At the beginning of September, my family and I took a weekend trip to Halifax, Canada. Halifax, you might ask. Why there?

Well, about an hour away is Oak Island. If you’ve ever watched the Curse of Oak Island on the History channel, you know that they’ve been searching for treasure there for about ten years. When my husband was a kid, he read an article in Readers Digest about the curse and the treasure. He’s been fascinated ever since and enjoys watching the show. When my daughter, who also watched the series, found out they had resumed tours of the island, she booked a date and off we went on an adventure.

To be transparent, I always tell them that no treasure will ever be found. Needless to say, I wasn’t allowed on the tour. Which is good because they had the best time.

But since I was tagging along, we went a day early to visit the city. We spent an entire day walking around and soaking up the history. First, we started at the Citadel, a fort located on the highest point of the city. What a view! And we learned about the fort that has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years.

We walked all day long, from the fort down to the harbor. It was a beautiful day. We visited many museums and even learned about a Titanic connection to the city.

The next day, while my family was on the tour, I stayed behind and went on my own trek. First, I visited the botanical gardens. I walked around the Victorian inspired grounds, taking pictures and simply enjoying the day.

Next, I went to the Halifax Library, because…how could I resist? I’d heard it was a cool place, and it did not disappoint. The building itself is modern and interesting, five floors of books and activities. On a Saturday afternoon, it was crowded with programs taking place. I even slipped into a panel of authors and enjoyed that immensely.

On the top floor is a cafe and outdoor patio. I went out to take pictures and on the way back inside, noticed letters on the glass.

The final night we walked the boardwalk where there were shops and food and lots of people having a good time.

If you ever have a chance to visit Halifax, go! It’s a very friendly city, there’s a lot to see and do, and the food is amazing.

Now, I have to go back to finish my manuscript because my deadline is fast approaching!

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance THE SURPRISE NEXT DOOR, available now. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks.