We rolled out of bed in time to hit the road by eight-ish this morning in hopes of spending a quiet…read moremorning in the wilderness of Duncan's Cove, a coastal hike out past the Herring Cove region. It's only a short drive, it's not even remotely busy, and it's off-the-grid enough to feel the relaxation benefits! I'll get to all the reasons why it's easily one of my new favourite places around the city in a minute, but I do have to point out that it lost some serious points with me before we even got there. Duncan's Cove isn't easy to find without someone who knows where they're headed, there are few (if any) directional signs pointing you in the right direction and even when you're on the right track, there are 'Private Property' signs making you doubt yourself the entire time. Without noticing the path naturally paved with smooth, white rocks for easy passage, we ended up plowing through a trail reminiscent of the raptor fields in Jurassic Park 2 (Anyone? Just me?) with foliage up to our shoulders, rough and dangerous terrain, and plenty of opportunities for injury including ankle-high stone walls, foot-deep sinkholes, and roots ready for the tripping. Nonetheless, we still managed to make it down but much happier with the more user-friendly route on the way back. Even with the safer trail, there are some dangerous spots so pay attention, watch your kids, and give it some serious thought if arriving with a mobility challenge. Once you reach the rocky shore, you can hike for hours without really reaching anything. All the while, you get an unobstructed view of the Atlantic complete with fishing and sailboats, coastguard patrols, schools of herring visible at water level, families of seals on the hunt, incredible diving birds that nab fish right out of the water, and yes - we even saw a school of pilot whales diving off the coast. This was some National Geographic stuff, guys! Dog-friendly for medium to large-size breeds but know that they're going to get messy in the process. Leave the short-legged guys at home, the ground will be a little too dangerous for them. And for any dog brought out, please remember to keep them on-leash to avoid harming any of the wildlife including geese that all too often fall victim to inattentive dog owners.

We stayed in one of the houses at Duncan's Cove (There are 3 or 4 available on airbnb). There is…read moreparking by the trail head which is kind of hidden. There is a gravel drive across from the parking bay area that leads towards a massive white house in the distance. Follow the drive and disregard the sign that says private no vehicles. You will see a sign pointing the direction of the actual trail on the right of the path. The trail forks immediately. Take a left to head to head the fastest way down to the ocean. You will definitely want proper footwear, as the path is not paved and it will involve some rock climbing. The path exits out of the undergrowth to the rocky shore and follows along it some way where it eventually meets the other fork. If you had taken the straight ahead path at the fork you hike for some distance before coming across an abandoned WWII bunker (we used it for shelter for a storm that hit during our hike). We had the privilege of being the only ones there on our sunny return visit the following day. We sat and watched almost two dozen seals play in the surf. The stormy day was as rewarding, watching the waves crash against the rocks. I encourage any hikers to please take the threat of ticks very seriously. You will be walking on narrow trails between thick undergrowth. Tuck pants into socks, spray repellent, and conduct thorough checks afterwards.

Perhaps the most popular hike within the park is the ravine trail. The information below is…read morespecifically about this loop. It's 4 kms or 2.5 miles, a loop trail, and has elevation gains of 93m or 315 feet. The trailhead located off the Bedford Highway on Kent Avenue (across from the Rotunda and has parking lot has space for ~20 vehicles In order to get to the ravine trail, you will need to follow this path from the parking lot: Rockingham Loop (Blue), Governors Loop (Red) and the Ravine Trail (Orange). These trails will take you to the bottom of the ravine. It's here the trail ends, but connects with other trails. We recommend making a right at the bottom. It will allow you to follow a beautiful stream - which is perhaps the most beautiful area of the park. Allow yourself about 2 hours to complete this loop. If you want a complete travel guide and video of this location, please visit our website at www.joshthetravelguy.ca and www.youtube.com/joshthetravelguy respectively.

This is my favorite park in Halifax, for many reasons!…read more Sentimental: I first enjoyed this park when, according to my dad, I was 1 year old. Ever-Changing: Over the years I have returned here and made new memories as I have watched the paths multiply and improve. The landscape evolves with the seasons, bringing new life, transitioning and regenerating. Very popular park, especially on weekend afternoons. Namaste.

100% worth the drive to come for the view EVEN on a super cold day!…read more There are a few benches to sit at and enjoy a sunrise or sunset! Maybe even a picnic on a warm day. https://parks.novascotia.ca/content/blomidon-lookoff

A little pull off spot on the side of the road, it host fantastic views of the valley below. I gave…read morethis spot 5 stars because of its instant payoff, you pull off the road with lots of space to park, get out of your car and bam! You have arrived. Point and click away. There are bathrooms here as well, if you're brave enough and a little souvenir/ice cream/café across the street that I guess also doubles as a camp ground office (there is a camp ground across the street as well). We stopped to enjoy the view here on the way to Cape Split, a great stopping spot for views, leg stretching and ice cream!

Walking this trail feels is so relaxing and enjoyable. Beautiful scenic walking loop with an…read moreobservation deck. A number of "rest stations" to enjoy the sounds of the different species of birds flying around. Theres also a small pond that is nice to look at, in the winter, I believe people skate on it when it is frozen, not sure if there are fish in there. Quick access from the parking lot.

I take clients for walks at this trail. My husband and I have walked here as well. We have seen…read moremany beautiful birds

Shout out to employee Alex Clarke, for going above and beyond for my account issues. Including…read moreworking off schedule to get it fixed on his birthday, Wanted this customer service excellence to be noticed! And believe should be rewarded. Keep up the good work Alex!

Been going here for about a month so far. paid 50 dollars to sign up and 27.99 bi weekly. Then the…read morefollowing day seen ads for 9.99 sing up fees. which I understand if the ad wasn't up the day I signed up or maybe I needed to sign up online. They no longer offer classes I'm assuming because of covid, but I assumed they would be starting up again. Staff have no idea if they ever will start in person classes again. I Was trying this whole month to connect to the TV's to listen to while I workout on the tread mill and finally today decided to ask someone, but again they don't offer that service anymore and have no idea when or if they ever will. I will probably start looking else where for a gym membership

Arrived into Halifax, NS this summer and was so happy to discover Kattuk Expeditions was opening an…read moreAdventure Base for Sea Kayak Tours and bicycle rentals WITHIN metro Halifax in beautiful Fisherman's Cove! It is fantastic to now be able to experience a mid-morning or early evening sunset kayak tour in a pristine wilderness setting and not have to rent a car to get there from downtown Halifax! I've taken either ferry across the harbour with my bicycle for a cost of only $2.50 and then rode the bike trails/streets or I've asked for a free transfer for bus #60 to Fisherman's Cove. If you are a tourist with a car, or local, the drive is only 15-20 minutes and there is lots of free parking. I highly recommend Fred and his company and have thoroughly enjoyed this 'hidden gem' of Halifax : )

From the owner: We specialize in corporate team building events,day adventure camps for schools, wilderness…read moreeducation.

Wow. The best experience of my life. Hands down. The Barque…read morePicton Castle is a Sail Training Vessel. This means, even if you have no experience sailing (like me before i went), you can still apply to go on a voyage, learn to sail and see the world. They will teach you to sail. That's what they do best. It's a three masted, square-rigged tall ship. It's no luxury yacht. It's old school traditional sailing with all the grease and tar included. I sailed on World Voyage 5. I did half the voyage, starting in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia and ending 15,000nm later in Bali, Indonesia. For a month before we set sail we readied the ship, and ourselves, for the voyage. Everything from loading cement and books and food into the hold, to fire safety and emergency evacuation training, to practicing knots, learning lines and sail commands. There is no way for you to NOT learn on this ship. Once you are underway at sea, you have no choice but to observe and absorb everything around you. But how much you learn is really up to you. Every day at sea you are put onto a 'watch'. Either 12-4, 4-8, or 8-12. Both morning and night. Those hours are spent on deck, keeping the ship running and sailing smoothly. Sail handling when required, steering at the helm, keeping lookout, and various ship maintenance (fixing things, painting things etc.) The hours you have between watch are yours to do with as you wish. For some that means eating and sleeping. But others take full advantage of the incredible learning opportunity and get involved in things like sail making, rigging, reading, carpentry projects etc. There are also workshops during long sea passages on things like Piloting, Charts, Celestial Navigation, cargo and provisioning, or any subject you want to ask the Mates about. I really could go on and on about the complete and full experience sailing around the world can give you. The ship is amazing. The crew are always amazing. The ocean is amazing.

Don't waste $20,000 on this ship or experience.I got a full scholarship and I still wouldn't even…read morerecommend people go. Cockroaches, maggots, not enough food, poor communication on board, too much alcohol and drinking on board, work too much and not a lot of time for fun. Lack of professionalism by officers and crew. This runs like a private little slave ship. Going to each port is cool for like the 2 seconds you spend there and YES you have to work while at port while the officers who you are paying their salary take off on little 1 week vacations. I spent Christmas morning cleaning captain's head. And yes the desire to be on the ocean is great but this ship's environment is toxic. There are definite advantages to going like learning how to sail and wildlife and travelling to different places but I don't see them being worth $20,000 + all the extra money you have to bring. That money could be spent on the same experience somewhere else. Find another tall ship to go on. But if you want to find out for yourself, then go to the Picton Castle.

A great little local hill. Lots of great ski and rider improvement, ski patrol and instructors…read moreprograms, plus a good ski team that can take you to provincials. Lots of good skiers and boardres here, small with great aspirations!

I hadn't visited Martock for a few years, as I am not especially interested in winter sports, but…read moreit seemed like the place to go after the large load of snow NS recently received. I'm not a fan of downhill skiing so my boyfriend and I decided to give cross country a shot. I'd tried cross country before and enjoyed it a great deal - fantastic exercise and the chance to enjoy the stillness of the snow-covered forests. I was very disappointed with my Martock experience. Here's why: - Most of the employees weren't sure of the details of what your lift pass covers and does not cover. We had to go back and forth between the front desk and the rental stations several times. - The lodge is in serious need of an update - everything in it is ancient and scummy-looking. Secure storage space is very limited in both quantity and the actual size of the spaces; you can choose between the risk of getting your belongings stolen in a tiny cubby or attempt to cram all your gear into one of the pint-sized coin-operated lockers. - We were told by a clerk that Martock boasts approximately 5 km of cross country trails. Lo and behold, only 2 of its 6 trails were open...so that meant about 1 km was available for use. - Trails were not well-marked, and the ones that were closed weren't marked as such. - Trails were not properly groomed. We were not the only ones having trouble getting our glide on due to the clumpy, uneven trail surfaces. Those on the downhill trails seemed to be having a good time, but our visit was cut short due to the aforementioned issues. Cross country skiing at Martock turned out to be a complete waste of time and money. I will not be going back.

Our first stop in New Brunswick was Cape Enrage along the Bay of Fundy, one of the Marine Wonders…read moreof the World with tides riding 53 feet over a 12-hour period twice a day. Cape Enrage offers views of this tidal phenomenon from its cliffs. We headed down to the view the lower area that is only accessible at certain times. There were plenty of little tide pools with snails and other small sea life. You could see the seaweed on the rocks where the water would eventually cover.

My husband and I loved this beach. The rocks are all worn smooth. I wish there was a bench to sit…read moreon to enjoy the view. I am recovering from a leg injury and couldn't walk on the rocks but had to sit in the car and look on as my husband explored the beach. Beautiful views to take in though. Definitely a must see!!