Parrsboro Family Fun
The Parrsboro Shore is Family Fun!
My husband loves rocks. So, for his birthday present, the boys and I decided to put together a package for him for a family weekend away in Parrsboro – the rock capital of Nova Scotia!
As the crow flies, Parrsboro is actually quite close to the Hall’s Harbour Shore – it’s approximately 11km across the Minas Basin. In fact, up until 1840, Parrsboro was a part of Kings County! Then, from the 1920s to the 1940s, a ferry connected Kingsport, Parsborro and Wolfville (called the KI-PA-WO), made the journey relatively easy.
Because there was no ferry, and we were not as brave as the legendary Ebeneezer Bishop who in 1809 supposedly walked across the ice flows to visit his love in Parrsboro, we drove the 2.5 hour way around.
Upon first glance, Parrsboro may seem like it is a town that has seen better days, or maybe has fallen on hard economic times, like so many of our small towns! However, Parsborro is a lively town with so much to offer, and you couldn’t go anywhere without someone waving or offering advice!
One of the first things that you notice in Parrsboro are the wrought-iron art statues throughout the town. This adds a lot of character and are great conversation pieces!
Travelling with your dog? Not to worry! Parrsboro is pet friendly! Throughout the town, there are several K9 rest stations. These are in shaded, outdoor areas, so that if you need to leave your dog, put them in one of the rest stations while you do your errands or have dinner!
Fundy Geological Museum
Our first stop in Parrsboro was to the Fundy Geological Museum.
This is what the website says: Come to the Fundy Geological Museum to explore Nova Scotia’s ancient past and discover the Triassic and Jurassic landscapes where Canada’s oldest dinosaurs once roamed. Visit the museum’s interactive gallery to learn about colliding continents; the formation of Pangea; warm shallow seas and coal swamps; local dinosaur discoveries; our frozen glacial past; and the birth of the Bay of Fundy.
Here is the admission and ticket information: You can find a coupon here
I was quite excited about going to this museum. Several friends had recently chaperoned a school trip here where all the students stayed over night in the museum! What a fun class trip!
Although we didn’t get to sleep in the museum, we did have a great guided tour by two summer students (from Acadia!) led us around the museum, giving us an overview of the information.
There were plenty of interactive activities to keep a busy 6 and 7 year old boy entertained! They could dig for fossils,
click on interactive screens to learn about rocks, and open doors to learn about a palaeontologist’s tools (which by the way, is what Thomas wants to be!)
You can also paint a dinosaur or make a rock collection at the museum.
The highlight for the boys was seeing the giant MILIPEDE type creature buried under a glass floor. When Thomas laid on top of it, he wasn’t much bigger!
Although the museum is not overly large, what is utterly fascinating was that all the fossils on display were discovered in the area – including a large dinosaur skeleton! We live in an amazingly rich geological area!
We went through the museum in less than an hour. As the boys age, I know they will get more and more out of it, and spend more time on each visit. Quizzing them upon leaving, we realized just how much they did absorb while there!
We had special arrangements to visit the museum and have a guided beach tour of Partridge Island(which isn’t an island any more, but connected by a causeway). This can be an added bonus to your admission!
So, following our museum visit, we headed down the road to the beach and walked along the shore looking for rocks. The students were quick to teach the kids about the various rocks and to identify those that they found. Thomas even found a piece of amethyst!
Having the tour guides in the museum and on the beach walk made for a thoroughly enriching experience!
I would definitely recommend a family visit to the Fundy Geological Museum!
Force Museum
FORCE (Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy) is another place that was recommended that we visit. Just further down the road from Partridge Island, it is well signposted. This is an international test site for tidal energy technology.
There are interactive displays and videos and a great view of the “back side” of Cape Split! It is worth going to watch the video of how they are testing ways to harness tidal power – especially in light of what might be coming to the area. The boys could understand the video – and days later, Daniel was still coming up with creative ways to install tidal turbines and not hurt any animals!
This museum is free. It took about 15 to 20 minutes to go through it.
Other Points of Interest
There were plenty of other things to do in Parrsboro that we didn’t have time to fit in. Some include the Ship’s Company Theatre (built using the actual Kipawo ferry!), the Ottawa House Museum where Sir Charles Tupper spent his summers, and the Parrsboro Rock and Mineral Shop and Museum where the owner found the world’s smallest fossil and has been collecting for over 80 years! It’s worth a stop here, just to talk to the gentleman!
Nearby in Upper Economy, check out That Dutchman Cheese Farm and Nature Park.
There are lots of cheese samples and animals to visit! We didn’t actually visit here, but our friends loved it!
Restaurants
Parrsboro has a Tim Hortons, so we had a quick and easy lunch there. For supper we looked for a family-friendly restaurant so headed to the Glooscap Restaurant and Lounge. However, we would advise against this! It was dark and you could imagine it thick with smoke a few years ago. The food was burnt, the portions were small, and it wasn’t cheap! In the future, we will try the Harbour View Restaurant by the shore.
On the drive in, in Five Islands, Mo’s Café is supposed to have great coffee and pulled pork. However, it was closed when we went by (only open on the weekends in June).
Further down the shore near Spencer’s Island, the Beach Café is also supposed to be family friendly and have good food!
On another trip, we stopped at Diane’s Restaurant and Take Out in Five Islands. The food was great and we sat at the picnic tables outside so our dog could join us. There is also a playground for kids who get restless waiting. Don’t forget to get an ice cream, too!
A list of restaurants is here.
Accommodations
There are no shortage of places to stay in Parrsboro! We were looking for something cheap and dog/kid friendly for our one night stay, so we went with our friends’ recommendation of the Riverview Cottages. We have also stayed in the Maple Inn which has a nice family suite.
The Riverview Cottages were basic cottages that suited our needs. They had a fridge, microwave, hotplate, coffee maker and a toaster. Luckily, it also included free wi-fi so the kids could watch YouTube during the rainstorm! There is also a small playground and big playing field and the river to explore. It’s a great, basic, family place to stay!
The next day, in a massive rainstorm, I got it in my head that we needed to drive further down the shore to Spencer’s Island.
Having researched the Halls’ Habour ghost walk, I learned about the Mary Celeste who was built in Spencer’s Island. The Mary Celeste is one of the biggest maritime mysteries. She set sail in 1872 and the ship was found abandoned – with nothing disturbed on board, and not a person in sight. No one has any idea what happened to the crew!
We had a great time exploring the beach, finding sea glass, and getting soaked in the rain!
Further along the Shore
If you have more time, consider going up further down the shore to Cape Chignecto Provincial Park. There are many walking trails here, including one to a famous rock formation called the Three Sisters.
Or, head up the shore to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit the museum, tour the beaches, and enjoy the scenery!
OVERALL
The Parsborro shore area is a great place to explore with your family. Make it a day trip on your way back from PEI or New Brunswick, or make it an overnight or weekend trip. There is plenty to do and see. Plenty of shops, cafes, museums, beaches and galleries waiting for you to explore!
*I was not compensated for this post, but did receive tickets to the Fundy Geological Museum so that I could tell you all about it!*
Canada Doodles
There is no better way to learn about Canada than by sketching from Sea to Sea!
And, that is exactly what you can do in the new book, Canada Doodles, by Vancouver author, Megan Radford.
Canada Doodles is just as it sounds – a place for doodling! It is a 240 paged pocket-sized book that starts out West and works its way across to the Maritimes. On every page there is a partial sketch by Toronto artist Peter Cook, that you are asked to complete.
For example, you might doodle yourself riding a tractor in the Prairies, hugging an old-growth tree in BC, or catching a fish in the Maritimes. The scenes are whacky and funny, and you don’t even realize how much you are learning about our vast country!
When the book arrived in the mail, I immediately turned it over to Daniel (7). Here’s what he has to say about it:
“When the got the book I didn’t know what to think of it, because I didn’t know it was going to be so funny. In the book, on the top of the page, it tells you what to draw on a picture because there are spaces where you draw. Like, spaces on a buffalo’s head for a helmet before it goes off a cliff!
I’ve done about 30 of the pages. I do some at night, secretly! I stick my pencil in it, and in the middle of the night, when no one is looking, I pick it up and I … draw! I don’t really have a favourite page.
I also like it because it teaches me a bit about Canada!
I think other kids would really, really like it because it is really
FUNNY!!!!!!!
”
Here is one of Daniel’s pictures.
Want to try it out for yourself? Then grab these 3 activity sheets to try out!
Are you taking a long road trip? Need something to keep kids entertained in a restaurant? Toss this book in your bag, and your kids will thank you for it!
Canada Doodles is perfect for children 7 and older because of some of the language in the descriptions, and a child’s ability to draw by that age. It would also make the perfect gift!
Canada Doodles is available through Amazon:
There is no better way to celebrate Canada Day than with Canada Doodles!
*I received a free copy of this book, and in exchange, I get to give you the free activity pages!*
Playground Hop
The Playground Hop!
Do you have a favourite playground that your family likes to visit? What makes it so great? Is it a great climbing structure? Or maybe a fast slide!
One family was on a mission to find the BEST playground in the area. They were having company coming to visit, and they wanted their friends to have the ultimate playground experience. So, they decided to go on a playground crawl.
Building on their idea, we came up with the playground hop. Because I used to manage a psychology research centre where we focused on survey research, I had to throw in a survey for good measure!
I found a great playground survey on Pinterest through Edventures with Kids
Here’s how it works:
1. Make a list of all the playgrounds that are in an X radius of your home.
2. Plot out a driving route that includes at least 4-5 of these playgrounds.
3. Gather your equipment. For our version, you will need:
a. Playground essentials: sunblock, hats, snacks and drinks
b. Egg Timer
c. Survey Sheets and markers. (see link above for playground survey sheets)
4. Head out on your adventure!
5. When you get to the first stop, set the egg timer for a pre-determined amount of time. We recommend 20-30 minutes.
6. When the timer goes, no matter how much fun you are having, everyone piles back into the car, and heads to the next destination on the list.
7. While you are driving, fill out the survey sheet about the playground you just visited.
8. At the end of the day, go over your results to determine which playground you liked the best, or which one had the best slide, swings, climbing frame, etc.
Best of all, have a fun day out with your family!
This post is part of a larger initiative to encourage and inspire family fun! For a full list of other blogs that are offering family fun ideas, go here or check out the list below.
Meet the Bloggers:
- The Pleasantest Thing
- Parenting Chaos
- Mama’s Happy Hive
Follow the collaborative Pinterest board. We are getting the party started early with some great family themed posts. Follow Alida | The Realistic Mama’s board Everything Family Fun on Pinterest.
Flight of the Griffons
Flight of the Griffons: A Review
*I received a copy of this book from Nimbus Publishing to review*
When Flight of the Griffons arrived in my mailbox, I was really excited to crack it open. It was a small “fun” size, had great graphics in it, and wasn’t too long. It looked like the perfect read.
Flight of the Griffons is actually the sequel to The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods. This is a series of books under the genre of Young Adult Fantasy. It is by the Nova Scotian Author Kate Inglis.
What I have to say:
I am not usually a fantasy reader, but thought I would give it a try, for as I mentioned, it looked like an easy, fun read for teens.
However, as soon as I cracked the book, I realized that I was completely lost. I had no idea who any of the characters were, and I kept reading more trying to get some sort of grasp of what the storyline was.
I should mention that I have not read The Dread Crew, so I was not familiar with the characters or the plot. Often times, when picking up a book in the middle of the series, the author will recap, but this was not the case. It feels like it picked up where the other story might have ended.
By page 35 I felt I had a sense of what the story was about; however, I kept getting lost in a sea of characters. There were far too many characters for me to keep straight. The book has wonderful drawings of each of the pirates from the Griffons crew, but does not list the other characters in other crews who you come across.
Despite this, the book had a really interesting running theme. In essence, the Griffons are a band of, what I call, vigilante environmental pirates. They set out to sabotage various, usually government sanctioned, projects that are harmful to the environment from pipelines to tar pits and mines.
The book teaches us to really look at the motives behind someone’s actions, and those that you think are bad, may not actually be so! It’s about doing what and fighting for what is right. It’s also about sticking together and helping each other out.
What my mom says:
To get a second opinion, I asked my mom to read the book. She’s an avid reader and a retired elementary school teacher who ran a youth program called Battle of the Books. This is what she had to say about Flight of the Griffons.
Young Adult books are one of my favourite genres. There was a small recap of what had happened in the previous book but it could have been more detailed as I had not read the first book. I was able to quickly identify the main characters and concentrated on them. (The list of characters in the back of the book was helpful but it did not list all the crews).
Missy is a great protagonist and I enjoyed her exploits working with the northern woods crew; the Griffons and their airship, meeting the Blackfoot people, escaping pursuing followers. Eric was a nice balance and he kept all the stories together.
The Griffons’ ideals were admirable but I was really not is agreement with their methods – sabotage. Their ideas of delaying projects thus costing companies money and thus not desecrating the environment were fine but no allowance was made in case of accidents.
All the different groups worked well together and were loyal. They had their own system of communication and were great inventors (fuel from cooking oil). They came to one another’s aid in times of trouble.
To sum up the earth is precious and we need to work together to save it.
All in all a good read; needs a better intro but I would read the others in the series. I recommend this book for grades 5 and older.
What Nimbus Publishing says:
In Flight of the Griffons, the sequel to The Dread Crew: Pirates of the Backwoods, we follow young Missy Bullseye as she ventures from her pirate crew’s adopted Nova Scotian home base to begin probationary work terms along the road to union-certified junking. From the deep northern woods of Ontario and Quebec to the great western prairies, Missy wanders far on a secret mission—one that turns her against her own.
While tracking and spying on a blacklisted crew, Missy encounters mechanical moths, an outlawed tilt-rotor airship, a mega-pipeline, and the unexpected sound of grassland drums. What she discovers along the way is that heroes can look like villains, crimes can look like profit, and heights aren’t so bad—as long as a true-hearted pirate is holding the rope.
Overall, my recommendation would be to start with the Dread Crew before heading on to the Flight of the Griffons!
Win a copy of Flight of the Griffons by entering daily until July 4th.
Get in Balance with Mia Lockhart Whole Balance Therapy
Get in Balance with Mia
Are you tired?
Do you suffer from sleeplessness?
Do you feel stressed or depressed or overwhelmed?
Do you just feel out of sorts or out of balance?
If you answered yes to any of these, then you need to consider a hormone balance treatment with Mia Lockhart Whole Body Therapy.
Find your life’s rhythm. Find your balance. Find yourself.
When Mia suggested that I come in for a treatment, I jumped at the opportunity.
Mia offers several therapeutic massage options ranging from a mini to a full massage, naturotherapy treatments, reflexology, raindrop therapy aromatherapy massage, and hormone balancing bodywork. She is also covered by BlueCross and most health care plans.
I decided to try the hormone balancing treatment, as I thought that people would have the most questions about it, and it sounded like something I could certainly use. This is a combination of massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki and cranial sacral therapy for optimal health, body alignment, deep relaxation and hormone balance.
I have hypothyroidism. I have two active boys, several freelance jobs, a busy life and I am tired. Especially as of late, I have been feeling overwhelmed at try to keep everything going at once all the time. I have felt the need to bring some balance back to my body and my life.
Mia Lockhart Whole Body Therapy is located at the west end of New Minas on Crescent Avenue next to Anatolia. Mia has a small office building off the road that she shares with another massage therapist. I was greeted at the door by the peaceful sounds of a running-water fountain.
I filled out the usual paperwork, but this one also included a list of symptoms to check off that I may have been experiencing as of late. Mia was clear to tell me only to check those that I felt comfortable sharing, as some might be too personal to include. However, the more information you can provide, the more thorough the treatment, of course!
As it was my first treatment, Mia walked me through the process and explained what was going to happen and why. First, a back massage to relax and get used to her touch. This is followed by reflexology on the feet, a massage and balance of the hormones in the stomach area, followed by a cranial massage.
Mia explained to me that 95% of all physical dysfunction is rooted in an endocrine (hormone) system disruption! BUT only about 2-3% of people with physical problems ever realize their problems could be rooted in the endocrine system.
Some of the many common problems that are rooted in endocrine gland disorders or hormonal imbalance are
weight imbalances
over-sensitive skin
eye-muscle weakness
inability to absorb nutrition
sleep cycle irregularity
infertility
lack of hand to brain coordination
irregular/extreme hunger patterns
tendency to extreme body temperatures
chronic cold
lack of concentration ability
imbalanced facial/body shape
hyper-sensitive scalp and fluctuating hair health
extreme mood swings
hyper body-hair growth (or the opposite)
imbalanced libido patterns, etc.
The endocrine system with its glands, forms a bridge between the physical body, and the psyche, as it controls the mood altering hormones and pheromones that make us understand the needs of our bodies.
How vital it is, therefore, that this system is in good functioning health!
I cannot describe in words how amazing this treatment was. Mia instantly put me at ease, making sure I was warm and comfortable. I was completely relaxed and zoned out, and yet in tune to what she was doing.
During the reflexology part, whenever she found a tender spot, I knew it corresponded with a part of the body that was out of sync. I wanted to ask her about it, but was so relaxed and couldn’t speak or break the moment. I took a mental note though. Mia’s hands are strong and intuitive which makes for the perfect treatment.
Throughout the whole massage my breathing changed. Sometimes I was taking deep breaths, and sometimes I found myself short of breath. My heart raced and then it slowed. I could feel myself opening up, releasing and relaxing. It is something that you have to experience in order to understand or describe.
I have not felt that relaxed, more in-tuned with my body, or a sense of release in a long time.
When Mia ended the session (which I was hoping would go on forever), she gave me an overall analysis of what she discovered about me. My sinuses were full (they were until I felt them empty and I could breathe again!). My spleen was full of anxiety and worry – true as I contemplate some changes in my life, and my lymph nodes on the left side need further massage for drainage. Finally, she said my liver was full. At first I worried it was too many glasses of wine on girls’ nights! But, Mia said that it was full of too many to do lists and there wasn’t enough space for me. Wow. Did she have me pegged.
After the session, my head felt light and I was at peace. I went home and lay on the lawn chair in the sun not wanting to move or conquer any of my to-do lists. Hours later I still felt relaxed. Mia said the effects would last for days. I had the best night’s sleep that night, too!
To truly be hormonally balanced, Mia suggested a treatment every two weeks and then monthly after that, if you are able. I just want her to come and put me to bed every night! Mia says to expect an emotional release sometime after the treatment. It could be laughter, or it could be tears. Let it happen.
I came home raving about the session that two friends have already booked in with Mia. I suggest that you give it a try, too. You won’t believe it until you try it.
Take some time for you, treat yourself, and go visit Mia Lockhart Whole Body Therapy for a treatment. Your body will love you for it.
*I was not paid for this post, but did receive a treatment. All opinions are my own*
Kentville’s 4X Bike Course
Kentville’s 4X Course
“That was scary!” said Daniel when he got to the bottom of Kentville’s newest addition – the 4x Course!
Pronounced four-cross, this course is the biggest east of Montreal! And we are lucky to have it in our own backyard – for us, that is almost literally! It is located on Burgher Hill next to the Research Station on Route 1 in Kentville.
Don’t worry! It’s on the side of the hill and doesn’t cut into the sledding hill at all!
I was assigned to cover the story on the creation of the course on CBC radio Information Morning. To get the full effect, I decided to go there with the kids to check it out for ourselves.
Rachel Bedingfield, the Recreation Director for Kentville explained to me about 4X. 4X is a form of mountain bike racing that combines elements of BMX racing with mountain biking. It is a sport that is established in the x-games (extreme games) but this style of racing is probably more familiar to folks who watched the winter Olympics and saw the 4X ski and 4X snowboarding races. It’s the same idea: four racers at the start race through the course and the first one to the bottom moves on the next race until there is a final event of four and a winner is declared.
The tracks are fast, technical and extremely fun! The course was specially designed with riders of all ages and abilities in mind. The track includes features like bridges, a rock garden, rollers, berms and jumps. A raised start ramp helps riders get off to a fast start!
The course was designed in conjunction with Ryan Lindh from Trail Flow Outdoor Adventures.
Because of the nature of the course, you can make the ride as challenging as you wish. Bedingfield had told me that she went there with her 5 year old son who loved it, so I decided to try it with my boys!
Thomas (6) refuses to ride his bike. There would be no way to get him on the course. However, he decided to run the entire course 3 times! He ran up the hills, jumped over the logs, and had a great time! And, he never got tired!
Daniel (7) started at the top of the hill and looked down wondering how he was going to do it. At the top, there is a big sign that outlines some rules (like you must wear a helmet), but better yet, there are some tips, too. “Never ride outside your means” and “keep your body loose when you ride” were two important ones.
Daniel and my husband went down together the first time. He did it! When he got to the top, he said, “that was scary.” But then, he proceeded to go down again, and again and again. Each time, it was exhilarating, a bit scary, but he was so proud of himself, and so was I!
While Daniel was doing a basic ride down, there were also some young adults who were taking full advantage of the course with jumps and full speed.
To learn more, the Town of Kentville, in conjuction with Trail Flow, will be hosting several workshops. There will also be a series of races coming up, too!
If you are in the area and are looking for something new to try out, I would recommend going to the new 4X course in Kentville.
For more information, check out the Town’s website.
