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What To Do In Nova Scotia In The Winter · Travel Mug Podcast

• 0:00
  Meggan: Welcome everybody.
• 0:01
  Meggan: It is the first week of December.
• 0:03
  Meggan: We can hardly believe it.
• 0:04
  Meggan: I don't really want to believe it.
• 0:07
  Meggan: I don't know.
• 0:08
  Meggan: I'm still over here processing 2020, and now we're, like in the last month of 2021.
• 0:13
  Meggan: Like how does that even happen?
• 0:15
  Jenn: I don't know.
• 0:16
  Jenn: I don't know how that happened.
• 0:19
  Meggan: I don't know either, but my mind is just blown sometimes.
• 0:22
  Meggan: So Jen, you're going on a trip.
• 0:24
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 0:25
  Jenn: Um, Holy moly , when this that when this episode comes out, I'll already be on the trip.
• 0:32
  Jenn: So excited I'm away.
• 0:35
  Jenn: I'm yeah.
• 0:35
  Jenn: I'm flying to Ontario to visit my best friend.
• 0:39
  Jenn: So she lives in thunder bay and then we are potentially, maybe going to Minnesota.
• 0:45
  Jenn: It's been a little bit up in the air.
• 0:48
  Jenn: COVID and you know, all those stupid things.
• 0:51
  Jenn: And I think we're at least going to make it down for a day trip to a small town called Grand Marais, I really love Minnesota.
• 0:57
  Jenn: So I'm really excited to be back there.
• 0:59
  Jenn: I haven't been to thunder bay or Minnesota since 2017, so nice it's been a little while I'm excited.
• 1:07
  Meggan: I mean for those of us who haven't flown and that's both of us right now, but when you're back with like, honestly, can't wait to hear like what life is like out there.
• 1:16
  Meggan: I know
• 1:19
  Jenn: I'm nervous.
• 1:22
  Meggan: I know you're a pandemic Explorer.
• 1:24
  Meggan: And you can just like, tell us your tales from like the wide world.
• 1:28
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 1:29
  Jenn: The wide world of Toronto Pearson airport.
• 1:31
  Jenn: and Thunder Bay Ontario
• 1:33
  Meggan: And maybe Minnesota that's so,exciting.
• 1:36
  Jenn: We'll see, we'll see what it brings.
• 1:38
  Meggan: Oh, we can't wait to hear about it and like safe travels seriously.
• 1:42
  Meggan: I'm sure it will be great.
• 1:43
  Meggan: And I'm glad you're going to get, to be able to see your pal.
• 1:47
  Meggan: So now onto this week's episode.
• 1:49
  Meggan: So although it's technically not winter and we're not trying to rush it, like trust us.
• 1:53
  Meggan: But it is cold and dark out there in Nova Scotia.
• 1:56
  Meggan: And.
• 1:57
  Meggan: Winter is not really our jam.
• 1:59
  Meggan: And we're okay to admit that like we get through.
• 2:03
  Jenn: Yeah,
• 2:04
  Meggan: we must, but it's not our favorite season, but there's still lots to do.
• 2:07
  Meggan: And there are people lucky enough.
• 2:09
  Meggan: Who'd love winter.
• 2:10
  Meggan: So they're probably already out there doing all this stuff, but if you'd like to get outside and it's not normally something you do in the winter, this episode is for you.
• 2:18
  Meggan: So like what to do in Nova Scotia during the winter.
• 2:21
  Meggan: And we'd love to give a shout out to listeners, Mandy and Sandra Abby, and Heather, for their additional ideas for this episode as well, when we put a shout-out on our social media.
• 2:31
  Meggan: So Jen kick us off.
• 2:33
  Meggan: What can we do?
• 2:34
  Meggan: Let's get started.
• 2:35
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 2:35
  Jenn: So first we're going to talk about outdoor adventures.
• 2:39
  Jenn: So there's lots to do outside in Nova Scotia and the winter who knew.
• 2:43
  Jenn: So let's start off with skiing, downhill skiing.
• 2:48
  Jenn: I'm not personally a skier.
• 2:50
  Jenn: Have you ever skied Meggan?
• 2:53
  Meggan: Okay.
• 2:54
  Meggan: For those of you who don't know, I'm six foot tall and I, I never grew into it mmhm just put it that way.
• 3:01
  Meggan: My grade 12 grad trip, we did go to Ski Martock and like some really athletic people in my class and they were.
• 3:08
  Meggan: You know, ski bunnies, like immediately.
• 3:11
  Meggan: And I tried the bunny hill and I'm like, you know what?
• 3:13
  Meggan: I'm not meant to have slippery sticks, strapped to my feet.
• 3:17
  Meggan: So we're going to, I just honestly sat and watched people all day and drank hot chocolate.
• 3:21
  Meggan: So that was my experience.
• 3:23
  Meggan: What about you?
• 3:24
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 3:24
  Jenn: So actually I've never gotten technically skiing.
• 3:27
  Jenn: I've gone snowboarding one time.
• 3:29
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 3:30
  Jenn: Um, Also a school trip and I also only went down the bunny hill and went, I don't know if this is for me.
• 3:36
  Jenn: So I also sat in the lodge, but for those of you who liked to ski we do have actually a, a plethora of options.
• 3:45
  Jenn: So ski Wentworth in the Wentworth valley, which we've talked a little bit about the Wentworth valley before because of an Airbnb that you've stayed at, right.
• 3:54
  Jenn: Ski Martock in like the Windsor area, ski Ben Eion, which is about a half an hour outside of Sydney and Cape Breton, and then ski Cape smokey in Ingonish Cape Breton, and Cape Smokey actually just opened Atlantic Canada's first gondola.
• 4:09
  Jenn: Very exciting.
• 4:10
  Jenn: You can actually, you don't have to ski.
• 4:11
  Jenn: The gondola is open all year and you can go up just for the views.
• 4:14
  Jenn: I took a gondola trip one time in Alberta and I was absolutely terrified and hated.
• 4:22
  Jenn: Every second.
• 4:23
  Meggan: Really?
• 4:24
  Jenn: I have a fear of Heights.
• 4:25
  Jenn: Well, see, here's what happened is I was on this trip with my dad and stepmom and my stepmom told me we were taking a gondola ride and I thought she meant a boat because in Italy, a gondola is a boat.
• 4:39
  Jenn: So when I took to it and it was a ski hill lift, I was like,
• 4:47
  Meggan: Not what I was expecting,
• 4:52
  Jenn: but yeah.
• 4:53
  Jenn: So I I'd like, I'd like to do it because.
• 4:58
  Jenn: Pretty cool thing to have in Nova Scotia.
• 5:00
  Jenn: And I, the views look like they're pretty great.
• 5:02
  Jenn: And you can take a helicopter ride there as well.
• 5:05
  Jenn: Also it's scary to me, but something I'd like to cross off my bucket list.
• 5:09
  Meggan: Yeah, no, definitely.
• 5:10
  Meggan: I'd love to do that.
• 5:11
  Meggan: We did a gondola in Lake Placid, so where they had the Olympics, there's a gondola you can take there.
• 5:17
  Meggan: So we did that there and I really enjoyed it.
• 5:20
  Meggan: If we make it to Europe next year in Switzerland, I'm sure that it's going to be like several gondolas in our future.
• 5:25
  Meggan: So it is a little scary for me to, I, I'm not, I do it, but it's a tiny bit scary, but I really enjoy it.
• 5:31
  Meggan: I just try to shut out that part and like enjoy the views as much as possible.
• 5:35
  Meggan: I know it's hard to do that, but it's just, that's what I try to do because I get a little fearful of that stuff too, but it's like trying to push myself, you know, that little extra mile to be like, it's okay.
• 5:46
  Meggan: Everybody's doing it exactly.
• 5:50
  Jenn: Next on our list is skiing of the cross-country kind.
• 5:55
  Jenn: So there's a ton of trails in Nova Scotia where you could do this listener Mandy suggested Kejimkujik national park, which sounds great.
• 6:04
  Jenn: I actually need to get to Keji, so maybe I've done cross-country skiing before and it was no, it's fun.
• 6:12
  Jenn: It's you're you're in control the whole time.
• 6:14
  Jenn: So
• 6:15
  Meggan: that would be better.
• 6:16
  Meggan: I think I would be better.
• 6:17
  Meggan: I'm just not.
• 6:19
  Meggan: I just picture skis and me.
• 6:22
  Meggan: Bambi on ice.
• 6:23
  Meggan: I just can't get it.
• 6:24
  Meggan: Anything else out of my head.
• 6:26
  Meggan: And I mean, maybe I'm selling myself short it's it's very possible, but anyway, it sounds like it'd be lovely.
• 6:35
  Jenn: What's next on the list, Megan,
• 6:37
  Meggan: something I've also never done before, but I really, really would like to do, and I know I can pretty much do this and it's snowshoeing.
• 6:45
  Meggan: So there are lots of places to go snowshoeing, my best friend, Jen, in new Brunswick.
• 6:50
  Meggan: They go snowshoeing all the time.
• 6:52
  Meggan: But we suggest checking out the Amherst bird sanctuary summer or winter.
• 6:57
  Meggan: I still want to go there.
• 6:58
  Meggan: We still need to do this.
• 6:59
  Meggan: Or Cape Breton Highlands national park.
• 7:02
  Meggan: So have you snowshoed
• 7:03
  Jenn: I have not.
• 7:04
  Jenn: Snowshoed I've met.
• 7:06
  Jenn: I mean, it's funny because.
• 7:08
  Jenn: They used to have them in Halifax where you could rent them for free from certain places.
• 7:13
  Jenn: And every winter I'd be like, I'm going to do that.
• 7:15
  Jenn: But every time there was enough snow, I didn't feel like going to get them, I guess,
• 7:20
  Meggan: because it's outdoors and winter, but it does sound fun.
• 7:25
  Meggan: We have some like, it's like where we even born here.
• 7:28
  Meggan: It seems like we weren't now.
• 7:32
  Meggan: Anyway, next up skating at the Oval so.
• 7:36
  Meggan: I must admit I've done roller skating at the oval, but again, like strapping blades to my feet at this age also sounds scary.
• 7:47
  Meggan: I love skating when I was young, but I haven't skated in years.
• 7:50
  Meggan: I have skates so I could, but I don't.
• 7:52
  Meggan: So anyway the Halifax oval has been a winter staple since 2011, which I can't believe.
• 8:00
  Meggan: The Canada winter games.
• 8:02
  Meggan: Now talk to us about a concert you saw.
• 8:06
  Meggan: So
• 8:06
  Jenn: we in 2011, when we hosted the Canada winter games, they had free concerts in parade square.
• 8:12
  Jenn: And it was February um, yeah, outdoor concerts in February.
• 8:17
  Jenn: I mean, they do it for new year's Eve too, but anyway, we saw a great big sea and it was a really good fun concert.
• 8:25
  Jenn: Um, But very, very cold.
• 8:27
  Jenn: And then we were planning to see city and color at the end of that week.
• 8:33
  Jenn: And then I think it was like, the weather was extra yucky, so we decided not to venture downtown, but yeah, it was fun then when Halifax hosted the Canada winter games and I have, yes, I have skated on the oval a couple of times.
• 8:46
  Jenn: We went one year for new year's Eve and it was really fun because they had like a DJ.
• 8:51
  Jenn: It was, it was a cool experience.
• 8:54
  Jenn: And then we've gone kind of in a normal time.
• 8:56
  Jenn: And I saw this fun fact, the ice surface is the equivalent of three NHL hockey rinks isn't it crazy.
• 9:07
  Jenn: But I highly suggest it.
• 9:13
  Jenn: If you're in the Halifax area, it's fine.
• 9:15
  Jenn: They have free skates.
• 9:16
  Jenn: So if you don't have skates or they, they did pre COVID, so hopefully they still do.
• 9:22
  Jenn: But yeah, it's fun.
• 9:23
  Jenn: Cool.
• 9:24
  Meggan: Yeah.
• 9:24
  Meggan: Tell us what's next something we both love and I'm sure we've mentioned before, but is worth mentioning
• 9:30
  Jenn: Sugar Moon Farm! I feel like, yeah, it's been numerous episodes where we've brought them up.
• 9:35
  Meggan: That's Iceland of Nova Scotia.
• 9:40
  Meggan: And enjoy Sugarmoon farm every one again.
• 9:42
  Jenn: So it's really fun to go in the winter and kind of into the spring, because they're actually like making maple syrup, especially in like the March ish time.
• 9:50
  Jenn: So you can see how they make people syrup.
• 9:51
  Jenn: They have nearby trails where you can walk or snowshoe, depending on the conditions.
• 9:56
  Jenn: They usually have quite a bit of snow up there, like compared to.
• 9:59
  Jenn: Halifax area delicious maple themed, brunch and maple syrup on snow.
• 10:05
  Jenn: I did see that you, the reservations for the restaurant are required that you can't just show up.
• 10:12
  Jenn: Cause in the before times, like you shared a table with strangers and now clearly don't do that.
• 10:17
  Jenn: So it's a little small, so I, they want you to make a reservation.
• 10:21
  Meggan: I guess, all right, then we'll do it.
• 10:25
  Meggan: If we have to, we love the maple grub.
• 10:29
  Meggan: All right.
• 10:29
  Meggan: So you could also go sledding.
• 10:32
  Meggan: I, I love, I love like sledding and love of crazy carpet.
• 10:36
  Meggan: I enjoy it.
• 10:37
  Meggan: So you could go sledding on Citadel hill there's golf courses.
• 10:41
  Meggan: I'm sure there's little Hills.
• 10:42
  Meggan: It's a hilly city and it's a hilly province in areas.
• 10:46
  Meggan: So I'm sure you can find some.
• 10:48
  Meggan: Nearby to wherever you are.
• 10:50
  Meggan: So it is something that like I loved as a kid, and I'm sure parents still love doing with kids, but honestly, we've gone as adults.
• 10:57
  Meggan: So it's something it's an all ages activity.
• 11:02
  Jenn: It's really fun.
• 11:03
  Jenn: And yeah, it's, it's definitely like going back to your youth right.
• 11:06
  Jenn: For that time.
• 11:07
  Jenn: And I know in Liverpool, the hill that we used to sled on.
• 11:10
  Jenn: Growing up was in a graveyard.
• 11:13
  Jenn: So you didn't have to kind of Dodge a couple of tombstones
• 11:24
  Meggan: amazing.
• 11:28
  Meggan: Yes.
• 11:29
  Meggan: Ma'am.
• 11:29
  Meggan: We're just trying to have some good winter fun.
• 11:34
  Meggan: Whatever works, whatever works, whatever works well.
• 11:39
  Meggan: Let's move on from that.
• 11:40
  Meggan: And you can tell us about a lovely spa that so many people are talking about still kind of hard to get into, but would be amazing in the winter.
• 11:48
  Meggan: And you've been
• 11:49
  Jenn: so Sensea Nordic spa, Nova Scotia's first Nordic spa .We've talked to it before I was supposed to go yesterday.
• 11:55
  Jenn: And I cancelled.
• 11:57
  Jenn: Because it poured rain yesterday at won't be fun.
• 12:02
  Jenn: So sadly I missed my, I was hoping to give you a real, like, firsthand, fresh experience, but I didn't- I don't have it for you, but I went last October, 2020.
• 12:14
  Jenn: And it's really nice.
• 12:16
  Jenn: It has like saunas and like outdoor, like hot baths.
• 12:19
  Jenn: And the idea is that you like warm up and then do a cool down and then you relax and then you repeat that.
• 12:27
  Jenn: Like at least three times they also have massages and spa services.
• 12:31
  Jenn: Like Megan said, you do have to book a spa pass and they can be difficult to get.
• 12:37
  Jenn: So it it's kind of a refresh refresh refresher.
• 12:42
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 12:43
  Jenn: And keep checking, but peoples know to
• 12:46
  Meggan: it's not a wake up on a Monday, go on a Monday it's plan.
• 12:50
  Jenn: It's mostly a plan, which sucks because of the weather.
• 12:53
  Jenn: You know, we, I booked this with my friend, like a month and a half ago, and then.
• 12:59
  Jenn: The day comes and it's like, it's going to pour.
• 13:03
  Jenn: So, I mean, it is what it is it's worth going to, for sure.
• 13:07
  Jenn: We, when we went in October, 2020, we had an amazing time and I want to go again, but it's a little bit hard to plan.
• 13:15
  Meggan: Yeah, no for sure.
• 13:16
  Jenn: And I'm sure people do go in the pouring rain, but that's just not my jam.
• 13:21
  Meggan: No, I don't think I would be into that either.
• 13:22
  Meggan: And I don't blame you for canceling, but hopefully you'll like have even attempted to rebook or you're just like,
• 13:29
  Jenn: there's not much right now.
• 13:30
  Jenn: Like I'm looking for cancellation for December and then they, they only released the schedule.
• 13:35
  Jenn: So like so far in advance, so there's nothing open to it for January.
• 13:39
  Jenn: So I'm still.
• 13:40
  Jenn: Looking but people do cancel there's a two day cancellation policy.
• 13:44
  Jenn: So if you're looking and do you want to go, like in the next three days, that's when to kind of track because people will cancel.
• 13:52
  Jenn: Yeah,
• 13:52
  Meggan: that's an insider tip.
• 13:55
  Jenn: Hasn't worked for me yet.
• 13:57
  Jenn: Well, hopefully I might have snagged my spot.
• 14:02
  Meggan: Exactly.
• 14:03
  Meggan: Well, let's finish off this outdoors bit.
• 14:05
  Meggan: So this is something that I love to do, especially like when it's like lightly snowing or like after like a fresh snow.
• 14:12
  Meggan: I have to say that is when I probably like, love winter most a when I don't have to go anywhere.
• 14:18
  Meggan: Cause it's just a pain in the arse.
• 14:20
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 14:20
  Meggan: And then be like, after a snowfall or during is, is one that's not super windy.
• 14:26
  Meggan: So going for like walks in parks.
• 14:29
  Meggan: So whether it's Shubie park over in Dartmouth point, pleasant in downtown Halifax, a park near you, wherever you're listening from, I think is a really great way.
• 14:37
  Meggan: If you're not athletic, don't love skiing, those kinds of things.
• 14:40
  Meggan: But if you're in winter we really should do our best to at least try to enjoy some of it.
• 14:45
  Meggan: And that's one way that I find to do it.
• 14:48
  Meggan: And then another option we wanted to mention, although we're not promoters of it necessarily is a sleigh rides.
• 14:54
  Meggan: It's something that is in a lot of different parts of Nova Scotia in particular.
• 14:57
  Meggan: But if that's something you wish to do, you can do your own research on that.
• 15:00
  Meggan: But we did wanna mention.
• 15:02
  Meggan: As people do enjoy it, and it is a service that's provided.
• 15:06
  Meggan: So if that's your thing, we'll leave that part up to you.
• 15:13
  Jenn: You mean doors where it's more move indoors, where Megan and I thrive
• 15:20
  Meggan: I thrive on the indoors
• 15:22
  Jenn: We are with you.
• 15:22
  Jenn: So here's some fun indoor things to you and to do, and.
• 15:27
  Jenn: The first thing I want to talk about is ax throwing, which we did recently in the summer in Shelburne, but that was outside.
• 15:34
  Jenn: But we've tried a few times.
• 15:35
  Jenn: It's really fun.
• 15:36
  Jenn: We did Hali Mac in Halifax just before, like I swear it was a week before the pandemic.
• 15:43
  Jenn: It was very close.
• 15:45
  Jenn: And then there's the timber lounge as well in Halifax.
• 15:47
  Jenn: The Hali Mac is hatchets Timberlounge is full axes.
• 15:55
  Meggan: I think I wouldn't be better at hatchets.
• 15:57
  Meggan: For some reason
• 15:58
  Jenn: I was better at hatchets.
• 16:00
  Jenn: Um,
• 16:01
  Meggan: I feel like that would be, I would feel more in control.
• 16:05
  Jenn: Yes.
• 16:05
  Jenn: I was just, I, I don't know if I hit the target hardly at all with like the, the large axes, and Darren in Shelburne kept like moving me closer and closer to the target.
• 16:15
  Jenn: And I said, why don't I just give you the ax?
• 16:18
  Jenn: And then you can just, it.
• 16:21
  Jenn: I do want to mention if you're closer to Bridgewater, like I am strike em multi-sport is in Bridgewater and they have ax throwing and they have batting cages.
• 16:30
  Jenn: So I haven't been there yet, but I did meet the owner.
• 16:35
  Jenn: He's paramedic as well, as well as owning the strike em multi-sport.
• 16:39
  Jenn: So I did want to give him a shout out because he's a really great, and I hope to check them out this winter, this.
• 16:47
  Meggan: Next, we have something that I love is an escape room.
• 16:50
  Meggan: So I did one with my work and then one with Peter and then a couple of friends of ours.
• 16:56
  Meggan: I, I don't recall with my work if we escape.
• 16:59
  Meggan: So that tells me we didn't we might have, and then we were so close to escaping with our friends and then didn't.
• 17:08
  Meggan: So that was really unfortunate.
• 17:10
  Meggan: But if you don't know what escape room is, it's basically rooms that have themes.
• 17:13
  Meggan: We did, like, I can't remember the work one, but the friends, one that we did, it was like a icky hospital, like a, like a.
• 17:22
  Meggan: It was awful.
• 17:23
  Meggan: There are lots around the province.
• 17:25
  Meggan: And we did it in downtown Halifax.
• 17:27
  Meggan: Where have you been?
• 17:28
  Jenn: Yeah, so I've done four, but three we're at the place in lower Sackville called escape artists.
• 17:37
  Jenn: They're really, really great.
• 17:38
  Jenn: the Sackville one and I love, I mean, it has like you have a window, you don't feel so trapped.
• 17:45
  Jenn: Right, right, right.
• 17:47
  Jenn: I really like the one in Sackville the themes are really well done.
• 17:50
  Jenn: Yeah, we've done three there.
• 17:51
  Jenn: And then the other one I did was trapped in downtown Halifax with my work, actually,
• 17:56
  Meggan: the ones that I did.
• 17:58
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 17:58
  Jenn: That one was fun.
• 17:59
  Jenn: We were, I remember being locked in a jail cell for the first bit, but I don't remember what we were escaping, I guess, jail.
• 18:09
  Jenn: I'm not sure.
• 18:12
  Meggan: I was in a cell.
• 18:13
  Meggan: So maybe that's what I was trying to escape.
• 18:16
  Jenn: But anyway they were both well done.
• 18:18
  Jenn: I would say the one in in Sackville the escape artist, the guy is like watching you the whole time, which it was more like a personal experience because there was one thing with a clue that we had to weigh something.
• 18:31
  Jenn: And for whatever reason, the scale.
• 18:33
  Jenn: When we put the right thing on the scale, the wrong number came up.
• 18:36
  Jenn: So we wouldn't have been able to move on and he caught it and he came in and recalibrated the scale, like pause the timer, recalibrate the scale.
• 18:43
  Jenn: Because the one in Halifax, the trapped, when we did.
• 18:45
  Jenn: We like, you know, you can ask for clues if you're like radioed and asked for clues, and they're like, okay, where are you?
• 18:52
  Jenn: And you're trying to like, explain everything you've done up until that point, which is just like really stupid.
• 18:58
  Jenn: So anyway, I, we had fun there.
• 19:00
  Jenn: I don't want to like knock trapped because we had a great time.
• 19:04
  Jenn: And I think that there are chain as well.
• 19:06
  Jenn: But escape artists highly, highly recommended Sackville if you're close to.
• 19:11
  Meggan: Yeah, that is good to know.
• 19:13
  Meggan: Yeah.
• 19:13
  Meggan: What next?
• 19:15
  Jenn: What next?
• 19:15
  Jenn: The board room game cafe.
• 19:18
  Jenn: So if you live in Halifax, it's downtown and it's just a really great place to spend an afternoon.
• 19:25
  Jenn: So they have board games and they also have food and drink options.
• 19:29
  Jenn: They're licensed.
• 19:29
  Jenn: You can get an alcoholic drink as well.
• 19:31
  Jenn: And it's a really fun place to like, hang out with your friends.
• 19:35
  Jenn: And they'll teach you a game as well.
• 19:37
  Jenn: So if you're like, oh, I don't know what I should play.
• 19:40
  Jenn: They'll kind of teach you how to play.
• 19:42
  Jenn: And I've been several, several, several times and we've had a blast every single time.
• 19:47
  Jenn: There's one in Sackville too.
• 19:49
  Jenn: And I'm blanking on the name.
• 19:53
  Meggan: I've been to the one downtown.
• 19:55
  Meggan: And what's kind of what
• 19:56
  Jenn: press play cafe.
• 19:58
  Meggan: Oh, fun.
• 19:59
  Jenn: It just, it, I think it opens like during COVID, which is a horrible time to open game cafe.
• 20:07
  Jenn: Hopefully they're doing well
• 20:09
  Meggan: all the best to them.
• 20:10
  Meggan: Same as us with our podcasts, for traveling during a pandemic,
• 20:14
  Jenn: we feel them.
• 20:16
  Meggan: We feel you feely indeed.
• 20:20
  Meggan: Museum.
• 20:20
  Meggan: So there are many amazing museums all around the province.
• 20:24
  Meggan: Can't list them all of course, obviously a great way to spend a snowy afternoon, especially if you have kids well off the top of my head, the natural history museum and Halifax, and also the discovery center, both of those places, I guess it doesn't not a museum, but would fall sort of under that category.
• 20:41
  Meggan: I would highly recommend a little bit of learning.
• 20:44
  Meggan: Um, And out of the elements, I think would be great, good place to take kids, or even for adults, we can still learn stuff.
• 20:52
  Jenn: I love the discovery center.
• 20:53
  Jenn: I haven't been since they opened the new one.
• 20:55
  Jenn: So it's been quite Ben, but I enjoyed the old one.
• 20:58
  Jenn: So someday I'll check a new one up sports games.
• 21:05
  Jenn: We actually, well, Halifax mostly has a lot of.
• 21:09
  Jenn: The sports teams.
• 21:10
  Jenn: So you can see the Halifax, moose heads or the Cape Breton Eagles play in the Q league.
• 21:16
  Jenn: The Q M J H L side note.
• 21:19
  Jenn: I really want to call them the Cape Breton screaming Eagles, but apparently they dropped the screaming from their name.
• 21:25
  Meggan: So they're no longer screaming,
• 21:27
  Jenn: screaming.
• 21:28
  Jenn: They're just the Eagles.
• 21:29
  Jenn: There's also the Halifax Thunderbirds that play professional lacrosse and then Halifax hurricanes that play basketball.
• 21:36
  Jenn: And then there's junior hockey teams all over the province.
• 21:39
  Jenn: If you want to take in that.
• 21:42
  Jenn: I went to a Thunderbirds game in 2020, just before the pandemic.
• 21:46
  Jenn: And I have to say it was one of the best times that I've had at a sports game and I knew nothing about lacrosse, like absolutely nothing.
• 21:55
  Jenn: And we had so much fun and coming from a hockey family.
• 22:00
  Jenn: You know, they would do something in lacrosse and they'd be like, can I do like hitting each other?
• 22:07
  Jenn: It's not allowed?
• 22:10
  Jenn: Allegedly it's allowed, but it's a really fun.
• 22:12
  Jenn: And it can be a really fun thing to do in an evening or an afternoon, depending on when they're playing.
• 22:19
  Meggan: I agree.
• 22:20
  Meggan: Like I we've said this before.
• 22:22
  Meggan: Like there's nothing.
• 22:23
  Meggan: Live theater, live music, live sports, even if you're not into the sport you get caught up in the excitement and, and I think it's a great way to get out of the elements, but also really to support local too.
• 22:35
  Meggan: I, I think is a great way.
• 22:36
  Meggan: I mean, and there's rinks all across this province with like, Junior or like AA, AAA, whatever it is in the hockey world.
• 22:45
  Meggan: But there is hockey is huge here.
• 22:47
  Meggan: And so you could always get out and see live sports, even if it's amateur.
• 22:50
  Meggan: I'm sure they would love the support and.
• 22:53
  Meggan: It's a, it's a great way to be out in your community as well.
• 22:57
  Meggan: One thing I wanted to mention before we move on is something I'm going to do in January.
• 23:03
  Meggan: I swear is it's called the rage room.
• 23:07
  Meggan: So it's in Halifax, it's on Isleville street.
• 23:10
  Meggan: It is what you think it is.
• 23:11
  Meggan: You go there and you smash it and I'm just excited.
• 23:17
  Meggan: I am very like even keeled pretty, even Steven, I don't really get too far out or too far down.
• 23:23
  Meggan: I'm just kind of like, whatever, but I feel like maybe because of that within me, maybe something needs to come out.
• 23:29
  Meggan: I don't know if it does, but I want to see if it does.
• 23:32
  Meggan: So we are going to go in January with a couple of our friends.
• 23:34
  Meggan: All of the items are.
• 23:36
  Meggan: Thrift store items.
• 23:37
  Meggan: So they have lived their lives.
• 23:39
  Meggan: So it's not like they're smashing, allowing you to smash new stuff and all electronics are taken and recycled at the appropriate place.
• 23:48
  Meggan: So their waste is dealt with et cetera.
• 23:50
  Meggan: So there's like date night packages, those kinds of things.
• 23:53
  Meggan: Really different ranges, like $40, but you can go upwards and do the hundreds.
• 23:57
  Meggan: It's according to how much rage, I guess you have.
• 24:01
  Meggan: You want to smash, but I'm like really pumped to try it.
• 24:05
  Meggan: Had you heard of this place,
• 24:07
  Jenn: but I haven't done it and I, I actually forgot about it.
• 24:10
  Jenn: And you mentioned it, so yeah, that could be really
• 24:13
  Meggan: not sure it's a winter actually be, I suppose you could do it all year along, but it's indoors.
• 24:17
  Meggan: It's something when you know, cold Saturday nights, it's not like you're heading outside, so it'd be a good activity for a weekend, but I will, I will update you that.
• 24:26
  Jenn: Please update us.
• 24:27
  Meggan: We will be well for sure.
• 24:29
  Meggan: I can't wait to give it a go.
• 24:31
  Meggan: I'll let you know too, if it brings out stuff therapy, when you have a range from exactly.
• 24:40
  Meggan: So let's talk about some places to get away because people oftentimes in the winter kind of like put a halt on that.
• 24:47
  Meggan: Understandably, because when you book places, sometimes you have to pay for half upfront and if the weather's bad, you can't get to it.
• 24:53
  Meggan: So we really do keep our circle fairly small in the winter, but there are some great places to get away.
• 24:59
  Meggan: What are a couple of ideas?
• 25:01
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 25:01
  Jenn: So, I mean, there's resorts all over the place, but the ones that kind of came to mind for me being on the South Shore is white point the quarter deck and Oak island.
• 25:10
  Jenn: So we actually did quarter deck in November of 2020.
• 25:15
  Jenn: So it was, it was chill.
• 25:17
  Jenn: And I mean, we still, we went for a walk on the beach and had.
• 25:24
  Meggan: How I was there for the weekend.
• 25:25
  Jenn: I forgot about that.
• 25:26
  Jenn: I was there with my friends.
• 25:27
  Jenn: We were there with, we were there with friends or family.
• 25:30
  Meggan: I was with friends.
• 25:31
  Meggan: It was my friend Renette's 50th birthday.
• 25:33
  Jenn: Oh my gosh.
• 25:34
  Jenn: I forgot about that.
• 25:35
  Jenn: But yes.
• 25:37
  Jenn: And I think it was still fun, even though it wasn't.
• 25:41
  Jenn: Beach weather like typical beach weather.
• 25:44
  Jenn: We still went for a walk on the beach and had a really nice dinner and hung out in our room with our friends.
• 25:48
  Jenn: And I mean, you could do that at any, I guess like place around any hotel or whatever around Nova Scotia and yeah, it's, it's really fun.
• 25:59
  Jenn: I know you've done some really good Airbnbs that like hot tubs, cause people are really into the hot tub in the winter.
• 26:06
  Meggan: They are indeed in, it is definitely more of a winter thing.
• 26:09
  Meggan: I have found though that in winter, one thing about hot tubs, I'm sure if anybody owns one they can understand the cool-down actually quite quickly, especially if you're in like a breezy area.
• 26:22
  Meggan: So I sort of think.
• 26:24
  Meggan: Spring and fall are often the best times for hot tubs, but I mean, if you're at one in the winter, it's not a sad event or anything.
• 26:31
  Meggan: And just, it just cools down a little bit more.
• 26:34
  Meggan: So I do have three.
• 26:35
  Meggan: I want to talk about, and these are literally their names on Airbnb.
• 26:40
  Meggan: Aren't great names, but this is how you can sort of search them.
• 26:43
  Meggan: So the one that we were just at, in Wentworth, which is right across from ski Wentworth.
• 26:48
  Meggan: So if you can snag it and you're a skiier, it's a perfect location.
• 26:51
  Meggan: So it's literally called log cabin in Wentworth with hot tub and wood stove.
• 26:57
  Jenn: Yeah, so very descriptive,
• 26:59
  Meggan: very descriptive.
• 27:00
  Meggan: And that's the name of it.
• 27:01
  Meggan: Another one we stayed at for our anniversary this year, which is the black shack, which is in Western head near you.
• 27:07
  Meggan: And then oceanfront cottage modern and private and that's in rose bay.
• 27:13
  Meggan: So that's near the ovens.
• 27:14
  Meggan: And both of those are really great.
• 27:16
  Meggan: At the rose bay one in January.
• 27:19
  Meggan: And it is right by the water, which is lovely, but that's where it kind of like cooled off from like, and when you have to excuse me for talking about this, but if you have to pee, getting in and out.
• 27:30
  Meggan: Terribly painful.
• 27:32
  Meggan: Oh my goodness.
• 27:33
  Meggan: And Pete in the cold, once he's been in a hot tub is honestly some of the funniest moments of my whole life.
• 27:39
  Meggan: I love it so much, but I, we always try to look for a hot tub.
• 27:42
  Meggan: That's like really close proximity.
• 27:47
  Meggan: Actually one of the well maybe put it as in the notes.
• 27:49
  Meggan: Cause I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but there's a great one in Wolfville just down the hill that we stayed at this past summer down the hill from Pete Luckett's winery.
• 28:00
  Meggan: That would be a really great one as well.
• 28:02
  Meggan: So maybe I'll, I'll shove that link in there for the show notes, but they're all over the province, but they are very popular.
• 28:08
  Meggan: So you really do have to plan.
• 28:11
  Meggan: Really check the cancellation policies on those, because you can lose out, especially if you've had a couple other cancellations throughout the year you will lose some money.
• 28:19
  Meggan: So really just be careful booking anything like that in the winter.
• 28:23
  Meggan: Because you don't know what the weather is going to be like, and your plans could get ruined and you could lose the money.
• 28:27
  Meggan: So not to be a downer, but I'm just trying to take care
• 28:29
  Jenn: of yeah, no, seriously.
• 28:32
  Jenn: The Black Shack in Western head we drove by it like.
• 28:35
  Jenn: I don't know a couple of weeks ago and I'm like, it looks so nice.
• 28:39
  Jenn: It would it be weird to stay there when I live like five minutes?
• 28:43
  Meggan: I mean, it's going to be a little bit of money when your bed that's for free is you're already paying for that at once.
• 28:50
  Meggan: Probably though the craftsmanship is beautiful.
• 28:53
  Meggan: So, I mean, but it is small.
• 28:56
  Meggan: I will say that.
• 28:57
  Meggan: So in the winter you probably would be like, 'cause you can't go to the DAC and sit out and enjoy it like you could in the summer.
• 29:04
  Meggan: So just keep that in mind.
• 29:05
  Jenn: Gotcha.
• 29:06
  Jenn: Gotcha.
• 29:07
  Jenn: All right.
• 29:07
  Jenn: Let's finish by talking about some festivals because it wouldn't be Nova Scotia without some festivals.
• 29:16
  Meggan: Right?
• 29:17
  Jenn: All right.
• 29:18
  Jenn: So the first one is actually happening right now.
• 29:21
  Jenn: Right now it started on November 26.
• 29:23
  Jenn: It ends on December 19th and then just the evergreen festival in downtown Halifax.
• 29:28
  Jenn: So it is a 2021 outdoor, winter showcase of Nova Scotia, culture, food, spirits, craft art, and memorable experiences to celebrate and embrace the exit essence of the season.
• 29:42
  Meggan: Right?
• 29:43
  Meggan: Yeah.
• 29:43
  Meggan: I saw pictures of like some cool art or something along the waterfront.
• 29:48
  Meggan: What looked like a mesh.
• 29:49
  Meggan: Piece of like mesh wire and it, like, you could see the shape of a boat in it.
• 29:54
  Meggan: It was the coolest looking thing.
• 29:55
  Meggan: Oh yeah.
• 29:56
  Meggan: Like I think, I think it looks really neat.
• 29:58
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 29:59
  Jenn: I would.
• 29:59
  Jenn: I'm very sad that I live far away from it now cause I would like to check that out, but I'm not sure that's in the cards this year, but hopefully they'll have it again.
• 30:07
  Jenn: Next year.
• 30:09
  Meggan: Peter downtown is not in my cards ever.
• 30:13
  Meggan: There's that?
• 30:15
  Meggan: Why are else, could we go
• 30:17
  Jenn: downtown Dartmouth ice festival.
• 30:19
  Jenn: So this is in early February.
• 30:21
  Jenn: They haven't announced the dates yet for 2022.
• 30:24
  Jenn: But they do live ice carving horse-drawn wagon rides fireside songs, circles, indoor winter Wonderland, bounce zone, featuring ice princesses and Portland, the penguin.
• 30:37
  Meggan: Oh my God, you know, that existed until today, but
• 30:42
  Jenn: okay.
• 30:42
  Jenn: A bouncy castles and ice print, a skating party, much more all for free.
• 30:48
  Jenn: Sounds a little more, a little bit more kid oriented,
• 30:50
  Meggan: but it's not my jam,, but God, that sounds fun.
• 30:54
  Meggan: If you have a kid or if you are a kid.
• 30:56
  Jenn: Yeah.
• 30:57
  Jenn: Yes, super fun.
• 30:59
  Jenn: And then Pictou winter carnival is also an early February.
• 31:02
  Jenn: Also haven't announced the date.
• 31:03
  Jenn: So they do sleigh rides swimming, arts and crafts.
• 31:06
  Jenn: They also have like dinners and breakfast and that sort of thing.
• 31:09
  Jenn: And then we told her dish
• 31:11
  Meggan: with their dinners and their Brooklyn's, all the dinners and the breakfast is
• 31:14
  Jenn: we did see the newest Scotia Icewine festival is not happening in 2022, but they plan to be back for 2023.
• 31:20
  Jenn: So if you're circling back to this episode, In 2022 end of 2022 and being like, what can I do?
• 31:28
  Jenn: Then the, maybe let's see,
• 31:33
  Meggan: do, do, and catch up with us on social media to let us know if we predicted correctly.
• 31:41
  Meggan: Let's hope everything's back in 2023.
• 31:45
  Jenn: Do you want to say, I saw some social media this morning.
• 31:48
  Jenn: This is a little off topic, but if you ever watched the Jetsons, George Jetson is born in 2022.
• 31:55
  Jenn: That's all I'm going to say.
• 31:56
  Meggan: Really?
• 31:57
  Jenn: Yes.
• 31:58
  Jenn: So I like, we're not that far away from a rosy robot, cleaning her house people.
• 32:06
  Meggan: I will be waiting for her.
• 32:09
  Meggan: Wow.
• 32:10
  Meggan: Look at you with that is some off a topic, but lovely trivia go.
• 32:15
  Meggan: You.
• 32:16
  Jenn: That's what I'm here for.
• 32:18
  Jenn: So we hope this episode has inspired you to do some fun things this winter, even if you like to hibernate a little bit more like we do.
• 32:26
  Jenn: And I just want to say through this podcast, I've learned so many you know, things to do in Nova Scotia all year.
• 32:31
  Jenn: You know, when we're doing research and we're asking people what they like to do and Yeah, it's been great.
• 32:36
  Jenn: Like being able to share, I think, how did we do a summer episode?
• 32:40
  Jenn: We did a fall- what to do and falling
• 32:41
  Meggan: into the fall.
• 32:42
  Meggan: We'll do that in 2022
• 32:44
  Jenn: to get there.
• 32:45
  Jenn: Summer, go outside
• 32:47
  Meggan: spring and then summer we'll we'll we'll cover you people.
• 32:51
  Jenn: Oh, we'll be there.
• 32:52
  Jenn: But yeah, it's been really great.
• 32:53
  Jenn: So as always, you can find us on our website, travelmugpodcast.com.
• 32:59
  Jenn: Currently getting a makeover and we'll be all brand new and shiny in the new year.
• 33:05
  Jenn: And you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at the travel mug podcast, and you can watch us on our YouTube channel.
• 33:12
  Jenn: And if you're watching us on YouTube, we've noticed that Megan and I both dyed her hair pink.
• 33:18
  Meggan: It was so wild, you guys
• 33:20
  Jenn: were out of control of it and he would also love it.
• 33:24
  Jenn: If you would give us a review on apple podcasts and get really helps the show.
• 33:30
  Jenn: If you do that and to share with a travel loving pal
• 33:35
  Meggan: Sharing is caring.
• 33:37
  Meggan: Bye.