Dakeyne Farm Sunflower Maze
Dakeyne Farm Sunflower Maze
Disclosure: Our family received a family pass to the sunflower maze so we could write our report. All opinions are our own.
Get Lost and Find Yourself in a field of sunflowers. What could be better than this?
Spend the afternoon wandering around a maze made completely of sunflowers!
Here’s what the website says
Welcome to Nova Scotia’s Sunflower Maze!
Join us for a stroll through our field of Sunflowers and enjoy a beautiful view of the Avon River and it’s surrounding area.
When you Go
When you arrive at Dakeyene Farm, you will be given a map of the sunflower maze. Each year, the maze is a different shape. This year, it was a caterpillar!
As you wander the maze, there are a series of 10 questions that you can answer. Throughout the maze, there are poles with the answers to the questions on them.
Walk around the maze until you have discovered all the answers to the questions!
There is also a great observation tower, sometimes in the middle of the maze, that offers a great view.
It took us about 1.5 hours to complete the maze and to wander and enjoy the view.
Tips
It is very hot in the sunflower maze and there is no shade. Wear sunscreen, and definitely bring a hat. We saw a few people go in with umbrellas! They were thinking ahead!
Go later in the day when it isn’t so hot. They are open every Sunny day during the month of August from 10-7.
Wear good footwear. The maze is on the side of a slight hill and is a farm field. There are ruts and rocks. Dress properly. Strollers would not be easy to push.
Go several times in the season. If you can, it would be nice to go several times to see how the flowers grow and change throughout the season. last year, we went before any major rain, so the flowers hadn’t yet opened or grown very tall, but it was still just as fun!
Other Amenities
On site, there is a picnic area, including a section that is shaded.
The kids loved flying the kites, too!
There is also frisbee golf
and soccer croquet that come with admission.
And, you are never too old to play in the sand pit!
Admission and Hours
The Dakeyne Sunflower Maze is open every sunny day in August from 10am-7pm.
Adult – $10
Child (4-12) – $5
Under 3 – Free
Seniors – $5
Location
Dakeyne Farm is located about three miles from Windsor, Nova Scotia, down the beautiful winding secondary road, Highway 1.
Take exit 8 off Highway 101. At the end of the long off-ramp, turn right towards Mount Denson.
Here, you will also see a sign pointing towards the sunflower maze.
It is located at 1137 Highway 1, Mount Denson, Nova Scotia.
If you want a fun, unique way to spend some time with your family, and support our local farm entrepreneurs, check out the Dakeyene Sunflower Maze in Mount Denson!
Click here to WIN 2 Tickets to the Sunflower Maze 2017
Kick the Can
How to Play Kick the Can
When we were growing up we literally played Kick the Can every single night in the summer.
Between 15-20 kids would show up in our backyard every night and we would have epic games. It was the highlight of our youth, and some of our best memories are playing this game.
When my son had his 10th birthday party with a bunch of boys over, I thought it was the right time to introduce the game to the next generation.
And, they loved it!
They wanted to play it all night long, and when they woke up at 6am the next morning from their sleepover, they wanted to play it again!
Click here for the best instructions on how to play the game.
Point to Ponder
This game is best played with youth aged 8+
You need at least 6 people to play to make it fun.
We use a milk jug or an apple cider plastic jug for our can.
The game is also called “Kick the Bucket” so others might know it by that name.
Whatever you call it, whatever you use, this is one of the best summer games! Enjoy!
Campfire Tacos
Ultimate Campfire Tacos
When I told my friend we were going camping, she immediately told me we HAD to make these campfire treats when we were there. Another mutual friend had shared the recipe with her, and now she was imparting the wisdom on me!
I’m so glad she did!
- tortilla shells
- Candy galore: Rolos, teddy grahams and mini marshmallows work really well! chocolate chips, nutella, bananas, peanut butter cups, etc. (anything that will melt under heat)
- We covered the tortilla in nutella (optional) and then loaded on as much candy that would fit.
- Wrap tightly in tinfoil.
- Place on the grill or around the campfire.
- Leave for about 10 minutes, or until everything is melted.
- Remove from heat. Caution, as it will be hot!
These were a huge hit with the boys, and would make for a great party treat! Can’t wait to try them again!
Value Village Opening in New Minas
Value Village Grand Opening in New Minas – August 11, 2016
Disclosure: I received a gift certificate to shop at Value Village’s pre-opening sale. Just wait till you see what I did with it!
After much waiting and anticipation, the New Minas Value Village location will be opening at 9am on Thursday, August 11th!
Just you wait and see it!
I was invited to attend a sneak peak soft opening this week to check out the new store location in advance of the grand opening.
When pulling into the parking lot, my mouth dropped. The parking lot was jammed packed! I don’t remember seeing the mall this full since Christmas many years ago. It was so great to see!
Inside, the store was buzzing with excitement!
I also ran into Jennifer Banks, fellow blogger from the area, and creator of A Busy Mommy. Check her out!
Seriously, the place was wall-to wall crowded with excitement of people checking out all the great deals that could be found at Value Village.
And, don’t worry, there will still be plenty of great things left for the opening on Thursday. Employees were saying that they still had literally hundreds of boxes of stuff out back to sort through!
My Shopping Experience
When I walked through the door, I was greeted by the friendliest staff. There were staff everywhere throughout the store asking if they could help. It was great to be so attended to!
We bloggers were given a challenge to see how far $50 would go when shopping at Value Village.
When I looked through my children’s drawers, I realized they lacked for nothing, so didn’t want to needlessly spend money on them.
My husband came up with an idea. He suggested doing something amazing with it.
Instead of shopping for back-to-school for our kids, I went back-to-school shopping for kids in need at our school.
My friend works with students in need at the school, so she provided me with a wish list:
Girls leggings, sweatpants, bathing suits and sneakers.
Armed with my list and my calculator (yes. I am old school and I can’t do math) I hit the aisles to see what I could find.
I had such a great time filling the cart, and I couldn’t believe how many things for the school I was able to get with just $50!
Shopping with Value Village made it so easy to give back to my community and our school.
According to Value Village, the National Retail Federation reported that parents plan to spend over $360 on clothing and shoes in 2016 – but there’s no need to spend that much. Knowing how quickly kids go through clothing, shoes, books and toys, shoppers choosing thrift help the environment and their pocketbook too. In fact, shoppers can save 70-90 percent on back-to-school basics compared to other retailers, with a full wardrobe for $110 or less. 96 percent of all items sold at Value Village are priced under $10 and the average sale price of items in the kids section are $3.00.
Value Village’s Community Fundraising Program
This past year, our school worked with Value Village on a fundraising project. We collected donations, Value Village showed up with a truck, and we were paid by the pound for the items, depending on what category they fell into.
If you need a fundraising project for your group, consider this one!
Did you Know?
Value Village is an international thrift retailer with more than 330 stores across the U.S. and Canada, and each store has more than 100,000 items on the sales floor at any given time and gets 5,000 new items every day!
The new store is located at 9256 Commercial Street, Unit A010, New Minas, Nova Scotia B4N 4A9. This is at the former Zeller’s location at the County Fair Mall.
Be sure to check out Value Village for your back-to-school shopping. You never know what other treasures you might find in there!
Shearwater Aviation Museum
Shearwater Aviation Museum
The Shearwater Aviation Museum, outside Halifax, has always been on my list of things to discover.
The boys enjoy going to the Greenwood Aviation Museum so we thought we would give this one a try, too!
Here’s what the website says
The Shearwater Aviation Museum’s mandate is to collect, preserve, display and promote the history of Maritime Military Aviation at the air station now known as 12 Wing Shearwater, from 1918 to the present time.
Our Visit
There are several sections to the museum. In the first room, there are so many planes and helicopters on display. Each aircraft has a description beside it so you can learn further.
There is also a section at the back where you can watch a plane being repaired and restored.
There are more planes on display in another galley, including an incredible story of a plane that was found in pieces, years after the war, in Ontario. After years of restoration, they put the plane back together and flew it again!
There is also a room of uniforms and insignia as well as an art gallery upstairs.
We took about 45 minutes to go through the museum.
Visiting with Kids
If your children are interested in airplanes, this is a great place to take them!
There are very few things that the kids could touch in the museum. There is a flight simulator machine, but at the time of our visit, it was broken.
If you are looking for an aviation museum with more hands-on activities for kids, we would recommend the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum.
However, the Shearwater Aviation Museum has a much bigger display of actual aircrafts!
Location
The Shearwater Aviation Museum is actually very close to the Dartmouth Ferry terminal – perhaps 5 minutes down the road! Once on Pleasant Street, everything is very well sign posted.
Hours and Admission
No admission is charged, but there is a chance to leave a free-will donation.
The hours of operation for the summer and off season are here.
Nearby
Nearby the Shearwater Aviation Museum is the Dartmouth ferry terminal called Alderny Landing. There is a lot here to check out from theatre to markets and shops and more!
Further down the road, about 5 minutes past the Shearwater Aviation Museum is Fisherman’s Cove.
This is a lovely area right across from McNabb’s Island in the Halifax Harbour. There are rows of shops with all sorts of treasures and a few restaurants.
There are boardwalk trails along the seafront and picnic tables.
This is a lovely area that is definitely worth checking out!
