Back to blog part 2 - what I did on my summer vacation

I don't think that I have ever had two weeks of vacation at the same time since I started working.  However, that's exactly what happened this year.  And since I had two weeks I felt like I really ought to be doing something with it.

My dad came to Canada from Holland when he was five years old, entering through Pier 21 in Halifax.  Pier 21 is now a museum, documenting the stories it saw during it's years of service.  My dad (and mom) have been there a couple of times, but I never had, and in an effort to appreciate my heritage, we made plans for an east coast vacation that included Pier 21.  I felt fairly strongly that if I was going to see Pier 21, it really should be with my dad.

J. Dawson grave marker

So, we drove east as far as Halifax and started the actual vacation (though not the travel) there.  Pier 21 was first, then the Halifax boardwalk and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where they had a Titanic exhibit.   Then we went to one of the cemataries where they buried most of the Titanic victims.  Kind of creepy, I know.  But strangely, even though there is no connection at all, there is a stone there for J. Dawson, as if they've buried the character from the Leonardo DiCaprio movie.  They didn't.  It's an extremely different person, named Joseph, not Jack.  And Joseph actually existed, not just fictionally.

lighthouse at Peggy's Cove

We went to the Citadel, a historic fort in Halifax, and then headed to Peggy's Cove to see the lighthouse.  We had heard that they may be shutting the tourist portion down because of lack of funding.  That's unfortunate.  It's quite a sight.  

From there, we headed to PEI, travelling to the island by ferry.  It was a great day to be on the water.  Charlottetown was first on the agenda - Province House, the place of Canada's Confederation and where PEI's legislature sits to be specific.    We also wandered a little in Charlottetown before we headed to Summerside.    They have an adorable boardwalk there.  Our hotel was across from the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts, so despite my dad's aversion to the pipes, we went there in the morning.  It was quick, lucky for my dad.  

Confederation Bridge from a distance

We drove a little bit further in PEI before heading back to the mainland, this time coming across the Confederation Bridge.

boardwalk in New Brunswick

We spent several days in New Brunswick with relatives before we headed home.  It was a nice trip; hectic, but relaxing at the same time.  It was nice to be away, but I think we were all happy to get home as well.