Jun 11 2008
Happening Halifax
A small city with great history, sights, food, and fun. I totally fell in love with Halifax as soon as we flew in on the airplane. Located on the eastern coast of Nova Scotia, Halifax’s natural harbor looks right out on the blue Atlantic. A little breezy at times, but an absolutely beautiful place to spend a few days before the start of our provincial road trip!
We checked in at the Waverley Inn, a beautiful 19th-century Victorian mansion-turned-B&B in downtown Halifax. The furnishings were quite fancy - mostly antiques. The Waverley has been a mainstay in the Halifax scene for over 100 years, and Oscar Wilde even stayed there when he visited Nova Scotia…
Halifax’s Public Gardens had just opened, and since the season is later there, the spring flowers were just coming in - daffodils, tulips, budding trees! It was great to relive spring all over again (with an added dose of allergy medicine, that is).
Our walking tour of the city continued to the National Historic Site of Citadel Hill:
We also toured the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, a quality museum that includes many artifacts recovered from the Titanic, as well as some really beautiful sailboats.
Next come the three Fs - all very important, and well-represented in Halifax:
FOOD!
I was pleasantly surprised to learn about Halifax’s happening food scene. There was an abundance of quality eateries in the city - so many offering organic and vegetarian options. This particular meal was our lunchtime stop at Sweet Basil Bistro. Kris started his long seafood tour of the province here with a seafood chowder, and I warmed up with an amazing Cream of Chestnut soup (intriguing, eh? I have to figure out how to make it!) Served up with a little side salad and some freshly baked bread. Other foodie highlights include Jane’s on the Common for brunch, The Wooden Monkey for local veggie cuisine, and The Bitter End for a nice drink with dinner.
FIBER!
It was an honest-to-goodness coincidence that this great yarn shop was located so close to our hotel. I swear. The Loop of Halifax is a cafe/yarn shop with a lovely selection of commercial staples, and several local(ish) yarns as well. I contacted Mimi, the co-owner a few months back through Ravelry, and it was very nice to meet her in person. (Too bad I missed Cathy and Bill - next time?) That is Mimi and me in the third picture. I am holding a very adorable needle felted puffin doll. Mimi gave us some amazing tips about hiking trails, restaurants, shops to visit… we used her suggestions throughout the whole trip! Great to meet you, Mimi!
FRIENDLY FACES!
I got to meet Megan (and her adorable shoes)! and it was a mighty fine pleasure. I had stumbled across Megan’s photos on Flickr and had also visited her blog, but it was on Ravelry where I really got to know her! We had arranged the meetup before I left the States, and it just so happened that we also got to meet her very cool “other half”, Brent. Brent and Kris talked hours of photography and hockey, while Megan and I caught up. We got dinner at the Economy Shoe Shop, and then headed down to a bar for a little hockey action (this was before my Penguins lost the Stanley Cup series… Game 2). Despite the loss, we had an amazing time with M and B. There is a chance that they will be coming our way sometime soon, and we hope to show them a good time in DC :) SO great to meet you both!
Oh, Halifax, I miss you already…
Next stop on the NOVA SCOTIA road trip: Camping, lighthouses, and national parks on the South Shore! Stay tuned 
Good food, good friends, good times!
What fun! I’m glad you ate at the Wooden Monkey, too. It was our favorite place when we blew through Halifax a couple of years ago.
That looks so fun and what a beautiful place. You and your hubby are so cute!!
Wow your photos of Halifax are BEAUTIFUL!!!
Halifax seems like a really pretty and peaceful place. Your descriptions of it and the pictures make me really want to go there.
I love living vicariously through your travels!
I love the Waverly Inn!! We spent our honeymoon there and have very fond memories of it.
Jealous (1000) - Nova Scotia sounds awesome! Not that Ye Olde Scotia (where I am currently) isn’t great too.
I spent last week with my grandparents (who were visiting) and we went to two spinning/weaving museums that made me think of you: the Verdant Works in Dundee, and New Lanark (south of Glasgow). There are pictures on my blog and on flickr if you’re interested.
Glad you enjoyed it! Halifax is great!
Ah, memories of 20 years ago that I visited Halifax, NS and much of the coast around NS and PEI.
Thanks for the trip back to the Citadel!
Great pictures! I especially love the fountain. And the idea of a Pubic Garden.
Looks like a gorgeous spot and it sounds like you had a great time.
Oh, it looks so wonderful! You’ve really whetted my appetite for my trip there in just a few short weeks. The places you visited and restaurants you ate in look fantastic, I’ve bookmarked them all for our trip! Can’t wait to see more - who needs a Lonely Planet when you’ve got a knit blogger’s perspective on everything?!
Sounds and looks lovely! I have friends in Halifax, so it’s nice to know their city is so cool.
Oh, this is my favorite type of getaway–relaxed, romantic, a little botany, a little fiber arts… what could be better? It looks like you guys had a great time–kudos for escaping the summer heat for a few days!
Your pictures are lovely. The hotel looked fabulous. My husband and I are planning on doing the same thing this september through AZ as I can’t remember seeing the Grand Canyon (even though my grandparents tell me specifically I have and wasn’t impressed). Still have to save up for a fish eye lens though. I desperately want one.
We’ve done the whole resort vacation, but being our 5 year anniversary, we are celebrating by doing what we did for our honeymoon, driving, camping & finding the perfect spot where there is little to no light pollution. Can’t wait to see the rest of your pictures!
HALIFAX!!!!! I’ve always wanted to go there! Nova Scotia, PEI and New Foundland Labrador have always been places I wanted to visit. I live on the west coast of Canada and we’re just as charming (maybe more - but I’m probably bias). If you ever decide on a west coast Canadian vacation - hit up Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island!
Thanks for the post and the wonderful photos!
I know so little about Nova Scotia - I’m really excited to learn more through your posts. Sounds like Halifax is a charming place. Keep the travelogue coming!
Great pictures! Looks like you had a great time. Thanks for sharing.
great shots! looks like you had a wonderful trip
What an awesome adventure! You did a great job documenting your travel through this area.
I love your shots of the Public Garden! I’ve visited Halifax in 2000 for the Tall Ships 2000 event; all those tall ships in the harbour was a sight to be seen! This city definitely is on my “must visit again” list. Thanks for bringing me back there with this post!
Oh! I love Jane’s on the Common! So glad you were able to go there!
[...] may recall that I purchased this yarn in Nova Scotia. Mimi made a beautiful Wyvern Wrap [rav] out of it, and when I talked to her at the shop in [...]
Beautiful photos!