Halifax, Nova Scotia
Before I begin my travel diary on Halifax, I wanted to announce that I will be moving my blog to a self-hosts website. If you’re only just now discovering my blog, this won’t be relevant to you. However, I wanted to share this news with my loyal readers who I appreciate so much and would love to take with me on this new journey. My blog url will no longer be aylaboswell.wordpress.com but aylaboswell.com. Once everything is up and running smoothly, I will be posting again on Thursday nights. I hope you all check in on me as I continue my journey. I’m not positive if my followers will transfer over to the self-host website but I will still be going on my Reader and checking my emails to see all your latests travel adventures. 🙂
Our next port stop in Nova Scotia was Halifax. It’s a city with incredible stories to tell, more pubs than you can count and driving distance from plenty of breathtaking ocean scenery.
For our time in Halifax, we decided to do a shore excursion with our cruise to Peggy’s Cove and a Hop On, Hop Off bus. I enjoy taking Hop on, Hop off buses in new cities because they’re so convenient. It’s probably a lot cheaper to buy an all-day bus pass or walk everywhere, but that can take so much time and planning. With a Hop on, Hop off bus, we have one map, that shows us all the main points in the city, and a bus that will conveniently pick us up and drop us off at all of them. It’s also fully guided, which you don’t get on city buses.
The drive to Peggy’s Cove (approx. 1 hour) was beautiful and so was the destination. It’s such a picturesque light house with the bright white and red paint and the deep blue water surrounding it. If it wasn’t so windy, it would be a great sight to paint in person.
Besides the light house, Peggy’s Cove had adorable restaurants and stores. If you love ocean themed decorations, you’ll really enjoy shopping in some of these stores.
Unfortunately, I didn’t try any lobster in Halifax. We did get to see a living one as they had someone come out of the restaurant and tell us about lobsters right by the lighthouse. That was pretty neat. They were allowing us to hold the lobster too, but it wasn’t as friendly looking as I thought it would be so I passed on that.
After Peggy’s Cove, we went back to Halifax where we got on the Hop on, Hop off bus right in front of the port. If you’re interested, the stops, and most of the highlights of Halifax, are HERE. We got off at all the stops except the Citadel and Casino. Mostly because those things didn’t personally interest us.
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
I loved visiting Halifax more than I thought I would and this museum was one of the main reasons why. I had no idea Halifax was at all connected to Titanic before hand! Titanic has been my favorite film since I was seven. I remember going to Las Vegas many years ago and being so excited to go to the Titanic exhibit there. You can imagine my excitement when I found out Halifax has a Titanic exhibit as well. Inside the museum, I learned that Halifax was the nearest major port to the sinking. New York was expecting a damaged Titanic and its survivors to come to Halifax after first getting news of the accident. Unfortunately, the Titanic was gone. New York took all the survivors, while the dead would come to Halifax.
The Maritime Museum is located right on the waterfront so it’s easy to find even without a tour or bus transportation. The museum is known for having the largest collection of wooden Titanic artifacts in the world.
Despite my love of the film and obsession with the history of the Titanic, I would still say the Maritime Museum is a must when visiting Halifax even if you’re not interested in the Titanic. There’s a lot to learn and beautiful replicas & artifacts not just from the Titanic inside the museum.
For more pictures from Halifax and the museum, watch my Canada stories highlighted on my Instagram.
Public Gardens Park
The Halifax Public Gardens Park is a Victorian style park that was established in the 1860’s. We probably spent over an hour at the Public Gardens taking pictures and walking around. The flowers were so beautiful when we went in September.
Fairview Cemetery
Fairview Cemetery is located in the North End of Halifax and will require bus or taxi transportation if you’re coming from Downtown. We had a guide waiting for us when we got off the Hop on, Hop off bus. I would highly recommend a guided tour through the cemetery if you don’t do your own research. She had a lot of interesting facts to tell us and made the tour fun instead of depressing. (Cemeteries can be kinda depressing.)
It’s a tourist stop because it’s know as the final resting place to over 100 victims of the sinking Titanic, the 1917 Explosion in Halifax Harbour and a number of famous Canadians.
Many of the victims weren’t identified until years later and some are still buried without a name on their gravestone. The stories of some of people buried here and in the Baron de Hirsch Jewish Cemetery are in the Maritime Museum.
After a tiring day exploring another place in Nova Scotia, we got back on the bus to go board the cruise. There’s so much breathtaking coastline we didn’t get to experience in Nova Scotia since we weren’t their very long. But that’s the price you pay when going on a cruise. However, I’m very happy with the places we did have time to visit and the convenience of cruising to a new place everyday.
-Ayla ♥
Great read, and lovely photos!
FWIW, your followers and data should transfer over (I’ve been looking at doing this as well). Hosting companies like Siteground have options that port over all the info for you. (I’m not affiliated with them, but they have good reviews). Funny, I’m kinda kicking myself for not doing this sooner, since I didn’t realize you get access to plug-ins when you self-host. Oh well. 🙂
Good luck!
Thank you!
I just don’t like that siteground charges by webspace. My photos take up a lot of space & I wouldn’t want to run out haha I wish I’d done it sooner too. I just didn’t want to spend money when I could be doing it free but now I feel so limited as well.
Cool
What a beautiful lighthouse in such blue sky! I really got interested in Halifax through your blog. Thank you.
Great photos as always! Please keep me posted.
Thank you ❤️
what a beautiful spot!
Yes, so beautiful!
What a gorgeous sky! Love all the blues and greens. You’ve made me add another place to my list of places I want to visit.
This looks like the type of place that writers would write about. It’s so beautiful and quaint! Looks like I need to add it to my list of places to visit!
That’s true! I’d love to read a Nova Scotia novel!
looks so peaceful! I would love to make a staycation there, walking around and working under my project
Halifax has been on my bucket list for a while and now reading your article has really made me want to go there soon. It looks like just my kind of place. Scenic and with loads of interesting places to explore.
Oh my… Jack Dawson’s grave? How sad… I’d love to see this place too. I loved that movie so much.
Hop-on, hop-off buses are the best. I really enjoyed learning about your trip and Nova Scotia.
Thank you!
I was expecting to see a line of lobsters walking down Lobster Lane. I don’t know why that image came to mind.
Lol I would’ve loved to see that.
This looks like such a wonderful trip! Old buildings and amazing views make for the best vacations.
Something I like about buses is we get to see things around while on he road. This seems interesting place to visit.
Yes, it’s nice to sit back and relax!
Now that looks like a charming visit! I absolutely must make my way out east. Starting at Lobster Lane. 🙂
It was a great cruise stop. Very charming!
Such a lovely place. I liked the garden so green. I loved the lighthouse too. In fact I liked all the pictures. The place suits my taste. I really love visiting these places.
These are cool photos of Halifax, they look like simple places but they are not, so serene and calm.
This looks a wonderful seaside community to visit. I have heard a lot about this place and now some great commentary from you!
Thank you 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
It does look really beautiful out there. I really love the charming look of the lighthouse.
I suppose that is something you get with cruises – you always have brief visits but then again you can’t get bored just because of that 🙂
Plus all the inclusive food! Hahaha
congratulations on the self-hosted website. you will certainly enjoy your blog more given that new milestone. and as for your travels, you surely help someone see the other side of the world. please continue.
Thank you ❤️
Looks like an interesting place to visit, I had no idea it had links to the Titanic! Excited to read that you’ve gone self-hosted too 🙂
I drove up there from NY one year. Peggy’s Cove is beautiful. Stay off the black rocks while there. I also went to the Museum with the Titanic exhibit. I remember seeing shoes and deck chairs.
How fun! Did you stop any other places on your drive? Why do you say to stay off black rocks? 😳
They told us to do that. Later in the day after I was there someone did not listen and a rouge wave washed them out to sea. If it is black it is set and the waves can reach you. I took the overnight ferry from Maine. Drove along the coast. Stopped in some towns south of Peggy’s Cove. I went to Halifax then took the long ferry to eastern Newfoundland from Sydney. On the return I stopped in some places on the western side and saw some things in New Brunswick. Then drove down through Maine.
Oh wow! I didn’t go near the sea anyway because it was a windy day. But I feel that persons pain. I’ve slipped into a waterfall before not realizing the wet rocks are smooth as glass.
Amazing! Must have been a beautiful and peaceful drive! And so nice to do it all from your own car.
Easier when you are not on a tour. You can take your time.
Lovely blog! Have you been to the close by Newfoundland? Check out our trip https://newfoundland2018.blogspot.com/
Thank you for liking my traveling post! Halifax looks so pretty! I was supposed to go to Nova Scotia this month for my birthday trip. The trip was canceled due to the COVID-19. I am banking on traveling up to Nova Scotia and PEI in 2021. How did you like it? What are fun thing worth visiting and doing in Nova Scotia?
Thanks for your visit and an interesting post here. Cheers