Our good friend Jake is our guest contributor this week. Born and raised in Halifax, he did not need a second asking to start bragging about his hometown.
We asked, “What is there to do in Halifax that the average tourist won’t know about?”
These are his tips:
Halifax Grub
Casual - Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market: also known as the Brewery Market as it makes its home in the Keith’s Brewery
Coffee - Coastal Coffee: Your one- stop for great coffee, breakfast and lunch
Fancy - fid: Halifax’s fine dining. All food is local and organic and worth every penny!
Halifax Tunes
Stayner’s: late night bar/restaurant. During the Jazz fest this is the place to hear world-class jazz every night until 3am. When all other places have closed for the night, Stayner’s is open.
The Music Room: a small venue located in the north end of the city. Home of the Scotia Festival and all of the most celebrated small performances.
The Old Triangle: this is the place to be for a taste of traditional local tunes. It’s an Irish bar with the right atmosphere for Celtic music and dancing.
Halifax Arts
Theatre Arts Guild: aka TAG - “Canada’s longest continuously-running Community Theatre”
ViewPoint Gallery: showcases the artwork of photographers in Halifax. At just 8 years old, this gallery has a contemporary style with a laid-back atmosphere.
The Little Red School House: this is located outside of town in Peggy’s Cove but cannot be missed. Come here for theatre, music, art and John Beale’s one man show, “Peggy”.
Halifax Outdoors
McNab’s Island: This provincial park is also a heritage site. Visit the fort for a unique park experience
Citadel Hill: A national park and famous site. You’ll recognize the aerial photos of the citadel but nothing compares to visiting in person.
Cape Breton Highlands: a bit of a drive north but worth the car rental on your vacation. If you get the chance, visit the Cabot Trail (mentioned in Maggi Jones’ feature article in this season’s newsletter!)
There you have it, straight from a local.
Give us your suggestions and favorite Halifax destinations!
Tags: Eastern Canada · North America · General
For the past several years I have been enjoying sporadic sailing adventures around British Columbia, tagging along with some good friends who had become enamored with the sport. This year my boyfriend and I made the decision that it was time for us, too, to become sailors. We have always enjoyed our time on the ocean, and liked learning the skills and techniques involved, but have never received any formal training. We convinced some like-minded friends to learn to sail with us, and promptly signed up for a 5 day live-aboard “Cruise and Learn” program in breathtaking Desolation Sound.
Our Cruise and Learn began with a quick flight from our home in Vancouver to the town of Powell River, the gateway to Desolation Sound Marine Park. The small plane hugged the rugged coastline, and we were treated to aerial views of the Sunshine Coast, a special treat for me as this is where I was born and raised.
After the half-hour flight, we touched down in Powell River and set off to find our sailing instructor and trusty yacht “Shadowfax”, aptly named after Gandalf’s swift steed in the Lord of the Rings. We rode in an old, converted station wagon-cum-taxi to the Marina, where we immediatedly spotted our sailboat, the prettiest boat there. We were feeling pretty pleased with our luck. 
We unloaded all of our gear and met our instructor, Les, an old salt whose life revolved around a lifelong sailing obsession and tending his beehives. A taciturn fellow, he gave us a rundown of our sailboat and all of it’s quirks before leaving us to settle in and adjust to life aboard.
Our first night was spent aboard Shadowfax, moored in the Marina. We did some studying and some last-minute preparations before getting to bed early. We awoke at dawn the next morning after a rough sleep (I was later to discover that I would never sleep well moored to a dock. The constant noises of the boat rubbing against wood and the slapping of the dingy against the bow was hard to ignore). We made a quick and hearty breakfast before finally setting out for Day 1 of our sailing adventure.
We chose to make our sailing trip in early May, so we could pick up our basic sailing skills and have the entire Summer to practice. As May is still a bit dicey weather-wise, we made sure to pack our foul weather gear. It turns out we sure needed it on our first day! It was blustery, rainy and cold. The sea was a dark and forbidding blue, and my hands never quite warmed up until we finally anchored for the night.
The one truly amazing event, though - besides gaining our sea legs – we had the fortune to experience was on our first day at sea. We were taking turns skippering the boat, getting a feel for the wind, when all of a sudden there was a great frothing of the water in the distance. We grabbed the binoculars and were amazed to see an astoundingly large pod of Pacific Whitesided Dolphins coming right for us! There must have been 1500 Dolphins jumping and racing our way. They swiftly enveloped our boat, coming within mere feet of the 5 flabbergasted humans aboard Shadowfax. After a few minutes they were just specks in the distance behind us, but they were an amazing highlight even our instructor Les, after 30 years on the seas had never experienced before.
After a chilly wet day, the clouds finally parted in the late afternoon just in time to anchor in deserted Grace Harbour. We had only encountered a few other vessels throughout the day, and enjoyed having the beautiful harbour all to ourselves. The protected waters were calm and glassy, and we anchored easily in the muddy bottom. 
Desolation Sound is a popular area for boaters in the Summer months, despite the few settlements and amenities. Earlier trips I have made to the area were busy, with hundreds of pleasure craft tooling about and enjoying the beautiful islands, majestic fjords and snug coves. Early May, however, allowed the area to live up to it’s name. Desolation Sound was indeed deserted.
We spent 3 further days voyaging Desolation Sound Marine Park, learning the basics of sailing, practicing such panic-inducing things (for me, anyway) as man-overboard drills and docking the 40-foot boat. We happily soaked up the warm Spring sunshine that stuck with us for the remainder of the trip after that first blustery day. Our days were full and blessed with perfect wind, and our evenings relaxed and calm as we anchored and explored such picturesque areas as Prideaux Haven and Squirrel Cove by dinghy. Stops at the strangely-deserted settlement at Refuge Cove, and the crashing waters of Cassel Falls completed our expedition.
Finally, the time came when it was time to return to civilization and leave the unspoiled beauty of Desolation Sound behind. We charted our course back to Powell River, and arrived back at the Marina feeling like seasoned pros. After one last night aboard Shadowfax (which truly started to feel like home), with memories of our sailing adventures still fresh in our minds, we boarded our flight back to the big city and our daily lives.
Tags: Rockies and Western Canada · North America · Active Adventures · General
When the sun shines, Vancouverites grab their bikes – and if you are a visitor you can easily join them.
The city is well set up for riding, with lots of cycle paths and places to hire a bike. It is not uncommon to see a businessman, a young girl, and an avid racer all riding along busy Burrard Street, but you can also find lots of paths without traffic – such as around Stanley Park or False Creek.
Vancouver was the home of Greenpeace and there is a strong pro-environment community in the city – so you will also be doing your bit if you join in.
The bike-hire shops will suggest routes for you to take – but the best part is just meandering along and finding your own way – that is how you discover the hidden corners of this great city. The locals are friendly and you can’t go too far wrong – so hop on your bike and explore these popular Vancouver destinations:
1. Stanley Park – Sea Wall - the Stanley Park Sea Wall is a favourite with locals for the picture-perfect setting. Cycle along the path with the great park on one side, and the Burrard Inlet on the other. While out there, don’t be too surprised if you run into some bike traffic (trust me, it happens!)
2. False Creek Bike Path (around Science World) - the easiest way to reach this path from the city is from the south end of Hornby Street. You can cycle from here all the way around to the Market Place at Granville Island. Don’t be ashamed to cheat on the way back and catch the Aquabus to Hornby!
3. Commercial Drive - This eclectic street is a great mix of slightly alternative cafes, bars, restaurants and boutique stores. You’ll fit right in on your two wheels. In fact,’ The Drive’, once a year, closes to cars entirely for one day allowing cyclists to reclaim the roads and preach their cause of cleaner methods of travel. June is Bike Month in Vancouver so be sure to check out the many bike rental places in the city to join the festivities! While in Vancouver grab a free bike map from any cycling store so you can keep track of where the safest streets to ride are.
Check it out:
Spokes Bicycle Rentals: Stylish bike rental and espresso bar
City by Cycle: hosted tour of the seawall
Bazooka Bike Rentals: 1531 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC
Tags: Rockies and Western Canada · North America · Active Adventures
Although Vancouver’s weather is unpredictable at best, the last few days of sun and blue skies have led me to thinking about the great things the city has on offer for the coming months of spring and summer…
Here are a few of my favorites, hopefully you’ll find them as appealing as I do!
- Beach weather: Although it may not quite be suntanning weather yet, the second the rains go away and the sky gets brighter, Vancouver locals head to the Coast in droves. Kits Beach’s volleyball season starts, the buskers return to English Bay, and families head out to Spanish Banks to secure a prime beach blanket spot from which to watch the skim boarders.
- Patios open: Vancouverites love to eat outside, so from May to September, restaurants everywhere dust off their patio furniture, turn on the heat lamps, and brighten up their dishes by offering them al fresco.
- Weekend road trips: Whether you’re heading to Victoria, Whistler, Tofino, or further afield, there’s plenty of charming & exciting natural & urban wonders within easy driving distance.
- Innovative art: Emily Carr’s graduate art show runs May 1st to May 11th… Up and coming artists show off their latest and greatest, plus art galleries all over (including the big Vancouver Art Gallery) are showing off new exhibits and designs.
Tags: General
Even though the weather’s getting warmer and the days are getting longer over here in Vancouver, it’s still possible to play in the snow and enjoy Canadian winter fun at any of the local mountains.
This past weekend I got to celebrate my brand of winter fun up at Cypress Mountain, where non-skiiers and skiiers alike can come together to march up a hill, and slide down a track in a giant rubber tube.
Holding onto friends’ feet and spinning madly, it’s impossible not to enjoy yourself tubing. Screaming like little children - in fact, proudly outscreaming the little kids all around - my adult friends and I careened down the hills in our mish-mash of snowgear.
If you’re looking for a fun winter getaway from Vancouver, and don’t have the time, money, or inclination to commit to a ski day at Whistler, tubing is a great alternative. Only $15 for two hours, and 30 minutes by car from downtown Vancouver, what better way to enjoy the snow?
Tags: Rockies and Western Canada · North America · Regional Travel · Active Adventures · General
