Nova Scotia in the Summer…
Whenever I say I’m visiting Nova Scotia people would always say “I’m so jealous”, “I’m dying to visit there”, or “Please bring me lobster!”. And I’ll be honest I definitely took Scotia for granted.
My family’s from Nova Scotia so I’ve visited almost every year of my life. I’ve spent summers there with my grandparents and usually go around Christmas to see my family.
But because my trips were always so family-focused and it was usually cold, I didn’t really enjoy visiting or appreciate its beauty. That is until I couldn’t visit anymore- thanks to COVID.
So this year was actually my first time visiting in summer since I was young and I was excited to actually get out and see some things!
As I mentioned I have family in Nova Scotia so I never have to worry about accommodation. This time I stayed in Herringcove but I recommend staying in Halifax if you want more city life or somewhere in the country if you have access to a car and want more of a relaxed nature vibe.
There’s so much to see in Nova Scotia (and out of it) that I highly recommend renting a car, even if it’s just for part of the trip.
This isn’t a typical guide of what to see in Nova Scotia because I’ve been so often I’ve pretty much been to every tourist attraction this time I wanted to have a different experience.
Downtown
- Go to downtown Halifax- I’ve been downtown so many times before but since the city’s grown quite a bit since COVID it was nice to explore all the changes.
- Boardwalk- This was my second time visiting the boardwalk but the first time I came was in winter so nothing was open and it was freezing. There’s so many great businesses to check out. Take your time and stroll through so you can enjoy everything. I recommend checking out Black Bear Icecream (No cap, one of the best ice creams I’ve had in my life).
- Public Gardens– Absolutely gorgeous, so much greenery and I would highly recommend it for photoshoots. Nature is in full bloom here and well taken care of, I was even created by a butterfly when I entered.
- Ferry- We took the ferry over to Dartmouth from Halifax and even though there’s nothing to really do on the Dartmouth side it was still a nice ferry ride and makes for a nice experience.
- Art Gallery of Nova Scotia– I’ve actually been trying to come here for years but it was always closed… so this time I actually looked up their hours so I could finally go and it did not disappoint! Obviously, art is subjective but they had a great selection of exhibits that highlighted Canada’s culture.
Annapolis Valley
- Annapolis Valley- So we thought this would be an area (like Niagara Falls) lol but we were very wrong and eventually realized that Annapolis Valley is huge and you can’t just show up to one area and think everything will be there. So after our struggle we eventually made it to a winery. My tip here is to research actual locations to visit and take time to explore the valley or book a tour.
- 1365 Church Street Vineyard & Winery – I adored this winery, everyone was so friendly and the wine was so good. I took a bottle of Riesling home and I’m saving it for a special occasion. I recommend doing the tasting and the cheese board and enjoying the vineyard.
Other Areas
- Kejimkujik National Park– This park is huge! I did a couple of hikes but I recommend spending at least a weekend here. They offer a lot of really cool experiences and I think this park is incredibly underrated. This is 100% on my list to explore again and as it’s a protected area it has incredible views of the stars.
- Visit PEI- This one obviously isn’t in Nova Scotia but I was able to go and visit PEI and drive back to Nova Scotia in 1 day. I recommend checking out the Greenwich Sand Dunes. This was a beautiful hike and a very cool one-of-a-kind experience. My favourite part was walking across the water bridge.
