There are lots of songs about Cape Breton and coming back to this island. And although we have been here, only two days it’s a place we definitely want to come back, just like the song says. Off the spreadsheet again this time off to a dinner party at our Sail Tour Captain, Gordon’s House. I discovered Adventure Tours Sailing quite by accident as I was expanding a google route for the next day, boom it was there. Gordon was so nice to give us an unscheduled day which was for our convenience. We rode our bikes from the Batter Park in St Peter’s and met him at his house where we boarded “Cu Na Mara “ Gaelic for Hound of the Sea, a 24 ft, sloop complete with furling jib.
What a beautiful place to live right on St. Pete’s Bay with your sailboat right out the back door convenient to the huge Bras D’or Lake or through the St Peter Lock Canal and off to the Atlantic. We finally were sailing St Peters Bay and there was wind! Lots of childhood memories for me. As we sailed the area,
We did some singing as Gordon said he was a musician himself. Upon returning to shore, we plotted when we could get together and play music. Before you knew his wife,Ann Marie, invited us to a dinner party that they were having with friends Clinton/Donna, Liz/Leo, and Barbara/Charles that evening. Funny, Gordon predicted that she would invite us that night. Here we met a host of Ann Marie’s Childhood friends who have returned to Cape Breton upon retirement. Charles played guitar sharing traditional Cape Breton ballads and Leo ended out evening with a beautiful acapella song written for his departed friend who happened to be Clinton’s brother. Tears were flowing as the reflection of his friendship was conveyed to us, his incredibly beautiful voice was mesmerizing as he sang. Gordon played many songs and we played a couple too. Just such a very spontaneous evening and such warm people. We hope to pass their way again. And plan on meeting Leo and Liz ( Elizabeth) at Stan Rogers Fest. And who knows maybe we will meet Ann Marie and Gordon in Costa Rica where they winter. Such lovely people. We would return for another visit in about a week.
A day with Gordon at the helm and we learned so much about the area as his wife grew up in the house they now lived in with 8 other siblings and still hanging with some of the neighbor kids. They iniated Swim in the Canal Day because that’s what they did as kids and then it had been forbidden in later years. We sailed by Chapel Island known as (near Potlotek). Much like the Spanish tried to convert the native people to Catholicism in California with missions, the French did so in this North Atlantic region Mi’kmaq communities in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia as early as 1610. In 1742. Abbé Maillard was the first missionary priest to say his first Mass on the island. His Mi’kmaw flock settled here and built the first chapel in 1754. The boulder still exists today. In recent years, in effort for reconciliation and recognition of the Mi’kmaq Nation, they are allowed to build the small structures that are seen around the chapel.
Meat Cove, Cape Breton
The most beautiful campsite of all times, decided to stay an extra night.
Can you blame us? An unobstructed view of the cove right from my kitchen window.
The Lawless Lobster Permanent Food Truck with Lobster or Crab Rolls, take it or leave it, were the only menu items. Meat Cove camping required a ride up a dirt road along the cliffs above the cove and one very large bump that required a bike check. All the hangups around Vinny are working quite well and nothing much fell.
We didn’t realize how close and high we were to those cliffs as we drove into Meat Cove Campground, but now that we can look up and see the cars. The Meat Cove Lookout hike was a bit overgrown in places and the top was a narrow steep descend but at least it was through the green cover
And the cliffs were very gradual at the top.
The Meat Cove Lookout Hike was right at the campground, and hiked up the opposite side of the mountain we can see all of Meat Cove.
Would definitely not venture up in the rain, but luckily, we had the most beautiful day and the water was so calm. We saw people get in and get out quickly, it is the Atlantic Ocean after all and it is amazingly clear.
Meat Cove Kayak Exploration. We had planned to go to the far waterfall since we could see it from our campsite.
Meat Cove got its namesake because in the 1700’s they used to process moose meat here.
I would have called it Shale Flying Buttress Cove because it looks like all along the coast there are sections that eroded away but then there is the protruding steep rock buttresses where you can see layers and sections that have even slid off exposing what looks to be a 80 degree angle of flat shale, very, very steep.
In between the buttresses there are even flat beaches. The water is beautifully clear and you can peer down to see all the plant life for over 6 feet. It is very cold and we did not venture in.
The campground lies high up on a grassy area between two buttresses.
After kayaking north around the butresss, we found another beautiful waterfall where the rock was glistening wet. This cove is amazingly calm for being on the Atlantic Ocean. The morning seem to be windy and then it calms in the evening, And from the bluff on our campsite we had the most beautiful 4th of July Fireworks, no loud bangs Ziva.
Cabot Trail
Skyline Hike
The Skyline Hike is perhaps the most famous hike in Cape Breton Highland National Park. Yes, it is beautiful and well manicured at the end, a lookout with cascading stairs and multiple landings.
There was a stunning overlook spot on the way into Cheticamp that was gorgeous.
Luckily, they have placed benches at these landings because up is a long way! The return from this easy 6 mile hike was more inland and a bit longer than the coastal part of the loop. Although it was more crowded, the breeze from the water made it more comfortable than hiking in the scrub during return, and if I would do it again, consider not doing the loop. The parking areas were huge and there was overflow too, but nowhere near full and I suppose a weekend might be super crowded because it is relatively easy and the view from the top was spectacular. We even saw people pushing strollers because it was all gravel covered on the coastal side. Those 100‘s of steps that brought you down and well then backup was the only difficult part. I am not one to complain about seeing too many people on a hike, but this was like Grand Canyon or Zion proportions. There must have been parking for 200 cars.
These foamy splotches were evident all along the coastal loop here mostly in the ferns but also in other plants. They are spindle bug egg sacs. We saw a few on our return loop but they were everywhere on the coastal loop.
Part of the Skyline trail had an enclosed area that was fenced to keep moose out because they evidently knock down new growth, and there was an observation deck that allowed one to see the ocean. In summary it is a nice huge commanding view, but I like to be a little closer and the trail had very little shade an womanly peoplle
From here we went up to Meat Cove and then down east side side was our plan. Not quite the straight path because we decided to add in Louisbourg which was on the eastern side of the island and several hours drive, all the while trying to outrun the rain and having things like the Alexander Graham Bell Museum juggled for these rainy days.
Cabot Trail
The Cabot Trail is known as one of the most beautiful drives through the northern part of Cape Breton and weaves its way in an out through the Cape Breton Highland National Park and towns in between. The western coast is spectacular and I equate it to Big Sur area in California only, way greener all around and less traffic even though we experienced driving through the town of Baddeck during Canada Day on July 1st.
Alexander Graham Bell Museum, Baddeck
Evidently Baddeck opens up the Alexander Graham Bell Museum for free on Canada Day. Good thing we had done that on the prior day. Although we know him best for inventing the telephone, he was very famous in Canada for his contribution to the first airplanes and hydrofoil vessels, not to mention the work he continued from his father/grandfather in elocution for the deaf. His wife was deaf. The museum even claimed that a dog was made to say a few words by forming its mouth and giving treats. Great place to visit on our rainy day that we were to attend the Big Bash Outdoor Music Event at Saint Ann’s.
Cape Breton Oat Cakes to celebrate Canada Day which are somewhat like shortbread with oats and were much better than the dry ginger cakes that had too much flour from the Alma bakery in New Fundy. While we are talking bakeries, the Aucoin Bakery in Cheticamp is not to be missed. We resisted all the sweets and opted for baguette, rye bread and too fresh to slice Flax Bread. We gobbled this with butter before we could get out of the parking lot. Our return on the Cabot Trail to Cheticamp will most definitely include a stop here.
Cheticamp
Cheticamp is a really nice campground with excellent facilities. Wifi is good at the Visitor Center and a tiny bit of cell coverage at the campsite, site near visitor center have the better, with good coverage at the visitors center which is really close to the campground. We spent two rainy afternoons getting caught up on internet stuff. When the Kitchenest schedule came out I was able to get a spot for two days only a week before, and it did not look at all near capacity. There are these incredible dishwashing covered spaces with hot water, Caroline would be envious! Not that Vinny needs anything like that. But camping spaces have these communale rough buildings that have wood burning stoves and picnic tables which is commonplace. As we drove south down the Cabot Trail to Cheticamp after our Skyline Hike, we stopped in two different non-reservable campgrounds which were close to the sea, but also to the road. Seems like space was still available even as evening was approaching as we returned to our site at Cheticamp. Corny Brook was up on the grassy bluffs, overlooking the coast, but sites were spaced close.
The map says there is a waterfall hike from Corny Brook.
Mikwesaqtuk/Cap Rouge was where we had dinner overlooking the water in a picnic area. We were very impressed by this communale building that had a covered outdoor porch overlooking the ocean as well as the typical inside wood stove facility to wait out the rain and play cards, a type of rugged ambience with washrooms right there. These are perfect last minute opportunities. From this campground, we did a lovely hike over the Trout Brook and to the rocky beach where we had a perfect digestion walkabout on this particularly beautiful day.
Luckily Vinny had an employable shade because there’s not a cloud in the sky and it wasn’t too windy near Cap Rouge where we stopped on this beautiful very sunny day after our Skyline Hike to make dinner. When driving furth south on the Cabot Trail to Cheticamp there are two day use areas that would have better to stop and relax/eat after leaving the Skyline Trail for example. From the Cape Breton Highlands National ParkTrail Map, #4 Le Buttereau and #3 Le Chemin du Buttereau would have had shade and pretty view parking areas too
Blueberry Hill Trail Head
This trail was recommended instead of the Skyline. It does not appear on Parks Canada map but does in All Trails. Rain has prevented us from doing much hiking in the Cape Breton National Park, but people I met said it allows dogs, but don’t go in August when blueberries are out because it is full of bears eating those berries at the end.
Pleasant Bay Overlook, Cabot Trail
The beauty of Vinny VanGo life was really enjoyed as we were able to stop at incredible overlooks where I could cook, not with wine, but with incredible views.
On our way north to Meat Cove on the Cabot Trail, we stopped at the Pleasant Bay Overlook so we could spot some whales while perched high on the mountain.
We did have that absolutely gorgeous view, but no whales and John whines often that he has not seen a moose or bear in all of Canada despite all the signage that is in so many places to alert of their crossing the roadways.
As we headed back south on Cabot Trail from the incredibly beautiful Meat Cove, we had wanted to do the Franey Hike but the gravel grade up to the trail combined with a bit of laziness, reports of bugginess, the return trail still under construction as a gravel slippery path and other easier hiking possibilities, we decided to head back up North. We had spied a Wood fired pizza place in Dingwall which is where the Kitchenfest Music would be that night. Here we would enjoy pizza good Wifi and pizza.
Black Brook Cove Beach
As we made our way back up the Cabot Trail to Dingwall, the first stop was Black Brook Cove Beach which was small and perfect for a spinach chicken wrap and a nap before Jack Pine Hike. The beach was beautifully sandy and had the Rock buttresses on either side that jetted out into the ocean. The crashing waves on either side of the 100 yd beach made it especially beautiful and auditorily relaxing for a nap between two boulders.
Jack Pine Trail
This trail had several incredible mesmerizing viewpoints, and the 1.5 mile hike was perfect for our bit of a lazy day.
The payoff for this short hike was primo.
The Coastal Trail that would have allowed us to continue along the cliffs was closed, and we just made the loop back to the parking lot. The Jack Pine coastal section was so much more scenic than the inland return loop. We saw our mysterious spittle bug droppings in only a few plants this time. Much of the forest had suffered a fire many years ago and although the floor was lush with ferns and new Pine seedlings, above the waist level consisted of burned pine trunks on the inland return loop It was a very well marked trail complete with placards that explained the nature.
Neils Harbor, slightly off Cabot Trail
Made our way back north stopping at the picturesque Neils Harbor where you could also see the lobster/fishing industry going strong. There seems to be Zodiac Boat Whale Tours from here, but we partook in the Lighthouse Ice Cream Tour instead.
There was a Chowder Restaurant on the bluffs that we had been told had great chowder and had outdoor picnic tables to enjoy a beautiful day on the sea coast.
White Point Lookout, slightly off Cabot Trail
This trail started at the Harbor and we walked up the gravel road to an expanse of rocky yet green ground covered trails that snaked out in different directions to experience the Atlantic waves.
The perfect Ocean breeze made for another lovely hike spoiling us with the views of the ocean,
even though technically this was not on the Cabot Trail.
Broad Cove Campground
Green Cove and Lakies Head looked like beautiful coastal lookout sites if there is time to stop or need to eat lunch and it is not raining, but we were headed to Broad Cove Campground to wait out the impending rain and get electricity.
But first a stop at the Periwinkle Cafe for a breakfast sandwich and really good WiFi to get all the photos on the cloud which were clogged up on my phone.
Cell service was almost non-existent at Broad Cove campground, but we got our laundry done and did a Young Sheldon Season. Laundromat gossip was yet another who said to go to Newfoundland as well as Quebec. She and her husband said that the new generation of Quebec people treat English speaking people much nicer these days. Unfortunately the weather prevented us from hiking in this area, and since cell service is so poor, it would probably not stay at Broad Cove for too long.
Heading out, there was a Farmers market in the local fire hall and I bought a whole lemon meringue pie. It was cute with ladies selling baked goods to breads and cool rope door mats among many other things. There was coffee and they would also sell slices of cake to enjoy while a folksinger played, but there were no vegetables or fruits at all. Here we would head off the Cabot Trail and head south east toward Louisbourg, but stopping at Sydney for a pub night along the way.
Kitchenfest
Kitchenfest is a 10 day music event all over the island where venues from pubs, restaurants and music halls host Gaelic tradition musicians from all over. Kitchedenfest was the reason were were visiting at this time. After the schedule had been published, I tried chart a path that would lead us to locations where there was camping nearby and allowed us to see and do some hiking in Cape Breton. This is how we came upon St Peters where we camped at Battery Park. This was a very short bike ride into town to hear music at the Bras D’or Inn, where we found Gordon our sailboat tour. There was a pub in town that was also to have music the following night but we opted for dinner party and music with Ann Marie and Gordon and friends where the music was lovely as well.
Upon arriving in the town of Cheticamp, there was music all over, but we opted for Doryman’s Pub which was on the official Kitchenfest Schedule. This required a 5 mile drive from the National Park Campground. Here we heard a traditional three piece group with the fiddle being dominant and quite delightful. The fiddlers would take turns during this three hour music session. We even got to round dance as one of the fiddler players also gave dance lessons. So we danced with a dozen people promenading and traveling in circles on the dance floor as the night ended. It was a real hoot and then we even saw our dance buddies on the Skyline Trail the next day! Then we watched our fiddler players taking turns solo dancing and playing to the trio. What a beautiful night. This was perfect volume and traditional authenticity.
We had gotten tickets to the “Big Bash” which was to be an outdoor music fest type venue at the Galeic College in St Ann’s. Rain brought it inside to an enclosed room which was great because we were wondering how that was gonna not get wet outside. But we were a bit disappointed because it was very loud and there were larger bands that were just too much for the hall; we ended up leaving during the last act because there were 10 performers with all types of instruments from sax to flute which would have been fabulous outside. We did enjoy Jimmy Rankin who was a local Cape Breton guy who had an amazing stage presence and energy. Over the years he has covered many music genres and lived in places that influenced his music and had many CD’s. It was quite remarkable when the crowd knew all of his songs and sang full on as he also stopped singing on choruses to have the crowd take over. You could really feel the vibe of the local star coming back to his roots of Cape Breton. As I mentioned early there are many songs about coming back to Cape Breton.
Octagon Cultural Center was a gorgeous music venue all wooden and of course octagon shaped. I never got a photo and in fact we could not find one on the internet. There was a fancier restaurant on the property and even a musician doing folk music there too as we got our tickets. This was a kitchenfest venue with Evans and Doherty playing guitar and singing. The song Time, Time, Time was hysterical about growing old and was an audience sing-a-long. Ended up overnighting in the Northern Cape Breton Museum/Morrison Restaurant Parking Lot.
It was pretty quiet except I think at about 4am there were cars roaring down the road probably to get on lobster boats for work There are ports all over the place in these maritime areas and the lobster/crab trap buoys are everywhere. The museum had many cool artifacts and also had quite a bit of information on all the shipwrecks that happened in the the 1800’s and early 1900’s on St Pauls Island.
Louisbourg Fortress – a 2 Day Detour
Sydney
This appears to be the biggest city on Cape Breton and we could have chosen one of the three Walmarts at which to overnight, but instead we did Paul Brown’s Auto Service, an “In the City” Boondockers Welcome, which at 7:18am the next morning is bustling and the powered lug nut wrenches are active. It is an industrial area but very quiet at night as we nuzzled in against two tractor trailer storage units. The parking lot was brightly lit and perfect place to overnight on the way to Louisburg. At one point we had thought about going all the way, but decided to cancel a few nights at Cheticamp and make our way there less rushed.
Nothing like the free 5 min ferry ride where you just line up and cut about 45 minutes from your trip.
Triangle Pub, Sydney Harbourfront
We hadn’t been to a pub in quite awhile and this one was perfect with a huge wooden bar where we had our favorite Baddeck Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout. John was happy!
Jordan recommended going to Glace Bay and the Miners Museum and stopping at the Sandbar Restaurant in Dominion. Again good internet and we are enjoying multiple bars of 5G. The evening had turned beautiful and we went out to the rooftop to eat, enjoy the sunset and visit with George Segal, the resident seagull of the rooftop.
Big Fiddle, Sydney Harbourfront
We strolled along the wharf at incredible sunset colors that had brewed this evening.
The reflected colors were incredible and then every wharf needs a 60 foot fiddle. Our bartender said that cruise ships are coming in tomorrow and the pubs will be packed. Good thing we had our nice quiet Sunday Night at the Wharf.
Evidently there is a permanent Kitchenfest Restaurant that most likely caters to the cruise ships, but on a Sunday night with none in port the ice cream stand along the Harbour Walk was where it was happening.
Louisbourg Fortress
Since I am more hiking and music oriented I had not heard about the living history museum of a French Fortress at Louisbourg where all actors and actresses speak French and English and the groups are divided when information is relayed.
People said that we may not leave Cape Breton without a visit to this place (much like Williamsburg) where most workers are dressed in costume and try to stay in character whether a soldier firing a musket, or a fife and drum corp marching around a prisoner in town who was sentenced to public humiliation.
We ate and saw how bread was made.
Next time I would love to come early because they heat up the woodfired oven and make the loaves the original way, and then they are sold in paper bags just before noon at the bakery.
We also saw a very cool blacksmith demonstration as we ate our delicious bread and peered into the blacksmith shop.
Louisburg, much like the English Colonies, were there to serve the mother country and could not manufacture anything to be sold to compete, only provide raw materials. The poor French recruits, although promised good money, by the time they took out their living quarters and rations from this amount, were left with very little. They had not been told about these living expenses before they arrived and had signed up for the 6 years was the usual term. Of course, a fenced military fort with cannons and firing holes was needed because France and Great Britain had several major wars going on in the 17 and 1800’s.
Several times the British won control and it went back and forth. Usually the wealthier Sea Captains or Fort Administrators had the nicer houses and even had slaves and servants with meat rotisserie gadgets that worked off weights much like a grandfather clock.
Good thing for us that the French needed money and increased the size of the US with the Louisiana Purchase from them. We went through many buildings and had a beautiful day for this exploration.
Tried to stop at the Louisbourg Lighthouse, but the signs in town never said it was closed and it was wrapped in white Bubble wrap. Wished they would have let us know before the bumby 5 mile trip up there.
Marconi Trail, Glace Bay
Seemed like Marconi Trail up toward the north after leaving Louisburg Area would be a nice coastal drive. Google kept wanting to take us inland, even though we thought that the coastal Marconi Trail would be so much more picturesque to the get to Miner’s Museum at Glace Bay. We did not see those beautiful waves crashing onto cliffs and hardly any outlook places to stop on this low lying coastal area except this one in Big Reef, just north of Dominion, finally.
There were many tidy aluminum sided houses with lots of grass in the little sections we passed. We saw very few abandoned houses, but saw a couple really big churches that were boarded. There had been a hurricane that came through in 2022 and knocked down most of the what looked to be a dense forest of 4 to 10 inch diameter trees. All around the parking area to Fort Louisburg there were downed dried out trunks of trees. I guess the buildings at the Fort survived pretty well since there was no construction going on that we could see. Perhaps the Fort was pretty clear of trees so the French could see when the Red Coats were coming. I presume they cleared this area using timber for fire in this bitterly cold winter climate. This destruction went on for quite away up the Marconi Trail. I guess the building in Louisburg survived (not the bubble wrapped light house), but I have never seen the hurricane destruction that went on for so many miles of downed young trees, eye opening and a very bumpy ride. All in all, not worth the drive, but now we can say we have been on most all of the Cape Breton thoroughfares.
Miners Museum, Glace Bay
Another eye opening experience as we learned of the boom that came when coal was discovered going under the ocean floor from this area. Those miners had it rough, if they didn’t die in an accident. The inhumanity of those years of greed and treatment of the workers is difficult to conceive. Even though corporate and political greed is still quite evident in our society today, at least there are some basic protections for the workers. Maybe sometimes these go a bit far, but certainly erring on the side of humanity.
The IMax type simulation of riding through a coal mine was pretty cool, not like getting jostled around on a Spaceship at Disney, but there were coal dust simulated steam clouds and a bit of bumping on the benches as you descended into the coal mine. We came too late for the actual tour of a coal mine, but the hour we spent here was certainly eye-opening. The $20 entrance fee would allow you to Harvest Host in their very quiet along the river parking lot, although we had decided to continue further as we wanted some electricity and stopped at the River Ryan Campground which was perfect after a long drive day on the very bumpy Marconi Trail. First we stopped at the Sandbar in Dominion which had been recommended by our Triangle Pub Bartender. It seemed like the only happening place in this wharf town, and we had a beer before heading to River Ryan. The Sandbar had also hosted several official Kitchenfest events and the quaintness perhaps would have made it quite nice, but still it was quite a way out there.
Fleur-de-Lis Roadway Trail
With bad weather on the horizon, we had decided to stop back in St. Peters to have an evening of music with our new friends Gordon and Ann Marie. They are such nice people !!
We had decided to take the South-eastern Fleur-de-Lis Roadway trail to travel to St Peter’s, maybe get in a quick hike, but it too was very bumpy and not really scenic. We were gonna do a Morrison Beach Trail leg stretcher hike along the way, but the turn onto Pig Point Dirt road revealed a huge water filled pothole covering the road, and we could only imagine getting stuck in the mud out here in the boonies. So we just carried on to St Peter finally getting on to the nice smooth Trunc(state highway) 4 and back to civilization and Battery Provincial Park where we got a first come site.
Battery Provincial Park, St Peters
This was a really nice campground with lots of views and great facilities and even a bit of cell coverage. The best part is that you are so close the town of St Peters to walk our ride bikes to get to the Bras D’Or Inn or to MacBouch’s Pub(never got there) and also a Foodland Grocery store (really yum local strawberries), coffee shops and other eateries on the Trunc 4 that passed through. And don’t forget to book a sailboat trip with Gordon at Richmond County Boat and Adventure Tours. We really like St. Peters, but maybe it was mostly because of the people we met here.
Cheticamp (back on the West Cabot Trail)
We were back on the Cabot Trail to Cheticamp Campground after making some excursions to Louisbourg and Sydney, and St Peters, but green requires rain and we were expecting a few days of it. We thought it wouldn’t be bad to head to Cheticamp because restaurants and pubs were a 5 mile drive into town. We had already been to Doyman’s Pub for a Kitchenfest event and heard that they have music going on all the time. Luckily, we gotten in the other popular Cape Breton NP hike on Acadia Trail.
Acadia Hike, Cape Breton Highlands NP
This was a 5 miler with 1746 ft of gain and that usually takes us about 3 ½ hours. There were several outlooks at the top where you could see the expansive coastline and a beautiful wooded section that ran back and forth over a stream with nice wooded bridges.
The first 1/2 mile we were going through much dead trees (they had a spruce bug problem several years ago and were affect somewhat by those hurricane winds too which caused trees to die and topple all along the cleared path, evidently moose knocking down smaller trees are a problem too) At the top the path made it through head high bushes with no shade trees a bit overgrown. The outlooks seemed so far away and for that reason did not strike up the “Ah” factor. Perhaps it was a cloudy day, although I guess we were lucky not to have fog.
Although this was pegged as a popular hike we did not see any other hikers. The nice thing about this hike is it starts directly at the Cheticamp Campground.
Well the rain was here and after a campout at the visitors center getting some much needed Wifi for Acadia Reservations and a software update for the HP, we headed into town to eat at L’abri Cafe. This was a delightful cafe with beautiful views and we sat at the bar and got to talk to a nice couple from Ontario followed by a super old couple who have lived in the area for 40 years as well as in the States. They told us about the single day outdoor Broad Cove Musicfest on the west side of Cape Breton near Inverness, but it was on the last day of the Stan Rogers Fest, so no can do. And they even had Cereal Killer Oatmeal Stout on Tap ! John was in heaven. We then stopped at the Doryman’s where locals night had a band and several guests came up to join during the second half of their show.
The next day, we moved to the visitor center parking for Wifi and talked to more people who raved about Newfoundland and who told me about the Blueberry Mountain Trail. Skies are still cloudy, and nothing would be seen for a hike, so off to the bakery and into town for music. Le Gabriel‘s this time with a single guy playing guitar that would go into the next song immediately changing rhythms perfectly. He did a lot of songs we knew and could sing out to our hearts desire as we were in the back high table area quite alone. Then John wanted to stop at Doryman‘s on the way home and had another hour of a fantastic entertaining, single guitar player, Louis Arsenault ! Cape Breton and Cheticamp has lots of music!
Doryman’s Tavern
Mary Fraces and Michael Leahy with parents, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. These four and one other pianist played for 4 hours. Mary Frances has her own gigs with her little brother and a whole electric guitar and drum band. The YouTube advertising shows her playing the violin while dancing in a black sparkly pants suit. Not quite traditional, but intriguing and lots of fiddling energy.. Here at the Doryman in Cheticamp, she and her brother were returning to Cape Breton where the mom evidently is well known and played here as a child, but the advertisement was for Mary Frances and Michael and guest parents. The crowd knew mom, Natalie, and her husband, Donnell was a vertuose Fiddle player as well.
What an incredible show as family members switched in and out, Michael played guitar, accordion and violin and Mary Frances violin and Piano, and they both danced. I had seen Mary Frances gig advertisement earlier and then the whole family was set to come to the Dorymans, and grandma even came up to talk to us. It was an exceptional show of traditional music and dancing, but we learned there are slight differences between Acadia and other traditional dancing and music. There was a lot of energy here ! Unfortunately we won’t be around to see Mary Frances and her other band.
L’abri Cafe
This had been an afternoon concert and we had to stop at our favorite L’abri Cafe. They had really beautiful outdoor seating, but not in this weather.
I had a tofu quinoa dish that was amazing and a stroll along the gravel road right behind the cafe to some amazing sunsets especially since we hadn’t seen the sun for days !
The Acadian Rug Hooking Museum, Cheticamp
We were bummed that the Aucoin Bakery was closed on Sunday as we headed out of town, so we decided to drown our sorrows and the Rug Hooking museum. We learned more about Acadian History and how the British had pushed them around when they were in control, but many settled here on Cape Breton to escape. Move over Persians, the community started rug hooking and eventually marketed their rugs and became well known. It was how they kept busy during the winter months with many people working on a single project. Elizabeth Fort became well known and has hooked rugs of many presidents and dignitaries. And I guess they returned many to the museum where we got to see them. So many extraordinary pieces.
Inverness Beach Village
We have ventured off the Cabot Trail for good. It was the first full-on sunny day and we immediately headed to the ocean which was a short 200 yards down a path after hanging every damp towel and even our pillow cases out for drying. The ocean was so incredibly calm and clear on the west central side of the island.
We have been to so many places with crashing waves and not certain if the water or air was coldest (not our swim tune), and no sun. There are many huge 5th Wheels at this park that are permanently moored (Many have large wooden decks and potted plants). There is one other tent trailer and us. We have a little ocean view through two RVs, but are smack behind a big rig for the most part. The bathroom facilities are like a newly renovated house with white tile and clear glass shower walls. There are no trees between sites, just a 12 foot piece of green grass. Even though there are record highs of 85 degrees this week it is still comfortable with little humidity and ocean breezes.
We finally got our inflatable floatie seats and sat in the luscious ocean for hours during the heat. First day was so calm and we stayed until sunset and there were beautiful reflections off the ocean. The sunsets are incredible,
The second day it was blowing, but warm and perfect for bumping along in the waves to keep cool as there was a heat wave here too, and we had just done a 4 mile beach walk.
The beach goes on for 2 miles and we did a nice long walk and found little pieces of sea glass.
19 Brewery and the Whit’s Public House are less than 1 km walking distance, and we even found a walking path that was just off the main road from the campground right onto a boardwalk. We had one of those late nights at Whit’s enjoying Marie Ann Perrely who we will also meet at Stan Roger Music Fest as she is playing for the Gospel Hour on Sunday. She certainly has a gift of singing with soul. And John so loves wing tipped chairs.
There is also a CoOp Grocery, gas station and several cafe/breakfast type places and the Celtic Shores Bike trail where we rode 5 miles inland to Lake Ainslee. This bike trail runs south from Inverness about 90 kilometers to Troy and is very flat and gives a peaceful ride on gravel. Although the actual campsite was nothing to write about, it was so close to that lucious beach, excellent showers, laundromat, decent Wifi at the office and restaurants that it is perfect for us. I would stay here for a whole week if not a month!
The campground sits between the Cabot Shores and Cabot Cliffs Golf Course, so it is very quiet and Links like with all the dune grass and beautiful fairways in the background. They look hard but beautiful, no electric golf carts allowed here.
Red Shoe Pub, Mabou
This is probably the most famous pub run by “The Rankin Women Proprietors” on the island where the Rankin Family of musicians reigned. Nine of the twelve children performed with the family band at different times all over Cape Breton Ceilidhs with youngsters replacing elders as time passed. In 1999 they decided to split to pursue individual music interests. Two of the original Rankin Family Band have passed, Michael has taken his music all over and we saw him at the “Big Bash” at the Celtic College where the crowd sang his song at the top of their lungs. The Red Shoe is evidently a song. The funny thing is Melody, the fiddler who taught us dancing, was playing at the Red Shoe and danced too. If we can get you know who out of bed we could attend a 10:30am square dance class. Didn’t happen.
Celtic Music Interpretive Center, Judique
A last hurrah of lunch and music on the way to mainland Nova Scotia. Funny same young pianist and now he also played fiddle. John had the best ever fish chowder.
Celtic Shores Trail Ride
A beautiful 10 mile ride to earn our beer at the Half Cocked Harvest Host Brewery in Antigonish. We decided to leave Mabou early in favor of not having pouring rain all night. This part of the trail was along the coast and the overcastness made it really nice. This was near kilometer marker 20 in contrast to the kilometer marker 90 in the Inverness Area.
SoLong Cape Breton
We are on our way to Nova Scotia Mainland, but have found the Cape Breton people to be extremely friendly and love all the music. We have lots more hiking to do on the west side of the Cabot Trail, Gypsum Mine Trail, Blueberry Mountain and others in the National Park, and going into Cheticamp for music and good food. The Broad Cove – one day festival in Broad Cove at St Margarets 3 kilometers north of Inverness has been going on since 1957. There is a Banks Schoolhouse Music Festival in August too. invernessarts.com seems to be a well maintained website for all types of goings on in Cape Breton from music to Highland Games to Square Dancing. Canada’s Musical Coast – a coastline shaped by music (canadasmusicalcoast.com)
Also has a lot of info. There was a really nice annual magazine” (Sunset Side of Cape Breton) explaining the regions and events – definitely try to find it when you get here. We definitely like the sunset side best, except for Jack Pine Hike and Louisburg in the east side of Cape Breton. Also get a copy of the Cape Breton Island Map. It is really useful for an overview especially when there is no cell coverage.
The most beautiful was our perfect camping spot at Meat Cove looking out over the rock outcroppings, and kayaking to the waterfalls, but only paddling and two hikes are available, otherwise R & R. Inverness Beach Village is ideal in so many ways although the specific campsites are a bit close with no trees, but the ease to the ocean, and the walkable town make it a perfect place for VanGoers. Cheticamp lends itself well to hiking and music for when it rains and would set up for a week there. One day as many songs say Return to Cape Breton is on the list although we will need to build in Newfoundland and Quebec City next time.
Pleasant Bay Overlook, Cabot Trail
Neils Harbor, slightly off Cabot Trail
White Point Lookout, slightly off Cabot Trail
Louisbourg Fortress – a 2 Day Detour
Triangle Pub, Sydney Harbourfront
Big Fiddle, Sydney Harbourfront
Battery Provincial Park, St Peters
Cheticamp (back on the West Cabot Trail)
Acadia Hike, Cape Breton Highlands NP
The Acadian Rug Hooking Museum, Cheticamp
Travels with Vinny VanGo 