Can you imagine having the luxury of taking a 10-minute ferry ride across a harbor, to make a daily commute to & from work? That’s what I was thinking about as I boarded the ferry in Dartmouth, NS, and took off across the harbor to Halifax. It’s a warm Monday morning, and the ferry ride offers stunning views of the Halifax skyline. The ferry ride itself is quick and very efficient, and our $ 2.50 fare also includes a return trip voucher. We land at a terminal in the heart of the Halifax Boardwalk district, which looks to be a short walk to most of central Halifax. Compared to my previous 30-minute car commute to & from work, usually in traffic, I’m thinking, “This is fantastic.” But then it dawns on me that it’s probably not as wonderful in the winter, when the temperatures are below freezing and the wind is howling in from the north. Never underestimate how miserable the weather could be here in Halifax at 44°40′ north latitude. This could make being on a ferry, even inside, quite unpleasant. For now, though, it’s a great way to travel, and our daughter, Morgan, joined us as we explored both Halifax and Dartmouth.
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| On the ferry from Dartmouth to Halifax |
Towing a 40-foot, 4-ton RV into a
major city presents logistical challenges, and there are not many city campgrounds
that are large enough to accommodate Neil the Northpoint. This usually
means parking the camper some 20-30 miles away, in a close suburb, and driving
into the city. When I was looking for places to stay around the Halifax area, I
was surprised to find a campsite well inside the Halifax metropolis. Dartmouth
is a recognized community and part of the larger administrative entity known as
the Halifax Regional Municipality. It is known as the "City of Lakes"
because it boasts a remarkable number of freshwater lakes within its
boundaries. We stayed in Shubie Campground, located inside a 40-acre urban park
called Shubie Park. The park is located between Lake Charles to the North, and
Lake Micmac to the south. Between these two lakes is the "Shubenacadie
Canal". In the early 19th
century, before the railroad, waterways and canals were used to ship goods from
ocean ports to inland locations. By 1861, a usable canal was in operation,
connecting the port of Dartmouth, through Lake Micmac & Lake Charles, to
places 60 miles north. There were many paths
and trails that crisscrossed the 70-acre wilderness area, which was a lovely way
to get around the park and see the surrounding area.
- There was a path that led to a large shopping center, called Dartmouth Landing, which includes a footbridge over the highway.
- There were paths in the park dedicated to dogs running “off leash”.
- There were paths to both lakes.
- There were paths with informational signage explaining the existence of the Shubenacadie Canal, as well as the indigenous Mi'kmaq people.
Shubie Park offers summer camp programs, ball fields, a skateboard park, and a popular dog-friendly off-leash area. Morgan, Judy, and I walked there for various reasons, including trips to Dartmouth Landing and the beach, as well as simply enjoying the park itself. We also rented a canoe and paddleboard to travel along the renovated Shubenacadie Canal from just above Lock #2 to Lake Charles, spending about an hour exploring the canal and the southern tip of the lake on a warm day.
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| Ferry Terminal Park Dartmouth, NS |
- Early in the week we took the Halifax Harbor Hopper tour for a unique blend of land and sea exploration on a refurbished military amphibious vehicle. On board, our guides shared historical facts and anecdotes about the city, and the tour was a great way to get a quick overview of Halifax's key attractions.
Later in the week, we returned to Halifax to board a tour boat bound for Georges Island, where we had the opportunity to visit and explore Fort Charlotte. Georges Island is a drumlin, a geological formation shaped by glaciers during the last ice age. This small, spoon-shaped island occupies a strategic position in the harbor. As such, the island and its British fort—constructed and rebuilt several times—provided substantial defense for the harbor throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Notably, historical records indicate that the fort was never subjected to attack.
Fort Charlotte on Georges Island
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| Vandal Doughnuts, Halifax Boardwalk |
Upon returning from Georges Island, we proceeded to walk along a significant portion of the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk. This renowned destination offers a wide array of attractions, making its popularity among tourists understandable. There is the Canadian Museum of Immigration, and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, each with its own pier side attractions. There is public art on display all along the boardwalk and a lot of boats and yachts alongside the piers to look at. And so many dining establishments and cafés are available, in addition to a specialty donut shop that particularly appealed to Judy.
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| Peggys Cove Lighthouse |
There were numerous additional experiences in Halifax and Dartmouth that cannot be fully detailed within the scope of this blog. However, I would be remiss in my narrative to not mention our 60-minute ride south to Peggy’s Cove. Peggy's Cove is a small, picturesque fishing village on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay. The area features an iconic lighthouse situated atop expansive granite formations, which is reputed to be the most photographed lighthouse in Canada and among the most renowned globally. Peggy’s Cove is just so scenic & charming that it has been attracting artists and artisans, with its picturesque scenery, for many decades. Specifically, William E. deGarthe, a well-known artist, spent 35 years of his life painting and sculpting in Peggy's Cove. In 1977, at the age of 70, deGarthe started carving a “Monument to Nova Scotian Fisherman” into a 100-foot-long granite slab on his property in Peggy’s Cove. He worked on the monument until his death in 1983, and the granite carving sits there as it was upon his death. The sculpture depicts 32 fishermen, their wives and children, the guardian angel St. Elmo, and a figure representing Peggy, a legendary shipwreck survivor whom deGarthe believed was the namesake of the village. Despite its popularity as a tourist destination, Peggy's Cove continues to function as an authentic working fishing village. We had lunch at a lobster shack within view of the granite rocks and lighthouse before returning to Dartmouth.
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| Peggys Cove Fishing Village |
Towing our RV into an older urban RV park was a bit of a challenge. I had to back the rig into a tight spot, while maneuvering around a tree. It was only after I had backed into the space that we discovered that the campsite was way out of level. Once the landing pads were deployed, the wheels of my camper were suspended 4 inches off the ground. Not good! (We were not alone in our leveling struggles, as we witnessed many others in the same circumstances.) Once we got the RV situated correctly, we turned our attention to opening the door and dropping the stairs down. That’s when we discovered that even with the stairs in the fullest downward position, we were still a foot off the ground. We were going to need a small step ladder, just to reach the first step of our stairs. We decided we needed to talk to the RV Park manager. Some issues are the responsibility of the RV campsite, and this was one of them. The office and maintenance staff were very helpful (cause I’m sure they have run into this problem before), and they brought over a wooden pallet and a single set of stairs from one of their maintenance sheds. In short order we were able to build a landing pad for the RV stairs, as well as three additional steps, for our safe entry into the RV. We never know exactly what we’re going to find when we arrive at a campsite in a new destination, but that’s what makes the RV lifestyle such an adventure. Who knows what we find at our next stop on Prince Edward Island, as we tell… the Rest of the Story.
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