The Best of Nova Scotia: Highlands, History and Halifax

4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

At the hotel.

Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. You will learn from the Group Leader as well as local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

We’ll be joined at the hotel by a local historian for a presentation on the history of Nova Scotia and the city of Halifax, giving us an overview of how the province and city came to be what they are today. Next, we’ll board the motorcoach to see highlights of Halifax with a local expert, who will tell us the significance of important historic sites and landmarks, from Citadel Hill to Fort George and the “Titanic” cemetery.

At a local restaurant.

Next, we’ll walk to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where a local expert will provide commentary as we move through the facility. The museum is Canada’s oldest and largest maritime museum, first created by a group of Royal Canadian Navy officers who envisioned a place where the nation’s naval past could be preserved. We’ll learn about the age of steamships, local small craft, the Royal Canadian and Merchant Navies, and World War II convoys. The museum also tells the story of famous historical events such as the Battle of the Atlantic, the Halifax explosion of 1917, Nova Scotia’s role in the aftermath of the “Titanic” disaster, various shipwrecks, and more.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. You may also join the Group Leader at a local restaurant, at your own expense.

At leisure.

At the hotel.

We will transfer to Lunenburg for a walking field trip with a local expert to explore Lunenburg’s narrow streets, visit historic churches, and examine the Victorian architecture of the Old Town. On the way, we’ll also find a spot along the historic harborfront for one of the most photographed views in Canada: the Three Churches of Mahone Bay. Then, we will continue our way to Lunenburg, the picture-postcard harbor, colorful waterfront, and unique architecture reflect its seafaring heritage. Many of these beautifully maintained homes were on the original town plan, established in 1753 as the first British colonial settlement in Nova Scotia outside Halifax. Later, we will visit the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic in Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site providing the ultimate waterfront experience. While at the Museum, we will experience life in a fishing community and discover life at sea up close.

At a local restaurant.

We’ll set out by motorcoach to Peggy’s Cove, one of the most picturesque, charming fishing villages on the East Coast with rustic, weathered wharves balanced on huge granite boulders. The best-known lighthouse in Canada, and one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world, was built here in 1914. Positioned on a granite ledge, it served as the local post office until November 2009.

Lobster dinner at Peggy's Cove.

After transferring back to Halifax, the evening is at leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

Checking out of the hotel, we’ll begin our transfer to Digby with stops along the way. First we’ll stop at Grand Pré, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Situated at the north east end of the Annapolis Valley, it borders on the Minas Basin and the tidal lands of the Bay of Fundy. The area was settled in the 1600s by French settlers from Port Royal who reclaimed the lands from the tides and made a fertile land. We’ll be joined by a local expert and learn about this exceptional living agricultural landscape. We’ll also hear the story of the Acadian deportation during the wars between the English and French, and the many villages in the area that were destroyed.

En route.

In the afternoon head up to visit the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens. Within Seventeen Acres of Paradise, the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens showcases gardening methods, designs and materials representing Canadian history. Highlights include a Pine Forest & Native Plant Garden, an Acadian house & garden, a Governor’s Garden, Victorian Garden, and a modern Innovative Garden. There are several significant plant collections including the largest rose collection in Eastern Canada. You may also want to linger on the patio of our Elm Tree Café and spend time exploring their Gardens Shop. You will enjoy the experience of the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens, recently selected as One of Canada’s Top 10 Gardens.

At the hotel.

We’ll be joined by a local expert for a presentation on the Bay of Fundy.

At the hotel.

We’ll set off for Brier Island by motorcoach. With the Fundy tides, this area is a wonderful place to spot seabirds of all kinds, including piping plover, gannets, warblers, nuthatches, hawks, and merlins. Digby Neck, known for its natural beauty, is a peninsula made of two ancient lava flows.

At a local restaurant.

We will board the MV Mega Nova – a 50-foot fiberglass Cape Island style boat – and join our naturalist on an exploration in search of whales and seabirds in the Bay of Fundy. As the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy funnel sea life into the bay, the waters surrounding this area become a haven for feeding humpbacks, right whales, and minke, making for some of the best whale watching anywhere in North America.

At the hotel, we’ll try Digby’s world-famous scallops as part of our meal. We’ll enjoy a presentation by a local expert about the scallop industry before dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We’ll check out of the hotel and set out for Baddeck on Cape Breton Island. En route, we will visit Burntcoat Head Park. Enjoy the highest tides in the world, stunning shoreline views, and secrets of the ocean floor at Burntcoat Head Park. The exact location of where the highest tides on earth were recorded, the park is home to picnic areas, where you will enjoy your box lunch, short trails, lookoff viewpoints, as well as a historic replica lighthouse and gift shop. You will interact with friendly, knowledgeable park staff during your adventure down to the expansive ocean floor. Throughout the route, stop to discover tidal pools and the life beneath the surface of the mudflats. During your visit, learn about local tales and the influence of people on this landscape shaped by the tides. Tours run seasonally and are based on tide times. Visitor experience may change if tides are not adequate. Please take note it is important to wear secure footwear (e.g. hiking boots, sneakers). Conditions can be slippery/uneven.

Boxed lunches.

We’ll continue our way back to Baddeck. On the way, we will do a comfort stop.

In the hotel dining room.

We’ll enjoy the entertainment and music of the Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh, a local tradition.

At the hotel.

Today we will head out on the Freshwater Trail. Aboard the motorcoach, a local expert will discuss the Acadians of Cape Breton and provide expert commentary as we explore Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We’ll hike along Freshwater Lake Trail to experience more of Cape Breton’s beauty. This trail begins astride the ocean and follows the shoreline of a lake that was once an ocean bay. We may catch the unique call of loons while taking in the splendor of the view from the lookout decks. We’ll complete the field trip with a climb to a panoramic view of the lake.

At a local restaurant. Nearby, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the beautiful Ingonish Beach.

We will start our afternoon by heading by motorcoach to the western side of the park. There we'll explore Bog Trail. This walk will keep your feet dry as you walk while preventing you from trampling the fragile life in this highland plateau bog. On a self-directing trail, signs explain life here – pitcher plants, delicate orchids, colorful dragonflies, green frogs and gigantic moose. The trail, as well as the privy at the trailhead, is wheelchair accessible. Then, we’ll stop in Chéticamp – a coastal town famous for its rug-hooking tradition – and observe a demonstration. On the island’s gulf side, French-speaking towns such as Chéticamp still celebrate their Acadian heritage. There we’ll visit Les Trois Pignons, the town’s cultural center and museum featuring historical Acadian exhibits and hooked rugs for which local artisans are known. We’ll learn about these “talking” rugs that speak volumes about a pioneer art that was grown from seed and quietly discloses the trials and tribulations of the women who challenged the wilderness with their families and settled in new frontiers.

At a local restaurant.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

At the hotel.

We’ll head out on the motorcoach for a field trip to the remarkable Fortress Louisbourg National Historic Site, where a Parks Canada interpreter will reveal the history of Nova Scotia’s role in the battle between the French and the British for control of North America. Founded by the French in 1763 and abandoned by the British in 1768, Louisbourg was a place of great importance in North America. It was the administrative capital of French holdings in Atlantic Canada and one of France’s key economic and military centers in the New World. It was also a center for trade with France, the French West Indies, Lower Canada (now Quebec), Acadia, and New England. This site is North America’s largest historical reconstruction. Unlike most colonial settlements, no modern city was built here; thus, the site preserves a massive archaeological time capsule.

At the historic Hotel de la Marine in Louisbourg, we’ll have a meal featuring the kinds of foods 18th-century working people would have eaten on a regular basis.

We will set out by motorcoach on a field trip to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, a National Historic Site. First we will enjoy a special presentation by Jocelyn Bethune, who will share the story of Alexander Graham Bell’s time in Baddeck. For more than 30 years, the tiny lakeside village of Baddeck, N.S. was the home of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Seeking a place of refuge from the attentions of fame, Bell and his wife Mabel were looking for a quiet place where their family could “live a simple, free and unconventional life”. Baddeck inspired him as he continued to invent, while the townspeople helped him to build his innovations and power his creative mind. Discover how Alexander Graham & Mabel Bell profoundly influenced the people who lived here and the generations that followed. Then, we will remain at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum for a docent-led exploration. Bell visited Baddeck in 1885, fell in love with it, and the next year built a vacation home where he and his wife spent as much time as they could until his death. Most think of the telephone when they think of Bell, but the museum highlights his groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. He was also one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society and received numerous honorary degrees.

On your own.

At leisure.

At the hotel. We will check out and depart for Halifax after breakfast.

We will experience Scottish Gaelic culture firsthand at the Highland Village. We’ll explore this 40-acre site dotted with historic buildings and gain an understanding of the daily lives of Scottish settlers from the mid-1700s to the early 1900s. We will learn about their history, settlement, and unique heritage; hear Gaelic dialects; and interact with costumed staff who will provide background on the site and the Gaels. We’ll make a connection to our Gaelic ancestors through visits to some the many artisans specializing in weaving, quilting, blacksmithing and more.

At a local restaurant.

We’ll continue our motorcoach ride back to Halifax with some rest stops along the way, arriving in time for dinner.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!