A Halifax to Remember

Aerial view of Halifax.

When we reached Halifax, it was time for the Good Girls to divide and conquer, Debi to experience attractions new to her, me to play tourist.

Arriving in a city for the first time, my priority is to get a feel for where I am and the best way to do that in a short time is to hop on a hop on-off tour bus. There are several here, but our Halifax host and expert, Glenn Bowie, pointed me to the Big Pink bus.

Big Pink bus.

Glad he did because I experienced a thorough tour with excellent commentary.  Fun, too, because while waiting I ran into a family of University of Florida Gator fans from my hometown and a Big Pink employee whose family lives there. Another small world moment.

Thanks to the tour I saw and learned about ...

Halifax's founding. The native M'kmaq (Mik-maks) called the area shubakta, big harbor.The French came but didn't stay. Some 1,500 settlers arrived in 1749 with Edward Cornwallis and stayed.

Retrieving bodies at sea.

 

Hearses picking up bodies at the port.

Halifax and the Titanic. When HMS Titanic sank April 15, 1912, survivors of the disaster were taken to New York. Bodies of those who didn't were searched for in icy waters off the Grand Banks and brought to Halifax. Four Canadian ships, each filled with ice, coffins and carrying a minister and undertaker, had the grisly task of searching and retrieving them. The first ship to return arrived with 190 bodies after burying the remains of 116 souls at sea. The other ships arrived in Halifax with another 209 bodies.

Horse-drawn hearses brought bodies of first class passengers to funeral homes, second and third class passengers to the Mayflower Curling Rink. which had been turned into a temporary morgue. Only 59 bodies were shipped out by train to their families.

In the fall of 1912, residents of Halifax donated flowers, wreaths and services. The White Star Lines set up a fund for cemetery plots and their maintenance for the remaining 466. Most can be found at Fairview Lawn Cemetery.

Post explosion photo.

The Great Halifax Explosion. The city's other great disaster occurred the morning of Dec. 6, 1917, when two ships collided in the harbor. World War I had filled the harbor with ships. No damage was done when a Norwegian vessel and a French munitions carrier hit one another, but as the two vessels separated, a spark set off a fire on the French ship. It was packed with highly explosive munitions, 2,300 tons of picric acid; 200 tons of TNT; 35 tons of high-octane gasoline and 10 tons of gun cotton. Fire fighters were just beginning to deal with the fire the drifting ship set off on a pier when the largest, most powerful man-made explosion before the Atomic bomb occurred in a blinding white flash. Literally.

Of the 9,000 residents seriously injured, 200 were blinded; 1,800 people were killed. More than 1,600 homes were destroyed, 1,200 were damaged, and the entire north end of the city evaporated, crumbled into rubble or went up in flames.

Before the day ended, the city of Boston and the state of Massachusetts had dispatched two trainloads of medical supplies and personnel. Some of the doctors and nurses stayed for six months. So grateful were the citizens of Halifax that every year since they find and cut down the most beautiful tree to be found in the surrounding forests and send it to Boston where it is set up near the Prudential Center and lit as close to the fateful date as possible.

Halifax Public Gardens is a classic Victorian-style garden with perimeter open fencing, a pond with geese, serpentine flower gardens and a bandstand.

The Citadel.

The Citadel, a National Historic Site, is built on a natural glacial drumlin of solid rock first fortified in 1749. The star-shaped fort atop it is an imposing presence as well as a point of recreation for residents.

Old Town Clock.

At its base is the Old Town Clock, a parting gift from Commander-in-Chief of the Military Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who was a stickler for punctuality. He was also superstitious and believed the Devil couldn't catch you in a round room which explains why so many structures in Halifax have round rooms.

The harbor. The spoon-shaped, deep water harbor, the only one in Canada that doesn't freeze over, is home to the country's largest Navy base. The Halifax shipyards can move 2,200 containers in a 24-hour period and major exports are blueberries, grain, wood and Christmas trees.

Millionaires Row. Young Avenue is where you will see estate-style homes.

Point Pleasant Park, a real bargain.

Point Pleasant Park is a 187-acre wooded haven of trails, paths and facilities the city rents from the British government for one shilling - about 10 cents - a year.

MacDonald Bridge, no longer cursed.

Best bridge story ever. The M'Maqs didn't want to share their harbor so when the British built a bridge, their chief put a curse on it. The night after it was finished the bridge collapsed for no apparent reason. It was rebuilt and demolished by a storm. In the mid 1900s, when MacDonald Bridge was proposed, city fathers met with the chief and asked him to remove the curse. A pivotal part of the opening ceremonies was when the chief in full regalia and riding a grand white steed approached the structure and formally lifted the curse. Bridge is still standing.

On the Halifax wharf.

The bus loops from the wharf, a bustle of activity with its cruise ship port; tour, fishing and ferry boats; shops and boutiques; farmer's market; galleries; casino; restaurants and museums (more about those later).

Thomas the Tugboat.

Residents of Halifax are referred to as Haligonians and the ones I met seemed to love life there. It's terribly cliche, but both Debi and I kept remarking how nice Canadians were.

7 Not to Miss Highlights in Halifax, Nova Scotia

When in Canada, eat Canadian - right? So, we started the morning at Liscombe Lodge with fresh blueberry pancakes topped with real maple syrup. What a wonderful way to start a day. Then, the Good Girls and company returned to Halifax and the Westin Nova Scotian. Along the road, the mystical greenery was breathtaking, and someone shared this factoid: Nova Scotia is the largest exporter of Christmas trees, lobsters and blueberries.  What a lovely trio!


And, in case you're wondering exactly where Nova Scotia sits on the map:it’s a Canadian province on the east side of Maine and the name means New Scotland. Hence, the reason we saw a few hotel workers in kilts.
 

Debi & the Doorman at the Westin

Westin Nova Scotian

We checked into the Westin, which sits a stone's throw from the Halifax train station.  In fact, there is a convenient connecting hallway. The hotel has a long history of hosting Royals like the Queen, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, Prime Ministers as well as other dignitaries and celebrities. Tonight they were hosting us for the hotel's 85th-anniversary celebration.


While the hotel has not always belonged to the Westin group, it does retain much of its historical decor in the lobby. The guestrooms, however, are totally up to date, including the super comfy Heavenly beds. This hotel feels good; we both agree. The lodging meets the needs of any traveler with friendly customer service, clean surrounding and all the amenities you might want like room service, a gym (even workout clothes as part of the Westin Workout) and wifi. We made a point to have a drink at Roy's (Named for longtime-bartender Roy Clorey, who has worked at the hotel for 50 years and counting.) Lovely wine and vibe.

Of course, the Westin, a AAA Four Diamond property, also includes a complete set of banquet rooms and the location is ideal for Halifax meetings. For tourists, it's handy to the Waterfront area, which boasts a number of upscale restaurants, museums, and marina activities.  You can easily walk to Pier 21 Immigration Museum ( discussed in an upcoming post) and the Farmer's Marketplace. Many cruise ships dock at the port directly behind the hotel

 
The Stubborn Goat

Exterior of the Stubborn Goat

The Good Girls are always on the move, and the group was soon off for lunch at the Stubborn Goat, a gastropub on Grafton Street, near the construction site of the new convention center. Their menu states their philosophy," To seek and find the best local products with which to create fulfilling comfort food, pour craft ales and libations made with thought and care, and serve all patrons as if they were guests in our home. It is our duty to have laughter, cheer and conversation thrive by offering a selection of small plates meant for sharing among friends and families who gather here."

The Goat lived up to its promises. The highlight of the meal, at least for me, was something I've never eaten before - fiddleheads (ferns) cooked in a skillet with prosciutto, lemon, Gouda, almonds. The flavors and textures tasted similar to green beans. Cheese held the dish together and the almonds added crunch. Quite delightful, I'd order it again.

Fiddleheads

In a futile attempt to watch our waistlines, Judy and I split a Lamb Sirloin Burger with stewed tomato jam, roasted mushroom, arugula, grainy mustard and skipped dessert. Others raved about their woodstone oven baked pizza or lobster mac and cheese. Alas, we all left over-stuffed again.

The Lamb Sirloin Burger

FYI- The owners of the Stubborn Goat first opened Durty Nelly’s, an authentic Irish Pub, which was designed and built in Ireland and shipped to Canada. The restaurant sports an elongated wooden bar and apparently is ‘ the place’ for listening to the Craic, what the Irish call storytelling and partying.

Alexander Keith's Brewery

Alexander Keith's Brewery in Halifax

I headed off to tour Alexander Keith's Brewery on the Waterfront while Judy hopped on the trolley tour.

Keith's Brewery sits in a massive ironstone and granite building (c 1820). Actors in period costume take tour-goers back to Halifax in 1863. They employ song and story as they lead guests through the brewhouse and taproom. You enter Mr. Keith's original dining room and then follow  into an over-sized production room with gleaming copper tanks.  I have been on many brewery tours, but never encountered such magnificent apparatus. Let's just say I'm glad I don't have to polish all that copper.

The Copper Cookers

The Copper Holding Tanks

The tour doesn't dwell on the brewing process, which I appreciated as I've heard it over and over, and because the technicalities bore many. Instead, this tour heads right to an authentic old taproom where tasting and entertainment become the focus. Each participant of age receives a sample in a mug. I sat and enjoyed my choice, Keith's Red Amber, then joined in clapping to the tunes. A few bar games were introduced before it was time to depart. I learned Halifax history in a most charming way and highly recommend this tour.

A waitress in the Taproom
Photo@Debi Lander

 Halifax Citadel

I did not have time to visit the fort-like Citadel National Historic Site, but on a 2010 visit, I made the effort and hiked to the highest point in the city. The Citadel, like the fort in my hometown St. Augustine, was built as a military fortification to protect the city from enemies and the occasional pirate. In Halifax, you hear the crack of rifle-fire and the haunting tones of bagpipes instead of canon fire. The Changing of the  Guard, dressed in uniforms of the 78th Highlanders, creates a colorful and impressive ceremony. The Royal Artillery fires the Noon Gun every day – a Halifax tradition that is one of the oldest in the world.

Changing of the Guard

A short outing on Theodore Tugboat, stationed on the Waterfront, looked like fun and would likely be a highlight for families visiting Halifax.

Worker handcrafting a vase at Nova Scotia Crystal.

I also stopped in Nova Scotia Crystal where you watch glass objects being mouth blown, hand-cut and etched. Irish artisans hoping to keep their craft alive opened the facility in 1996 and it remains the singular crystal manufacturer in Canada. The showroom is full of gorgeous pieces similar to Waterford crystal. They make lovely gifts and souvenirs.

Like most destinations, it is the people and the history that bring out the true depth and beauty of what you see and experience. Halifax is certainly one of those places.

Double Trouble on Delta

When the Good Girls flew home from Norfolk a few months ago, the escapade on Delta took over 24 hours.  Our original one o’clock flight had been canceled and the re-booked evening flight kept getting postponed. We finally made it to Atlanta but then had to hang around the lobby with other stranded travelers until nearly 4 a.m. By the time we returned to Jacksonville Airport, passengers and flights for the next day were arriving and departing.




To begin our Two Nation Vacation, we scheduled a 7 a.m. flight to Halifax through New York's La Guardia Airport. At 5:30 p.m. the night before departure, we were informed of a flight cancellation. Delta re-booked us on a 5:20 p.m. flight the next day, with an estimated arrival time of midnight. The good news was we were at home this time, not at the airport, but we would miss a day’s activity. 

Atlanta Airport after midnight: We've been there.

Delta did not divulge the reason for the cancellation, but airport personnel eventually told us that it was due to weather. Really?  Cancel a flight almost 14 hours early (in the summer) due to weather? 

Within a few days, Delta sent us a survey. We responded politely but voiced our disappointment.  Judy was rewarded an extra 2,500 miles and 5,000 for Debi as she has Gold Elite status with Delta.  Thanks, but we’d truly like more timely departures in the future.

Arrival in Halifax

The Westin Nova Scotia

When the delayed flight finally got us to the capital of Nova Scotia, a little after midnight, we weren’t expecting such a rude awakening. Deplaning took place on the tarmac with the wind and rain howling in our faces. We had to run down the outdoors stairs (which is difficult for Judy) and into the terminal as fast as possible. Thankfully customs proceeded quickly, and we were off to the Westin Nova Scotia.  

At the Westin, we discovered a lovely surprise: a fruit and cheese tray awaited in our rooms. Grapes and cheddar taste awfully good at 1:30 in the morning, and Heavenly Beds at the Westin are the best!