Category: Travel

Maritime Travel – Halifax, Nova Scotia

Compared to locations like Toronto and Vancouver, Halifax hardly qualifies as a city. However, this seaside town offers more than its size: it is dotted with a landmark citadel, public parks, and red-brick heritage buildings, blessed with some world-class museums, and home to an epic 4-kilometer seafront boardwalk. Some friends of mine who own an Edmonton siding company take frequent trips back to the east coast to visit friends and family. Thanks to their help and my recent adventure to the Maritimes, I’ve put together the top must-see attractions in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Canadian Museum of Immigration
There is an argument that this museum is the most important institution in Canada. Pier 21 was once the Canadian version of the Ellis Island of the USA, where all the potential immigrants arrived. Over a million people went through the halls, and it is a passionate experience to pass through the same doorways where immigrants from different parts of the world started new lives. A combination of personal testimonies, poignant artifacts, and audiovisual exhibits make for a moving and powerful museum.

Citadel Hill Historic Site
Sitting on the grassy hillock overlooking the town, this fort played a significant role in the founding of Halifax. Construction started in 1749; the present citadel is the 4th, built from 1818 – 1861. The battements and grounds inside this star-shaped fort are open to the public year-round. The exhibits are usually closed between November and April, so we advise that you visit between May and October when visitors are allowed to visit the gunpowder magazines, the engineer’s store, the signal post, the guard’s room, and the barracks.

Halifax Central Library
Built on what used to be a parking lot, this impressive modern library, comprising glass boxes artfully stacked atop each other, has become a popular meeting point among Haligonians ever since it was opened to the public in 2014. Inside, there are concrete staircases ascending Escher-like via the central atrium, leading to a rooftop where there are a viewing garden and an excellent café.

Nova Scotia Art Gallery
This art gallery is a premier art institution in this province and is a must-see when you are in this region. It has a wide variety of local art collection, especially the artwork of Maud Lewis, a folk artist. The major exhibit in the lower hall regularly changes and features anything from the avant-garde to ancient art.

Halifax Public Gardens
Established to mark Confederation in 1867, but in 1875 opened formally to the public, Halifax’s delightful public gardens are a good sample of Victorian horticultural planning. It is stocked with ponds, bridges, fountains, statues, lakes, and a wide variety of formal flower beds and trees.

10 Must See Places in San Francisco

While Colorado is a beautiful state with tons to see and do, if you’re looking for a little more sun and sand, California may be a good option for some travel fun. Specifically, the city of San Francisco is a fairly short flight away.

Golden Gate Bridge
The first place you have to visit is the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Don’t be lazy, walk on the bridge itself it’s worth it. There are also free attractions that are located next to the bridge to add to your visit.

Fisherman’s Wharf
This is one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco and it is where you will find the most family attractions in the city. So if you are traveling with your kids ensure you mark this place.

San Francisco Bay
Don’t stay on the land, take a cruise, see the city from the sea, search for whales, or visit the most famous prison in the world, Alcatraz. Be aware though that the cruises to Alcatraz fill up quickly on weekends and during peak season.

Castro District
The beautiful Castro district is the next top attraction in San Francisco where you can even get a free tour. While visiting the district, I suggest visiting the historic Castro theatre and catching their classic movie of the month.

Take a Walk in Chinatown
This is in Chinatown and it is the oldest Chinatown neighborhood in the USA. In Chinatown, you can experience a mix of the San Franciscan and Chinese cultures and learn about the unique history of the Chinese people while exploring the many shops.

Palace of Fine Arts
Spend some time in the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts watching the Swans and enjoying the ancient Greek architecture. Check out the Exploratorium next door with over 475 art and science exhibits.

Union Square
If you enjoy shopping, there’s no better place than Union Square. Here, you can purchase anything your heart desires from clothing to fine jewelry. You can also check out some street performers around this square from juggling to opera, acrobatics, and other forms of street art.

The Dock Seals
If you are going to San Francisco, then you have to see the Dock Seals that lie around Pier 39. They sure are noisy but fun to watch. If you are passionate about sea life, you can also take a whale watching cruise to spot some sea giants.

Ride World-Famous Trolleys
It’s fun and an experience you will never forget. You can take the regular trolleys or you can book a hop-on-hop-off charlie.

Ghiradelli Square
The last but not least on the list is Ghiradelli Square. It is home to the world-famous Ghiradelli chocolates and many other Queen shops. Stop by to grab some delicious chocolates here.

5 Safety Tips for Women Traveling Alone

Shifting gears a bit, I want to focus some upcoming posts on the travel. Having done some traveling recently, I feel compelled to share some of the places I’ve been and things I’ve learned along the way.

Female travelers are afraid to travel by themselves because they feel that being a solo female traveler somehow inherently puts them in danger. I think solo females should go out there and conquer the world and not wait to be accompanied by a friend or a partner or a relative. That being said, I totally understand the reluctance and the fear that can come with the prospect of traveling by yourself. So I have a few guidelines that will hopefully help ease your mind and will hopefully prompt you to get out there and go see the world by yourself even if you are a girl.

Be Prepared
A lot of the fear and insecurity that comes from traveling on your own is not having an idea of what you’re doing and where you’re going. If you are not an experienced solo traveler, I would recommend that you plan out at least the first 48 to 72 hours of your trip. You should plan your accommodation and your transportation. If you are landing at an airport, know exactly how you will get from the airport to your accommodation. You should know which areas of the city are best to stay in and which modes of transportation are the safest. These are all aspects to plan before your trip so that you can be prepared for all eventualities.

Remain Inconspicuous
When you travel, try to stay under the radar because undue attention especially from lecherous men can be fairly unnerving if you are a woman who is traveling on her own. Make sure you cover your shoulders, arms, and head if necessary. This is not only respectful of the culture but also to avoid any extra attention or to deflect potential harassment. The name of the game in this case is trying to keep as low a profile as possible because if you really want to go local the best thing to do is to blend in.

Be Vigilant Especially When you Party
I understand you want to let your hair down when you travel but successful solo travel as a woman often hinges on common sense. Keep your wits about you and don’t make yourself a target, leave the expensive jewelry at home, don’t flash your cash on the street and don’t trust strangers. If you go out to sample the local nightlife, it is important to limit your alcohol intake if you really must drink at all. The reason is that alcohol can impair your senses and can make you vulnerable to any creeper out there who are looking to take advantage of you.

Partner with Other Solo Female Travelers
Traveling solo doesn’t mean that you have to be alone all the time. It is helpful to partner with other female solo travelers simply because you will understand each other’s concerns, triumphs, and challenges and often you can trade tips and tricks for traveling solo.

Keep Friends and Family Updated
Finally, I would recommend that you keep friends and family informed about your whereabouts. Honestly, this seems really obvious but you may probably go on your trip and have such a good time that you forget to write your family friends back home. It’s super important to keep them up to speed and up to date with what you are doing. I would recommend sending them a copy of your itinerary so even if you don’t have the chance to contact them daily at least they can kind of have a running schedule of what you are supposed to be doing and where you are.

Make sure you not only include an itinerary of where you will be and on what dates but that you also include the contact information for the accommodation and tours you may have booked. Also, if you find that updating them individually is onerous or annoying make sure you point them toward your social media channels which you’ll surely be updating so they can be privy to what a good time you are having on the road.