Nova Scotia Sep 1 - Sep 4

Aug 31 – we made our way to the ferry and much to our chagrin Agriculture Canada confiscated our remaining beets and carrots, even the carrots we had purchased in the grocery store which came from Nova Scotia. We were not aware that due to a soil disease here vegetables cannot be taken off the island and we were really looking forward to snacking on those fresh garden carrots! C’est la vie, one step forward and two back!

The ferry ride has been uneventful again, which is a good thing. We are on with an American caravan of sixteen rv’s, they are planning to travel the Cabot Trail tomorrow so some of the hills could be interesting.

Sep 1 – our plan was to stock up at a larger grocery store, but I guess the holiday is actually a day off here. We took to the highway and connected with the Cabot Train heading to Ingonish we left the trailer at Broad Cove campground in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. They have the red chair thing here so when we find one we take a pic, just don't enter the contest. We went for a short hike at the Keltic Lodge and then looked around the lodge itself, it’s kind of similar to Jasper Park Lodge. We went for a walk on Ingonish Beach, of course I managed to get my rolled up pants wet but just a little too cold to get in the water. When we got back to the campground a couple from Florida invited us to share their fire and a man from Ontario also joined us also. Eventually we got to comparing heating vs AC costs.

That's me way up in the red chair

 

Obviously we're wimps, other people were in the water 

Sep 2 – we got on the road again for a short drive to Cape North, where we once again left the trailer at the campground and drove to White Point, New Haven and Neil’s Harbour. We saw advertising for lobster sandwiches so we thought that would make a nice lunch, but it was their last day for the season and they had no lobster also had to pay cash because they didn’t want to pay for the debit/credit for the month. On our drive we noticed that quite a few places are closed already. The afternoon drive took us to Bay St. Lawrence and Meat Cove and then before heading back we checked out Dingwell. There are not a lot of campgrounds in this area but many cabins, chalets, B & B’s and rooms to rent.

Sep 3 – heading to Cheticamp, the scenery is beautiful and the weather co-operated, it was sunny and nice for a change. We stopped at Lone Shieling, a Scottish crofter’s hut in a forest of 350 year old sugar maples. I will let Denis described the hills, grades up and down challenging the Beast. Two big hills with 13 and 14 degree slopes ranging from 4 to 6 km long up and down! The reward is the Gulf of St. Lawrence coastline that you see in all the pictures of the Cabot Trail…priceless!

Denis contemplating the Cabot Trail from a red chair

Cabot Trail in the background, windblown wanders in the foreground

We camped just outside Chiticamp and toured around town, found some fish & chips for lunch. I watched a rug hooking demonstration, I’m fascinated by the craft and these ladies make it seem easy but I know different. We saw some people erecting a lattice-like structure, so we stopped and asked what it was. It is a new roof for the farmers market, it is an experimental design by students at Dahousie University. We headed back to the trailer early, it had started to rain and just after we got inside the storm really got going, lightening, thunder and the skies opened up. We were watching a tent a few sites away and wondering if they’d pack it in and head for a hotel but they stuck it out and looked bright and cheerful this morning.


It will be covered with shingles of clear plastic, about milk jug weight

Sep 4 - we left Cheticamp headed southwest, stopped for lunch at Glenora Distillery, where they distill single malt whisky (can't call it scotch if it isn't from Scotland). Lunch was great, there was live entertainment and the grounds are absolutely beautiful. Denis resisted sampling and bought a bottle. Beautiful sunny day, we are camped at Port Hood, great beach here and Denis had a swim.

Sunset over picturesque Port Hood Island from the beach where we spent a couple hours