Fight the winter blues

Whether you’re planning a quick weekend away or a longer family vacation during March Break, fight the winter blues and make Nova Scotia your winter wonderland of fun.

If you enjoy wine, you’ll love the late November Icewine harvest. Visit Grand Pre Wines or Jost Vineyards and sample their award-winning varieties. The 2nd annual Nova Scotia Winter Icewine Festival will also take place from February 12 to 22, 2009 as part of the annual Savour Food & Wine Festival, a month-long celebration of fine food, wine and entertainment from February 1 to 28, 2009.

Are you a sports fan? If you’re eager to see the puck drop, catch the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles or the Halifax Mooseheads in action, as they battle it out on the ice against their competitors in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). 

Nova Scotia is also home to some of the best skiing in Atlantic Canada. Pack up your gear, or rent it all when you get here. Prepare for a snowy day filled with family fun and adventure. Most ski resorts feature both downhill and cross-country skiing. Choose from easy or challenging hills at Wentworth, Martock, Ben Eoin and Cape Smokey.

Most years, Christmas starts as early as mid November in Nova Scotia. Christmas parades, craft shows, tree-lighting ceremonies, caroling, concerts and community charity dinners will keep you occupied until the arrival of jolly Saint Nick. Don’t forget the outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration at Halifax’s Grand Parade on December 31. Although sometimes chilly, it’s always a blast!

The Celtic Colours International Festival has proudly celebrated the only living Celtic culture in North America every year since October 1997. This annual celebration of music and culture features hundreds of musicians from around the world and takes places over the course of 9 days while the fall colours are at their best. Communities around Cape Breton Island host a variety of concerts and workshops so visitors get to witness breathtaking scenery as they travel to their next event.

The festival’s schedule is always jammed-packed with concerts, workshops and events, so there’s never a dull moment. With as many as eight concerts per day, it’s truly impossible to pack it all in. Pick and choose according to your interests, and enjoy events featuring Gaelic singing, Cape Breton fiddling, step-dancing, accordion playing, bag piping and much more.

Year after year, Celtic Colours attracts performers and visitors from all over the world. Past visitors would surely tell you that Nova Scotia is a top quality tourism destination. Just recently, Travel + Leisure magazine has recognized Cape Breton Island as a world-class vacation destination. Cape Breton Island ranks 10th on the list of Top 10 islands overall in the world in 2008’s survey and is the only Canadian island ranked in the Top 10.

This past October, the 12th annual edition of the Celtic Colours festival was once again, a real hit! The festival featured 45 performances from October 10th to 18th, 2008 and more than 260 community and educational events, including a wonderful tribute to singer / songwriter and Cape Breton local Rita MacNeil.

Plan your next fall vacation to Nova Scotia around the Celtic Colours International Festival. Mark your calendars for October 9th to 17th, 2009. The performance schedule will be released around June 22, 2009 and tickets will go on sale at the Celtic Colours Box Office on July 6, 2009.

Watch for whales in the Bay of Fundy

Digby, Nova Scotia is known as the scallop capital of the world and is home to some of the best whale watching in North America. Get up close and personal with whales – the world’s largest mammals – and be among the first to spot them in the distance, as your boat approaches these immense creatures.

If you’re wondering exactly how far you’ll have to travel on your tour before you see any whales, the answer is different every day. Sometimes, whales can be spotted from the shore and other times, your boat will have to venture more than 15 miles out into the Bay of Fundy before you get a sighting. How many will you see? Could be a dozen, or even hundreds!

The whales that you’re most likely to see during your 3-hour cruise are Humpbacks, Minke, Pilot, and Finback, which has even been spotted nearby in the winter months by local lobster fishermen. If you’re lucky, you may even see a rare Right Whale or Blue Whale.

Although called a “whale watching tour”, there’s more to see than whales. You may also meet seals, dolphins and harbour porpoise during your cruise. At times, they even swim along the boat and say hello by jumping in and out of the water!

Whale watching is truly an adventure of a lifetime. If you’re in the Digby area, make sure to book a tour. Whale watching tours typically depart two to three times daily between the months of June to October, and can last between three and four hours.

Every year, Halifax is bustling with Buskers.

Every August, the Halifax waterfront comes alive with the Annual Halifax International Busker Festival, a 10 day celebration featuring street performers. In 2008, the 22nd annual festival was a huge success! It took place from August 7th to 17th and hosted 76 performers from around the world and more than 500 performances.
 
Acts from around the world come to Halifax for this festival to perform on the spectacular show stages on the waterfront. As a spectator, you’ll enjoy watching comedians, pavement artists, mime performers, dancers, jugglers, fire artists and musicians. More than half a million people walk by during the festival to take it all in. Activities start around noon and typically run well into the evenings. In fact, most nights, artists can be found performing until 11pm. There’s also a beer tent with live local entertainment, plus you’ll also find food vendors and kiosks located along the boardwalk where you can buy artwork, crafts, jewellery and other hand-made goods. The face painters are always a big hit with kids of all ages!

This year, the performing acts came from nine different countries. Some have crushed world records, performed on Broadway, Cirque De Soleil and won awards at major Talent Shows like America’s Got Talent and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Fitness Expo.

See the talent for yourself! If you plan on visiting Halifax next August, make sure to plan your visit around the Busker Festival. Book your hotel early! Rooms book up fast in August. The Busker Festival usually takes place in mid-August. Check www.buskers.ca for 2009 dates and performance schedules.  

One thing is for certain. When you visit Halifax, you’ll be surrounded by a sea of touristy attractions and opportunities. From Peggy’s Cove to the downtown area, and over the bridge or across the ferry to Dartmouth, you’ll be broadsided by Halifax’s unique features.

Stepping into Halifax Public Gardens, you can’t help but be mesmerized by all its natural beauty. Take a moment to truly appreciate nature at its best. If that isn’t enough, imagine 4 acres of trails, paths and beaches at your disposal. MacNabs Island is most certainly a paradise for the nature lover.

Coming back to urban life, find yourself staring up at the Roman Catholic St. Mary’s Basilica, with architectural features are unlike any other. After taking in a bit of religious history, it is strongly recommended to head uphill and explore the life of a soldier during the mid-Victorian era at the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. Not sure where to find it? It’s simple, just look for the big clock tower!

While you’re on the path of exploring Halifax’s past, why not trek over to the Halifax waterfront where you’ll find Pier 21, Canada’s Immigration Museum. View the harbour from the harbour! Tours and cruises are available! Check out Murphy’s on the Water or the Tall Ship Silva.

You wouldn’t want to miss out on, now would you?

While you’re being completely captivated by the maritime’s exceptional hospitality, make sure you check out some of the local attractions and festivities. Enjoy a visit at the Brewery Market and take in the Alexander Keith’s Brewery Tour. For the ultimate experience, where “theatre meets the streets”, you can check out the Halifax International Buskers Festival. During this August festival, watch as countless of performances make their way to the Halifax harbourfront.

All summer long and well into September and sometimes October, Halifax is booming with sidewalk cafes and rooftop patios! There are nearly 200 bars and restaurants in Downtown Halifax, offering everything from Canadian, Indian, Italian, Greek, Chinese and Japanese. Halifax also has the highest number of bars per capita of any city in Canada. Finding a fun spot to enjoy a cold refreshment is never a problem.

We’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg with Halifax. There is still plenty more to discover. Start planning for your coastal experience today. Alexander Keith’s is waiting for you! Request a vacation guide or contact one of our travel professionals at 1-888-322-5333 to book your Halifax holiday!

Home to a cultural experience unlike any other, the Annapolis Valley offers many new travel experiences. Through its various communities like Kentville, Windsor and Grand Pré, you’ll find yourself surrounded by plenty of historic attractions, local entertainment and some of nature’s wonders all throughout the summer and fall.

Discover true wine passion at le Domaine Grand Pré, the oldest operating winery in Nova Scotia. Feel free to tour acres of vineyards and learn more on how different grapes make wine taste truly unique. Be ready to be taken away by summer-long entertainment and festivities, happening every Thursday night.
 
Visit Hans Fundy Shore and witness one of Nova Scotia’s best kept secret. Home to the World’s Highest Recorded Tide, you can only imagine the excitement you’ll experience once you do a little white-water rafting.

The Valley is the province’s prime agriculture area. Enjoy locally grown fruit and vegetables, especially apples, strawberries, blueberries, and the world’s biggest pumpkins. There are plenty of U-pick farms in the area, so why not enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of picking your own fresh fruit with your family and friends.

Take part in Annapolis Valley’s largest community celebrations this October as they get ready to end the harvest season. Kentville’s Harvest Festival features the famous “Pumpkin People” contest as well as hay rides, crafts, buskers and of course, lots of great things to nibble on.

Nestled in the middle of Annapolis is CFB Greenwood, Canada’s largest operational air force on the Atlantic Coast. Feed your military curiosity and see the CC-130 Hercules Aircraft and the CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters up close. Don’t forget to visit Windsor, The Birthplace of Hockey. Your trip wouldn’t be complete without it.

Start planning your visit to the Annapolis Valley today. The highest tide, the oldest winery, plus pumpkins, apples and much more are all waiting for you. Request a vacation guide or contact one of our travel professionals at 1-888-322-5333 to book your Annapolis Valley holiday today.

Summer and Fall are two of the most beautiful times to visit Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, especially when touring the famous Cabot Trail. Every turn brings breathtaking scenery – rugged cliffs and gorgeous waters on one side and striking mountains on the other.

There’s always plenty to do in Cape Breton! This Fall brings many festivals and events, such as the Celtic Colours International Festival, a week-long music festival in October celebrating Celtic culture with over 250 musicians, dancers, singers, and storytellers at venues across the Island.

For the athlete in you, why not Hike the Highlands, a festival allowing you to enjoy 10 days of guided hikes in the Highlands of Cape Breton Island this September. You can also try sailing the Bras d’Or Lakes, golfing at a gorgeous golf course, kayaking along the coastline, trying your luck at deep-sea fishing or enjoying the scenery on a whale-watching tour.

Accommodations range from larger hotels and resorts, to small historic inns and heartwarming B&Bs. There’s something for everyone and every budget in Cape Breton! Whether you decide to discover a colourful fishing village, historic town or small city, you’re sure to discover some of the best hospitality in the Maritimes.

Start planning your trip to Cape Breton and discover this island paradise, as ranked by Fodor’s Travel News in 2008. Request a vacation guide or contact one of our travel professionals at 1-888-322-5333 to book your Cape Breton Island holiday.

Here you’ll find helpful information on upcoming local events and festivals, special offers, new vacation packages, and much more!

Don’t forget to take a few moments to browse our website and discover the colourful array of experiences that make Nova Scotia such a unique, cultural destination to visit.

Enjoy our blog! We hope you’ll find it useful in planning your perfect escape to scenic Nova Scotia. For assistance, call us at 1-888-322-5333 or simply request a travel guide.