Halifax and PEI

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Our HCOS staff collaborated on exploring Halifax and PEI.
So if you are planning an educational holiday here are some of our staff favourites.

1. The home of Lucy Maude Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables (Anne's house in the story was based from that home) is in PEI.   The red sandy beaches and research why the sand is red.  Canadian History museum in PEI - kids can learn all about how Canada was formed (history of the provinces etc) In Nova Scotia: You definitely want to head into Halifax for a day or two, and then Drive down to Lunenburg, Peggy's Cove, Mahone Bay - its something you can do in one day, round trip about 2 1/2 hours, but it is breathtaking with lots of ocean side stops and shopping and history.Cape Breton - do the loop and maybe even stay up there a night.  The most amazing camping/cabins ever seen in Meat Cove on the Tip of Cape Breton.
2.   Blomidon Lookout around the Annapolis Valley is amazing as well - Cape Split is a hike that takes you up to a kilometer and a half up over the ocean on this crazy cliff . 
3. Annapolis Royal - it’s a quaint little town and has a lot of neat shops and the oldest fort in Canadian history - it's called Fort Anne.
4. Truro - there is amazing rafting on the Schubenacadie River - its spectacular
5. Drive the Cabot Trail - well worth it!    Guides 
6. Fort Louisburg is a "must". Read this book which is  great to read along the way.   
7. Camping     Wonderful Family owned with an Oyster farm.
8.  Whale watching tour here.  Be sure to ask for the time when the captain does some fishing!  This was an experience of a lifetime! We did see whales but pulling up the fish (herring) watching the captain clean them with seagulls feeding, steering the boat and leaving with a bag full of fish all made the experience amazing!  
9. Alexander Graham Bell museum in Cape Breton… Then buy some traditional maritime local folk music and drive the Cabot trail.
10. Camp out on the red mud by the ocean listening to Stompin’ Tom’s “Bud the Spud”  The government buildings in Charlottetown… and then there is this really cool place with buildings made of old glass pop bottles – quirky but cool.
11. Pier 21 in Halifax – we found interesting as is museum of immigration into Canada.
12.  Sail on the Bluenose 2 – Lunenburg – have to check schedule of Bluenose 2 as sometimes sails from Halifax too.
13.  Fort Louisburg on Cape Breton – be sure to catch a Kaeli in the evening too.
14.   My favorites for PEI are: the beaches!!! Have them get a pass to all of the National parks so they can get free admission (it costs $5.00 and up for a day pass to the beach, plus this gets you into many historic sites).  In Charlottetown they do a production on Confederation every summer.   Avonlea is a must for Anne of Green Gables lovers, finding out when a ship is coming into harbor with a 500lb tuna is interesting.
15.   Peggy’s cove, Ingonish Beach,  to see a replica of the ship Hector the first ship of immigrants to land in Canada.  Here is the link to our blog archives for August 2006 (September 2006 has some things as well) when we were there.
16.  There is a historic site dedicated to a poet who wrote a poem titled Evangeline.  This site deals with the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia.  I would highly recommend the museum (I think its in Montgomery) which tributes the French Acadians who were expelled after the defeat of Napolean's France. Go there with reading Evangeline by Longfellow. and the experience will be enriched. I have a great assignment I use which puts Evangeline beside Mary's Magnificat and considers the biblical idea of exile.
17. There are remnants of the Titanic in the Halifax Maritime museum on the wharf (and great ice cream at Cows). ;) Consider the notion of "failed promise" - Psalm 2, Psalm 145:13