Day 3 – Halifax to Prince Edward Island

The third day of our Canadian adventure began with Brian setting his alarm for 6:20 a.m. to begin our sequence of morning showers. We tried to pack up our luggage last night before, but we still scrambled a bit to prepare the bags, and 3 children, in time to check out of the hotel by our itinerary time of 7:50 a.m.

The Halifax Seaport Farmers Market was our first destination of the day. Located indoors with an excellent view of the harbor, the farmers market was a mix of permanent and temporary vendors. While it’s open every day of the week, it’s most bustling on Saturdays, ideal for our vacation schedule.

We sampled some of the best cheeses, meats, and treats that Nova Scotia has to offer at the Farmer’s Market, which was our breakfast stop for the day. Gee Gee was the first to break out her wallet to purchase a chocolate chip cannoli. The big kids clustered around her with their bottom lips and hands held out to encourage sharing. I found a delicious looking cinnamon and sugar pretzel which was also quickly split up and devoured.

A Samoan meat pie, plantain chips, chocolates, a Szechuan chicken dish, and sparkling cranberry and apple juices, rounded out our piecemeal breakfast. Eilidh lucked out when I discovered a beautiful hand-sewn and crocheted baby blanket and matching bamboo teething ring that I couldn’t resist buying. After leisurely meandering through the rest of the market, and purchasing up a couple more cinnamon and sugar pretzels for the road, we set off to our next adventure: zip lining.

We drove deep into the boonies to reach our destination, Anchors Above Zipline Adventures. Upon arrival we learned Emmie was too small to ride piggy-back and, sadly, that Noah was too timid. While we originally planned on rotating which adult stayed with Eilidh to allow everyone to participate, Gee Gee generously offered to stay the kids to allow Brian and me to go on our own.

After gearing up and a fairly steep hike through the woods to the top, Brian and I had the pleasure of being a sitting lunch for mosquitos while waiting for our turn to fly. The operator at the top was very friendly and chatty, and while this seemed to significantly slow down the whole process, the two-part zip line ride over the trees was quite fun. Emmie and Noah also seemed to enjoy watching us land at the bottom into the ‘spider net.’

Following another 30 minutes in the van, we were at the Northumberland Ferry station in Caribou, Nova Scotia, ready to make the 75-minute ride to Prince Edward Island. We ate the subpar cafeteria food for a late lunch, and Noah and Emmie took turns exploring the ship with various combinations of adults.

Less than a kilometer away from where we disembarked from the ferry was the Wood Island Lighthouse. Built in 1876, the red and white clapboard building was originally located much closer to the water. However, due to significant cliff erosion over the years, the building was moved to its current location for safety reasons several years ago. The lighthouse offered a small gift shop and a self-guided tour through the rooms, each of which had something interesting and interactive for the kiddos.

We took some obligatory photos in front of the lighthouse before spying a small playground in the adjacent provincial park. Gee Gee and I left Brian with the three kids while we walked along the cliff edge, tying to find a way down to the red sand beach. Eventually we found a safe way down to the water to spend some time combing the beach for treasures before Brian could discover our hiding place!

Eventually, Noah and Emmie put on their boots for the first time this trip, and joined us on the beach. We all had a great time climbing on rocks, picking up shells and even finding some sea glass!

We scratched a planned stop in the province’s capital Charlottetown in favor of a quicker arrival our newest home away from home, Around the Sea. Located in North Rustico, the home has the distinction of being Canada’s only rotating house. We’ve had the room booked since September, and while we’ve only spent a few hours here, it’s lived up to expectations.

No groceries meant no food for dinner, so Brian suggested a trip to the very nearby Blue Mussel Cafe. While Gee Gee, Noah, Eilidh, and I settled into our new digs, Brian and Emmie made the short drive to the cafe for takeaway lobster mac and cheese, seafood chowder, and Caesar salads. The kids loved their hot dogs, while the chowder and salads were the highlights of the adult fare.

Despite gorgeous weather most of the day, a misty drizzle began around dinner time. In fact, Brian and Emmie watched as the Blue Mussel Cafe was transformed from an open-air, indoor/outdoor venue to indoor-only with windows installed to keep out the rain and wind. Despite the worsening weather, we could not resist attempting the short walk from our house to the North Rustico Beach. Gee Gee stayed with Eilidh while the rest of us donned our rain gear and boots. A wrong turn yielded a slightly longer walk to the beach than anticipated, but the kids still had a blast picking up broken shell pieces and exploring once we found our destination.

Our night still wasn’t completely over, as Brian and Emmie made the hour-long round-trip drive into Charlottetown to ensure we’d have groceries for tomorrow’s breakfast, and the next few days in general. Brian’s not known for being an efficient grocery shopper, so it was nearly midnight before they were home, groceries were unpacked, and we were all asleep in our beds.