New Air Routes Make Nova Scotia Vacations Easier

Families living in the Northeast will find travel to Nova Scotia a lot easier this summer with the inauguration of daily service from New York (LGA) to Halifax (YHZ) on American Airlines. The Nova Scotia capital is one of six new cities along the Northeast coast American added in June; other daily flights from La Guardia go to Hyannis (HYA) on Cape Cod, Nantucket (ACK), Martha’s Vineyard (MVY), and to Bangor (BGR) and Portland (PDX) in Maine.

The two-hour flights leave at 11:35 a.m., arriving at 2:31 p.m., plenty of time to enjoy the late afternoon and evening in Halifax. Stroll the boardwalk along the waterfront, and maybe take a cruise on the Harbor Hopper or go sailing on Tall Ship Silva.

Kids won’t want to miss the impressive Halifax Citadel, where family activities include learning to send coded messages and solving a century-old mystery using a comic book guide. Or go in the late morning to be there for the firing of the noonday cannon.

Explore farther by rental car on a day tour to the picture-perfect lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove or the charming coastal town of Lunenburg, home to Bluenose II. This is an exact replica of the famed schooner Bluenose; you can join a sailing cruise on the historic ship or take a 45-minute harbor cruise on a lobster boat.

Families flying into Nova Scotia can enjoy camping without having to bring gear at several glamping sites in the province. Enjoy the white-sand beaches of Cape Sable Island while camping in a geodesic dome at PEB’s By the Sea, or stay in a wooden tents at Local Guy Adventures near the Cliffs of Fundy in the UNESCO Global Geopark.