Visiting Halifax, Nova Scotia- Part I: Public Garden

August 2, 2016

The welcome center

The girls and I decided to tour Halifax from our apartment in Dartmouth, which is across the harbor from Halifax.  We were staying about a half mile from the ferry that connects Dartmouth with Halifax, so we planned to just walk.  We were not planning to leave until 10:00 A.M. so I decided to explore a little of Dartmouth, starting with Sullivan's Pond, which was in front of our apartment.   I took walking trails from there to a park along Lake Bannock where I got very envious of the paddlers.  The canal system goes into Lake Bannock, then drains into the pond and finally empties into the Halifax Harbor. (I started salivating when I read about the paddling in this area.

View of Sullivan's pond which our apartment overlooked

We had the upstarts of this house, across the street from Sullivan's Pond

I walked back on the opposite side of the Sullivan's Pond to our apartment and did not quite have two miles on my step meter, so I decided to walk a few blocks around the back of the house.  However that area is not divided into blocks and it took me over another mile to get back to the apartment.  But the houses and gardens along the way were interesting and I loved the walk. Not long after that, we were ready to start our Halifax excursion.

The day was gorgeous with bright, partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 60's.  It didn't take long to get to the ferry but we had about a thirty minute wait for the next one.  The price is the best going - $2.50 for adults and 1.75 for seniors, with free transfers to buses for the following two hours.  And you get fabulous view of both Dartmouth and Halifax, and can also enjoy the passing ships and boats.  It is the oldest saltwater ferry in North America.

Our plan was to walk to the Public Gardens of Halifax and then to visit the Halifax Public Library.  These are the top two public spaces in Halifax and have traded first places since the library opened in December 2014.

A look back at the Dartmouth ferry landing and one of the ferries 

Part of the Halifax shoreline

Shiping, cruising and ship building are all important parts of the Halifax economy

Theodore Too takes visitors on a half hour harbor tour

Another Halifax view from the ferry showing the diversity of buildings 

This is North America's oldest operating clock - built in London in 1767

We got to enjoy the Freak Lunchbox Mural which was number 14
of the International murals of 2015 

I didn't keep up with the milage, but we probably walked about a mile and a half to get to the public gardens after we got off the ferry.

I loved the starling's take on this fountain -several of them were drinking and bathing in it

The garden is one of the last victorian gardens in North America and had beds of flowers and lots of trees and shrubs forming backgrounds

A path goes around the garden under the tree canopy

And the flowering beds, surrounded by grass and backed by shrubs and trees
make for beautiful views

There is lots of statutory which is common to Victorian gardens

And model ships in the pond - another Victorian conceit - this is the Titanic

There were long, sinuous lines of flowers

Which I realized were dragons made of flowers - I zoomed in to show the head

Another statue

View around the gazebo

A planting to celebrate the International Year of Pulses - dry legume seeds

I had to make a donation to this young violin player who was raising money to go to a Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Contest and  for violin lessons

Then we walked a few more blocks to the other top public place in Halifax - their new library.  Part II later.