ARIA: The Bay of Fundy is a magical place. It's one of the most dramatic tides in the world, and walking on the ocean floor is stunning. Just... beware of the tides. They come up quickly, and if you're not careful... Well, bad things happen.

TED: Experience the Bay of Fundy at low tide if the rafting option isn't your thing.

ARIA: Don't wear white, unless you want a stained souvenir with a cool story!

TED: Think rafting but you're riding an incoming tide from the Bay of Fundy into smaller river channels.

ARIA: The BEST golf in Nova Scotia is at Fox Harb'r and Cabot Cliffs... But those are WAY too far, unless you want to book a gold vacay after the wedding! In the meantime, the two courses Ted suggested are GREAT!

TED: There are sooo many golf courses in Nova Scotia, but the two closet to the wedding venue would be Eagle Crest (https://www.eaglecrestgolfcourse.com/) and Island Green (https://www.theislandgreen.com/golf).

ARIA: I think I went here on a school trip once? I remember it was really cool, and informative! But, also really sad the Acadians were forced to leave their homes.

TED: Learn about Acadians or, as we call them, Cajuns (post-migration).

ARIA: The Wineries in Nova Scotia are STUNNING. But maybe stick to trying their sparkling wines. Those seem to be the best! Be prepared to stumble home.

TED: A bus tour that checks out some of the vineyards in the Annapolis Valley (the area where the actual wedding is).

ALTERNATIVES: They also do a Halifax Beer bus, a Peggy's Foodie Adventure (it goes South of Halifax to the shore area), and an Eat Halifax Tour.

ARIA: Almost every school in Halifax takes their prom pictures here. It's a gorgeous location, and it's right by Spring Garden, which is a hot spot!

TED: A nice place to go for a relaxing walk and see a bunch of ducks.

ARIA: We don't call soccer football. We call soccer, soccer. I've never been, but a family friend said that he bought four tall boys for 20 bucks, so it sounds like a rip-roaring good time.

TED: Do you like soccer (or I guess they call it football here)? Why not check out a Wanderers game and think "Gee, I could probably play in the Canadian Premier League."

ARIA: The one thing you need to do on the boardwalk is climb "The Wave." Sure, it looks easy. Sure, a sign says, "Do not climb." Sure, there's tons of kids on it. Barrel past the children and sign and quickly accept defeat as you slide down, inches from the top, onto the rubber ground. Only the strongest will make it to the top and have my respect.

TED: Apparently, this is one of the world's largest boardwalks (2.5 miles) and has some great views along with everything from museums to restaurants.

ARIA: In 'ye olden days, the tour guides would lead the tourists in choruses of "ribbit ribbit." To which the locals would yell back. Around ten years ago, they stopped doing it (noise complaints?) Who knows. Anyway, it's a great tour, you'll learn tons about the city.

TED: They spell harbor incorrectly and don't even call them duck boats like in Boston. It is a fun tour of the city via land and water, though!

ARIA: It's a local joke that we take every tourist who's visiting to Peggy's Cove. But we do it for a good reason. It's a beautiful spot. Just don't climb on the black rocks close to the water. You don't want to be THAT tourist who gets swept into the waves and dies.

TED: A little bit of a drive outside of Halifax proper, but it's a nice view/fun little town.

ARIA: When I was in grade school, our Terry Fox run (a 5k to raise money for cancer research, google it) would go through the park. It is HILLY. But, you get great views of the harbor, the arm, and of tons of great dogs. You may even witness the Navy doing a ceremony and fly over, or some kids trying to smoke pot!

TED: Nice place to go for a walk or run.

ARIA:

TED Another park you can walk/run through but this one has a tower you can climb.

ARIA: Get ready to rage. It's a booze cruise that takes you all around the harbor and the arm.

TED: A fun way to see Halifax from the water (there's alcohol).

ALTERNATE: Check out all the different types of cruises with Ambassatours. They also have a paddle boat called the Harbor Queen.

ARIA: It's a local chain, but they have some REALLY fun beers and ciders. Absolutely worth checking out (I like the beer garden the best)

TED: This didn't make the breweries list because it's got 3 locations (a bar, [Bar Stillwell], a beer garden [Stillwell Beer Garden], and a restaurant [Freehouse]), which are all worth a visit to get a good taste of their beer (and others' beers) and food.

ARIA: This place is literally my heaven. There are tons of cider options, almost everything can be made gluten-free, and everyone is SO NICE. Because of Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, has some great ciders. It's one of the reasons I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to them. Chain Yard is just one of many with great brews!

TED: You can't go wrong with a cider flight or stopping by on their bingo night (Wednesday).

ARIA: A refuge for everyone looking to go out on the town who's above the age of 21. Remember, the drinking age in Canada is 19, so there are a lot of drunk youngsters running around Argyle Street! This place is a slightly older crowd.

TED: A fun Irish pub that they call "authentic."

ALTERNATIVES:

Halifax Alehouse - pub grub and live music (an unsolved murder happened there long ago.)

Maxwell's Plum - a sports bar with pub grub and lots of taps. (They have a Power Hour for pitchers of beer.)

Bitter End - pub grub, but the real draw is their martini Mondays deal.

ARIA: Bulwark Taproom is one of my favorites (besides Chainyard), but if you're looking to find some new breweries, distilleries, or wineries, check out the "Good Cheer Trail." It's basically a "drink your way through NS and win some prizes" type of deal.

TED: This place has enough breweries to test even the most seasoned of drinkers. I'm partial to Garrison, Alexander Keith's, Good Robot, Propeller, and 2 Crows (in no particular order).

BONUS: One of the better beer gardens is on the waterfront. It's literally called "Beer Garden" now, but it used to be owned by The Stubborn Goat, a fun gastropub. Maybe it still is. Who knows.

ARIA: Don't go to Obladee wine bar. Go here.

TED: Exactly what it says, plus some good food.

ARIA: Everyone says the food is terrible, but the cocktails were great. When we went here we got some green tea shots for free which were amazing!

TED: Tons of good cocktails. I've never tried the food, but it looks decent.

ARIA: Hungover? Are you looking for greasy food with prices and decor that haven't changed a lot since the 2000's? You've come to the right place! This place is a pillar in the community, which every local adores.

TED: Diner food.

ARIA: This truly is one of the best restaurants in the city. It's so good.

TED: This is the best restaurant in the city. From food to drinks, I have never been disappointed here.

ARIA: It's a great steakhouse! An alternative is "Cut," but they're virtually the same. This place is prettier, though, by FAR.

TED: Higher end place where people only really go to celebrate special occasions /business meetings. But isn't this all a special occasion?

ARIA: This is not Chipotle. This is terrible tex-mex food that almost everyone has consumed out of desperation on a late Saturday night.

TED: Think Chipotle. P.S. I will not endorse Mexican food from Canada.

ARIA: Ted has never been here, so don't listen to him. They serve some pretty good North American Italian cuisine and can accommodate most allergies. The people who own it also have other Italian restaurants that are half decent, including La Frasca, a Mano, and Il Mercato. My favorite is definitely Il Mercato, but it's a trek. This place has the nicest location and views by far.

TED: You ever see a place and think they're trying too hard? This is that place. It always seems to be crowded though so there must be something to it.

ARIA: I love this place. It also does a GREAT brunch! Elevated, the decor is lovely, and I've never had a bad meal here. Absolutely go if you get a chance!

TED: Nice French spot.

ARIA: Cow's has won multiple awards for its Ice Cream, and on top of that, almost everything has a cow pun. It's perfect for getting in a cone to go and then walking around on the waterfront.

TED: It's kinda like Ben & Jerry's with a few redundant flavors, which is fine because you can just blend them together in a milkshake to make a super flavor. They also have a ton of silly parody shirts that makes you wonder how they haven't been sued to the moon and back.

ALTERNATIVES:

Sugah! - Think of it as a more locally sourced Coldstone.

BeaverTails - A Canadian delicacy. Like a dessert pizza on fried dough

The Middlespoon - desserterie & bar (there's a speakeasy in here called The Noble)

ARIA: Another pillar in the community. They have THICK shakes and fun burgers. If you are feeling brave, try their peanut butter burger. Yes, peanut butter, egg, and beef do go together. It's a local favorite.

TED: Burger and shake joint.

ARIA: I love their drinks and food. It's great if you like raw seafood and fun cocktails! It's one of my favorite spots, for sure.

TED: High end seafood spot by the water.

ARIA: A vegan-friendly restaurant with a hip, young vibe. Tons of sharing plates, fun interesting food, and tasty cocktails!

TED: This is my pick for second best restaurant in the city. Lots of sharing plates!

ARIA: It's not Sweetgreen. It has burgers and tons of bowls and salads. It's my go-to place when I'm desperate for lunch, and I need something healthy and quick!

TED: Think Sweetgreen.

ARIA: Love this place. Great for tapas, wine, and fun drinks!

TED: My pick for 3rd best restaurant in the city. Lots of small sharing plates and great drinks.

ARIA: Donairs, not "Gyros." not "Street Meat," are a Nova Scotian delicacy. It's like a Germon Doner but with a sweet white sauce.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9RKqgqAABs&ab_channel=CBCComedy

TED: Street meat.

ARIA: Picture this. It's Saturday night in the middle of January. You've been dancing and bar hopping around town. You're looking for fries—any fries, or better yet, the best poutine in town. You go to Willy's. The line wraps around the block and you're in a tight mini skirt with heels, you didn't bring a coat since who needs one anyways? Despite all this, you tough it out. Why? Willy's is the best, and when you get your poutine loaded with gravy, cheese curds, and meat, every second was worth it.

TED: Apparently the best poutine spot in town.

ARIA: A casual vegan-friendly restaurant with some tasty bites. You really can't go wrong.

TED: Much nicer than Brass Monkey in NYC.

ARIA: They've got a killer gluten-free crust. Ted didn't like the regular crust, I can't speak on that, but their gluten-free pies were EXCELLENT!

TED: It's a good slice. The crust could use some work, but isn't that the case everywhere besides NYC?

ARIA: Ted's family most likely immigrated through this Pier, as did the majority of families in North America before Ellis Island was even established. I believe they even have an exhibit where you can see if your family immigrated through this Pier.

TED: The Ellis Island of Halifax.

ARIA: Beware the cannon that goes off at 12 p.m. every day. It's loud. But it's a super cool historic fort. Pack a picnic, and after you tour the fort, enjoy a meal on the hill looking over the water and city.

TED: Apparently, there's a fort on top of the big hill in Halifax. I'm too lazy to climb the hill, so I've never seen it, but Aria says you should!

ARIA: I haven't been on this, but I really want to. Halifax is so old (Est 1749) that some brutal stories exist.

TED: Do you like falling asleep to horror movies like Aria does? If so, this is for you.

ARIA: So Halifax is actually quite close to where the Titanic sank. Because of that, a lot of stuff and... er... victims washed up on its shore. It also sent out ships to help the survivors. We have a ton of history intertwined with the famous ship.

TED: A 6-hour tour that covers a lot of Titanic-related history and Halifax history.

ALTERNATIVES:

Fairview Lawn Cemetery - don't have 6 hours to spend? This cemetery has over 100 graves for victims of the Titanic

ARIA: Grade 12. Right before Winter break. Most of us could drive and were adults, but for some reason, teachers made us walk as a group to this museum. The snow picks up, and suddenly, 50 teens are caught in a snowstorm. We were cold, wet, and a few of us almost blew away. The highlight of this trip? The museum itself was freakin awesome. Also, we got to have parents pick us up since the teachers didn't want to hear us complain about walking back.

TED: The oldest and largest maritime museum in all of Canada.