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.

The Sea Caves of St. Martins, New Brunswick

August 1, 2016

My daughter, Kris, flew into Bangor, Maine and then drove to my trailer.  We spent the following afternoon enjoying Lubec, Maine and Campobello Island, New Brunswick.

The following day we drove almost across the width of New Brunswick to Moncton, stopping for a couple of explorations.  The sea caves were my favorite. The tides there differ by some thirty feet.

We arrived about an hour after low tide and saw the first cave.

As we walked towards the cliff, I could see another cave along the same face of the cliff.

The caves are larger than they first look.

And once inside, one can see the watermarks and the plant growth on the wall that is covered by high tides.

We kept walking and went around a point and came to a huge field, later to be an inlet, with caves on its walls.

Some caves seemed to be in the making.

The field was to the left of this picture but one could also keep walking along the beach where the people, in the picture below, are heading are heading.

The tide was just starting to turn as we squeezed by the water on the path.

Water was coming in from both sides of the island and meeting in the middle behind it. I had to stop a few minutes  on the way out to enjoy it.  Then we proceeded to go past it and immediately turn left.

This is from around the point and back in.

This view was on our left while the last picture was of a view to our right.  I was amazed at this fallen tree, which was still somehow holding on.

The red cliffs just kept getting prettier as the sun got lower in the sky. 

The view across the seaweed covered boulders in front of the big field was also lovely.

Way in the back of the field, the seaweed had attached to the sides and tops of the caves and hung down like stalactites.

We started back, walking carefully over the occasional steep or slippery places and stopping to take more pictures.  The water at high tide will be over five times higher than this woman is tall.  The numbers of people around us diminished rapidly and soon we were all alone.

Almost back to the front of the field.

I had to take a picture of a couple setting up on the point to take a selfie.

And one more of the top of the cliff to our left.

Then we came around the point and found that the water had covered the place where I watched the tides come in around the island, and the island itself had almost disappeared. Kris wanted me to try to climb a steep rock, but I couldn't, so waded in, stopping to quickly grab my billfold out of my pocket as the water reached my shorts. But the next step was shallower and in another six steps of so, I was able to get back on land and go back and help Kris get up the steep rock. We got the rest of the way to the car without incident.

I looked back to watch this group staying on the near side of the point and watching the tide come it.

The sun was almost ready to set behind clouds when we got back to our car.  I think we were a little over two hours past low tide when we almost got caught by  the incoming tide. So do be sure to find the window and be sure to get back out in time.

And for you paddlers: You can go on a kayak tour all the way around the point to a river.  That should be an interesting and beautiful trip.

I'm way behind on editing pictures but Kris and I had a great time in St. Andrews on the way over and both girls and I had a wonderful day in Halifax on Wednesday and a touring day along the south of Nova Scotia on Thursday.

A Visit to the Pemaquid Lighthouse

July 17, 2016

A very colorful shed we found on the way to lunch, before continuing to the lighthouse

This is the first laughing gull I've seen in Maine

The last adventure we had in the Boothbay area was to visit the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. This is Maine's premier lighthouse and is the one on the Maine quarter. It has existed since 1827 but has been rebuilt three times, the last time in 1857. It is located in Bristol,

The lighthouse and the keeper's quarters

If you walk to the right around the building, you see this entry and porch

This is the drawing used to render the Maine quarter

We arrived on the site and found we had to pay $2.00 each to tour it and that we only had twenty minutes to climb the stair to the little walkway around the light. This is a relatively low and small light house and only 5 people fit into the walkway. I stood in line to go up while Christina started touring the grounds. I loved the views going up the spiral staircase and from the walkway. But I missed getting to visit the Fisherman's Museum or the Pemaquid Art Gallery. But all that is available for the price we paid.

A closer view of the lighthouse - a fishing museum is to the right

A view looking up the steps

A view through a window in the lighthouse

A very close view of the light showing interesting reflections

View from the top of the lighthouse, but still inside glass

Looking down on some of the thirty stairs

I loved the HUGE hairy rose hips on the wild roses

While we waited our turns to go up into the lighthouse, the docent kept us entertained with stories, including one about a whale that swam beside a ship, then swam away and then came back three times, until the ship followed her to where two baby whales were trapped in fishing nets. The crew cut them loose and then the entire whale family followed them back to the dock. The captain was arrested for destroying fishing equipment, then fined one dollar.

When you see this church, you know to stop for great ice cream - the ice cream store is across from the church

I'm getting this blog ready to post from Dartmouth, across the bay from Halifax. I just got back from walking ten miles with two of my daughters as we enjoyed downtown Halifax today in the MOST gorgeous weather.  And yesterday, Kris and I drove several hours from Moncton, then picked up Karen at the airport and we got situated at our apartment - the upstairs in a house.