Knowing that our replacement pump for the holding tank (waste stream) wasn’t arriving until midday on Tuesday, we arranged for a van and driver to show us around Cape Breton. It was misty and often foggy but we figured we have seen lots of water views along our trip so a little fog wasn’t really a problem.
Greg, our guide, actually runs a business that does helicopter trips in the area. There were no helicopter trips planned for the day so we were in luck. Greg had grown up on Cape Breton Island in the town of Inverness. Many Scottish people live in the Cape Breton area so Scottish names are common. Nova Scotia translates to New Scotland.
We left Baddeck driving along the Eastern shore. We took a small ferry across St Ann’s harbor. The ride lasted about 5 minutes, but it cuts off a lot of road travel. The ferry is a cable ferry which pulls the ferry from one side to another. We made a short stop at a “scenic spot” that was very foggy but we made excellent use of the stop by picking blueberries. Much of Cape Breton is a national park with lots of hiking trails. It is a beautiful and scenic area even with some fog. We continued along to Ingonish to see an old hotel and its buildings. It probably has great views on a less foggy day. Along the way Greg pointed out a ski area that is being developed in conjunction with people who are from the Czech Republic. They are building expensive homes there too. It features a ski slope that has a view of the Cabot Strait. We thought it would be rather icy.
We moved on to Dingwall where Greg had never been. Our Bell family acquaintances from Monday had told us to visit the relocated cast iron lighthouse that was taken down from an island in the Cabot Strait and placed in Dingwall. There was a small museum along with the lighthouse with memorabilia from wrecks and light keepers. The logs from light keepers told of a pretty limited existence with perhaps one chore each day. We were allowed to climb inside the small lighthouse for a view of a small cove.
We went on to Pleasant bay where we ate lunch at a very popular fish restaurant. We arrived just as the parking lot was filling up and the restaurant was about to open. The food was good!
Our last stop was in Cheticamp where they sell locally made goods. Rug hooking is a popular craft in the area. There was an old woman who sat in the front of the store doing hooking. When I asked her if she had a pattern, she replied that she just makes it up as she goes along. Apparently her work is popular because she said she can’t keep up with the demand.
As we spent the day with Greg, he told us about his helicopter business. We were very interested in his day trips to Sable Island, a wildlife preserve off the coast of Nova Scotia, which is extremely difficult to visit. We will be back!
The Adventures of Anne 