If I had to choose one season to live in for the rest of my life, it would be autumn. I love when the summer humidity finally leaves and is replaced by the crisp, frosty air. I love pulling out my sweaters, scarves and fall coat and dressing in layers. Since these lovely conditions only last so long before winter punches us in the face, we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather forecast and create a day around the symbolic fall vegetable – the pumpkin.

SHE SAID:

After my sister told me about some pumpkin pancakes she saw advertised during her latest vacation to the States, I was determined to start my day with these. Unfortunately, the trend has not caught on yet (that I could find) in the Halifax area. I could have attempted making them using one of the numerous recipes online, but that could have created two possible ugly scenarios: 1) choosing a bad recipe and making crap pancakes and 2) having to make breakfast – bleck!

Even though there are stores 5 minutes away that sell pumpkins, we like to go to Hennigar’s in Wolfville. If you’re into ripping your own pumpkin out of the ground, the Stirling Fruit Farms just before Hennigar’s lets you indulge in such experiences.

Though Brad loves sorting through the gourds and pumpkins, I go to Hennigar’s mainly for the delicious pumpkin fudge! I discovered this decadent treat a couple of years ago and have been back to buy it every fall since then. Personally, I think it is equal in greatness to pumpkin pie, if not better. They had a “Buy 1lb, get a ½ lb free” deal going on, so I was able to get even more…to share with friends and family of course.

Brad and I also usually buy a new Christmas ornament at Hennigar’s while we’re out getting our pumpkins. We must have come too early this year because the trees that normally house these weren’t set up yet. Oh well, an excuse for another outing!

Once we had selected the pumpkins for our carvings this year (more on that in a later post), there was one more thing to check out – the pumpkin people! Every October the town of Kentville has a Harvest Festival, where businesses and residents alike create pumpkin people displays. This year’s theme celebrates the winter Olympics. We suggest going towards the end of October to see the complete display.

Though we were kind of bummed out by the few pumpkin people displays and no ornaments at Hennigar’s, we made the best of it and had a fun pumpkin day nonetheless.

HE SAID:

What do you get when you have pumpkins, pumpkin spice latte’s, pumpkin fudge, and pumpkin people? You guessed it, Pumpkin Day! In the three years we have been married, this annual day trip has become one of my favorite traditions.

The drive down to get our pumpkin was fantastic. The fall colours were amazing so there was no shortage of beautiful scenery. Mixing the perfect fall day with a pumpkin spice latte was a really great choice since there’s not too many things I like more than a cool, early morning with a hot drink.

Our destination was Hennigar’s. Sure we could be more adventurous and get our pumpkin from a pumpkin patch, but I like that everything we want is right there. Hennigar’s is always full of people since there is a market there where you can buy fresh veggies and lots of other things. Once we picked up our pumpkin fudge we headed into the green house to pick out our pumpkins.

You know that scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where they trudge through the snow until they find the perfect Christmas tree as a chorus of angels sing and a light from heaven guides them to the right one? Well for me, picking out a pumpkin at Hennigar’s is just like that. Minus the snow…and the Christmas trees…and the angelic choir….and the heavenly lights. So maybe it’s not quite the same, but it is in my head. I love walking by the rows of pumpkins over and over until I find the one with the perfect size and shape. I think I found the perfect one this year if I do say so myself.

Once we loaded our pumpkins into the car we headed out to see the pumpkin people (technically it’s the Kentville Harvest Festival). I remember three years ago when I first saw them. I thought it was the creepiest thing I had ever seen. Now I love it. Unfortunately there weren’t as many up as usual since we went a little early, but there’s still lots of time left for anyone who still wants to go visit.

So that was pumpkin day. It was a lot of fun and a great way to spend a beautiful Saturday in the fall. We also went to the Scarecrow Festival in Mahone Bay on the same day, but we’ll tell you about that later this week. What are some of your favorite fall traditions? If you’ve ever done a pumpkin day we would love to hear about it.

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!