Helen Earley

One of Canada’s three “Maritime Provinces”, Nova Scotia is easy to navigate if you have your own set of wheels. But there are plenty of transport options to add spice to your journey, including scenic ferry rides, once-in-a-lifetime helicopter charters, and world-class bicycle routes. Here’s our guide to traversing this wonderful, wild region on Canada’s east coast.

If I asked you to close your eyes and imagine Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, or Mother Theresa, what would you see? Chances are, without realizing it, your mind’s eye would conjure some recollection of a famous portrait taken by Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002), a teenager who arrived at the port of Halifax in 1924 as an Armenian refugee and lived to become one of the world’s most famous portrait photographers.

Geodesic domes are popping up like mushrooms all over the province – but how did this glamping craze begin? Explore the fascinating history of geodesic dome camping, and find out how, when, and where your family can experience geodesic dome camping in Nova Scotia.

The slow, cold period between Christmas and March Break is one of our family’s favourite times to jump in the car and explore Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Our motivation? to clear out the cobwebs, and embrace a new year. Our reward? Rosy cheeks, chilly fingers, and a sense of adventure totally unique from the thrill of summertime day-tripping.

There are so many things to do in Shelburne, a charming harbourfront town located roughly two hours’ drive from Halifax, and home to the world’s only Whirligig and Weathervane Festival, held annually in September...

Ocean views, delicious seafood, and friendly people are the foundation for the best road trips in Nova Scotia, often combined with a tour of Nova Scotia’s neighboring maritime provinces: Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

From a star-shaped fort in the middle of the capital city to a remote island inhabited by wild horses, Nova Scotia’s national parks and historic sites include two large national parks, one remote national park reserve, and many museums, nature spots and military reconstructions. They are all operated by Parks Canada.

Cradled by the Atlantic, many of the best places to visit in Nova Scotia owe their beauty to the ocean.

I knew it wasn’t “real,” but it felt so good to sit in an aircraft seat again.
I felt my shoulders relax as I shuffled to get comfortable in the narrow space between the armrests. Ensuring my seat was upright, I stowed my handbag underneath, and snapped my seatbelt into place around my hips, tugging firmly to ensure a snug fit.
I imagined the familiar smell of jet fuel, stale upholstery, coffee and chewing gum. I recalled those thrilling pre-take off butterflies...

Egmont Bay, on the southwest shore of Prince Edward Island, is as warm as a toddler’s bath and just as shallow. At high tide, the expanse of red-tinged saltwater extends about a kilometre into the Northumberland Strait, before it becomes any higher than waist-deep. With my toes in the sand, a warm breeze passing under the brim of my hat, I can see the distant form of my seven-year-old son, moving confidently toward the horizon on a stand-up paddleboard, as happy as a clam - or perhaps, considering what's underneath...

PEI was made for summer vacations. Here in Canada’s smallest province, you’re never more than 10-minutes away from saltwater, which means you’re always near a beach, most of them covered in soft, fine, red sand, perfect for sandcastles. You also find yourself steps away from your next seafood restaurant, ice cream parlour, antique shop. Best of all, Prince Edward Island is packed with fun family day trips.
Getting to Prince Edward Island is easy with direct flights from Calgary, Toronto and H...

Home to Prince Edward Island’s largest Mi’kmaq community, Lennox Island is a small, cashew-shaped island tucked into Malpeque Bay, about a 30-minute drive from Summerside...

I don’t know what it was about Mazatlan that re-ignited my inner backpacker. You would think that, a decade after relegating my dusty Canadian-flag emblazoned backpack to the far reaches of the closet in the spare bedroom, the new me – a 44 year-old mother of two – would be perfectly happy to lounge by a pool in Mexico, sipping cocktails, waiting for the all-inclusive dinner bell to ring.

But, with fond memories of backpacking through Bolivia and Peru in the late 1990’s, and the quest for a h...

Sure, this is a “green” travel guide — and we’ll keep it green — but it’s New Brunswick’s actual colors we’ll talk most about: the warm red tones of the south coast’s rocky sea caves that reveal themselves only at low tide. The fierce blue-grey of the waters in the Bay of Fundy, a feeding ground for a dozen species of whale. The soft golds of the sands on the Acadian Coast, which has the warmest saltwater beaches north of Virginia, and of the cardboard tray of toasty fried clams you got from ...

A friend from New Brunswick once revealed to me the secret of his native province. “We have everything that all the other provinces have,” he said, “but we have it all in one place.” Indeed, New Brunswick does seem to have it all...