How to be a Tourist With Your Dog Series: Destination Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

We have always loved reading about the adventures of Shiva: an honest portrayal of living with and training an excitable dog, but also because they live all the way in Nova Scotia. And we love exploring Dartmouth with Shiva, including the walking trails, city views, ports and pubs all in the city of lakes.
Fun Fact: Shiva actually has a lake in her backyard,  but ironically enough, doesn't like to get wet.
While Dartmouth isn’t officially a city any more as it has joined with Halifax, Bedford, and Sackville to form the Halifax Regional Municipality – or HRM – I wanted to share the highlights of living on this side of the harbour. Known as the city of lakes, Dartmouth is full of lovely scenery to explore. It is also a very old city, founded in 1750, with many historical landmarks worth checking out. Unfortunately, it is so often over-shadowed by Halifax even I don’t spend much time discovering all it has to offer.

Dartmouth is home to some of the best dog parks in the city. Our dog Shiva’s favourite, has got to be Shubie Park. Located along the Shubenacadie canal, the park features a wide variety of off-leash walking trails great for chasing squirrels. And you can’t forget the fantastic dog beach!

Downtown Dartmouth is a terrific place to head for a walk. It is quieter than many similar areas with a lot less traffic. On a bright sunny day, I love meandering leisurely down the streets with my dog, taking in the views of the harbour. Shiva loves all of the exciting new smells.

Naturally, no visit to downtown is complete without stopping in at one of our favourite pubs, Celtic Corner. In the summer months they open their small patio, which is a relaxing spot to daydream and dog-watch. If your dog is cute enough – and if the pub isn’t full -  you can usually convince a server to let your dog join you outside while you enjoy a glass or two. Celtic Corner also features one of the many murals that decorate the city’s outdoor spaces. I think they make attractive advertisements for Dartmouth’s maritime history.

While Halifax proper may have the tall buildings and other typical city trappings, one has to go to Dartmouth to get the best views. The Dartmouth Waterfront Park provides an excellent place to photograph one of Canada’s oldest ports. It is also home to North America’s oldest saltwater ferry system. While there, I like to check out the unique triangular Peace Pavillion that showcases artefacts from all over the world, including a piece of the Berlin Wall. The Dartmouth Harbourwalk Trail extends 3.8 kilometres down the waterfront and is a picturesque way to get your daily exercise.

Not too far from downtown is Dartmouth Common, a gorgeous park space full of gardens and walking paths. There is even a section that has been designated off-leash!

As far as finding places to take your dog, I think Dartmouth is a great place to live. Its smaller size feels more cozy than claustrophobic. Everything is within a very convenient distance. Sure and it’s not as flashy as other cities, but if you are looking for a place to enjoy the beauty of nature with your canine companion, you really can’t go wrong with Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

 

You can read more about Shiva, and a realistic portrayal of dog ownership, on her blog here.

We have reached the deadline to submit posts for the contest, and our last post will run Oct 14. Sirius Republic is donating 2 collars and we will have a random drawing of all the submitted 'How to Be a Tourist with Your Dog' posts to have 2 collar winners. Winners can chose from a standard collar, or an 'Adopt Me' collar to promote your foster or adoptable dog as modeled by foster dog Levi. 

In case you missed them, you can also read our other Tourist with Your Dog posts showcasing The Bay Area, Milwaukee,  Upstate New York, New York City, Austin, Florida, Portland, Richmond, Seattle,  Kansas City, Nashville, Alaska, and Chicago. And you can read about roadtripping the 7 Wonders of Illinois with 4 large dogs, boating to the Bahamas with a pit bull, specific tips for roadtripping with a large dog (NYC to rural Tennessee), Chicago Dogs Sidetrip to Harbor County, and Destination "Dog Mountain" in Vermont.