We visited Halifax, Nova Scotia during a 7-day cruise to Canada and New England.
We’ve been to Halifax multiple times before, so we’d previously visited the Citadel Fort, toured the Alexander Keith’s brewery, listened to live music at the Lower Deck, and enjoyed the beautiful drive to Peggy’s Cove.
For this day in port we thought we’d walk the waterfront, heading out to the right from the cruise terminal building.
We passed by the Cunard statue, a tribute to Sir Samuel Cunard, a native of Halifax who founded the Cunard Line. In 1840 the company’s first steamship, the Britannia, sailed from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia and on to Boston, Massachusetts, with Cunard and 63 other passengers on board, marking the beginning of regular passenger and cargo service.
Our first stop was the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where we were interested in checking out the exhibits on the Halifax Explosion and the role Halifax played in the Titanic disaster.
One of the more unique exhibits was the recreation of how the Royal Navy dealt with pirates — not just hanging them, but coating their bodies in tar and hanging them out at the beach as a smelly warning to other pirates.
The Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo was happening while we were in Halifax, so we witnessed several “public” events, like this one by the King’s Guard Band and Drill Team from Norway. There is a memorial along the waterfront commemorating the fallen members of the Norwegian trade fleet, Navy and Army that were buried in Nova Scotia during World War II.
In the same area, we admired the “Sailor” statue that honors the thousands of sailors who passed through the port of Halifax. Mr. Jones’ beloved Uncle Norm was one of them. This 2.5 ton bronze statue is modeled after the uniform worn by Canadian sailors from the Second World War until the 1960’s Canadian Forces unification. “Sailor” is located near the corner of Lower Water and Sackville Streets.
Since we were on a mission In Search of the Best Lobster Roll During Our Canada and New England Cruise, we stopped at Dave’s Lobster along the waterfront. Made while we watched, we sat at a nearby picnic table and enjoyed every bite.
Refueled, we were ready to head away from the waterfront make our way to some of Mr. Jones’ haunts while he attended Dalhousie University in Halifax. Our first stop was at the Halifax Public Gardens, where Mr. Jones admitted he frequented in college mainly because “the chicks liked it.”
Apparently, 2015 is the International Year of Soils. Who knew? We do now that we’ve been to the Halifax Public Gardens, which were formally established in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation.
Halifax was quite warm and humid the day of our visit, so we cooled off with a beer at The Fickle Frog Pub. Besides having a great name and wine-guzzling frog icon, the bar obviously appeals to hungry college students with its daily specials.
Finally, we made it to the main campus of Mr. Jones’ alma mater, Dalhousie University.
In addition to Mr. Jones recalling memories of Howe Hall, his first-year dorm, we also learned a little bit about the original funding of Dalhousie from the sign pictured above.
My Fitbit showed this was a 16,297 step, and 7.77 mile walking day, which helped us feel less guilty about eating lobster rolls in every port during our cruise.
Have you visited Halifax via a cruise ship? What was your favorite sight?
Check out these other posts related to our Canada and New England cruise:
- 15 Fun Facts About Halifax, Nova Scotia
- A Look Around Holland America’s Maasdam Cruise Ship
- 17 Fun Facts About Bar Harbor, Maine
- A Look Inside Ocean-View Stateroom 700 on Holland America’s Maasdam Cruise Ship
- 33 Fun Facts About Prince Edward Island, Canada
- 14 Fun Facts About Quebec City, Canada
Are you planning a similar cruise? Check out our Canada and New England Cruise Board on Pinterest.
Here are some resources for more information on planning a visit to Canada’s Maritimes:
Fodor’s Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada: With New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland
Moon Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador
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