SHE SAID:

Museums are hit and miss with me, but when we found out the Museum of Natural History was opening up again in Halifax we thought we would check it out. I had never been to a natural history museum before so thought it might be fun, or at least something new to try.

I’m not sure why it didn’t register in my brain when I saw the “Venom” exhibit sign, but I didn’t clue into the fact that there would be snakes, otherwise this date would not exist. I’m not sure words can fully describe the paralyzing anxiety that sweeps over my body at the sight of a snake. The worst part was not knowing what was real or fake until it moved. Perhaps the icing on the cake was the fact that the King Cobra was nowhere to be seen in his cage and perhaps had escaped and was lurking around the stuffed pelican exhibit.

Other than the snake run in, I enjoyed our leisurely stroll through the museum. My favourite part, as always, was looking at the really old artifacts uncovered from Acadian villages and beyond. I’m always amazed with how things survive and love imagining the story behind it all. What was the house like that the key opened the door to?What kinds of meals were prepared in that bowl? What could you buy with that money? What kind of dates did people go on then? Did they even go on dates?

Once we had exhausted all of the exhibits, we made our way to the gift shop where there were all kinds of neat books related to Nova Scotian heritage, eco-friendly living, and so on. Brad almost received a new iPad when I dared him to eat the dried worms for sale, but I wasn’t willing to live up to my end of the bargain.

I wouldn’t say a visit to your local museum is for everyone (unless you live in NYC and have the MET in your backyard), especially not a first date. Since, let’s face it, museums can be boring, I would recommend following it up with something more upbeat like mini golf, bowling or a trip to the fair. Though educational dates may seem boring upon first glance, they can actually help you get to know each others’ interests, and, if nothing else, how far your date’s patience can stretch.

HE SAID:

Until this date, my most recent experience at a museum was at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Although I could appreciate many of the things I saw, it was far from the highlight of that trip. I suppose it was partly due to the immense size of that museum and the amount of walking that was required. I had already done so much walking on that trip that my feet were screaming for mercy, so I could not fully enjoy what I was seeing. For that reason I went to our local Museum of Natural History with low expectations of having fun.

Once we paid the wonderfully low admission fee of $5.00 each and were greeted by the friendly staff, we saw the first exhibit. This seemed like the first sign of trouble. There were several glass enclosures with various spiders, insects, and lizards to see. The trouble was we couldn’t tell if some of them were fake or real. I’m pretty sure the spiders and a lizard or two were fake. I thought to myself, “Oh great, a museum full of plastic animals. How fun…” Then we entered the Venom exhibit where we came face to face with very real snakes of all shapes and sizes. This is where the museum quickly became a things to do for one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Susan run away from something so fast. I really enjoyed seeing the snakes, although I was disappointed that I couldn’t find anything in the dark enclosure labelled as King Cobra.

My least favourite part of the museum in New York was walking through room upon room of depictions of animals in their natural habitat, because the animals were all fake. Thankfully our local museum kept those kind of displays to a minimum and showed off much more interactive and educational exhibits.

I think my favourite part of the museum was similar to Susan’s. I loved seeing actual artifacts used by real people hundreds of years ago. The best part was that they told you where in Nova Scotia each piece was found. Growing up I often felt like these sort of things were only found in foreign places, so it was a lot of fun to see it coming from our own back yard. I also enjoyed the rock/fossils section. It brought back memories of how much I loved the Geology portion of my Science classes as a kid.

Is this a good date idea? I really think so. It’s small enough that we didn’t have to commit hours of our day to see every display, but diverse enough to keep our interest the whole way through. We went fairly early on a Saturday, which was perfect. The museum began to flood with children just as we were leaving, so if you want to avoid the crowds, go early. I’m happy to report that my expectations were exceeded and I had a good time. Museums aren’t just for kids, so check out your local museum for some educational fun for two.

Cost – Free!

Every town has its “thing”. You know what I mean. It’s the thing that every tourist does when they come to visit. It’s the thing you pass by every day, forgetting how great it really is. One of Halifax’s things is the Public Gardens. I’m sure most visitors to the city make time to walk through and enjoy what it has to offer, while those of us who live close by don’t think twice about it. That was the case for us, so we decided to go for a walk through the Public Gardens and see what we were missing.

SHE SAID:

I have lived in the Halifax area for almost ten years now and have never fully indulged in the treasure that exists right in the heart of our city – the Public Gardens. When I found out Brad had never EVER set foot inside its gates, despite living here practically his whole life, we both knew it was time to check out our city’s green space.

I’m really happy we gave the Public Gardens a chance. Though I’m sure the gardens are much more lush in the peak of summer, it was still a lovely place to stroll through and take pictures of. This may sound like a bit of a stretch, but one reason I enjoyed the gardens so much was because being in the green space and seeing all of the tall buildings shoot out over trees in the distance reminded me of strolling through Central Park in New York City last summer. There was even a bridge or two that reminded me of the Bow Bridge. The best part was that in order to see all of the Public Gardens we didn’t need to cover 843 acres of land! Don’t get me wrong, no public park I’ve experienced yet can compare to Central Park, but I can appreciate what the Public Gardens has to offer.

As we were leaving the gardens, we noticed a building in the centre and upon further inspection learned it housed a coffee shop and ice cream parlour! If only I had discovered this at the beginning of the summer! I can’t wait to visit next summer and order up a hot cup of tea to enjoy out on the tranquil patio with my man.

HE SAID:

Let me set the stage for you. New York City in the summer of 2008. It was our first time in the city and it was our last day before we had to leave. We were finally taking the time to see Central Park because Susan was determined to see the Bow Bridge. We had no idea where it was in the park, so we started walking…and walking….and walking….By the time we found the bridge I thought my feet were going to fall off. Then we had to walk all the way back to the gates of the park to get back in a cab. At the end of a long week of walking (although it was all totally worth it) I was not happy about this long trek through the park.

I say all that to illustrate why I enjoyed the Public Gardens as much as I did. It is big enough to take a nice leisurely walk and escape the city, but small enough that I wasn’t risking heart failure. It is very peaceful and there is a lot to look at. There are lots of places to sit down for those who like to just relax and enjoy the surroundings, but plenty of little walking trails for those looking to get a bit more exercise. The only thing that I found weird was the signs posted everywhere saying to keep off the grass, but I guess that’s because it’s not so much a park to run around in as it is a garden to walk through and look at.

The highlight of our visit (for me) was when we saw some ducks near a pond. They were coming up close, so in my infinite wisdom I stuck out my finger. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you come across a wild animal? Getting bitten by a duck is a very odd sensation. It seems like it should hurt, but it doesn’t. After he bit me, I showed my determination to outsmart the duck by putting the same finger in his face which he promptly bit a second time. I decided that was enough and left him alone. I think I used Susan’s whole bottle of hand sanitizer on the way out. Don’t tell her.

I really had a lot of fun at the Public Gardens and will definitely go back. I’m looking forward to grabbing a coffee at the nearby coffee shop and enjoying nature right in the middle of Halifax. Also, every Sunday throughout the summer they have free concerts so we’ll have to check out at least one next summer. If you have a minute, take a look at some of the pictures we took as we walked through the garden. What is your town’s “thing”? Is there something you pass by every day that you’ve never taken the time to experience? Take a walk through the place you live and look at it through the eyes of a tourist. It’s a great way to spend some time with another person, plus you might discover there are some fun things to do that you hadn’t taken the time to try.

Day trips are a fun thing to do when you can’t go anywhere too far away, but you want to feel like a tourist nonetheless. You get to escape your own town and return home to your own bed at the end of the day. What could be better? On this particular day we went to Mahone Bay, which is about an hour from Halifax.

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SHE SAID

I love visiting little towns. I love the people, I love the atmosphere, and most of all the unique shops! Mahone Bay is one such town that I keep coming back to for its charming, old fashioned feel. Its cute little shops are filled with everything from antiques to candy. On this particular day we didn’t get to all of the shops, but we did happen upon some great finds.

Find #1 – The Eclectic Garage

Don’t judge this one by its appearance. Though it may look like a run down, converted garage, guess what? It is! If you like antiques and unique gift ideas, you’ll love this place. It is jammed packed full of antique bottles, vinyl records, books, dishes, furniture, and it doesn’t stop there. You’ll also find modern gift items dispersed throughout. Though I didn’t buy any antiques this trip, I did find an antique-ish sign I hung in my kitchen. Check out our Flickr album for more finds.

Find #2 – Jo-Ann’s Deli Market & Bake Shop

Though there are quite a few nice places to dine in Mahone Bay, Jo-Ann’s offers quite a unique experience. Not only can you get fresh, made to order sandwiches and seafood lunches, there is a vast array of fresh baked goods to indulge in afterward that are made daily. If you’re looking for something cooler, you can visit the “I.C.U.”, aka Ice Cream Unit, and choose from one of their 16 flavors (and they have waffle cones!). If that’s not enough, you can buy local produce, a large section being organic, and they also have the largest selection of imported cheeses on the South Shore!

Find #3 – Candy Cravings
My sweet tooth was well fed after this stop. This shop is packed full of old-fashioned and modern candy alike. I was a wide-eyed little kid again gazing at the walls full of sugary delights. Once I got a grip, I ended up buying a “tickle stick” (not sure of the name’s origins), which is a wooden skewer full of gummy candies. We also stopped by their fudge station and picked up some chocolate peanut butter fudge. Yum!

I can’t wait to visit this town again. Maybe I can convince Brad to go to the Great Scarecrow Festival and Antique Fair in October!

HE SAID:

Over the past few years I’ve really grown to like the idea of taking day trips. Not only is it a cheap way to enjoy the nice summer and fall weather, but I’ve also gotten to see some smaller towns around Nova Scotia that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Let’s be honest. I’m a city boy who married a country girl. So as much as I do enjoy a day trip to a small town, you won’t see me singing in the streets in pure joy like Susan. She really lights up when she’s in a town where people consider driving the speed limit to be too fast, where everyone knows everyone, and there are more trees than people.

Having said that, I can appreciate what a great place we live in. The drive to Mahone Bay is full of beautiful scenery. We even came across a parade along the way and stopped to take a look.

On the day we went to Mahone Bay the temperature was pretty high. So, naturally, certain unnamed members of our group decided it would be a good idea to walk to some of the antique shops we planned to visit. While the exercise was nice, I’m pretty sure I almost died of heat stroke. I kept reminding her that the further we walked, the further the walk back to the car would be.

Thankfully the walk was worth it as we came across some really great shops. One of my favorite spots in Mahone Bay is Candy Cravings. I don’t like it for the same reasons as Susan though. She likes the candy, but I like all the little toys and trinkets you can get. It’s sort of like a more tame version of Freak Lunchbox. There’s superhero lunch boxes, funny action figures, and lots more. I was also really excited to find what was labelled “drawer knobs” at an antique shop that used the same stick figures as we have in our logo. They don’t really serve any purpose, but I couldn’t pass them up.

Day trips are a great way to get out of the house without draining the bank account. It’s also an opportunity to check out the areas around where you live. If you enjoy fun drives and exploring new towns then you should give it a try.

Let us know some of your favorite day trip spots in the comments!

There’s a new ice-cream joint in town that takes the ice cream experience to a whole new level. The Cold Stone Creamery has made its way to select Tim Hortons locations in Bedford and Dartmouth.

SHE SAID:

We’ve been going through quite the heat wave here in the Maritimes, so when my sister told me about the Cold Stone Creamery the other day, we gunned it to Bedford. It was kind of weird for me walking into Tim Hortons and smelling waffle cones, but I quickly got over it when I saw the endless ice cream possibilities!

I found the options weren’t that obvious to me, so I’ll save you the trouble and explain. You can choose from one of their twenty Cold Stone Signature Creations or create your own custom creation by selecting your base ice cream and adding in the gazillion choices of mix ins, such as Snickers bars, almonds, brownies and chocolate chip cookie dough.

I decided on the Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some in a chocolate dipped waffle bowl. I’m really glad I went with the “Like it Size,” which is technically a small, but really the size of a small baby. Needless to say, I could not finish it.

I noticed on my way out that you can get ice cream cakes and cupcakes or your favorite flavour packed in a cute container to go if you find a flavour you love and just can’t get enough of. It might also be a great gift idea for your ice cream loving friends/wife (wink wink, Brad).

HE SAID:

When Susan told me we were going to this new place called the Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream I thought it sounded like fun. I wish I could say the experience lived up to the expectation.

First of all, I didn’t realize it was going to be in a Tim Hortons. Nothing against Tim Hortons, but I was picturing something more similar to the Cow’s Ice Cream places in PEI.

Secondly, I didn’t know what their ice cream making methods were ahead of time. For instance, I got what was called “All Lovin’ No Oven” which was supposed to be cake batter ice cream with fudge, cookie dough, and whipped topping. All good things, right? Well what I didn’t know is that they take all the ingredients and just mash them all together, kind of like they are kneading bread with ice cream scoops. This is a problem for me. A big problem. You see, I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like it when the food on my plate touches. I don’t load my fork up with a bit of everything. I eat things one at a time. So when I saw them mashing up my ice cream I kind of panicked, but I wanted to try to be open to new things so I continued on.

What I ended up with was a huge pile of goo inside a massive waffle cone. It didn’t have the texture of ice cream at all. It was thick and weird, but the texture could have been because of the cake batter ice cream. And although some people would probably love the fact that the small is the size of a puppy, it was way too much for me.

So I can’t really recommend it based on my experience. I was expecting chunks of cookie dough and fudge with whipped topping on top like it has in the picture on the menu, but instead it was like they filled one of those cake icing bags and just squirted cookie dough, fudge, and whipped cream into the ice cream. I know my phobia of mixing food is a big factor in not enjoying the ice cream, so I would recommend you go take a look at what they offer. You may end up liking it and thinking I’m crazy.