Nova Scotia Halifax, Baddeck, The Cabot Trail, The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo June 29 th July 7 th, 2017 Escorted by Don & Pat Clitsome Nova Scotia is more than just a pretty picture. Yes, this is a place of historic lighthouses, rolling hills and cultivated farms, not to mention the blustery, boggy uplands and crags of Cape Breton Highlands National Park but Nova Scotia also surprises you with Halifax, a city possessing more intriguing street life than plenty of cities three times its size. Halifax has been called a "San Francisco in miniature"! This is a province that has truly earned its name. "Nova Scotia" is just grammar-school Latin for "New Scotland" with Highland Games, kilts, more than a touch of brogue, and the strains of some local Celtic band's fiddle playing eminating from a tiny pub. Come with us to Nova Scotia and find out for yourself! Thursday June 29 th, 2017 Meals Include: Dinner Halifax Fly WestJet Group Flights from Hamilton! We plan to arrive in Halifax late afternoon on our West Jet flight from Hamilton where our waiting coach will transfer everyone to the Delta Halifax hotel for our 5 night stay! The Delta Halifax is located in the heart of downtown on the Link pedway system and has an indoor walkway to the historic Waterfront. The hotel is surrounded by historic pubs filled with east coast music and fun-loving maritime atmosphere. Dinner is included tonight in the Hotel.
Friday June 30 th, 2017 Halifax This morning we meet our hand-picked private tour guide Andy! Andy will take us on a sightseeing tour through Halifax's historic downtown area. Along the way Andy will tell us about the many important events in Canadian, Maritime and North American history including the famous harbour explosion of 1917, our connection to the Titanic as well as Nova Scoria s unique culture and history. I will be happy to share many interesting stories, the local character and lots of local gossip. And depending on the weather, we will visit our Fairview ('Titanic') Cemetery where 120 passengers and crew lay buried as well as Halifax's Public Gardens (the oldest Victorian garden in North America. You can top the morning off with included entrance into The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The afternoon and dinner are at leisure. Saturday July 1 st, 2017 Royal International Tattoo/Dinner Harbour Cruise & Dinner Happy Canada Day 150 years old today! This morning is at leisure to enjoy the festivities of the city on July 1 st In the early afternoon we will enjoy a wonderful experience at The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. The cast of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo includes people of all ages and backgrounds. Featuring military, police, and civilian performers, the show is a true partnership. You will see and hear pipes and drums, military and civilian bands, historic re-enactments, dancers, acrobats, choirs, military displays and competitions, drama, comedy and more. The participants are without a doubt, the best in the world at what they do and they come from all over the world to take part. After the Tattoo we have a wonderful Halifax dinner Harbour Cruise arranged aboard the Harbour Queen I, a Mississippi style sternwheeler that will take us on a tour of the waters of Halifax Harbour while enjoying dinner. The lower deck of the Harbour Queen is fully enclosed and heated for our comfort. We should be back at the hotel to put your feet up by about 9:00PM. You should be able to see the fireworks from our wonderful patio Harbourfront rooms! What a great day!
Sunday July 2nd, 2017 Peggy s Cove, Mahone Bay, Lunenburg & Lunch Andy will wisk us off for an early start this morning...for our South Shore tour. Peggy s Cove! Peggy of the Cove was the title given to the sole survivor of a shipwreck on Halibut Rock, Nova Scotia, near the famous fishing village where a graceful lighthouse sits atop the smooth wave-worn granite of the coast. The tiny harbour below the lighthouse is a masterpiece of seasoned fish sheds and colourful fishing boats, making it one of the most photographed places in Canada. Lunenburg - one of Nova Scotia s most beautiful and historic seafaring towns - is our next stop. The old town of Lunenburg is one of only two urban communities in North America designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Considered to be the best surviving planned British colonial town in North America, you can still see the tall ships moored off the port and hear the smith s hammer. Lunenburg s harbour-side streets are lined with unique shops and restaurants that blend with the well-preserved and colourfully painted historic homes, much of it like a living museum from the 18th century. While in Lunenburg we have included lunch but also some free time so that you will have plenty of time to explore at leisure. Mahone Bay The village of Mahone Bay, settled in 1754 by European Protestants, is picture-perfect Nova Scotia at its best. It's tidy and trim, with an eclectic Main Street that snakes along the lovely bay and is lined with inviting shops. We return to Halifax late afternoon for dinner at leisure. Monday July 3rd, 2017 Halifax Today is a relaxing day at leisure in Halifax. Enjoy Tuesday July 4 th, 2017 Baddeck Today we travel to the Canso Causeway and cross to Cape Breton, the Scotland of North America. After a morning s drive, and lunch enroute we continue to Baddeck. We have a short drive to our accommodations in Baddeck, The Inverary Resort, where you will spend the next 3 nights.
Tuesday July 4 th, 2017 Baddeck The Inverary Resort is situated right on the waterfront of Baddeck, Alexander Graham Bell's beloved Cape Breton home, and the starting point of the world-famous Cabot Trail. In keeping with the famed inventor's tradition, the MacAulay Family has been extending a warm welcome to travellers from around the globe for over 30 years. Originally built in 1850, this 11-acre Nova Scotia vacation resort sits on the shores of Cape Breton's glorious Bras d'or Lakes, and offers us wonderful views and beautiful landscapes for our 5 night stay. We will be able to experience their waterfront boardwalk, enjoy the spa and the pool. Overnight: Inverary Resort Wednesday July 5 th, 2017:, Lunch & Dinner Cabot Trail An early start today along with our Cape Breton local guide, as we discover first hand why Conde Nast magazine readers rated Cape Breton one of the top ten most beautiful islands in the world! Named for explorer John Cabot, the Cabot Trail winds around the rocky splendour of Cape Breton s northern shore, ascending to the incredible plateaus of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. This highway, hugging the rocky coast, winds past beautiful villages, soaring highlands, and epic golf courses that would look right at home in Scotland. Look Offs offer unforgettable vistas of Cape Breton s rugged coastline so be sure to have your camera ready! We return to the Inverary Hotel for an included dinner and an evening at leisure. Overnight: Inverary Resort Thursday July 6 th 2017: & Dinner Day at Leisure We enjoy a full day at leisure in Baddeck. If you would like to join us on an optional excursion, our coach will be taking anyone interested to the Gaelic College/Colaisde Na Gàidhlig in nearby St. Ann s Bay. The college was founded in 1938 as a school devoted to the study and preservation of the Gaelic language and Celtic arts and culture. Situated in the heart of one of the earliest Scottish settlements in Cape Breton, the College began as a school of Gaelic language in a small log cabin overlooking St. Ann's Bay.
Thursday July 6 th 2017: & Dinner Day at Leisure Their shop specializes in handmade weaving and tartan items, books, music, and celtic jewellery. For those looking for authentic Nova Scotia literature and music, the Gaelic College Craft Shop is your one-stop-shop. From traditional Cape Breton fiddle, to Highland bagpipes, and more, they have the music perfect for your collection. Their extensive selection of books includes music books, locally-written novels, and history pieces. You may want to relax at a Café in Baddeck, or take a cruise of the Bras d Or Lakes. Cape Breton is home to hundreds of pairs of nesting bald eagles and we are told that we are able to see these wonderful birds on most of the cruise tours. From the deck of the Schooner Amoeba, you can enjoy the beautiful Baddeck shoreline, and wonderful views of the Alexander Graham Bell's mansion Beinn Bhreagh, the surrounding communities and Spectacle Island (Bird Sanctuary). You may also decide to visit the Alexander Graham Bell Museum Cape Breton s most famous resident, Alexander Graham Bell, once said, I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton out rivals them all. Bell fell in love with the region and built his beautiful estate on the shores of the Bras d Or Lakes. You can discover his legacy from his humanitarian accomplishments to his gigantic kites, airplanes, a boat that flew, and more at this fascinating museum. This evening, after dinner, you may want to venture into town (with our coach) to St. Michael s Parish Hall to enjoy a local Ceilidh. A ceilidh is a kitchen party where everyone is welcome to perform if they wish. From the very beginning, for St. Michael s Parish Hall, teachers and students from the nearby Gaelic College dropped by to play the fiddle or the bagpipes, to dance or to tell stories. Local up-and-coming musicians were hired to perform. Then established musician friends started to drop by to entertain as well. The Baddeck Gathering Ceilidh was an immediate success, and now visitors from as far away as Australia have come back night after night to enjoy the music and to perform. Overnight: Inverary Resort Friday July 7 th, 2017: Baddeck/Halifax/Hamilton We leave the Inverary today and re-cross the Canso Causeway to mainland Nova Scotia. We will stop en route in Pictou for lunch at leisure. Pictou is renowned as the "Birthplace of New Scotland". We have allowed time in Pictou for you to enjoy lunch in one of the many cafés or restaurants and time to browse in the shops, or possibly to tour the replica of the ship Hector which arrived in Pictou in 1773. We will continue to Halifax Airport for our early evening flight to Hamilton.
Nova Scotia with Don and Pat June 29 th July 7 th, 2017 Your cost Includes * West Jet Flight from Hamilton to Halifax and return * 5 nights accommodation at the Delta Halifax * 3 nights accommodation at The Inverary Resort * Transportation throughout by luxury coach * All Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, and 5 Dinners (including taxes & gratuities) * Halifax city sightseeing with Andy * Full day excursion with Andy to Peggy s Cove, Mahone Bay & Lunenburg * Tickets to enjoy the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo * Halifax dinner harbor cruise * Full day guided sightseeing on the Cabot Trail * All sightseeing as per the itinerary * Escorted by Pat & Don Clitsome COST: $3,098.00 per person double plus tax $395.00 Single Supplement $950.00 The group size will be limited to approximately 30 participants. The deposit required to reserve is $800.00 per person. We will try to arrange single shares To confirm your spot on the tour please call... Shelley ext 11 or Wendi ext 15 at Battlefield Travel (905) 662-6355 or toll free at 1 866 574 8004. Email: wendi@battlefieldtravel.com 297 Highway 8, Stoney Creek, ON L8G 1E5 TICO 2591391