I always fall in love with the places I travel to, which is why I have yet to move out of Chicago because I can’t decide where I would go. Novia Scotia is one of those places that I would definitely consider moving to, and it’s not because I have three close friends that live there. There is gorgeous scenery, hiking, great seafood, and of course the nicest people. Below are the highlights of my trip:

Cape Breton Highlands National Park

This was one of my favorite things I got to do while in Novia Scotia. We drove along the world-famous Cabot Trail that is along the coastline and made stops to hike while in the national park. The views were breathtaking. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see a moose, but I heard they are common. If you are ever in Novia Scotia, this is a must do.

Whale Watching

I have never gone whale watching before so this was one activity I was super excited for. The company we went through (Captain Zodiac) also allows you to snorkel with the whales, but unfortunately for us, the weather conditions did not allow us to do so. But I still got to see whales, so I was content! I have always been fascinated with the ocean, so being able to see these majestic creatures up close was absolutely amazing. Pro tip: if you get motion sickness, take dramamine beforehand (it works wonders). Also, because I know you are all dying to know, the whale below is a Pilot Whale.

Tidal Bore Rafting

Have you ever laughed so hard to the point you’re crying and can’t breathe? Well tidal bore rafting will make that happen if you have yet to experience that. Here’s some background on the tidal bore first so you understand what I’m talking about: “water from the Bay of Fundy gets funneled into the Shubenacadie river to create a surge of water. The front wave of this surge is known as the tidal bore. There are very few places in the world that have a tidal bore and even fewer that can compare in size! After the tidal bore goes by, the river reverses direction and starts flowing inland at nearly 30km/hr. The huge volume of water rolling over the huge sandbars creates rapids ranging from 4-18ft standing waves!” (http://www.tidalboreadventures.ca) So those 4-18ft waves they were talking about are the ones your guide takes you through and I have never had so much fun, especially when you’re friends can’t hang on and flop around in the middle of the raft (cue crying laughing tears). I also don’t have pictures because I wasn’t about to lose my phone in the rapids, but go to that website above and they have videos/pictures to see.

Prospect

Prospect is a cute little coastal village that also has hiking trail heads near by. The hike we did was all along the coast with awesome rock formations. 

Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park

This beach has a boardwalk along the coast that is fun to walk along if you don’t feel like relaxing in the sand. And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can continue on and climb the rocks (*at your own risk; I wouldn’t suggest bringing children there).

Lawrence town Beach Provincial Park

This was my favorite beach I was taken too. The water was all sorts of pretty shades of blue and I even got a tan laying on the beach.

Halifax

• Public Gardens:  These gardens are beautiful and is a great place to take a stroll through or relax with a good read.

• Point Pleasant Park:  We walked this park every morning (with Tim Horton’s coffee of course) and it was absolutely gorgeous. It is a wooded park at the south end of the Halifax peninsula with tons of trails and paths. I even found out that many of the paths are wheel-chair accessible (and from an occupational therapist perspective, that’s pretty awesome). There is also a Martello Tower and several fort ruins to see.
• Boardwalk: If I lived here I would be walking the boardwalk every night. There were tons of cute shops and restaurants along the water. The food was DELICIOUS (I don’t think I got anything other than seafood). Plus, when it gets cool along the water, most of the restaurants hand you a blanket (now that’s what I call great customer service).

And of course you can’t leave Canada without a lobster dinner with amazing people!