Things to Do in Nova Scotia

Certified by Transport Canada for safety, Four Winds Charters' experienced captains have been floating guests across picturesque St. Margaret's Bay for more than two decades. Tours and private charters set sail toward scenic coves and private islands as dolphins and sea birds pass by on their watery commutes. Four-hour deep-sea fishing trips drop anchor approximately 5 miles from shore, allowing the included hooks, rods, and hand lines to grab at mackerel, cod, and shipwrecked inner tubes. Catering is available for both private charters and fishing trips upon request.

Glowing monkeys scamper toward a neon waterfall, and a knight bearing a radiant yellow lance rides past a bright orange octopus emerging from the ocean. What appears to be a time-traveling session gone awry is really the evolving environment within Putting Edge’s indoor black-lit mini-golf course, which whisks players to deep seas, Aztec jungles, and medieval times. Since opening its original location in Canada, Putting Edge has now expanded to 18 North American locations, all of which invite guests onto its challenging 18-hole courses to seek victory over opponents and the forces that keep their teeth from not glowing as brightly as they could. Elsewhere, the facility houses private party rooms, concessions, and an arcade filled with gamer favorites such as air hockey.

Fundy Tidal Bore Adventures founder Morgan McDonald is a passionate rafter with a decade of experience navigating the Shubenacadie River, whose shores are made of clay and dotted with trees. The high and low tides here mean that there are varying degrees of wave intensity, and the company's experienced guides can tailor the experience to suit each group’s comfort level. Before the trip, guides will help passengers suit up in PFDs and store their valuables in waterproof bags. The crewmember can snap pictures of the trip along the way; they’ll then email the photos to you later or stuff them into a bottle and float them to postal workers wearing waterskis.

Within Moksha Yoga, heat flows from radiant-heating panels and mirrors reflect glowing wall sconces as students bend and flow through postures. Led by certified instructors, classes conform to Moksha Yoga’s seven pillars, using the 60- to 90-minute sessions to help students to be healthy, accessible, and peaceful. With a focus on community and eco-awareness, the instructors lead classes for all experience levels, offering help to students who have accidentally super-glued themselves to the cork flooring. The heated studio helps to deepen stretches, and classes provide benefits such as decreased stress, improved posture, and the ability to control the urge to smash buildings when enraged.

Vara Healing Arts helps clients relax and recuperate from injury or stress in three ways. Their instructors teach several different styles of yoga including ashtanga, hatha flow, and vinyasa; and their classes aim to calm the mind, ease discomfort, and strengthen the body. Licensed massage therapists perform more than two dozen specialty and advanced body treatments from acupuncture and aromatherapy massage to crystal therapy and reflexology. Finally, the relaxation center features eight-person saunas, where raised temperatures can induce sweating that purifies the skin, purges toxins from the body, and exercises lazy sweat glands.

In 1997, Amy Caldwell discovered yoga. As she backpacked through Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe, she stopped to train with yogis she met along the way, exploring the styles of Vinyasa flow, Sivananda, Iyengar, and Ashtanga. As she learned, she blended these styles into her own dynamic flow. Since this nomadic journey, Amy's rapidly developing skills have earned her a spot on two Yoga Journal covers. Today, as owners of Yoga One studio, she and her husband Michael incorporate their own unique yoga and meditation styles into their teachings.

The flexible duo leads a team of experienced instructors, who foster a positive, non-competitive environment and also specialized in different styles of yoga, such as sunrise flow, Vinyasa flow, and pre-natal. Inside the main studio, where natural light from skylights casts a glow onto hardwood floors and saffron curtains, instructors lead groups through classes that cover the poses and breathing of power flow, yoga basics, restorative, and pre-natal yoga. They also guide students outside the studio to stretch and align on a sunny rooftop or a nearby beach or park. Inside softly lit massage rooms, therapists help visitors release tension from aching muscles.