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 ✓

Solo Camping Trip

Lunch at Spitfire Pub

For this summer, I decided that I wanted to go on some camping trips and the first one was last month. The only times I have been camping before was in junior high during a school trip and 2018 when my mom and I went to Cape Breton. People say that when you get a new RV or want to go camping, you should do at least one trip that is close to your home to familiarize yourself with your setup, etc and that is what I did. 

I live in Dartmouth but had no idea we had a KOA in Nova Scotia which is in Lower Sackville so this is where I decided to make my first solo camping trip be. There really isn't much to do as a tourist in Sackville so I did a few things in Windsor but the whole weekend did not go as planned. Windsor claims to be the birthplace of hockey and it is also host to one of three ski hills in the province. Across from Martock ski hill is a business called OnTree Adventure Park where you can do rope courses and zip-lines. So my first stop was here where it was quite hot actually around noon, it was really only about 25 celsius but very sunny. It was a bit expensive; adult fee and price of gloves came out to be about $61. I went through the training course and was fine, then moved to one of the actual courses with an easy rating and this is where I ran into problems. I am scared of heights but wanted to try to get over my fear, however that didn't happen as I got up the ladder, did three planks then had to turn around because my legs were shaking so much. 

Fort Edward Historic Site

So I decided to leave and go out for lunch at the Spitfire Pub in town. After I finished eating, I walked around then visited Fort Edward historic site which was unfortunately not open officially so there were no information plaques out yet. One thing that was suggested to me to do was go see Ettinger Falls. I got to what I think was the correct entrance but it was a dirt road with lots of rocks so I did not feel comfortable driving my car further then I got out to walk but hit a wide river which I could not walk across. By this time, it was about 4:30pm and I didn't want to check in yet so I hung out at the park near Mount Uniacke Estate Park and read my book. 

I checked in to the KOA, got set up and had my supper while watching the sun go down. I decided to sleep in the back of my car which this time was a bad idea, I only slept about two hours the whole night because I was uncomfortable. I'm going to try a few other things the next time I go out. Because I was up early, I checked out of the campground around 8am. 

Sunset from my campsite

I got home and had a nap then my mom and I went to the waterfront for the Taste Asia Food Festival for the afternoon. I was thinking we would go down for supper but I am glad we decided to do lunch as we had a lot of food we ended up wanting to try. We weren't sure if we were going to go but I after my nap, I felt good enough to go. My mom got some tofu kebab that came with bbq corn on the cob and I got a pasta dish which I could not eat because it was too spicy but I did enjoy the corn. Then we got lamb kebabs and dumplings which were delicious. After we ate we walked along the waterfront and saw some of the new restaurants and shops on the boardwalk. Then we went back for more Asian food; she got a Chinese burger (again to spicy for me) and I got another order of lamb kebabs and dumplings - both from Mr. Yan's Chinese BBQ. 

Lamb kebabs and dumplings

This was a bit of a negative post but I wanted to share my experience anyways and let you know what you can do in Windsor if you go at the right time. My suggestions for the area are OnTree (if you are not afraid of heights), the Birthplace of Hockey Museum, Fort Edward, Ettinger Falls, the previously mentioned Mount Uniacke Estate Park where you can go learn history and walk on a trail and see the tide change on the dykes. Of course if you are coming from away, the Halifax West KOA is a great place to park with a rig then take your vehicle to downtown Halifax, Dartmouth and Peggy's Cove. 

Make it a Summer to Remember

I say this all the time but boy, I cannot believe how fast time is going. It always seems slow at the time, especially when you are excited for something that is months away, but then five months of a new year have gone by. Anyways, since it is now June I thought I would share my summer fun list with you all, along with some ideas that are more general for family activities. I'll also share how I did on completing the activities on my spring list. 

Little Meander Falls from 2020

Summer 2023 (Jun 1-Aug 31)
-Improve my photography skills
-See the noon cannon go off
-Have a yard sale
-Visit Kejimkujik National Park
-Girls night with my bestie
-Boat to George's Island
-Touch a waterfall
-Celebrate my 30th birthday
-Walk in 3 5k's
-Explore a new town in Nova Scotia
-Hike five new trails
-Sleep under the stars
-Ice cream with cousins
-Ride in a limousine
-Meet Marc & Trish from Keep Your Daydream
-Attend Touchdown Atlantic
-Go on four camping trips
-Check out the potato museum
-Walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks
-See a bear or moose

Here are some general ideas for you to add to your list. Summer is a great time to get outside and be a tourist in your own town or province/state. I am a big advocate of exploring your own back yard especially with all the craziness happening the last few years. 

Go stargazing, have a picnic, make homemade popsicles, visit a national park, read a book, bonfire and s'mores, go to a baseball game, have a beach day, watch fireworks, eat ice cream, go swimming, do a lemonade stand, volunteer somewhere for the day, visit a fair/carnival or waterpark, build a sand castle, outdoor movie night and go on a vacation to another state/province/country 

Maud Lewis house at AGNS

Below is my updated spring fun list. I only did one blog about my explorations but I plan on doing another one soon. 

Spring 2023 (Mar 1-May 31)
✔ Check out the Maud Lewis exhibit at AGNS - this is a permanent exhibit at the art gallery but there was also a travelling one that showed more of her paintings visiting back in April so my mom and I went
Go bird watching
Watch the sun rise and set in the same day
✔ Participate in the Bluenose Marathon 5km
Read a new book
Spring clean my apartment
✔ Visit OnTree Adventure Park
Eat at 3 restaurants you never have before
Learn a new recipe
✔ Cheer on the Mooseheads in the playoffs - we got to cheer the team on all the way to the league finals where unfortunately they lost to Quebec 4 games to 2 in the championship series. it was an exciting post-season 

Playoff victory

Update my wardrobe
✔ Go on a solo camping trip
Walk under the cheery blossoms
✔ Partake in burger bash 2023 - I was really trying to make it to more restaurants this year but things didn't work out so I only ate two speciality burgers but they were both delicious. check out my instagram to see which ones I had 
Self-guided art tour
Figure out hockey memorabilia display
✔ Take/share more outdoor photos
Complete two Conqueror challenges
Visit a new waterfall in the province

Busy Victoria Day Weekend

Well it's been a couple of months since I have written a blog post, the spring went by really fast and I've been trying to decompress. 

I love long weekends and though it really wasn't for me this time as I'm unemployed again, my mom did have Victoria Day off so we had a bit of a busy weekend. Our plans changed just a tad when the Halifax Mooseheads forced a game six in their championship series. 

On Saturday morning, I had my first 5km race of 2023 where I walked in the Bluenose Marathon. The 'adventure' began with the race kit pick-up which was held at the Zatzman Sportsplex in Dartmouth on May 19. There was two days for kit pick-up but most of the participants seemed to have showed up to the Friday time. I ended up having to wait for about an hour and 40 minutes in line before I got my kit (which tend to be a waste on me) and bib number. I looked around the expo for a few minutes then left. The actual race was good. It was cool when I arrived at the Emera Oval where the start was but once we actually began the race, the lower temperature was very comfortable. I hadn't done much walking in the weeks leading up to the day so I was slower than I probably would've been but my chip time was still a respectable 1:03:20 so happy with that. My mom was at the finish line and cheered me on, then I got some post-race snacks and took some pictures of me with my new medal. I wasn't ready to go home yet so we went out for breakfast at iHop than drove to and around Bedford for a little while. 

We were going to go to my grandfather's on Sunday but because the Mooseheads ended up having to play a game in the afternoon, I went to that instead with my cousin. The home team didn't win so that finished the 2022-23 season for Halifax but it was still a good game and I was happy to spend time with my cousin.

The next day was full as well. I picked my mom up early in the morning so we could drive to the Bay of Fundy region for low tide. Our first stop was at Burntcoat Head Park where you can walk on the ocean floor if you arrive at the right time. It was windy and cold plus my mom ended up walking along the main cliff so we ended up leaving after about an hour. Even though this was the second time we had gone during low tide, it shocked me yet again that you can even do it and to see how high the water really does go. The flower pot island is neat to see with its different colours and little caves. We than drove to the Walton Lighthouse which we've also been to before but I didn't take pictures with my digital camera last time. There is a short trail here as well that allows you to get a couple of different angles of the Minas Basin. You can also go up to the top of the lighthouse but I will warn you, it's a tight squeeze. 

Afterwards, we continued on to the little community of Cheverie. The only reason we visited this community was because my mom had found an article about an attraction that is there. Some Dalhousie architectural students made a structure called a Camera Obscura back in 2012 and placed it in Cheverie off Highway 215. It was really cool! One of the domes has a door which blocks the outside light and you step inside here. On top is the camera obscure which projects a real-time image of the coastline outside on the concrete floor you are standing on. Check out my Instagram story (@adventuresofansgirl) for a video that I took while in the structure. There's also a trail that goes around/across the salt marsh and picnic tables too. We were able to eat a late lunch here before we headed home. 

image is upside down & reversed

Spring fun list
- Participate in the Bluenose Marathon 5km ✓
- Cheer on the Mooseheads in the playoffs ✓
- Walk on a new to me trail ✓

A Year of Seasonal Lists

While I have been able to complete about half of the things on my seasonal lists, I haven't felt most of them deserve its own post and because I am weird, I don't like having similar things right after the other, I haven't shared what I have done on my seasonal lists the past year. So below you will find what I was able to check off on them. Some things will have been on previous lists because I don't always get to the activity or I like to do the same activities every year during that particular season.

Spring 2022 (Mar. 15-Jun. 12)
Read a new book
Have ice cream with cousins
✔ Wake up early for a sunrise
Search for murals in your city
✔ Eat strawberry shortcake - my cousin made a really good strawberry shortcake for dessert after our Easter dinner
Try two new recipes
✔ Check out a new beach - visited crystal crescent on the first hot day of the year for a couple of hours, did a bit of reading and people watching 
Visit the immigration museum 
✔ Play glow in the dark mini-golf - this can be done at Putting Edge in Bayers Lake
Do zip-lining and a ropes course
✔ Hike on the Kentville trails
Yard sale day
✔ Learn about the Titanic - Maritime Museum of the Atlantic has a permanent exhibit on the Titanic and its relation to Halifax 
Spring cleaning
✔ Road trip with my grandmother - I took my grandmother on a weekend road trip to the south shore as she hadn't been in a long time
Eat at 3 new restaurants
✔ Photograph the cherry blossoms - you can see the cherry blossoms on Park Ave in Dartmouth during the month of May
Complete two Conqueror challenges
✔ Grill outside 
Have a no screen time day

I had started a new job in April and was working weird hours so it became difficult to make any plans meaning I didn't do as much in the summer as I was planning. The only thing I did really was my birthday trip which you can read about here. 

Summer 2022 (Jun. 13-Sep. 7)
Visit a new to me bakery
✔ Have a wiener roast - we had a big family wiener roast to celebrate my grandfather's birthday
Eat from a food truck
No screen day
Search for murals in your city
Take a photography class
✔ Road trip for my birthday
Go on a picnic
Play board games I did as a child
Hike a new trail
Do a random act of kindness
✔ Walk on a red beach - my cousin and I visited Argyle Shore provincial park on PEI
OnTree Fun & Adventure Park
Visit the immigration museum
Touch a waterfall
Read a new book
✔ Check out a national park
Go to Georges Island
Have a yard sale
Put together a summer photo album

Fall 2022 (Sep. 8-Dec. 3)
✔ Visit a pumpkin patch - decided to go somewhere else (Riverbreeze Farm) and I took my little cousins for the afternoon
Drink hot chocolate from a local cafe
✔ Participate in Maritime Race Weekend
Take photos of fall foliage
Go on a scenic drive 
✔ Have a Hallowe'en movie night
✔ Cheer on an original six NHL team - I saw the Boston Bruins vs. Chicago Blackhawks on a Saturday night which was pretty cool, especially since both teams wore their new Reverse Retro jerseys
Eat from a food truck
✔ Navigate a corn maze
Look at vintage cars
✔ Visit my best friend
Burn a fall scented candle
✔ Decorate for fall
✔ Spend Thanksgiving with family - so nice to have so much family at my grandfather's for the weekend, there was 12 of us I believe
Make a pot of chilli 
✔ Walk in the Valley Harvest Marathon
Explore the immigration museum
✔ Check out the bean
✔ Take the kids to the zoo - we went to Magnetic Hill zoo in Moncton for the afternoon
Go for a hike in another city

I never posted my winter list which was originally going to be winter and spring together but I ended up wanting and doing more during the cold months. So I decided to split up the seasons again. Hard to believe we are done another year, hoping 2023 will be a better one.

Winter 2022 (Dec. 3-Feb. 28)
Put up holiday decorations
Do a jigsaw puzzle
✔ Visit the immigration museum - hadn't been to Pier 21 for a number of years 
✔ Try a new restaurant
Have a family game night
✔ Eat from a food truck - got some mini donuts from Ol' School Donuts, they were really good and not just sugar
✔ Walk around the north end
Go bowling
✔ Look at Christmas lights - my mom and I drove around the city to look at how people lit up their houses
✔ Sip hot chocolate from a local cafe - got hot chocolate from Rousseau Chocolatier, I didn't really like it but only because I don't like dark chocolate
Pay for a strangers meal at a restaurant
✔ Watch a live world juniors game
✔ Check out the ice festival 
Do a winter hike in the woods
✔ Make your goals for 2023
Take my friend's kids out for the afternoon
✔ Eat at 3 Dine Around restaurants
✔ Have a Christmas movie marathon 
Ring in the new year at grand parade
Finish Conquering 1,011km - I did get the Conquer 2022 medal but I had to lower my goal to 975km