Halifax Stage Shows

In 2023, my mom and I were able to attend three stage shows and they were all pretty good. 

Most of the shows that I have been to in Halifax have been at Neptune Theatre but the city was able to get a couple of broadway shows last year. Broadway in Halifax brought Book of Mormon and Come From Away to the city. In July we saw Book of Mormon which was the one my mom really wanted to see which surprised me since she isn't religious at all, however it is a comedic play written by the same people who created the tv show South Park. It was a funny and enjoyable musical. Of course, you weren't allowed to take pictures during the production but I did get this one to the left

Both broadway shows were put on at the Scotiabank Centre, which if you know me is pretty much my second home. It is always weird to see the arena set up for other things other than hockey or basketball but I was impressed with the production. Then in November, we saw the one I wanted to see. Come From Away is a musical that shares the story of when thousands of travellers were forced to land in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland on following the September 11, 2001 attacks. My mom was impressed with this one and we both teared up actually. Before we went to this one, we had supper out at The Press Gang to get their seafood chowder and I even tried an oyster. 

The final show we saw was a holiday play at Neptune, although I'm not sure Cinderella really is a holiday play. Anyways, it was good but not like the Disney movie at all. They really put a lot of local interests in the productions they do and there wasn't a step-mom/sister situation. We went for supper beforehand once again but I forget where. 

I saw one other stage show (I'm considering it) but went with my school aged cousins. We went to the Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland which was a musical Cirque du Soliel show. The website states 'from awe-inspiring acrobatics to gravity-defying aerial feats, every moment is a testament to the extraordinary skill and boundless imagination of our performers.' I can never get over how acrobatics artists do their performances because I was holding my breath most of the time just hoping they didn't fall. I think my cousins enjoyed it. 

Cape Breton Road Trip

In October, my mom and I took a road trip to Cape Breton for the weekend and even though we had bad weather for most of the trip, we had a good time. 

Uisge Ban waterfall

We had previously been to CB like 5 years ago for about 48 hours but I felt like we didn't do much so this trip, I really wanted to drive the whole Cabot Trail during the fall. The Cabot Trail is a scenic highway that is a 298km loop that passes through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The drive is very nice most of the year but a lot of people say it is just stunning with the trees all different colours so I knew we had to do it during this time. 

Our trip began on October 14, with a stop at Heidi's Cafe for breakfast and to pick up some treats at the bakery. On our way to the island, near Truro we saw a rainbow during a break in the rain. We were quite excited to see it and surprised at the same time. The next thing we had planned was a walk to Uisge Ban waterfall near Baddeck. I wasn't sure if there was still going to be water flowing in the fall but with all the rain we had in the summer and that day, it was pretty good. Then we drove up to the Englishtown area for Cabotto Chocolates to see what treats they had before we had supper at a very small restaurant named Simply Pizza. 

Full rainbow we saw

We continued on the Cabot Trail to where we were spending the night but before we checked in, we saw another rainbow. I think it was the first time I had seen a full rainbow and the colours were very distinct. The first two nights of our trip, we slept in oTENTiks within the national park at Ingonish Beach campground then the Mkwesaqtuk/Cap-Rouge campground. Both were nice but the Cap-Rouge site was beautiful; it was feet away from the water so we could see the sunset through a break in the trees. We enjoyed sleeping in the oTENTiks, they are a wooden tent that is on a platform and have bunkbeds with a thick foam mattress. There is also a light, dinner table, bench and patio with chairs plus a barbecue outside to cook food. Since it was October, the nights were cold but thankfully we had brought lots of blankets and there was also a propane heater in the structure. I taught my mom how to play Cribbage so we played that both nights. 

View from Cape Smokey

The Sunday was the one nice day of our vacation so we went out for a short walk on the Freshwater Trail then made our way to Cape Smokey to try out the gondola they have. The view at the top of the ride was great so even though we had to pay $50 each, it was worth the trip. I had originally not put this stop on the itinerary as it was expensive but I'm glad we went. For lunch, we had breakfast sandwiches at Periwinkle Cafe then we continued driving the route while pulling over on the side of the road along the way. Our 'big' walk for this day was to MacIntosh Brook waterfall, however it was only about a 2km hike. We went to supper at The Doryman and listened to some live music for a few hours. 

Sandwich at Periwinkle Cafe 

For our third day, we spent some time in Cheticamp getting lost trying to find the trailhead for the Gypsum Mines. We weren't sure if we would this walk as it was raining quite hard but I had seen pictures from the mine and really wanted to do visit plus it was like two kilometres as well not the 5km I thought it was. I decided not to walk up to the look-off because it was very muddy and a bit steep. After our walk, we stopped in at Aucoin Bakery to get some road treats. We got a couple of sandwiches which we ended up not eating until we got home but my mom also got some bread and a coffee while I got caramel squares. For lunch, we went to a place called Le Gabriel which had a lot of sports memorabilia on their walls so I enjoyed it :). I didn't really like what I got (a pasta dish) but mom's steak poutine was good however it was huge so we really should've shared it. We made a few other stops on our way to our hotel in Baddeck. The food they had at their restaurant was pretty good and it is farm-to-table. 

Gypsum Mines in the rain

Before we headed home on October 17, we looked around the town and visited the Alexander Graham Bell museum which was very informative. I had no idea he was apart of inventing so much stuff and his wife had an interesting life as well. We saw another rainbow on our way home which was great. 

A few of the things we did and places we ate at were not on the original plan but I found them in a book called Explore Like a Tourist Nova Scotia. If you are visiting Nova Scotia in 2024 or are a local and want some new adventures, check out the guide. 

Sunset from our campsite at Cap-Rouge

Fall fun list

- Look out at the Gypsum Mines ✓

- Go for a hike on three new trails ✓

- Drive the full Cabot Trail route ✓

- Visit a new waterfall ✓

Food Friday: Chocolate Cream Squares

I can't remember what my grandmother used to call these but I've just been calling them chocolate cream squares for years now especially since I took over making them. With Christmas in a few days, I thought I would share this recipe since the holidays are when we eat them. When my mother's mother was alive she would play this trick on me during my late teenage/early adult years, where I would ask if she made them and she would tell me no but after our Christmas Eve dinner she would pull them out and say gotcha. 

Chocolate Cream Squares

Preheat: 350 F     Serves: 9-16     Total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 2/3 c graham wafer crumbs

1/2 c melted butter

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 c room temp butter

500g icing sugar

4 eggs

vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix graham wafers, melted butter, brown sugar and a splash of vanilla. Pat in 8" x 8" pan with hands, reserve some of mixture for later
3. Cook for approximately 5 minutes 
4. In a large bowl, cream room temp butter. Mix in icing sugar (cup by cup) and eggs (one by one) then add vanilla
5. Add melted chocolate, mix thoroughly
6. Pour mixture over cooled graham crust
7. Sprinkle remaining graham wafer mixture on top
8. Put in fridge overnight before serving

If you decide to makes these, I hope you enjoy them. 

Potatoes, Bottles and Coastal Views

One thing I didn't get to complete during the summer was visiting the Canadian potato museum but I did head to Prince Edward Island for the weekend in early September to check it off for my fall fun list. 

I didn't want to drive three and a half hours for just the museum so I decided to see what else was in the region and was able to make a little trip out of it. The first stop I made in the North Cape Coastal region was at the Bottle Houses. It is three different structures made out of old, mainly green, beer bottles along with other bottles. One of them was a church and I couldn't really tell what the other two were. The original builder was also a lighthouse keeper so there is a lighthouse on the property along with gardens, a pond with fish and some picnic tables. I then continued on to O'Leary to visit the potato museum which was interesting. Just like most museums, there was a lot of old equipment that was used for farming potatoes. They also had history on the industry and some other displays including a line of potatoes infected by different diseases. In a second building they had a bunch of other old stuff like a couple of carriages, blacksmith tools and an old tractor. 

Originally, I was going to drive up to the Stompin' Tom Centre then go down to the West Point Lighthouse but because of the time, I decided to go straight to the lighthouse. The lighthouse was $10 to go through the museum so I didn't look around but I did go for a short walk on the nearby beach. I talked with a lady who was sketching the lighthouse for about twenty minutes so that was nice. Then I made my way to the Cavendish Campground to spend the night. The boardwalk was closed which was unfortunate because I was planning on having dinner at the Pizza Delight but luckily there was a Chinese Canadian restaurant across the street that was open. I got a cheeseburger and an egg roll for supper and ended up sleeping in my car because the tent was uncomfortable. 

On Sunday morning I drove through the national park and went for a walk on the Dunelands trail. I saw a number of pedal bikers riding the park as well. I stopped at a bakery called the Olde Village Bakery for something to eat and got some really good molasses cookies with a pop and read my book for a little bit. Then I continued on to Summerside to explore the town before heading home. 

Fall fun list

- Try a new restaurant ✓

- Check out the potato museum ✓

Fall 2023 list

Happy first day of fall Adventurers. This is always my favourite season and the time of the year that I tend to do the most seasonal activities. A few of these things are more personal being chores that I would like to complete over the next couple of months. Anyway, you can find my fall adventures list below. 

Fall colours Shubie Park - Nov 2021

Fall 2023 (Sep 5-Nov 30)

-Attend a local football game

-See a broadway show

-Hang memorabilia/pictures in apartment

-Look out at the Gypsum Mines

-Pick apples in an orchard

-Go for a hike on three new trails

-Try a new restaurant

-Cheer on Sidney Crosby & the Penguins

-Drive the full Cabot Trail route

-Navigate a corn maze

-Burn a fall scented candle

-Spend Thanksgiving with family

-Explore a fall festival 

-Visit a new waterfall

-Go on a ghost tour

-Take the kids to the zoo

-Check out the potato museum

-Have a Hallowe'en movie night

-See a bear or moose

-Buy some new fall clothes

Fun Summer Despite the Weather

Graffiti on a container at Area 506

After a dry spring that caused a few forest fires in the province, we had a very wet summer and when it wasn't raining, the weather was sunny, hot and humid. Despite this, I was still able to have a busy summer with lots of adventures including three trips to New Brunswick. I ended up getting sick in the middle of August so I couldn't do the third 5km race I had registered for. Below you will find my summer fun list and what I was able to check off. 

Summer 2023 (Jun 1-Sep 4)
✔ Take a photography class - spent a couple of hours walking along the waterfront taking pictures with an instructor who gave us some pointers
✔ See the noon cannon go off
✔ Have a yard sale 
-Visit Kejimkujik National Park
✔ Girls night with my bestie - traveled to Saint John for the weekend and visited with my best friend, we watched Mean Girls and White Chicks while drinking and having some snacks in our Air B&B
✔ Boat to George's Island
-Touch a waterfall
✔ Celebrate my 30th birthday
-Walk in 3 5k's
✔ Explore a new town in Nova Scotia - drove to Antigonish for the afternoon; walked the Main Street, checked out Peace by Chocolate, than visited the Arisaig lighthouse

Huskies Stadium during Touchdown Atlantic

-Hike five new trails
-Sleep under the stars
✔ Ice cream with cousins - I had ice cream while my cousins ate Beavertails after we spent a few hours at Citadel Hill watching the noon cannon go off and exploring the waterfront
-Ride in a limousine
-Meet Marc & Trish from Keep Your Daydream
✔ Attend Touchdown Atlantic - regular season Canadian Football League game between the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders
-Go on four camping trips
-Check out the potato museum
✔ Walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks
-See a bear or moose

Like I said, I had a bunch of adventures this summer. I've already explained two of the trips to NB while the third one was a 4 day trip I took with my grandmother and we went over via the Digby ferry than drove back around. I was finally able to drive the Fundy Trail Parkway and we did a bit more exploring in the Annapolis Valley. My mom and I also got to the Greek Festival this year and we ate more food at the Ribfest. We also saw a broadway play here in Halifax (The Book of Mormon) while I went golfing a couple of times with my grandfather and cousin Julianne. 

Some pictures are below but you can see more on my Adventures blog Facebook page in the album titled 'Summer Fun'. 

One of the cannons at Citadel Hill

Inside a tunnel on George's Island

The ferry docked in Digby

Cape George lighthouse in Antigonish County

Celebrate my 30th birthday

Cookies & cream from Halo Donuts

Well I didn't end up doing anything on my actual birthday which I'll get to below but for the third year in a row my cousin Julianne and I went on a road trip for the weekend to 'celebrate'. This year we went to New Brunswick to do a few things in the province I haven't done before. 

We left from Truro on July 15 to cross the border. This day was our busiest as we made our way to the Hopewell region. Our first stop was in Moncton at the Bass Pro Shops store which was huge. For lunch we had a donut from Halo Donuts and we sat in the park across the street as it had some shade from the very warm sunny day. Then we made our way to the New Brunswick Railway Museum which is in the small town of Hillsborough. Every time I visit these kinds of museums, I always appreciate that I am living now as it amazes me how people lived over a hundred years ago. This museum was housed in multiple buildings while they also had some trains and an airplane out on the grounds. In the big barn visitors are able to go inside a few of the train cars to see what old ones looked like. 

Overview of Hopewell Rocks

Afterwards, we drove to the Ponderosa Pines campground where we were staying and set up the site before heading to Hopewell Rocks. Just like Nova Scotia has Burntcoat Head, NB has Hopewell Rocks where you can walk on the ocean floor at low tide. Hopewell is a bigger property than Burntcoat but the tide doesn't seem to go out as far from the cliff so that was a bit disappointing. We would've probably only stayed for half an hour but I got a nosebleed while we were walking around. It was cool to see the arch. My cousin is able to make a fire so we had hot dogs and s'mores for supper which was nice. 

Lighthouse at Cape Enrage

The next day we drove to Fundy National Park but slowly as check in wasn't until 3pm (though I thought it was at 2 o'clock). We made a couple of stops along the way including the Sawmill Creek Bridge and Cape Enrage lighthouse. That evening we were going to hike one of the trails in the park after we checked in but my legs were too sore from bug bites. I had received like 35 bites on both my knees and both ankles and for some reason they swelled up so it was painful to walk. Even though we had booked for two nights at the park, we checked out after just one because my plan was to do walking so we just cut our losses. If you don't like using tents or know how but don't want to spend the money for a hotel, I recommend going to a national park that has an oTENTik. They are wood a-framed structures that have beds and can sleep up to six people with a table inside. 

Me in a train car 

Looking out at the Bay from Funday National Park

On the Monday, we decided to drive the Fundy Trail Parkway however it was raining and foggy still by the time we arrived at the entrance. You have to pay to drive the parkway so we decided not to go through and turn around to drive home a day early. 

Summer to remember list

- Celebrate my 30th birthday ✓

- Walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks ✓