I was in Halifax for three weeks. Originally we weren’t sure we could even go and I was considering the fact that I might have to fly out by myself, stay for three or four days so I could attend Amanda’s wedding, and then come back home. I wasn’t looking forward to flying alone and I was sad at the thought of George and the kids not being there with me (not to mention being sad about the whirlwind visit). Then it worked out, I took my work with me, and we got to spend three great weeks in a place that I love tremendously.

It wasn’t long enough but as far as getaways go, you can’t really ask for much more than that.

After the wedding we were very tired and just lazed around with Breanna napping and even I fell asleep beside her for 20 minutes. I was abruptly woken up by George who told me that it was the final day for a ride on Theodore the Tugboat, something we really wanted to do with the kids. After Sunday it was going from daily outings to weekends and we were due to leave on Wednesday so we had to rush to catch one of the last two rides out that day. It was crazy but we made it in time for the 3:30-4:30 outing and it was so worth it.

(That picture cracks me up because only George looks happy, but Hayley was just mid-blink while Breanna was temporarily nervous when we started to move; she was fine once we got going!)

He’s a rather pleasant looking guy isn’t he?

The whole trip takes an hour and a guide gives a history of the harbour and all the boats and whatnot in it. She does it in a way that is interesting for adults but still fun for the kids and they were all laughing. Hell, even I laughed a few times, like the time she warned us all to duck as we approached the MacDonald Bridge because Theodore had “bumped his head on it” last week, and the way she told us all to try to touch the bridge on the way back with the caveat to avoid sticky spots because people like to leave their chewed gum up there.

On Tuesday I had to pack everything up for our Wednesday morning departure but before I did that I asked George if we could go back to Point Pleasant Park one last time. I needed to see the harbour-turned-ocean once more before I could leave. And so we did, and as though we didn’t already have enough shells, we combed the beach for more, then we bought amazing fries and sat to eat them overlooking the water.

I wasn’t happy to be leaving on Wednesday but by 8:45 we were off, stopping quickly in Truro for breakfast at McDonald’s, and then we drove to Grand Falls, New Brunswick where we had decided to spend the night in a nice motel. The drive out had been too much for one person to deal with so stopping was a better idea. It was quite nice there, with comfortable beds, a nice standard of cleanliness, free continental breakfast, and a play area for kids which was nice after seven hours in a car.

We left at roughly the same time on Thursday. I don’t sleep well the first night in a strange place so I got very little sleep (and it was broken to boot) so I was too queasy to hang around for breakfast; George and I downed a coffee, the kids drank juice, and we took our muffins to eat in the car. The drive felt longer than it was, but we actually made excellent time, managing to avoid all traffic and arriving back in town before 3 pm. I hadn’t wanted to leave Halifax but by Thursday I just wanted to get the hell home already and it was good – or as good as it can be – to be home.

I had the best time in Halifax. It was the perfect blend of excursions, relaxing downtime, and fun. I’d say I’m hoping to do it again next year but frankly I’m hoping our next drive out will include a U-Haul trailer hitched to the back of the car as we journey off to our new Halifax home.

Keep your fingers crossed, okay?