Wondrous Wanders: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Today is the 2nd post in a guest blog series featuring some of our social media aviation community members. The series highlights the favorite travel destinations that inspired wonder in the guest blogger as they wandered there. Today's post is from Kristin Vanderhey Shaw.  She works for SITA and self-describes as loving her baby boy, airplanes, airports, classic cars, sports, Italy, and dessert; not necessarily in that order.

There’s something special about Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was my third trip to Halifax, and I count it as one of my favorite places in the world. As I wandered the streets recently for a few precious hours before my meetings began, I tried to put my finger on what it was. It’s not just the quiet elegance of the city, nestled in a now-popular cruise ship port. It’s not just the abundance of lobster, which is exported on 747s around the world. It’s not just the Halifax-Stanfield airport, which has clearly established a sense of place through natural décor, gift shops, and restaurants that reflect its personality. It’s not just the people, who are as friendly as you would expect from a Scottish-heritage town. It’s all of these things and then some.

Traveling to Halifax is not going to include a hopping night life and 5-star hotels and restaurants. The Westin is a little worn, but the rooms are clean and comfortable, the room service is well above par in terms of service and food (the crab cake and spinach-strawberry-goat cheese salad are excellent), and the chef called me personally to ensure that he understood my food allergies before proceeding.

Go to Halifax in the fall and wonder at the jewel tones of autumn in crimson, amber, and gold. Drive along the shores, and walk among the locals in town. You’ll find that you can learn how to navigate very quickly… up to the Citadel, and down to the boardwalk. Grab a lobster roll from Murphy’s on the water, and don’t forget to stop at the stand outside for a Beaver Tail (a delicious whole-wheat pastry fried and topped with various treats; I prefer the simplicity of cinnamon-sugar and lemon). In the evenings, seek out a local bar where you can hear lilting Celtic music and dance along, or watch the Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, a Quebec Junior Major League team with 16- and 17-year-olds training for the NHL.

If you have time, there are some fantastic quick trips you can take from Halifax, including Peggys Cove, the Swissair memorial site, and Lunenburg. If you’re an aviation buff, don’t miss the Swissair 111 site, a gorgeous piece of landscape just around the corner from Peggys Cove. Swissair 111 was lost in 1998 roughly five miles from the spot where the memorial site sits today. The site itself is not remarkable; it’s the serenity and natural beauty of the area that gives it an ethereal quality. For more information on the memorial site, click here.

From the Swissair site, follow the road around to the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse, which is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. A photographer’s paradise, if you’re lucky enough to catch it on a foggy day, you’ll find enough material here to fill a coffee table book.

Lunenburg is a picturesque village on the shores of southwest Nova Scotia, about 80 km from Halifax. Deeply mired in Maritime culture, the heritage of the town is easy to spot in the “widow’s peaks” (also called “Lunenburg bumps”) the fishermen’s wives used to look out from the tops of their houses to watch for their husbands’ return from the sea.

The Bluenose II is being completely refurbished in a warehouse in Lunenburg. You can tour the site and see how the restoration is coming along and see a piece of history in progress: the original Bluenose is featured on the Canadian dime.

Also famous is this seaside town is Iron Works micro-distillery, offering tasting tours and bottles for sale of their molasses-finished rum with a warm, smooth finish. They also sell silky-smooth blueberry, cranberry, and raspberry liqueur. In case you can’t make it to Lunenburg from Halifax, you can purchase these potables at the Bishop Cellar, just off the boardwalk in Halifax, and they will package them up properly for checking your bag or shipping.

You may not find the connection to Halifax that I have, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t. If you get the chance, visit this corner of North America and let yourself be carried along by the song of Atlantic Canada.

Have you been to Nova Scotia, specifically Halifax?  What did you enjoy most about your visit to this city?  If you've not been there, do this post inspire you to a future visit?