Nova Scotia (New Scotland), Canada, has been on my radar for a while, now. I think I first became intrigued by this area immediately after 9/11, 2001, when 40 planes carrying more than 8000 people were diverted to the Halifax, Nova Scotia airport. I remember hearing stories about how the locals welcomed those stranded passengers into their homes and their lives for the five days, before flights could resume during that terrible, terrible time.

After seeing more information and pictures on this Maritime Canadian province, my interest was really piqued. But it would take Jeff and I nearly 20 years to actually get here. And I can tell you it was worth the wait. Outstanding local wine and beer, fresh seafood galore, too many hikes to choose from and some of the friendliest people I’ve met. ‘Nuff said?

Since the primary focus on the Canadian portion of our summer vacay was hiking, we visited as many places and trails as we could comfortably fit into our schedule. Nova Scotia involved a lot of airbnb-hopping, with a few small motels scattered in.

Our first stop in Nova Scotia was Wolfville in the Annapolis Valley, the up and coming Canadian wine country. The small university community is one of those places that I thought…I could live here. (I know…I say that about most places we visit.) It’s nestled on the Bay of Fundy, where the largest tides in the world occur twice daily. The town offers up cute shops, outdoor cafes and restaurants, a long boardwalk skirting the Bay, local wineries and plenty of good craft beer. We stayed in a cool Micro Boutique Hotel, which seemed a lot more like something you’d see in NYC.

 

After so many days in rural areas, we headed for some urban exploring. Halifax. Cool city. It helped that we had a centrally-located loft and could walk everywhere. The Halifax Central Library could take up several hours in itself. The environmentally sustainable space offers five floors for reading, browsing, and socializing, and an auditorium for free theatrical, musical and other productions. There is a ground-floor cafe as well as a rooftop garden cafe with magnificent views of the city.  They also offer several student  programs. In one, students with reading problems read aloud to a dog, just a dog, no other people for distractions. That way, the kids are less likely to feel inferior or inhibited when they make mistakes. And the dogs seem to love it, as well.

We also made it to town in time for the last few days of the Halifax Jazz Fest, and we enjoyed several free shows.

Once my “City Fix” was satiated, we were ready to move north to Cape Breton Island.

Wow. Just. Wow.

We split our week here between stays in Baddeck and Cheticamp, where we spent our days hiking, driving the renowned Cabot Trail, and enjoying a Puffin Tour. Our nights were kept busy listening to local music and, of course, eating lobster.

 

Our last stop in Nova Scotia was Pictou, the site of the first Scottish settlers to arrive directly in Canada. We toured the museum and the Ship Hector, and learned the details of the horrific Atlantic crossing to the new, even more inhospitable land.

Lots of people visit Nova Scotia in a matter of days, not allowing for time to really explore the different nooks and crannies of this diverse yet compact Maritime province. If you go, don’t rush it. give yourself the opportunity to enjoy all the offerings. You won’t regret it. Promise.

Up next….New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Check back soon!