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| Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia |
We heard a lot about this world renowned trail for a long time and we finally were here!
After Sussex, we embarked on the ‘Cabot Trail’ on Cape
Breton Island.
The Trail was named after John Cabot who landed in Canada in the late 1400's.
It wound around the north end of the island. We felt like riding on a long roller coaster
as the road went up and down the steep mountains that rose abruptly from the
sea.
We stayed in a log cabin in the village of Baddeck for two nights at the Baddeck Cabot Trail Campground, operated by Wolf, a German Canadian, who kept his campground accommodations clean and tidy.
We especially enjoyed the hot shower in the spotless shower/washroom. Many cabins this day are very comfortable, some even have wifi and private bathrooms.
Most are equipped with swimming pools, play grounds, stores etc. It is great for families and adults alike.
This particular camp ground even operated a restaurant on site that served lobsters and beer for dinner!
We really enjoyed staying at this type of accommondation. For our sons' information, we don’t always rough it on our trips. Sometimes, but not most of the time. S. has done an excellent job researching and booking the cabins and making reservations for us.
The Trail was named after John Cabot who landed in Canada in the late 1400's.
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| Spectacular scenery on the Cabot Trail! |
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| We stayed in a cabin at Baddeck |
We stayed in a log cabin in the village of Baddeck for two nights at the Baddeck Cabot Trail Campground, operated by Wolf, a German Canadian, who kept his campground accommodations clean and tidy.
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| The campground office |
We especially enjoyed the hot shower in the spotless shower/washroom. Many cabins this day are very comfortable, some even have wifi and private bathrooms.
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| A restaurant serving hot meals at the BCTC campground |
Most are equipped with swimming pools, play grounds, stores etc. It is great for families and adults alike.
This particular camp ground even operated a restaurant on site that served lobsters and beer for dinner!
We really enjoyed staying at this type of accommondation. For our sons' information, we don’t always rough it on our trips. Sometimes, but not most of the time. S. has done an excellent job researching and booking the cabins and making reservations for us.
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| Weather on the Cabot Trail is often unpredictable |
The weather in the Cabot Trail region is unpredictable. On the day we wanted to drive on the trail, it was raining and foggy.
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| Bay of Lawrence, Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia |
So we went to the eco centre and also visited the Alex. Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck to learn about its most famous residents - Alexandra Graham Bell, a teacher of deaf students, who invented the telephone in 1876, married his wife - Mabel Bell who was deaf. Together, they had a beautiful house built across the bay to escape the summer heat and protection from fame. They lived at their Baddeck summer home until Bell’s death in 1922.
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| One of the many lookouts on the Cabot Trail |
The Cabot Trail takes about five hours of driving time to go through the entire trail, but we spent three days there.
We took our time to enjoy the spectacular scenery and the beautiful beaches.
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| Beautiful beaches on the Cabot Trail |
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| Surfing, anyone? |
S. got too excited taking pictures of this beautiful beach. He slipped and got his really nice camera a little wet on the beach.
Too bad. From then on, he could not take any more pictures with his camera.
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| An Iron Craft Shop - one of many interesting shops on Cabot Trail |
There were a lot to see on the trail. We stopped and visited many interesting shops and places.
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The Scottish influence was obvious on the Cabot Trail as we came across shops and signs in Gaelic and even a Cholaisde na Ghàidhlig, a Gaelic college! How about that!
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| Bilingual signs abound on the Cabot Trail - English & Gaelic |
The Gaelic Craft Shop, dedicated to things of the Celtic culture, also advertised many cultural and social events happening on the trail.
There was a community Gaelic dinner which we would have loved to attend that evening! But we didn't have time on our itinerary.
We drove by a farm where a large number of life sized dolls dressed in various characters were on display in an open field.
My husband was busy posing with Jean Christien, our former Liberal prime minister.
I was delighted and busy telling a story to a group of eager and obedient children!
There was no admission charge to this wonderful artistic display save a box placed on a table for visitors' free will donations and feedback.
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| A colourful house on the Cabot Trail |
We spent one night in a house keeping cottage in the Acadian Village of Cheticamp.
Cheticamp is a lobster fishing community with many of the boats docked at its port ready for work.
The L’Acadie village was festooned with the Acadian flag of the French Tri-colour with a yellow Acadian star added to the corner of the flag.
The Acadians were forcibly deported by the British in 1755. Some of them ended as Cajuns in Louisiana and others managed to creep back to Nova Scotia. Today their language is still protected and the 2600 inhabitants of Cheticamp is 95% Acadian French.
One interesting tidbit of local history was that the commerce of the village was controlled by the Robins. This control resulted in the villagers living in dire poverty.
Eventually a local parish priest organized the coup movement that broke the monopoly of the Robin family and the cycle of poverty endured by the locals.
The following day we went to PEI crossing the Confederation Bridge - 12.9 Km in length, an engineering wonder connecting Prince Edward Island to the rest of Canada.
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| Confederation Bridge - An engineering wonder connecting PEI to the rest of Canada |
In beautiful PEI, we visited its capital city, Charlottetown, the birthplace of Canada,
where the 1864 Charlottetown Conference was held.
On the first evening, we went downtown and watched a light show projected on the wall of the Province House on the history of the city.
Victoria Row, the downtown street was all lit up and very pretty.
Actors in period costumes walked the street of Charlottetown, greeting and conversing with visitors to the city explaining to them what life was like during the pre Confederation time before Canada was born.
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| The Big Fiddle, Sydney, Nova Scotia |
The breathtaking scenery, the warm hospitality of the people on the island warmed our hearts. I fell in love hopelessly with the island! Right there, I was determined I would be back to spend a month on the east coast the following summer!
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| The Province House, Charlottetown, PEI |
We loved our east coast trip and reluctantly said good bye returning back to the big smoke Monday the following week.
R.T.
Our very memorable trip
Atlantic Provinces, Canada
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