The Lee Family: Nova Scotia

CK and I flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia on Thursday morning after we said goodbye to Olivia and the girls' Grandma and drove Sofia to school, where we said goodbye to our big girl. We flew through Toronto and were in the air for nearly six hours total, which flew by given the fact that we didn't have two little girls climbing on us and needing to be entertained. CK was participating in the SWGSB conference and I was lucky enough to be able to go along because Connie (aka Grandma) was able to stay with the girls!

On Friday, CK and I headed out to the Citadel, the old fort set up on the top of the hill in Halifax. We took a cab so we could be there for the noon canon firing and made it just in time. It was a windy and chilly day, especially as we stood atop the highest point in town listening to the history of the fort and waiting for the canon. It was loud and impressive and served to inform ships of the time so their watches could be set correctly. From the Citadel, we walked down the hill to eat lunch at Five Fishermen, which has been rated as one of the best restaurants in Halifax for several years. It was delicious! From there, we continued down the hill and walked along the waterfront to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. We took the tour and learned about the importance of Halifax as a main staging ground for the navy in WWII. The tour was fascinating and museum was great. We also saw a movie about the Titanic and saw several pieces off the ship that were found by locals. Those who perished in the Titanic are buried at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. We left the museum and headed back to our hotel for a 5:30 reception and dinner.

On Saturday CK had to attend the conference, so I slept in and then headed to the Farmer's Market which was fantastic. It was also a sunny, warm day that was incredible. I walked through the Farmer's Market, which reminded me of Eastern Market with fresh vegetables, food stalls and handmade crafts, jewelry and art. I then decided what to eat for breakfast, and stood in line for a breakfast burrito wrap that included eggs, cheese, avocado, basil, spinach and tomatoes. Once ready, I headed up to an area by the stairs to sit down, eat my delicious breakfast and people watch. After eating, I walked around the market a bit more then headed back to the hotel to meet CK for lunch. After lunch, I sat in on the discussion on the economic outlook. After, CK and I walked around and tried to go to the Farmer's Market, but it closed at 3pm. We visited the Pier 21 Immigration Museum, although we only made it to the gift shop. We ended up going to dinner with Tex and Vaughn and ate at Five Fishermen again!

On Sunday, we were able to drive to the Bay of Fundy and wanted to see the high tide come into the Bay, however, we arrived just as it was high tide so didn't see much. It was also cold and rainy so not optimum traveling weather. It was great to get out of Halifax and see a bit of the countryside. We ended up eating brunch in Truro before headed back to Halifax. We relaxed in the room while it rained before heading out and hitting the Patagonia store. We decided to take a 1 1/2 hour long trip on the Mar sailboat, and even though the ship used it's engine the entire time, it was a nice change. After, we ate dinner and returned to our room.

On Monday morning CK had to lead the conference discussion, so I hung out in the room and met him after he was done. We went to lunch with his partner, Tex and his wife Vaughn at Salty's which was delicious. After, we poked around the shops and then headed back to our hotel where we met up with Scott and Becky who gave us a ride to the airport. Our flight to Toronto was uneventful and we cleared US Customs in Toronto but found out that our flight to DFW was delayed several hours! We finally got home around 1am. A long day, but a fun weekend!

At the Citadel