What the Halifax?

If you're ever going to visit the modestly sized, supremely Canadian, city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, you could make the drive in a little over 20 hours from Pittsburgh. Or, you could just take a boat like I did. When my family planned our summer vacation to Halifax--the city Sidney Crosby calls home--the Pittsburgh Penguins were in one of the valleys of their rollercoaster ride of a season. Little did we know that when our cruise ship finally docked in the foggy coastal town that Sid would have a championship ring on his finger, and more importantly his name on the Cup.

In many ways, Halifax felt a lot like the great city of Pittsburgh. There are plenty of cool independent coffee shops, breweries, and restaurants; a small but respectful film industry; and, of course, an undying love for the game of hockey. Plus, both cities seem to have plenty of residents proudly sporting Penguins t-shirts. We fit right in.

While in Halifax, we did check out a few items of interest. The best being their humble Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame. Located inside the massive sports complex in the center of the city, the Hall of Fame is a neat little exhibit honoring the local athletes who hit it big... half of the place is dedicated to Sidney Crosby. They had his baby clothes, pucks marking various milestone goals, and even a battered piece of drywall from his basement (an early victim of his wrist shot). By far the coolest piece of Crosby history was the clothes dryer from his parents' house. He practiced on the dryer growing up, and the appliance has the dents and black scuffs to prove it.

The next stop for any deserving hockey fan has to be a little bar/restaurant called Bubba's. While not necessarily connected to Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. in Time Square, this place edges out that food-movie-tie-in by sheer volume of awesome sports stuff. Autographed jerseys hung from the ceiling, providing valuable insulation in cold winter months; a vintage Bobby Orr pinball machine runs the coat check when you walk in the door; and there are more flatscreen TV's in the joint than in the White House war room. The most important item in the restaurant, however, was the bubble hockey machine. The table game is prominently featured in the center of the restaurant, with a bar built around it. It's a stadium for bubble hockey... and I must casually mention that I was undefeated.

While Halifax is surely a great place to visit just for some cool Canadian sightseeing, it's an especially worthy trip for the discerning hockey fan. Just make sure you bring enough quarters for an appropriate amount of bubble hockey.