Skip to main content

Let's Travel Canada ~ Cape Breton Island

Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail are also on my 50 Places in Eastern Canada to See Before You Die.

Welcome to Cape Breton Island on Canada’s Atlantic Coast

Cape Breton Island’s story is told in many ways. It’s etched in her craggy cliffs. Written in the trails that marble her face. Spoken in three languages and celebrated in her music and dance. Alive in the millennia’s old history of Unama’ki—Cape Breton Island’s true name, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. To know our Island is to know she’s an unyielding beauty, one which breeds a fierce spirit, resolute pride, and resilient communities knit together by tradition. Pjila’si, Cíad Míle Fáilte, Bienvenue—welcome to a place loved by many and home to a lucky few.

https://www.cbisland.com/




The Fortress of Louisbourg: A mighty adventure is waiting for you!

On Cape Breton’s rocky shoreline east of Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Fortress of Louisbourg brings you back into one of North America’s busiest 18th-century seaports. Founded by the French in 1713, this one-quarter reconstruction of the original French town and fortifications is the largest – and best – of its kind in North America, offering a wealth of experiences for visitors to enjoy.

https://www.novascotia.com/see-do/attractions/fortress-of-louisbourg-national-historic-site/1583

Reconstruction of the fort is just as interesting as what has already been reconstructed.  A must see while you are in Cape Breton.






















We had a very special reason for stopping in Sydney Mines.  A very dear lady, our "second mom", Florence, was born and raised in Sydney Mines.  She played a huge role in many of the neighbourhood kids lives as we were growing up.  

When we were too boisterous she would often say "Shhh, there's a man dead in Sydney River" (or variations of that) and for some weird reason we would all be quiet.  It worked every time and remains one of my fondest memories.  

So, of course, we had to stop at Sydney Mines to pay homage to Flo . . .



On the Cabot Trail

Welcome to the World Famous Cabot Trail
Cape Breton Island is rated the #1 Island to visit in continental North America by Travel & Leisure Magazine.

The Cabot Trail is considered one of the world's most scenic destinations, with stunning ocean vistas, old-growth forests, prehistoric rock scarred by glaciers, and the mysterious Cape Breton Highlands.
https://www.cabottrail.travel/

I can not argue with the facts.  The Cabot Trail is very scenic.  But it is also scary in some places (especially when transport trucks are coming down the mountain you are driving up), and the landscape quickly becomes monotonous (more rocks, more trees).  I don't know where all the animals were because we saw one young moose (and no photo to prove it) and a dead bear cub . . . sigh.

Also, most of the trail is within a national park so you have to pay a fee to drive it.  The receipt is taped to your dashboard and must stay put until you leave the park.  When we saw the moose I was able to snap two photos before he disappeared into the trees but when I checked the photos all I could see was the reflection of that darn receipt.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are many good things about the trail, it is definitely a challenge whether you drive, cycle or hike, and it has an awesome rugged beauty even in early spring . . . but I wouldn't do it again.







Wreck Cove sells excellent sandwiches . . . especially lobster sandwiches.














Yes, there was still snow on the mountain tops when we were there in May.  We could have had a snowball fight or built a snowman . . . except we weren't dressed for winter . . . LOL.







Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Taste of Canada ~ Fiddleheads

I do enjoy fiddleheads.  They have a green bean-y, asparagus-like, pea-ish taste and they are just fun to look at. From Chateline Magazine: HOW-TO It’s Almost Fiddlehead Season! Here’s How To Cook This Springtime Veggie Properly Fiddleheads are a Canadian delicacy, but undercooking them can lead to food poisoning by Amy Grief  Updated Apr 9, 2019 Fiddlehead season is short, so when you see the adorable green curlicues at your grocery store or farmers’ market, buy them while you can. Before chowing down on these little springtime delicacies, there’s a few things you should know first since fiddleheads can cause food poisoning if they’re not cooked properly. What are fiddleheads? These tightly curled coils are ostrich fern fronds. They start appearing in late April and early May in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and are usually found in forests, marshes and by rivers and streams. Taste-wise, fiddleheads, which are popular amongst food foragers, are often co

Week #2 Challenge: Paper . . . and I mean ALL of your paper.

Annual Organization Challenge Week #2   How did you make out with last week's challenge? Did you find your work table? Here's this week's challenge: Your challenge this week is to  S.P.A.C.E.  your paper - - and I mean ALL of your paper: cardstock, patterned paper, specialty papers, and all those SCRAPS! SORT:  Bring all of your paper to one area. Sort it all into piles: KEEP, SELL, DONATE, TRASH PURGE:  bag up, and assign a price to paper bundles that you want to SELL at a garage sale or online, and put the bags in the garage sale box. Throw out the TRASH pile. Bag up the DONATE pile and immediately make arrangements for drop-off/pick-up or put  in your vehicle. ASSIGN:  separate your paper into categories that make sense to you. For example, you may want to divide it simply into cardstock and patterned paper. If you have a huge stash of paper, you may want to divide it by colour, theme, or manufacturer. **Another way to sort your paper is in

Journal Prompt ~ One Thing You Do Really Well

Name one thing you do really well . . .  One thing I do really well is solve crossword puzzles.