Cape Breton Island is one of the premiere sightseeing places to visit in Nova Scotia. There is just a wealth of things to do and see. We went on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park where we went on a hiking trail, visited the Bay of Fund, got on a boat and did some whale watching. We were lucky on two counts: the weather was glorious and we saw a lot of whales. Some photos are below.
JFB
We spent most of the 3rd day in Nova Scotia visiting Lunenburg and Peggy’s Cove. Lunenburg is known for its Victorian architecture in the Old Town Section. The Old Town section is one of only 2 urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Something like 70% of the original colonial buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still in use with their colorful facades.
After Lunenburg we were off to Peggy’s Cove and its famous lighthouse. Peggy’s Cove is a small, picturesque fishing village with one of the most photographed lighthouses in Canada. Or at least that’s what the claim is, although it’s hard to tell how that could be measured. Needless to say, some photos of these places are below.
JFB
The next day we saw some more of the city of Halifax, which is the largest city in Nova Scotia and a major economic center. But with a population of about 440,000 people it is kind of a small city by most standards.
The city is an important tourism center with numerous National Historic Sites including Citadel Hill which is where Ft. George is located. Downtown Halifax is a major shopping center which includes Scotia Square, the Maritime Mall and Spring Garden road where the city maintains a public garden.
The city is home to numerous colleges and universities including Dalhousie University, University of Kings College, Mount St. Vincent University, NSCAD University, and Nova Scotia Community College. With so many colleges and universities located in such a relative small town, there is no lack of student bars and there is always good pizza to be had.
We wandered around the Halifax Harbor Boardwalk, visited the Maritime Museum, went for a ferry ride to Dartmouth and back, visited the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, the cemetery where many of the victims of the sinking of the Titanic are buried, and had several excellent meals at local restaurants.
Some photos of our wanderings are below.
JFB
We arrived in Halifax in early September to begin a 10-day tour of Nova Scotia, a beautiful place. As we made our way around we managed to catch hurricane Fiona, which made landfall on September 24. Most of the damage appeared to be in Cape Bretton, which we left the day before.
Needless to say Halifax Stanfield International Airport was shut down so all flights were cancelled. Consequently, we had to stay for a day or two extra before we could Geta flight out. Note to self: Don’t ever fly Air Canada again. They were a nightmare to deal with.
But Nova Scotia was beautiful, and the people were exceptionally nice. Our Road Scholar trip started in Halifax where we visited (among other places) Citadel Hill, Fort George, the Titanic cemetery where many of the ship’s victims are buried, the Maritime Museum, the public Gardens of Halifax and the boardwalk. I included a few shots taken at some of these spots in Halifax. Please see below.
JFB
