Christmas is right around the corner and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers for following along on my Maritime adventures this past year.  I hope you all enjoy some time with loved ones over the holidays!

Now is the time to reflect on the passing year and to look forward to what’s next.  Joel and I went on some great adventures in 2016.

There was cliffside camping on Turtle Mountain.  That was an incredible experience. Long hike.  We almost got eaten by bears.  Totally worth it.

We also camped overnight at Cape Split, on the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy.  We shared the trail with a lot more hikers than we’re used to but when you arrive on the edge of that cliff overlooking the Minas Basin, it’s easy to see the appeal.  It was definitely one of the highlights of our year.

We combined our Cape Split adventure with a road trip around the western half of Nova Scotia, with stops in Yarmouth, Cape Sable Island (the most southerly point of NS), historic Lunenburg, stunning Blue Rocks and Halifax.  Although we squeezed as much as we could into the trip, there are so many more places I wished we could have stopped. Next time, I guess.

Also in 2016, we finally made it up to Mount Carleton Provincial Park, where we got to hike and stand on top of the highest peak in the Maritimes.  They say you can see 10 million trees from the peak, and I’d say that is probably true.

We even managed to make a trip to Prince Edward Island, to beautiful Dalvay by the Sea. Such a lovely place.

Closer to home, we explored the new addition to the Fundy Trail Parkway in the spring, toured Ministers Island in the winter, Kingsbrae Gardens in the summer, and checked out Walton Glen Gorge in the fall, among so many others.  This truly is the province of all season adventure.

As for what 2017 holds in store, I’ve already declared it to be The Year of the Park.

With all National Parks, Historic Sites and Marine Conservation Areas offering free admission in 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, this will be the perfect year to take advantage of the best this country has to offer in the way of outdoor adventure.  We already have plans to camp in Fundy National Park for the first time in winter, as the park is open as part of the birthday celebrations.  I would encourage you all to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to experience the wildness that makes this country so great.

Again, thanks for reading and I’ll see you on the trails in 2017!