When you join one of our trips, we want you to have peace of mind. In response to COVID-19, we’ve:
The sea has always been a deep and generative source of narrative inspiration, and nowhere is that clearer than in Nova Scotia. Over the course of six days, we’ll wade through the mythos, mysteries, and oral histories spun along these shores, hearing from various local voices and perspectives. From a poetry reading in Halifax to an exploration of precolonial history—and perhaps even a shoreside sea shanty or two—travelers will cast an ear to the pulsing maritime melodies, history, and lore that flow through the veins of this lively coastal province. Bring an appetite for stories, and more generally, an appetite, as we’ll be sampling some exceptional seafood along the way.
Welcome to Halifax, a cultural hub of the Atlantic provinces, and the capital of Nova Scotia. After settling in, we’ll ease into our journey with a walk through town and begin to get to know each other over a welcome drink. Then, we’ll head to the Halifax Central Library for a dynamic poetry reading organized especially for the group, featuring locally based women poets. After the reading, you'll have the chance to chat with the writers before heading with your fellow travelers to a hearty dinner of locally grown comfort food at a nearby neighborhood pub, the Foggy Goggle, followed by an optional nightcap at Highwayman, a beloved cocktail bar and tapas spot. Here’s to the start of an incredible adventure!
The Waverley Inn, Halifax
Welcome Dinner
There’s no better way to kick off the day than with a few chilling tales of ghosts and shipwrecks, so we’ll be sharing breakfast with Halifax-based writer and ghoul expert, Steve Vernon, who has enough mysterious maritime tales to turn your coffee cold. Later, we’ll take a private tour of the Maritime Museum, where we’ll glimpse rare artifacts recovered from the Titanic. In the afternoon, we’ll head to Advocate Bay, driving along the jagged cliffs that outline the Western Shore. We’ll stop for lunch at the BlackRock Bistro and, after taking some time to relax at Driftwood Park Retreat, we’ll drop into a lighthouse-turned-inn overlooking the Bay of Fundy to enjoy a bountiful feast of fresh seafood.
Driftwood Park Retreat, Advocate Harbour
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We’ll hit the road early this morning, stopping by Spencer’s Island Beach Café for a quick breakfast before making our way to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, where ancient trees and the early ancestors of dinosaurs have been preserved in towering walls of rock. Winding our way alongside the cliffs, we’ll glimpse 300-million-year-old fossils of specimens hailing from the Coal Age on a two-hour, private exploration. For lunch, we’ll picnic on the grounds before heading back to the hotel for some free time to rest or explore the surrounding rugged beaches. We’ll end the day with a dinner of locally foraged food at the seaside restaurant Wild Caraway, followed by a presentation on Mi’kmaw history and culture with artist and educator Gerald Gloade.
Driftwood Park Retreat, Advocate Harbour
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, we’ll grab a quick bite to eat before bidding farewell to Advocate Bay and embarking on our journey. Our first stop is the Mary Celeste Monument, which commemorates the spine-chilling discovery of an unmanned ship floating aimlessly in the Atlantic, abruptly abandoned. We’ll chat with Oralee O’Byrne, the curator and manager of the Age of Sail Museum, to learn the local lore behind these maritime mysteries. After a picnic lunch, we’ll head to Lunenburg and check into the historic Bluenose Lodge, which was once a ship captain’s residence. Enjoy dinner on your own at one of Lunenburg’s many eateries before joining the group for an evening of rum tasting at the Ironworks Distillery—complete with many a spirited tale of Nova Scotia’s bootlegging days. We’ll learn about the triumphs and tribulations of entrepreneurial rumrunners, as well as the history of the Around the World Rum, which was poured into four bourbon barrels, loaded into the hold of the iconic Picton Castle tall ship, and sent to circumnavigate the world!
Bluenose Lodge, Lunenburg
Breakfast, Lunch
Take the morning and early afternoon to explore the beaches and culinary offerings of Lunenburg at your own pace. Then we’ll head out for a half-day, chartered fishing trip where you’ll have the chance to reel in tonight’s dinner. If fishing doesn’t float your boat, you can opt to explore the famed, gaping sea caves of Ovens Natural Park. As dusk begins to fall, we’ll head to a nearby beach to grill up our morning’s catch alongside a local chef. With the help of a few beers from Shipwright Brewing Company, we’ll eat, drink, and be maritimers—or, at least, sway to a few iconic nautical numbers performed by local musicians. As the sun sinks behind the Atlantic, we’ll cast an ear to the layered stories spun in these shanties, and tonight, perhaps, dream of the sea.
Bluenose Lodge, Lunenburg
Breakfast, Dinner
After breakfast, we’ll head to the Halifax Airport, or, if you prefer, we can drop you off elsewhere in town. With stories and songs of the sea flowing through us, we’ll set sail for the next destination. Until our next adventure!
Breakfast
The cost of this trip is $2,825, based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You’ll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $275. After booking your trip, please request a private room when you fill out your traveler information form and we’ll add the option to your booking and final balance.
Our trip begins with an afternoon welcome drink in Halifax. We recommend you arrive in Halifax by 1 p.m. on Day 1 so you can settle into your accommodations and meet our guides and group in time for a drink, followed by a poetry reading and dinner. Our trip concludes the morning of Day 6, and we can provide transportation back to the Halifax airport and city center that day. You'll be back in Halifax around 11 a.m.; if departing by air on this day, we recommend booking flights departing after 2 p.m. If you'd like to extend your trip, we’d be happy to provide suggestions for places to stay and things to do in the area on your own.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking two to four miles over the course of each day, spending time in nature, remaining on their feet for long periods of time, and sometimes walking on uneven terrain. Since this is a maritime trip, you should also be comfortable on and around water.
August in Nova Scotia is usually the most pleasant month for sailing. Daytime temperatures can reach up to around 75°F, dropping to the high 50s in the evenings, while humidity can reach 75 percent. You can expect some rain during the week.
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you. Note that this itinerary includes a lot of fish and seafood.
By participating in this trip, you're supporting a seasonal tourism industry that many local independent restaurateurs, hospitality organizations, and members of fishing sectors rely on year-round. You'll also be connecting with often underrepresented members of a diverse society whose stories deserve to be heard and recognized beyond the maritime province's borders.