I’m tired, and I’m REALLY ready to be done with this particular parental project. But I’m still going to try to catch up on our adventures, mostly through a combination of blogs and simple ‘blog postcards.’ Maybe it will help me remember that I have a life outside of this archeological dig. So, picking up where we left off in mid-summer…
For two-and-a-half weeks in July and early August, we were seduced by the magic of Cape Breton Island. We hiked trails along seaside cliffs and through boreal forests. We kayaked pristine bays, ate lobster on picnic tables overlooking the ocean, tapped our feet to rousing fiddle music in small parish halls, and explored the diverse cultural heritage of this beautiful island. (Yes, it really was that idyllic!!)
Navigating Cape Breton Island
For those who need help deciphering my map (I can’t imagine why, LOL): We headed first to Big Bras d’Or, then Cheticamp, Dingwall, Broad Cove, and Mira River.
Just off the tip of Canada’s Atlantic Coast, Cape Breton is attached to the mainland by a causeway. On a map, it looks like a giant lobster claw, which is fitting, considering that lobstering is a big deal here.
Although the island is only 100 miles long and 75 miles across at the widest point, we chose five different locales for our adventures. We almost always prefer relocating instead of driving long distances to do the things we want to do.
Because we made a beeline to see puffins by mid-July, our Cape Breton travels involved a bit of backtracking. But we loved all of the places we stayed, and because the landscape is so beautiful, we didn’t mind retracing some stretches of our route.
Big Bras d’Or, Cape Breton Island
Our first stop was Big Bras d’Or for our puffin adventure, which I wrote about in our last post.
This was a convenient location for delving into the Gaelic heritage of the island. Almost one-third of Nova Scotia’s residents are descendants of Scottish immigrants, who found a familiar landscape in the velvety green hills and rocky coastline of Cape Breton.
They brought with them their traditions, including the ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”), also known as a ‘kitchen party.’ These informal, exuberant gatherings take place in parish halls and pubs and feature Celtic music, dance, and storytelling. Fiddles are mandatory, guitars and piano likely, and bagpipes are not uncommon (in that case, don’t sit too close to the stage. I speak from painful experience).
The world’s largest fiddle in Sydney
We attended several ceilidhs, including an evening at the modest little St. Michael’s Parish Hall in Baddeck, where we sat on folding chairs and were served homemade oatcakes and hot tea while being entertained by outstanding Cape Breton local musicians.
Exploring the History and Traditions of Cape Breton Island
To learn more about Scottish history and traditions, we visited Colaisde na Gàidhlig, a college devoted to the preservation of traditional Gaelic culture. Events are offered throughout the day—we especially enjoyed the kitchen party with instructors performing traditional dance and music, and the kilt demonstration, which involved folding eight yards of wool into pleats and lying on the floor to be wrapped like a burrito. I tried to get Eric to volunteer, to no avail. He hates scratchy fabrics, doesn’t like being dressed in front of an audience, and besides, he’s Swedish, not Scottish. My mother’s maiden name is Scottish, and I found our tartan. It’s blue and green. I was hoping for purple.
Click on any photo to see a larger version
The most famous Scotsman to adopt Cape Breton as his home was Alexander Graham Bell. We explored his life and many inventions at the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. I found it interesting that Bell refused to have a phone in his study, for fear it would distract him.
To round out our cultural explorations of the area, we visited Membertou Heritage Park to learn about the history, cultural traditions, and present-day status of the Mi’kmaq, the indigenous peoples of Nova Scotia. Despite the devastating effects of colonization, including being removed from their homeland and having their children forced into boarding schools, the people have maintained a strong connection to their heritage.
If you find yourself in Baddeck, and if you like beer, there’s one more thing that you must not miss. Big Spruce Brewing is one of the best breweries we’ve been to anywhere, with a fabulous selection of IPAs. I lost my ‘glamour shots’ of the brewery when my phone decided to go belly-up several weeks later (a good reminder to always back up my phone photos). But if you want to see a pretty beer shot, check out our friends’ Laura & Kevin’s blog…they told us about the brewery, along with other great tips for our Maritimes adventures.
Cape Breton Highlands National Park
Our next three stops gave us the opportunity to focus on Cape Breton Highlands National Park and the picturesque 186-mile Cabot Trail. The ribbon of highway hugs Cape Breton’s rocky northern coast, with stunning views and quaint fishing villages tucked into coves here and there along the way. Although it’s possible to drive the loop in one day, don’t. We spent two weeks leisurely exploring the Cabot Trail, beginning with our stay in Baddeck, and it felt just right. (On the map of our travels at the beginning of this post, the Cabot Trail corresponds to the upper loop of our Cape Breton Island adventures.)
The Cabot Trail
We stayed in two of the national park campgrounds (Cheticamp on the west side, and Broad Cove in the east) and at the halfway point on the far north Atlantic coast at Hideaway Campground and Oyster Market in Dingwall.
Cheticamp, Cape Breton
In Cheticamp, we reunited with our friends and traveling buddies Beth and Perry, whom we last saw in Niagara Falls in June. Our time together went by too quickly, filled with hiking, kayaking, and a tasty lunch of PEI mussels at the picturesque Glenora Distillery while being entertained at yet another ceilidh.
We hiked several trails on this side of the park, but the don’t-miss attraction is the iconic Skyline Trail that offers stunning views of the rugged highlands plunging to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We chose the longer 5.6-mile loop that travels through a boreal forest, along the highlands, and returns through a beautiful bog—and we finally added moose to our list of wildlife sightings.
On the Skyline Trail
Moose!
Dingwall, Cape Breton
Midway on the Cabot Trail, we stopped for three nights at the Hideaway Oyster Market and Campground in the tiny hamlet of Dingwall. A campground with an oyster bar is our idea of an excellent full-service campground. We kayaked the crystal clear waters of South Harbour, hiked the sweet Corney Brook Trail and the stunning trail at White Point and ate fresh lobster and oysters from the campground market on picnic tables overlooking the bay.
We drove out to Meat Cove one day, the northernmost settlement on Cape Breton and considered a “must-do” if you make it this far north. We weren’t convinced it was worth the long and winding drive. A local told us about White Point—now THAT was worth the drive. So peaceful, and so ruggedly beautiful.
Ingonish, Cape Breton
Moving to the eastern side of Cape Breton Highlands National Park, we stayed at Broad Cove campground in Ingonish for several days. Highlights included hiking the gorgeous coastline on the Jack Pine, Coastal, and Middlehead Trails, as well as the unique and beautiful Mica Hill Trail, a five-mile loop that traverses a highlands plateau with shimmering quartz and mica outcroppings.
The national park and historic sites in Canada offer an array of appealing activities that go beyond the usual hiking and nature options. At every event we attended throughout the summer, we were impressed by the skills of the presenters. At Broad Cove Campground, we took part in an evening lantern walk along the lakeshore, where we were regaled with tales of historic people and events while the calls of loons echoed off the lake.
Sadly, my photos of this event also disappeared when my phone croaked. So I’m borrowing this photo from the national park website. (No, we were not expected to follow our leader out into the lake.)
Ingonish Lantern Walk, from the national park website
Another activity worth mentioning in Ingonish is eating at the Periwinkle Cafe. My blog-worthy photos of a phenomenal lobster salad sandwich (on homemade gluten-free bread) went down with my phone, but trust me on this. This is a very cool place with delicious food…we ate there three times in three days, including a take-away picnic lunch (lobster salad sandwiches, of course).
Salty Rose’s and the Periwinkle Cafe
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site
On the far eastern side of Cape Breton Island, we wrapped up our Cape Breton adventures with three nights at Mira River Provincial Park, where we spent a day at the nearby Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site.
Located near the mouth of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Louisbourg was a thriving French town and fishing center in the early 1700s, with a fort strategically placed to protect French interests in the interior of Canada. In 1760, following the Seven Years War, the British destroyed it all. But one hundred years later, one-quarter of the original town and fortifications were reconstructed as a national historic site.
Walking through the fortress gate—where we were stopped by a French colonial soldier who solemnly greeted us and asked what our business was—it was as though we had stepped back in time. It’s an extraordinary reconstruction of French colonial life in the mid-1700s, and the reenactors bring it to life.
A soldier stands guard
Three women gathering herbs
A note about the campgrounds: We liked every place we stayed, and wouldn’t change a thing about our travels on Cape Breton Island. The booking window for the national parks is six months in advance; the provincial parks don’t start accepting reservations until April. Book as early as possible, especially if you want water and electric hookups.
Hey there,
You might want to go back to Cape Breton again for an even longer stay this summer. Perhaps the Coronavirus won’t make it there.
Lovely pictures, it’s so hilly, worse than the San Juans.
Sheila, Cape Breton is definitely more hilly than Lopez! I’m really glad we spent last summer in the Maritimes, because the border may well be closed this summer. Stay healthy, you two!
OHHHH was wondering how the cleaning was going? We are back from Guatemala and Panama. LOVED Guatemala the most, the sunsets/sunrises at Canopy Tower, Panama were pretty incredible. So much laughter watching a lone squirrel taken on 8 little monkeys for his one banana. He was brutal in his quest for food.
Will post some pics for you. Everyone should visit Tikal. Loved reading about NS. It’s a magical area to discover and the history and cultural experience makes you revisit in memory often.
Bless you for taking on the task of cleaning. Daunting for another generation….it will be therapeutic when completed.
Julie, I think you guys have been having a LOT more fun than we have the past couple of months. Your travels sound so exotic! We’d love to see photos. We’re making good progress here with the cleanout. I wouldn’t wish this task on anyone.
Hi, Laurel and Eric. I enjoyed this one, have never been to Cape Breton.
I sympathize with your frustration. I’ve had to put the last 2 years of my traveling life on hold as I stayed put to be with my sister as she battled and lost to cancer. Now I’m pressured by the effort to clear her house and deal with her estate. She never threw anything away! I’m motivated to wrap up within the next few months, so I can resume my adventures. I too have not had time to post photos from a trip last fall and another in January. We will all get thru this I’m sure. Take care of yourselves – hope to see you back on Lopez one of these days.
Ann Palmer
Lopez Island WA
Hi Ann, we’re so happy to hear from you. I’m so sorry to hear about your sister. What a great gift of love for you to accompany her throughout her illness. And now you have her home and estate to deal with…I’m so sorry that you’re facing that monumental task. It’s good to have a timeframe in mind so that you can return to your life and adventures. We’ll be returning to Lopez in 2021, and look forward to seeing you then! Meanwhile, take good care of yourself!
I’m still hoping to find ancestors who spent time at Louisburg. Most landed at Quebec, but I did see an early 1600’s reference to someone spending time in what was then called Acadia. You two certainly did Cape Breton the right way! Thanks for the tip on White Point. We will look for that on our next trip there.
Jim, that’s very cool that you have ancestors who were at Louisbourg! We really loved our stay on Cape Breton, and would happily return. We could have spent the entire summer there, but 2 1/2 weeks gave us a good taste of the island. Definitely check out White Point on your next trip…it’s gorgeous!
Wonderful pictures and stories! Would love to munch on a lobster roll there. Will miss you both this summer on Lopez. Love, Tom & Georgina
Aww, thanks, Tom. We’re going to miss you guys this summer on Lopez. We’ll be back next year, for sure. We’ll enjoy some Dungeness crab together, and music! :-)
Moose!!!
Your post reminds me that we don’t do nearly enough picnic lunches and to start working them into our lives more. How I wish we’d been sitting across from you guys at that picnic table having lobster salad sandwiches!
Everything in this post is just so lovely and calming. Hold tight, my friend, more of this is ahead for you. 💜
Joodie, we love our picnic lunches. We have picnics almost every day when we’re hiking, biking, or just exploring and it’s such a lovely break in the day. We’ll plan some picnics together this summer in Wisconsin. :-)
Thanks for your good wishes…we’re definitely ready to be done with this project.
Dear friends so far away!
We missed your laughter and hijinks the other night for first Friday….thought of what you’d add to the laughter and the general good times out on the town. Probably the last for awhile with the virus!
Looking at your archeological dig and getting more motivated to sort and shift and let go of these earthly treasures tying us down like a millstone round our necks…getting 6 sets of shelves for my studio up and organizing with fabric and notions, realizing what this fabriholic syndrome really is!
Happy to see how the indigenous people have fared among the Scottish and French…sadly we are still the kindergarteners of the world…just learning to concentrate for 15 minutes and get along with others…been on a rant lately against capitalism. Never too much steam in my rants as of late…feeling, what’s the use? You will cast absentee ballots yes? Let me know if there’s anything I can help with here on the northwestern edge. Love and light! Diana
Diana, it’s a good thing you have that enormous fabric stash…you’ll have a lot to work with over the next month or so if you’re practicing social distancing with this crazy pandemic. I can only imagine the beautiful things you’ll create.
Oh, yes, indeed we will be casting our absentee ballots. I can hardly wait. We miss you guys. So glad you had a fun First Friday with the gang. As you said, it’s probably the last gathering for a while. :-(
Gosh, this post is just what the doctor ordered… I feel like we could all use a huge dose of Cape Breton Island these days. Your photos take me right back to that epic spot that felt like we were standing on the edge of the world. So calm and peaceful and utterly unspoiled. On a large scale, I think it’s what we all need, and I’m sure for you, personally, it probably provides a nice sense of calm as you take a break from your enormous project… that is going to be done before you know it. Seriously! It will!!
I’d also say, your readers should absolutely follow your lead on how to see this area. Taking your time and spending several days in each location around the loop was definitely the smart way to do it. We screwed up by staying in one spot and driving everywhere. It was just too much driving and I think we missed out on a lot of what makes CBI so special.
Anyway, thank you for taking us to all the places we missed and thanks for providing an island of calm in a sea of chaos.
Thanks, Laura…I’m glad we could transport you back to such a beautiful place. Maybe that’s a good thing about me being so far behind in our posts. It’s so strange to think that only a few months ago our lives seemed so idyllic, and now here we are in the midst of a global pandemic along with digging our way out of my parents’ collection of crap.
Your suggestions for the Maritimes definitely helped us in planning our adventure. It worked really well for us to stay several different places on Cape Breton so that we could explore in-depth and at our leisure. And we LOVED Big Spruce Brewery, so thanks again for that suggestion!
Such a beautiful place and a moose. Glad you are getting through everything and counting down to departure day.
Yes, finally we saw moose!! Cape Breton Island is so beautiful, Deb. Not sure if you guys have been there, but it’s worth the journey.
Thanks for taking me back to Cape Breton. We explored this part of NS on a motorcycle trip so we didn’t do any hiking. But we so loved taking the loop on our motorcycle. What a beautiful area. So glad you saw our moose. She came out and stood on the side of the road posing for photos for us. It’s great to see she is still taking her roll seriously. We stayed at the Telegraph House down from Alexander Graham Bell’s museum. We ate tons of lobster and mussels ever night. Such a special place.
I’m so sorry you are so overwhelmed with your parents home. I can’t even begin to imagine what a life time of items and papers would be like. Hopefully you are getting closer to the end. Remember to take time for yourself. Take care:)
Pam, I can imagine a motorcycle trip through Cape Breton would be a blast! Should you ever get back up there, you would love the hiking. It’s so different from anything else we’ve experienced. We saw many moose in the national park…some along the sides of the road, and several while we were hiking. So maybe we did see ‘your’ moose, LOL!
Thanks for your good wishes…we’re getting to the end of this project, slowly but surely. We’re taking time for long walks and bike rides every day, but we are tired of dealing with so much stuff.
I love your map — it’s much easier than trying to explain the figure 8 loops you did! — and the fact that you explored the island so thoroughly. It’s impressive and inspiring that you did so many things that allowed you to experience the culture of the area and not just the natural beauty. That’s something we should do more of in our travels, minus the ear-splitting bagpipes, of course. Good luck pushing through the rest of your archaeology project… keep thinking of the road ahead (literally) and future experiences like this to stay motivated.
Shannon, oh good, I’m glad you could read our map, LOL! We were happy we spent enough time on the island to experience it in depth. As you know, our favorite kind of travel includes not only outdoor adventures but cultural offerings, too. There’s a pretty unique variety of things to experience on Cape Breton.
Thanks for your encouragement as we finish up our archeological dig. We’re feeling ready to get back on the road, but the pandemic may keep us here a bit longer. At least most of the work on the house is done at this point.
Your post is a beautiful breath of fresh air right now! Thanks for taking me on a trip to a gorgeous place I may never visit!
Thank you, Lisa. I’m so glad to hear from you…hope you two are doing well and staying healthy in Prescott. Cape Breton Island is far away from where you are, so I’m happy we could share it with you!
Fabulous header picture. Great entire post! Makes me swoon. Love your map too. How in the world did you do it? I am so envious of this trip. David and I did the Maritimes years ago when Carrie was reading Anne of Green Gables and we always vowed we would go back but then his illness meant he had to have weekly treatments which he could not get in Canada. We loved ceilidh and particularly on PEI. But we didn’t see Membertou Heritage Park so clearly I’ll have to go back again. Sure wish you were doing this trip this year instead of last so I could tag along. Lucky Beth and Perry. If any of your readers would like to recreate your trip and just follow in your footsteps, they should let me know. Although we’ll probably have to plan it for summer 2021 given that the borders may be closed due to Covid 19.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Sherry. What a wonderful family trip that must have been with Carrie on PEI! We loved our time on Cape Breton, and are really happy we spent last summer in the Maritimes. As you said, it was a good thing we did this trip last year, because this summer is such a big unknown for all of us. I’d love to spend more time in the Maritimes, and if we do, we could share some adventures!
I love that you have shared this journey with us and I can’t wait to plan a trip with all your recommendations and routes. I’m definitely keeping this bookmarked for a time when this world returns to normal. It will, right?? Hooray for a moose sighting and all the wonderful hikes and kayaking. The food looks amazing and your photos are stunning (I love all the shots of the boats), as always. We will definitely try Periwinkle Cafe, as you always have the best recommendations for restaurants! Sadly, we have had to cancel our upcoming two-month road trip due to COVID-19. We’re hunkering down at home (with my 87 year old mother) on the Oregon Coast (there are worse places to “shelter in place,” so we feel blessed), but we are disappointed that we won’t get to Utah this spring. Or maybe not even Vancouver Island later this fall. I am thinking of you and your family during this terrible time in our world and hope all is well with your parents and loved ones. Deep breaths every single day…
Thank you for your loving thoughts, Les. These are such challenging times, unlike anything any of us have experienced. Deep breaths, indeed.
I’m so sorry you’ve had to cancel your spring trip plans. We’re currently in limbo, not knowing if we’re going to be able to do our Michigan trip in July/August. As you said, it’s a blessing that you have such a beautiful place to be on the Oregon Coast. We’re grateful that we’re able to stay here in Apalachicola (although it’s going to get HOT). Stay healthy, all of you!
Thanks so much for taking us back and showing us once again what a wonderful and great place Cape Breton and Nova Scotia. You have done more than we did and looked like you had a wonderful time.
You probably are wishing you are there right now while the world is going crazy!
I hope you and Erick are staying healthy surroumded with toilet paper and disinfectants …ha ha ha just joking.
Stay well and stay away from people :) Hugs
Oh, ML these are such crazy times! I’m glad to hear from you and hoping that all is well since you’ve returned from your cruise. You told us several years ago that we would love the Maritimes, and we did! We got a lot of inspiration for our travels from you, as you’ll see in our next post. We’re going to ride out this next month or two (or??) in Apalachicola…fortunately there seems to be plenty of TP and we’re definitely staying away from people!
Your photos and descriptions transport me right to this beautiful island! What a treat. Given the distance I think your schedule was perfect for taking advantage of all there is to see and do. The ridge hike looks beautiful, but “plunging” is not a term I’m anxious to experience even from afar :-))) Bummer about your lost photos, but I so enjoyed the ones you had. The pic of the girls collecting herbs is frame-able and so, so precious.
Hope you’re both doing well during the chaos and that your folks are safe. Hugs!
I’m glad to hear from you, Jodee, and trusting that all is well as you shelter-in-place. Perfect timing for you to be in your new home! We’re safe in Apalachicola, and my folks are safe in their assisted living facility in Jacksonville. But we can’t visit them. :-(
The Maritimes are uniquely beautiful, and I know you and Bill would enjoy traveling there if you should head east again. You would love Louisbourg! You are so funny, you always notice the steep hikes and viewpoints. Sorry for scaring you, LOL.