We weren’t too sure if we were going to have snow that sticks in Halifax this winter, but that all changed the first week of February. On Friday, heavy snow started to fall and it wasn’t long before the streets were completely covered. Restaurants were still open that night, and we got to enjoy a great meal at a pub down the road from us, but by the next morning the whole city was shutdown. Our trip to Lunenburg got postponed and we were stuck at home.
A full twelve inches fell that first night, which meant we had our work cut out with shoveling. Our driveway is shared with the neighbours beside us and we were both out clearing snow at the same time. We got to talking about where Amy and I were from and when Manitoba was brought up the response is, “Well you must be used to all this shoveling then!” Trust me, we are not. Nova Scotia snow is wet and unforgiving. I was wishing for the light, dry powder that falls back in Winnipeg over what we were experiencing this weekend. Sure, it doesn’t melt ever, but I would take the few extra minutes you spent clearing your driveway each time you get a dusting of snow over three consecutive days of shoveling slush and ice.
A taste of what the storm left us with over the weekend.
The constant snow meant that nearly every business was shuttered for the weekend. Larger chains were still open, but the numerous small businesses that populated the streets around us were completely closed. Halifax does not have the snow clearing capabilities of Winnipeg, which is surprising the considering the number of snow days we have had this year. Even with the smallest amount of snow fall, schools will cancel and businesses will close, but considering how long it takes for the city to clean up afterwards, I guess it makes sense. Our church even had to relocate for their Sunday service because the main space we use was closed all weekend. Attempting to still make the best of the weekend, we suited up in all our winter gear and made the trek down the street to the grocery store to load up on snacks. Luckily the power never went out, so we could still have a movie night (Star Wars!).
Over the course of the next week, the snow melted away, but considering the volume of we received, the majority of it here to stay for the foreseeable future. Luckily the following weekend rolled around with no storms in the forecast and we were able to make our trip out to Lunenburg!
The town is just over an hour away from the city and it’s known to be a big tourist spot in the summer. Prior to heading out, we did what is quickly becoming a typical Saturday ritual and had a big pancake breakfast to tide us over till supper time. We left for the town around noon and it was turning out to be a beautiful day for a little road trip. The sun was out shining, slowly thawing our surroundings, and winter was beginning to feel like it was in the rear-view mirror again.
Lunenburg was quiet, likely due to our visit being out of season, and offered plenty of spots to park the car. The streets were lined up with parking metres, but none of them appeared to be functioning. After standing around helpless for a few minutes, a local gave us the advice to ignore the metres and we continued on with our day. We figured they are not closely monitored in the winter and only used in peak season when traffic would get a little more unmanageable in a small town. We grabbed a coffee at the shop down the street from where we parked and proceeded to wander the town.
We enjoyed the colorful buildings throughout Lunenburg and could see why it’s such a tourist destination in the summer!
There was lots of cute shops lining the sidewalks and, despite there not being much foot traffic, it seemed like most of them were open. We slowly walked through the shops, most of them being gift shops and explored the handful of blocks that businesses were centred around. Eventually, we got on the Back Harbour Trail which followed the now decommissioned CNR rail line. When Lunenburg was still a ship building port, all materials would have been brought in by rail, but over time trucks began to take the place of rail shipments when it finally ceased use in the 1980s. The trail gave a nice view of the surrounding area, and lead us into the back of the town.
Venturing on the Back Harbour Trail and walking past St. John’s Anglican Church, which was established in 1753.
We had a tour booked at Ironworks Distillery, so after we finished our hike around town, we headed over. The Distillery is operating in an old blacksmith shop and they still have plenty of the tools and equipment on display. The building was home to blacksmiths that provided many different pieces to all sorts of ships, including one used in the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean. One of the most interesting things was the chimney. If you looked up you could see a sharp angle in the shape of the chimney as it traveled up to the roof top. Thinking that it had something to do with airflow, it turned to be a “Witch’s Bend”, which was simply to keep Witches from crawling down your chimney.
We were a smaller group for the tour, with just Amy, myself, and another couple. This gave us lots of opportunities to really learn about production of spirits and ask all kinds of questions on the process.
We saw lots of rum barrels and cool machinery, along with the unique “Witch’s Bend” (left) displayed in the centre of the distillery.
After the tour was over we were starting to get very hungry, having only eaten Brunch. So decided to sample a few restaurants, starting with appetizers with a cool little cocktail bar. Even in the off season with a smaller crowd the place still turned out great drinks and food. We can’t wait to see this place again in the summer time. For the main course we found ourselves at a more traditional pub. It was completely packed when we got here and had a really lively feel to it. The food was great and it really allowed us to unwind from a long adventure filled day.
Some yummy tapas at Bar Salvador and an incredibly delicious supper at The Knot Pub
Once we were fed, we walked back to the car and made the journey back home. Fog was starting to settle over the highway and it gave a bit of a haunting feeling to our surroundings, but we made it back in one piece. We were ready to head to bed after a long day of exploring.
J & A's Adventure 
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