Tucked in between Canada’s massive parks and some of the most scenic shoreline in the world, Halifax is a city with many different sides.  When I found out about the massive artistic pool here, I immediately wanted to visit some of the festivals.  Then, as I planned out my trip, I got excited about how the culture there mixes artistry with culinary with outdoor adventure, and knew that I had to paddle out to McNabs Island, see my beans roasted, and dig for treasure in Plan B.  With only 48 hours to see the city, here’s my dream itinerary.

Day 1: The Sweet Sea

8am: Roasted Beans

I aspire to be a coffee connoisseur.  Since all my hard liquor comes with an umbrella, I feel coffee is my chance to drink like a Man.  My first stop in Halifax is to Java Blend Coffee Roasters, where they roast their own beans in their store.  You can actually see the roasting if you head back to the bathroom.  With a wide variety of blends, this is a great place to try unique flavors.

8:30: Grab Food- A Go Go

The Italian Market is an Italian deli/market and winner of the The Coast’s Silver Award for “The Best Sandwich in Halifax”.  With a wide variety of meat and vegetarian options, I want to try out their Italian Cold Cut with Chocolate Pâté with Raspberry Coulis for dessert, both of which are perfect to pack up for a picnic.

9:30: Land Ho!

Ever since discovering Shell Island in Panama City Beach, I’ve fallen in love with exploring uninhabited islands, and the idea of being able to kayak out to one is too enticing to miss.  McNabs Island is an uninhabited island roughly only 20 minutes from shore, in the middle of the Halifax Harbor. On the island, there are a few remaining houses and a fort to see which you can find along some of the many hikes – oh, and there is the possibility of seeing a ghost.  Finally, picnicking on the shore gives fantastic views of the city. During winter months or if you aren’t kayaking, there is an option ferry out to the island.

1:00: The Titanic

With an afternoon ahead, and the daily workout behind, there are a few sightseeing spots that together tell the story of Halifax’s connection with the Titanic, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Fairview Cemetery, and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.  I personally feel that the order in which these are visited is important.

• · Maritime Museum of the Atlantic – A mix of Halifax and Oceanic history, this museum has a slew of displays depicting the evolution of man and the sea.  One of the highlights is the Titanic exhibit, featuring a number of artifacts from the ship.  Also, you can now tour a bit of the museum through Google maps.
• · Fairview Cemetery – With over 100 graves belonging to those lost with the Titanic and a special memorial, making this cemetery a unique connection to the sinking.  One of the most interesting things to notice is that the unidentified bodies are just labeled with numbers.
• · Bedford Institute of Oceanography – A working oceanography lab with free tours, the piece that ties into this afternoon is their model of what the titanic looks like in present day on the ocean floor.  Also, there’s a touch tank.

I’m not going to lie.  In between the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the cemetery, I really want to stop at the Economy Shoe Shop for a snack of what’s referred to as the ‘Best Nachos in Halifax’.

7:00: Feast of the Sea

No trip to a coastal fishing city would be complete without seafood.  Since this is the ideal Halifax trip, The Five Fishermen Restaurant and Grill is the place to eat, winning the award for Best Seafood in Halifax several years in a row.

Late Night: Billions of Bars

Halifax may not have the most bars of any city in North America, but you’d never know that walking along Argyle Street.   Wandering down this three block long street is a sure fire way to find just the right drinking spot for you.  We’d like to visit The Carleton Music Bar and Grill. The music bar lives in an old hotel and now brings the house down every night of the week with incredible musical acts.

Day 2: The Odd Wonders of Halifax

9:00: A Leisurely Breakfast

Few places are highly ranked on every social media site, and even fewer have the same menu item mentioned over and over again.  The Coastal Cafe is one of those places that seems to impress everyone.  Its signature dish is “The Elvis” which is a mix of waffles, peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and covered in syrup – it sounds odd but thousands of people have got to be onto something.

10:00: Harbourwalk

A midmorning stroll along the 3-mile stretch of ocean front walkway is alive with ships, shops and singers.  Bookended on the Southern end by the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Canada’s answer to Ellis Island, I want to make sure to explore the historical district and catch some of the buskers.  Also, what I really want to check out is the annual International Busker Festival. 

11:45: Boom

From the North end of the harbor, it’s just a short walk up Citadel Hill to where a canon is fired, everyday, at noon.  Standing on the hill and looking down into the city, apparently you can see everyone jumping at the sound.

12:30: Burrito

No matter where I go, I love to try the local version of Mexican food.  In Halifax, it seems to be an even split between Burrito Jax and Dee Dee’s.  The one advantage Dee Dee’s has is that apparently they serve up amazing ice cream.

1:30: Weird

By far, one of Halifax’ most unique shopping experiences is Plan B.  Part local artist boutique, part garage sale, part collector’s paradise, this store is sure to see that thing I never knew I wanted.  Point of Interest: Plan B helped fund the archaeological dig for the lost cartridges of Atari’s ET, and received some of the findings after the dig was successful.

2:30: Museum of Natural History & Meet Gus the 90-year old turtle

Did an 90-year old turtle peak your interest? Ours too! Gus even has his own Facebook page with more friends that we have. We’ll arrive about an hour before his daily walk, look around the museum at the marine gallery and the mammals and birds gallery before meeting Gus outside.

4:00: Tasty Tour

Finally it has reached an acceptable time to enjoy adult beverages.  As I’ve already said, Halifax has a lot of pubs and bars, it also has a few local brewers.  For tours, Alexander Keith’s Nova Scotia Brewery has you covered, with part tasting and part actor lead historical brewery tour. If you are traveling with a bigger group (10+), check out Garrison Brewing Co.  It offers its own private brewery tour, where guests can bring food and are encouraged to bring their favorite music along to play throughout the tour.  Traveling in smaller numbers, beer samples are available at their bar.

6:00: Steak

I love steak.  In fact, that and coffee are my two main man foods.  Few things make me feel better than ordering and eating a medium/rare piece of steak.  I gotta try Cut Steakhouse, which offers an upstairs dining room for steak lovers and a downstairs dining room for lobster poutine and lighter fare diners.

Extras

A few things that I would love to have time to fit in on a longer trip or that are only open during certain parts of the year:

Lawrencetown Beach – Just outside of Halifax, this beach is one of the closest surfing spots to the city and also often home to extreme sandcastle building.

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo – Ever since going to the Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, I’ve wanted to go back and take my wife.  I can only imagine this is intensely exciting.

Shakespeare by the Sea – During the summer, this outdoor theater puts on performances, including works by Shakespeare in a very unique setting.