One of my favorite vacation destinations in Canada is Nova Scotia. If you love dramatic coastlines, sandy beaches, seaside villages and delicious seafood, nothing beats Nova Scotia. All of Nova Scotia is like one giant outdoors attraction, whether you had south to Yarmouth and Cape Sable or north to the island of Cape Breton. The scenery is incredible and you can fish, go boating, camp or just relax in the fresh salty sea air.

Whether you plan to tour most of Nova Scotia or just one area, plan to spend a day or two in Halifax. Book a hotel in the downtown area and enjoy exploring the wonderful shops, museums and seafood restaurants there.

My favorite place to stay is the Cambridge Suites Hotel Halifax. It's not too pricey, the facilities and amenities are great, and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. You'll also be right in the heart of the city, close to everything.  You can easily find this hotel and others that are well within your budget at HotelsCombined.com.  I use the site anytime I am looking for good deals on hotels while traveling. 

Whenever I visit Halifax, I always visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. This is one of the best indoors attractions in all of Nova Scotia. I usually save it for when the weather is a bit chilly or rainy, but it is well worth stepping out of the sunshine for an intriguing morning or afternoon tour.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic focuses on Nova Scotia's maritime history, but also the Royal Canadian Navy, Nova Scotia ships and shipwrecks. There are large, permanent exhibits like the Small Craft Gallery, and you can see even more boats in the Museum's wharf area. You'll also see tons of photos, charts, plans and artifacts at the Museum.

There is an entire exhibit devoted to Nova Scotia Shipwrecks at the Maritime Museum, and this is my favorite exhibit. You can see images, read reports and personal accounts of thousands of shipwrecks that have occurred off the coasts of Nova Scotia from 1599 although way through 1999.

After you finish your tour of the Maritime Museum, you'll want to stop for lunch or head out for a delicious seafood dinner in Halifax. A great place for lobster is Boondocks at Fisherman's Cove or if you love mussels, try 5 Fishermen's. Both of these offer excellent seafood, reasonable prices and excellent service.

If you're up for a night out after dinner during your stay in Halifax and you like a pub with a lot of atmosphere and a local feel, try the Split Crow. This is an upbeat pub that serves a good assortment of beer and microbrews as well as Guinness. You can catch live music here on occasion, but even without it, it's a fun place with a friendly crowd.