We are safely in Halifax after a long tough drive and day. Dad left today and is off to Washington, DC for work for a few weeks so we are exploring and traveling solo for a bit. Today we went to the Halifax Citadel and had an epic time. It is a huge fort on a hill that was manned by British troops (in kilts?) during the 1800s. It was the center for the British Army in North America so it was vital to defend. We got to go through the access tunnels to the outer wall areas and see where the gun slots were. We learned how they would have defended the citadel if it were ever attacked, which is wasn’t.
We joined a guided tour to learn a LOT but the area and citadel. All of the employees are in period dress. I thought it was strange that they wore kilts but apparently there was a lot of Scottish descendants in the 1800s in this area.
The Citdal sits ont he highest point in Halifax and you can see for miles. See the blue sky? It got up to 86F today! After the 50s for weeks on end we were DYING in the heat!
Looking down onto the inside of the Citadel.
We walked the edges of the walls as we listed to bag pipers, rifle guns and commanders training the troops. Everything was like it was a day in the 1800s.
This is called the Noon Cannon. At 12:00 daily the cannons fired. 364 days a year. They do NOT fire it on Christmas. It used to be shot with 4lbs of gunpowder but windows were breaking around Halifax. They dropped it to 2-3 lbs and car alarms were still going off. So now it is 1lb of powder and can be heard as far away as Dartmouth across the water.
We toured all the rooms and learned how the sentry guards napped on these beds in full uniform!
This was the rec hall type area.
The bedrooms were tight quarters.
We explored what went into the packs and belongings of the soldiers. They even had a special took to block the fabric of the uniform when they polished their buttons.
We got to try being sentry guards. We lasted almost 2 minutes until Mom got us to laugh.
We saw a neat rifle demonstration and then rolled our eyes as hundreds of school kids screamed at the gun shots.
The Powder magazine was stacked full of barrels of 100lbs each of powder. Obviously they are empty today but that was a lot of black powder!
There was even a school room where kids and adults went to learn to read, write, learn maps and math. We got to write our names of the slates.
We wrapped up the main exhibits and earned a new Parcs Canada XPlorer dog tag for the park. We really like doing the workbooks and learning about the parks. Up next were some more modern war exhibits through ww1, ww2, Korean War and more. Outside was a model of the trenches. We really loved exploring and learning and them. As you walked along you encountered people in period dress and they told you about life in the trenches. It was very impactful.
Before you stood up you may put up a dummy head to make sure no enemy was firing upon you.
I got to dig my own toilet. I didn’t use it, don’t worry! It was really gross to think they sat on the wooden plank to use the restroom (in Canada it is washroom).
We stuck around for the Noon Cannon. Again screaming school children abounded but it was really loud!
We left and grabbed lunch and headed to a city park with more historical fortifications.
I was hiding behind trees. Mom found me!
The entire are is packed full of history.
This is the Prince of Wales tower. A very unique fort that is completely round. Sadly, it was under construction so we could only read the signs and walk the perimeter.
We enjoyed walking the trails and getting some fresh air.
We wrapped up the day at the Farmers Market and Seaside. Mom found a parking space with a FREE car charging station! Well, we had to pay $1 to park in the lot but we got a half a charge on the car in the time we wandered around.
They also have a very bike friendly community. I would LOVE to see these around town! It is a hike repair station. All the tools you need to work on your bike are chained to the large green tube. There is also a tire pump!
Checking out the harbor. This is where the cruise ships that come to Halifax dock.
Mom was fascinated by the statue of Cunard! It was HUGE!
The lamps on the pier were a work of art! It says they work at night too! Including the one that is laying down on the ground. Pretty cool.
We saw a swarm of comb jellyfish in the water and then several cannonball jellies!
On the way back to the campground we stopped at the bookstore but not before seeing another Costco on a man made hill. We find it weird that Costco must take the worst piece of land and build up to make it flat and then build a store! Every one we have seen in Canada has been on a hill. Oh and the Costcos here sell chicken strips and poutine in the food court.
