffee, and a Frittata. Yum!

And then it was off to the docks! Joel wanted to check out the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, down at the waterfront. Mom wanted to shop, though, so Joel went on his way, and Mom and I took the scenic route through the shopping district. After an hour or so, we met up at the museum, where we made a friend: 

He was pretty noisy! But he stayed where he was supposed to, not even caged! 

The museum was interesting. And they had a lot of model ships, including the Queen Mary 2!

Also in the museum, they talked about this huge explosion that happened and devastated Halifax. Why hadn't I ever heard of this before? in 1917, a ship carrying munitions came into Halifax harbor, and the worst happened--it caught fire. They did everything they could to stop it, but the ship exploded in a matter of minutes, killing over 9,000 people and devastating the city of Halifax. That seems like it should have been a big enough deal to be in world history books, but I'd never heard of it before! 

That was sad, but the coolest part of the museum was actually in the water. It's the ship Acadia! 

Admission was included in the cost of the museum. Definitely the coolest part. Joel also had a ticket to another ship on the water, so he hurried away to that while mom and I walked around on the boardwalk and scoped out a place to have lunch.

Of course we chose lobster rolls for all! Seriously, it's so cheap up here, and so fresh and so good!

After lunch, mom went to the room to take a nap, but Joel and I had more exploring to do... We needed to fill the rental car up and find the Titanic cemetery! No, that's not a happy thing, but for Joel, it was really exciting because he's been so interested in the Titanic for so long. It was far enough away that we definitely needed to drive to it, so we armed ourselves with directions and a map and set out! We found it pretty easily. They had some good signage once we drove into the cemetery.

Three rows of over 150 graves total

It was sad, of course, but we were both glad we went to see it. It took three days for a ship from Halifax to get to the wreckage of the ship, and when it did, it and two other ships recovered over 300 bodies, including an infant who would be unknown until DNA tests were done in 2010. Many of the bodies were identified, some went to their home cities with family, and some were buried at a couple of the churches in town. But the rest--some identified, many not--were laid to rest here at the Fairview Cemetery just outside downtown. 

And then it was time to explore a bit more! Joel went back to the room with mom, but I really wanted to go see the Citadel, just two blocks up the hill from our hotel. It's basically the city's protective fortress on the highest hill around. Fully fortified with artillery, trenches, a fort within a fort, and even a school so the soldiers who lived there (nearly all previously uneducated) could eventually become officers. As soon as I walked in, one of the guards told me a tour was just starting. But when I got over to the Visitor Center where the tour was supposed to start, I quickly learned it was all in French! But I looked just a few yards away, and lo and behold, there was an English tour just starting up! Thank goodness! The tour lasted about 30 minutes, and our guide was really good--very patient with those of us who had questions! The highlight of the tour for me was the signal cannon that's been signaling since 1749! 

Every day at noon: KABOOM! 

He said they have even been known to shovel it out in a blizzard to make sure they sound the signal! 

There is a great exhibit going on about WWI and WWII in the fort's information center, so I spent some time looking at that, but the thing that caught my attention most was a small poster boasting fun facts about the Canadian flag. Did you know it's just over 50 years old? 

I hope you can read this. It was so interesting! 

So by the time I learned all about the World Wars and the Canadian flag, I was hungry! So the three of us met up back in the room and found a great place to eat called Five Fishermen, just around the corner from our hotel AND with historic ties to both the Titanic disaster and the explosion in 1917! The building that now houses this restaurant was once used as a morgue for the bodies recovered from both disasters. Wow! 

And this, our last meal together in Canada, is where we had our first experience with Canada's signature desk (we've been told), Poutine! Lobster Poutine to be precise! 

Holy moly! It was awesome. It's fries, gravy, cheese curds, and lobster. Amazing! 

We enjoyed it, and we could see why it's such a popular dish! The rest of our meals were delicious, too. I ended mine with the banana-nutella crepe--wow!

And then it was bedtime. We were pooped from such a fun week of touring, and I needed to get up early to catch my flight out of Halifax!

Or, at least that was the plan.

Saturday morning dawned early for little Whitney. Mom and Joel wished me well, and I started off to Halifax's Stanfield International Airport at 6:00am! My flight to Toronto was just on schedule, but that's about all that went right that day. I had trouble going through customs, even with my Global Entry/Nexus documents and all the experience I have going through customs, I still got stopped at the x-ray machine for something in my bag (which has NEVER set off the alarm before!), and they actually had to search it twice! Their Global entry Kiosks were on the fritz, so I had to fill out the form and go through the typical customs process instead of the expedited way I paid for. Thankfully it was not a busy time, so I didn't have to wait too long!

And then the layover started... Suffice it to say that a four hour layover that turns into an eight and a half hour layover is not the way I wanted to spent my day! I could have easily had most of the day with my mom and my brother in Halifax because they didn't have to leave until later that afternoon! Or I could have gone out to explore Toronto for the day! Mr. Peabody Pembroke and I tried to fight off cabin fever as well as possible, but goings were tough! Since I'd already gone through customs for the US portion of the Toronto airport, we were confined to only two terminals, which we walked up and down, back and forth several times. Oh well. At least we made it home before 10:00pm! I was so ready to see my Love!

The next trip in my forecast is Ecuador and... the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS! Steve is whisking me away for my big 3-0. What better way to spend 30 than with 500 year old tortoises!

Halifax: #1 in Cool Ships!

Thursday morning we awoke early with the intent of journeying back to Nova Scotia!

We opted for breakfast at the inn that morning, thinking it would be quick. How wrong we were! The food was good, but it took an hour for us to complete the meal and pay to get on our way! I was nervous about the 45 minute drive to the ferry, since it was a first-come, first-served situation! Turns out we had nothing to worry about, though!

We got to the ferry with plenty of time, and we even got a great spot on the ferry! PEI was beautiful, and thus very difficult to leave! But we knew we had great things ahead of us!

Goodbye, PEI!

We arrived at the Caribou ferry terminal and found our way back to cute little Pictou for a midday excursion. To the Hector! We found out why this ship is so important to them. It's like our Mayflower! This lovely little tall ship left the Highlands of Scotland with 189 hopeful settlers bound for Nova Scotia. Some people had already arrived and begun working to settle Pictou some time earlier, but this would be the first big wave to come in.

However, the trip didn't go exactly as planned:

They were so close to the shores of Newfoundland, but gale force winds knocked them back really far! The trip took an extra two weeks. Several people died from disease, and rations had to be cut way back. But they made it in mid-September. Still it was two weeks later than scheduled. And two weeks in late Canadian summer can be crucial. They missed the planting season, and they were late trying to build log cabins--which they'd never built before!

But, their legacy lived on in the tiny town of Pictou! We explored the ship and went over to a nearby lobster restaurant (aptly named the Lobster Restaurant and Bar!) on the waterfront. It was ok. Mom's seafood chowder was excellent, but Joel's and my lobster rolls were a little light on the lobster, heavy on the roll. Oh well. It was filling enough! Plus we stopped at Mrs. MacGregor's for dessert. =) Sorry, it didn't last long enough for a picture!

And then we were off to Halifax! It was about a two hour dive, maybe a little less. The only difficult part was navigating some of the older roads in Halifax. It's mostly set up on a grid system like other towns of the time, but not all their roads are consistent with the grid pattern! Plus there was construction--not the best combo for visitors, but we made it to the hotel without incident! We stayed at The Prince George Hotel--so fancy! It was a little too modernized for our tastes, but it was right downtown, up on a hill, between the citadel and the water! We tossed our stuff in the room and set out for... the Public Gardens!

Just a small sampling of the beautiful flowers there!

Public Gardens were all the rage in the mid- to late-1800s. They were place place to see and be seen! Previously the preferred hangout had been cemeteries. (No lie!) The gardens are on 18 acres in the middle of downtown. There's a little coffee shop there, and they've really done a beautiful job of making the gardens beautiful. We really lucked out apparently, too. They had a late winter, so we not only saw all the things that are supposed to bloom in summer but also the things that should have bloomed in spring! It was fragrant, breath-taking, and generally spectacular! 

After that we walked down to the waterfront so Joel could see what he thought was the Queen Mary 2! He is so into ships--floating, sunken, old, new, steam (mostly), sail, etc. We couldn't be so close to a grand and famous ship like the Queen Mary 2 and not  see it! It's so big--seriously, folks, like four times the size of Titanic big! Joel is the one who spotted it from far away because of its smoke stack--red and black, the signature colors of Cunard's ships. Cunard was a ship building mogul. I had no idea until I saw his statue in Halifax harbor. =) 

Anyway, we told Joel to go on down, since he was excited and walking fast, and we'd catch up. We had no idea how far away it was! We finally caught up with Joel and the ship a mile down the boardwalk! On the way, Mr. Peabody Pembroke made a friend! 

The Queen Mary 2 is far away in the background. The building over which she's towering is probably 6 or 7 stories tall. Sorry I couldn't get a better picture!

Anyway, that was exciting! We looked around for a good place to eat after that. We were hungry! The restaurant we wanted to go to was booked up, so we kept looking. I stopped into Starbucks to add a Canada mug to Steve's and my collection. They didn't have a Halifax mug, which is a bummer. The girl working there said people come in and ask for one all the time!

We ended up at a bar nearby our hotel. It was early enough in the evening that it wasn't too crowded, but the barmaids--oh my stars! Our poor waitress was about to pop right out at any moment. How embarrassing to be there with my mom and little brother! AH! The burger I got was decent. Dessert was good (brownie sundae!). But by the time we got done, we were ready to head to bed! There would still be a lot to do the next day!

Please join us for my next post: our last day in Halifax and the layover that wouldn't stop!

Hooray for Anne of Green Gables!

Hello again, my loyal and lovely readers! Join us on our latest adventures! 

On Wednesday, we experienced Anne's world! Mom and I have been waiting for this since we were little girls. She has been waiting longer than I! Mom and Joel slept in a while, but I just couldn't help myself. I went out for a run! Victoria Park was just a few blocks from our Inn, and I had seen on the map that it's right next to the water, so I figured that would be a pretty place to run. It was! I passed some beautiful homes on the way to the water, and when I got to the park, there was a lovely boardwalk just waiting for me! I like running on boards much more than on pavement or concrete! I was just feet above the water and the red, rocky shore. The air was salty and smelled like the sea, there was a gentle breeze, and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery! There was even a cute little red and white lighthouse at the end of the boardwalk where I turned around to go back to the Inn. I recommend it! 

Now that I'd run, it was time for a quick shower and a big breakfast! Mom and Joel were still getting ready to go, but I couldn't wait much longer for food, so I said I'd go see if Starbucks had a PEI City Mug and that I'd probably grab a bite along the way. Starbucks was a bust on the mug (they only had Canada, no PEI or Charlottetown--bummer!), but breakfast was fabulous! I stopped into Receiver Coffee Company, recommended to us by our waitress the night before. No lie, I had the best vanilla latte that I've ever had in my life, and I love my lattes! It was perfectly sweet, creamy, caffeinated, and delicious! And then came my breakfast sandwich: bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a special sauce between to perfectly toasted slices of bread Incredible! Or maybe I was just that hungry, but I'm pretty sure it was just that good!

I ate it on the way back to the inn, and guess where mom and Joel wanted to go for breakfast... Receiver! Oops! So we went back! Mom got the bacon and eggs, and Joel got the breakfast sandwich like me. They enjoyed it, too! 

And then it was time to make our way to the bus! We stopped in a couple of shops along the way, where mom tried on this hat: 

Yes, she went back and bought it later that day! 

We made it to the bus in plenty of time and set off in search of the true PEI! First stop: The PEI Preserve Company! The man who owns it started out in his grandmother's kitchen just making preserves on his own, and now he sends preserves all over the world! Mom and I both ordered some to be sent to our homes. Daddy and Steve, get excited! =) I thought we would also eat there, but when we arrived, the bus driver said we only got 15 minutes. too bad! That is definitely something to come back for! 

Next stop: Lobsters! We went to a small fishing village and learned how they catch lobster. Did you know PEI lobster is now a certified sustainable seafood? Eat up! 

Lobster trap demonstration!

And onward to the iconic red shoreline of PEI! Did you know the waters around Nova Scotia and PEI are the warmest waters north of the Carolinas? Amazing! People can swim here in the summertime. Their beaches have red sand, not the typical white sand we think of at the beach. There are beautiful rocky cliffs along the shoreline, too, and the tall green grass that grows there sways with the wind. It's truly peaceful and beautiful. I would have liked to stay longer. Guess I'll have to come back! 

And now, for the crown jewel of PEI (at least for the millions of people who loved the books)... Green Gables! I learned so much about Lucy Maud Montgomery and the Anne books. She was one of my favorite authors growing up, and not just the Anne books! She was all but an orphan as a toddler, and she went to live with her grandparents. Her grandfather's cousin owned a lovely house on a beautiful piece of property. It wasn't called Green Gables, but it was the inspiration and the model of the house and farm in her Anne books! There is even a Lovers Lane and a Haunted Wood! They set up the house to look like LM Montgomery described it in her books. It's wonderful! We even took a walk down Lovers Lane and, like Anne, I imagined my ideal man (Steve) walking along with me, holding my hand and stopping to give me a smooch every now and again! 

I love it! The whole experience just made me so happy! 

I stopped off for a blueberry scone inside a little bake shop they have there on the property, since I didn't get lunch! It was soft and delicious, not like a real scone. ;) hehehe. 

And then it was time to head back! We took a shorter route to get back to bus's meeting point and saw a few other things along the way, including Victoria Park and my running spot! When we alighted from the bus, mom and Joel decided to get a late lunch/early supper from Dave's Lobster Roll restaurant inside Founders' Hall, and I decided to squeeze in a house tour on the other side of Charlottetown. I knew if I hoofed it, I'd just make the last tour! 

Or not. I did get a tour, but it was less than 15 minutes (the visitor center said it was an hour long tour) and the girl giving me the tour was obviously bothered that I was there so late in the day. And they closed earlier than their website said they would, which is another reason I got a bit of the shaft. It was pretty much a waste of time and $5, especially since I took time out from my family to take the tour! Bummer. I got a lobster roll of my own and headed back to the room to meet up with mom and Joel! We shared some chocolates they'd gotten while I was off doing my thing, and I ended up going out again to pick up some Cows ice cream, as recommended by many! My sweet tooth really got a mouthful last night! =) 

I got to Face Time with my Love after that, and then we Skyped with Daddy-O back on the farm. And then it was time for bed! 

Please join us for our next installment: The Journey to Halifax! Goodnight, everyone! 

Nova Scotia and PEI: You're Island! You're Island Through and Through!

Hello all! Greetings from the Canadian Isles! My mom, younger brother, Joel, and I are having the time of our lives! This trip has been a year in the making, and a dream of mom's and mine since we were each little girls! Joel is here for the ships. :) 

Mom and Joel got their passports for the first time just for this trip, and though they were a bit nervous about going through customs on their own for the first time, they made it just fine! We only had once miscommunication snafu after we met up in Toronto for our connection to Halifax, but we survived it! 

Upon landing in Nova Scotia, we picked up our rental car (a jeep compass) and were on our way! Our first stop was Pictou (pronounced "pick-tow"), in the northeast of Nova Scotia, close to the Northumberland ferry that would take us to Prince Edward Island (PEI) the next morning. 

Mom's first observation was that the roads and surrounding land here look remarkably like middle Tennessee's! It was green with some hills and the same roadside flowers they have in TN. 

Being quite far north, the days here are pretty long, which is good since we had about an hour and a half drive between the airport and the Braeside Inn, where we planned to stay. We arrived just after 9:00, when the sun was just setting. The owner was there waiting for us, since I'd told him we'd be a little late on arrival. He was friendly and helpful, just what you'd expect from a Canadian! (Though I think he was originally from the UK!) we got up to our room and were delighted to find that we would each have our own bed, and Joel would even have his own space while mom and I shared a larger room! Nova Scotia and PEI are on Atlantic Time, one hour ahead of DC and two hours ahead of where my family lives in TN, so we weren't particularly tired by the time we arrived and got settled, but we knew morning would come early, so we tried our best to fall asleep quickly! 

And then it was Tuesday! I got up early to make sure I could do my run through the cute little town of Pictou and along the waterfront. It was awesome! The weather was perfect for a run--low- to mid-60s and sunshiny! I saw the great ship Hector and some adorable old buildings, and I ran along a lovely path by the water! Mom took a little walking excursion as well, and the three of us met up for breakfast around 7:30. The Inn was quite large, and dated, but it was cute! The current owner told me the people he bought it from did some significant travel in Asia, so there are lots of Asian pieces in the living and sitting areas downstairs. He said they're very rare now because they're made with pieces of ivory and mother of pearl, both now against the law to import, and because a lot of Chinese people are buying back pieces like that. Breakfast was basic continental fare, but service was friendly, which made for a lovely experience! 

We finished up breakfast, mom and Joel went for a walk to see the ship, and we were off to the ferry! We left with plenty of time for the 9:30 ferry. It's free to get onto PEI, so the ferry is first-come, first-served! It'll be about $70 Canadian to get out by ferry on the eastern side of the island, or $50 Canadian if we were to take the Confederation Bridge on the western side. 

The ride started a bit late, but it was a lovely day and our only commitment wasn't till 1:00, so we didn't mind. The breezy was nice, and the temps, even on the water, were in the mid- to high-70s! The ride was about 75 minutes, which gave us time to relax, take pictures, and get the highly-recommended COWS ice cream! It was awesome. :) 

Before we knew it, we were called back down to the bowels of the ferry to get in our cars. Ready. Set. Go! Well, we weren't off like a shot, but we did get out pretty quickly! I was a little worried about not having access to my GPS on my phone, but we've done pretty well the old-fashioned way with a map and written and verbal directions! There was really only one main road to Charlottetown, so it was pretty easy! We stopped at a gas station to ask where Pownal Street is once we get into Charlottetown because we couldn't find it on the map! And you know what's funny, it took the locals a long time to find it, too! It's a little street. But we found it and checked in with plenty of time to get to our 1:00 commitment... Anne and Gilbert The Musical! 

The play was excellent. Though it veered away from the books a bit, it didn't take away from the original storyline. And the singing! Their harmonies and perfect voices made for a most enjoyable experience! Even my mom--a trained vocalist--was most impressed! The theatre was one of the tiniest I've ever been in--probably no more than 100-125 seats! We were in the front row. Practically on the stage! I wish they would sell the rights for others to perform the show all over the world. It's so wonderful! I'm still singing the tunes in my head! ("You're Island! You're Island! You're From Prince Edward Island! You;re Island! You're Island through and through!") 

And then we made a trip to the Anne of Green Gables store across the street. 

Since we didn't have time for a proper lunch before the play, we ate an early dinner at Lobster on the Wharf. It was delicious! Mom got scallops, and Joel and I got the "lazy man's" lobster. Our waitress was awesome. She was so friendly and helpful. Definitely a native Canadian. :) 

And then it was time to go back to the hotel! We stopped in a few shops and looked at some sites along the way, but we got back to the hotel around 6:00 and relaxed for a while. Thank goodness for wi-fi in the hotels (and in most other places in Charlottetown)! I've been able to post pictures and email my Love, and we Skyped with my dad last night. 

More to come! Including a trip to Green Gables and some home-grown preserves!