Looking forward to Jane’s Walk

This weekend there are walks all over the world promoting getting to know your community by walking in memory of Jane Jacobs.  It is a wonderful idea and I am looking forward to taking in a few of the walks planned for Halifax tomorrow.   Jane’s Walk explains -

Jane’s Walk is a series of free neighbourhood walking tours that helps put people in touch with their environment and with each other, by bridging social and geographic gaps and creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Since its inception in 2007, Jane’s Walk has happened in cities across North America, and is growing internationally.

Walking with a mission – Dr. Vollant

Yesterday, listening to CBC radio I heard Dr. Stanley Vollant interviewed.  He is walking to First Nations communities in Quebec.  I walk to keep me sane; Dr. Vollant is walking to inspire Aboriginal youth.  People walk for all sorts of different reasons and Dr. Vollant in his interview touched on some of these.  Check out this article to discover more about his project or listen here to hear the interview that promoted this post about an inspiring man and his project.

Halifax Citadel – a fort

At lunch today – a quick walk around the fort – the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.  There is a road/street which completely circles the upper perimeter of the fort; and with the road there is a side walk. I didn’t meet anyone today; it was cold, wet and slippery, but usually there are walkers and runners early in the morning and at noon.  The citadel is up high in the city and getting there can be a bit of a work out, but the actual walk around the fort covers a relatively small grade on an even crushed rock path.  It only takes 15 minutes to completely circle the fort.

There are many wonderful pictures on flickr including aerials that show the fort in the city.

hikes i like update – walking in Nova Scotia

…My immediate neighbourhood has changed. As of 2010, I am based in the Halifax Regional Municipality – HRM, still in Nova Scotia. After a period of transition (the last 12 months or so) I expect to post more regularly. Rather than begin a new blog, I have opted to adapt hikes i like showing ( I hope) the continuity in my walking life. Besides, the Annapolis Valley will continue to be a part of our larger neighbourhood.

These comments appear on my about page as an expansion of the original purpose of hikes i like.

Birthday Walk

Hampton is the perfect place for a walk on the shore.  It has it all, picturesque wharf, cobbles (small), cottages (but not too many), streams to ford (at low tide), and easy access.  Yesterday was a grey day, but oh so warm: imagine 18˚C in November!  It is a popular spot and even late in the season you may meet others. We met two couples, but few people venture far down the shore.  And for solitude, explore east of the wharves, along the grey basalt of the Bay of Fundy shore. [more on basalt in a future post]

Hampton is located on the Bay of Fundy, between the valley towns of Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown. Check the maps.

Hampton, NS, just before the tide change.

Driftwood and small cobbles

Hemlocks and Hardwoods

This afternoon we set off for Kejimkujik NP (map). With just the afternoon before us, we chose the Hemlocks and Hardwood trail.  It is a great trail for a fall walk – a 6 km loop with no climbs and a long stretch of board walk through the old hemlocks. The day was brisk, just 6C, so mitts were a must for me.  The sun was intermittent, but the sounds of swooshing in the trees and the smells of wet fall leaves and forest were welcome.

One of my aims for this blog is a bit of photo sharing…and improving my photos…alas, few of quality to share today…all (or almost all) are blury (and now shared with the ether).  Just one of mine below and a link to flickr and Panoramio where there are many wonderful photos of Kejimkujik.  Clearly another trip to this trail is on the to do list.

One of the few that survived the blurs

And acually I can’t resist sharing this evidence of others on the trail…

Were they beetles?

BelleIsle Marsh

What a glorious day today.  The temperature reached 20C and the sun was warm.  As promised, we set out today with camera and gps unit.  This google map provides the location and coordinates.

This is a great walk on level ground that skirts cultivated fields, the Annapolis River and open water areas in the marsh.  In fact, this part of the BelleIsle Marsh is a joint effort between local farmers, Ducks Unlimited and the province of Nova Scotia to provide wetland habitat for ducks. It was established under the North American Waterfowl Managment Plan with a number of partners.  The sign on site actually has six logos, so the credit should really go to to all of them.

Today we followed a new path and discovered another way to walk the dykes at BelleIsle.  We’ll be back for sure.

Be sure to climb the dykes to see the duck “ponds”.