Halifax - Day 1

Not surprisingly, D and I were awake by 6 a.m., though Eli slept through until 7. When everyone was up and dressed, we headed down to the breakfast room. The menu was the same every day we were there: scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, ham, cereal, muffins, bagels/bread for toasting, yogurt, and for those willing to wait a little longer, waffles. There was definitely something for everyone. 

When I set up the schedule for our trip (yes, there was a spreadsheet), I had planned a couple of activities/places to see, but of course with lots of free time. Our agenda for Day 1 was the Maritime museum and Pier 21 Museum of Immigration. We only made it to the first and walked part of the boardwalk on the waterfront. There was salt water taffy to buy and a playground for Eli to enjoy. I had warned D there would be a lot of walking, and there was and both she and Eli ended up early in the day with blisters. . D was able to switch out shoes, but Eli's blister was on the bottom of his foot. 

In addition to this area, there was a climbing apparatus with slides, and a large concrete whale tail to climb. It was the latter that caused Eli's blister. He tried to climb it wearing his shoes but wasn't able to make it to the top. Barefoot he basically walked up but when he slid down, he tried slowing himself down, resulting in the blister.

Off we went to find a drugstore, and while D ran in to get what she needed, I searched for a restaurant for lunch. Some distance from downtown, we found Willman's Fish and Chips. The business was originally opened in 1946 at the same location, though has had two other owners since. The latest owners have rebuilt in the same location, a corner lot in what seemed to be a mostly residential area. It was quiet, just one other family was dining while we were there, and I can confirm the food was delicious!

Back at the hotel we spent an hour or so at the pool. I should mention Halifax was under a heat warning for the first couple of days, with temperatures over 30C (86F) and the humidity was high. I didn't get in the pool that day, but D and Eli enjoyed the cool water. When we headed back to the room, I napped for nearly 90 minutes - I guess I was more tired than I realized. After my nap, we headed out to a nearby Dollarama to pick up some inexpensive beach towels - the ones at the hotel were no bigger than hand towels. 

On our way back, we stopped at a local pizzeria, Tomaso's, touted as the oldest pizzeria in Halifax. Originally opened in 1969 in downtown Halifax, the current owner moved to the Bedford Highway location. The restaurant has no air conditioning, so we chose to take our meal back to the hotel. We ordered a combo, including a pizza, garlic fingers, and a 2 litre bottle of pop/soda. There was more than enough food for two nights, plus a snack or two. 

While the day didn't pan out the way I had thought it might, we did have a good day. D would have liked to have spent more time at the Maritime museum, and Eli would have liked more time at the playground area at the waterfront. I was happy with my nap. :)

The weather improved the next day, and with proper footwear and bandages, it was a busy one.