Did I mention we squeezed in a quick trip to Halifax? Of course, we did—because who doesn’t love cramming in one more adventure before another one?

Actually, we flew to the opposite coast for my close friend’s daughter’s wedding. With Air Canada now offering a non-stop flight from Vancouver, it seemed like a no-brainer. I’d never been to Halifax, so why not kill two birds with one stone? A chance to finally explore my friend’s hometown—the one I’ve been imagining for over 30 years, and a wedding. Perfect!

OMG!

About those non-stop flights…they cancelled them! WTF?!

Don’t you hate when that happens?!

We eventually made it to Halifax after 9 ½ hours—a perfect dry run for the flight to Paris, which takes about the same time. Honestly, talk about frustrating when the airline cancelled our original flight and rerouted us through Ottawa.

Our Hotel

We stayed at the Lord Nelson Hotel, a Halifax landmark, for over 90 years. Which is conveniently located in the city center and across the street from the Halifax Public Gardens. The hotel fit our budget and was walkable to all the sights.

Exploring

Halifax is very walkable, and trust me, we walked everywhere. It’s also the best way to explore a new city.

We didn’t waste any time and headed straight for the Waterfront, where the boardwalk stretched from end to end. We wandered along, checking out the shops and food vendors—everything from Beavertails to lobster rolls—while taking in the old historical buildings. A couple of cruise ships were in port, adding to the energy and buzz of the area.

We stopped in for a late but mandatory lunch at The Bicycle Thief, which was packed with both locals and tourists. The two women next to us raved, “It’s the best restaurant in town!” We went with the lobster rolls and salad, which were delicious, but after watching all the other dishes pass by, everything looked incredible. AND, the Butterscotch Caramel cake with crushed toasted pecans is AMAZING!

Day 2

With hurricane winds and a downpour in the forecast, we opted for the perfect rainy-day activity: a visit to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. While there were plenty of interesting exhibits, the highlights were the Titanic and the 1917 Halifax explosion displays, along with original boats from the children’s TV show Theodore Tugboat, made it a fun escape from the weather. It was the ideal way to stay dry while still making the most of our day.

As an aside, The Fairview Lawn Cemetery is perhaps best known as the final resting place for one hundred and twenty-one victims of the sinking of the Titanic.

More lobster, please

After spending a couple of hours wandering through the museum, our appetites kicked in, so we headed to another Halifax landmark, The Bluenose Restaurant for a well-deserved meal. And, of course, we couldn’t resist—another lobster roll!

Day 3

We had a lazy late-morning wake-up and, finally, the rain stopped. Craving coffee and something to eat, we ventured out. With a mid-afternoon flight ahead, we decided to stretch our legs with a walk before heading home. We wandered past old cemeteries and green parks, eventually finding ourselves at the Halifax Public Gardens, which was right across the street from our hotel. It was absolutely lovely—a perfect little escape before the flight.

We’ll be back

Obviously, two days wasn’t nearly enough time to explore all that Nova Scotia has to offer, but we did manage to make a pretty good dent in Halifax. It’s a charming city—full of history and character—and we’ll definitely be back. Maybe next time when Air Canada has a few more direct flights!