Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia

Sorry for the long hiatus from posts, we've had spotty internet access for the last week or so- look forward to some lengthy posts to try to catch back up on our trip!

We left Halifax and headed north on the scenic Route 7 along the eastern coast of Nova Scotia. It was a pretty drive, and we stopped at several points along the way. At Prince Alfred's Arch, we saw baby mink! We finally made it up to Sherbrooke, Nova Scotia, which was a convenient halfway point, to stop for the night. Our original campground reservation turned out to be some guy's backyard, but he wasn't there when we discovered this, so we decided to leave quickly before he even knew we'd been there. The other campground in Sherbrooke was much better- a real campground, and it was on a lake! Because we were the only tenters at the campground, we got the prettiest site with a view over the lake and our very own little path down to a tiny beach. We went for a swim (although not at our tiny little beach because Adam saw a leech- EW!) and the water was perfect.

The next day we continued our drive up to Cape Breton Highlands, the distinctly Scottish part of Nova Scotia. It was much colder here, and raining off an on, which unfortunately interfered with our sightseeing on the scenic Cabot Trail that we were taking through the national park. After winding through several switchbacks, we came to what looked like an accident- several cars and a tour bus pulled over on the side of the road, but to our delight, they were just looking at MOOSE! We saw two of them, both young males, who had apparently been stomping in the marsh. This took a lot of pressure off of the rest of our trip in the Highlands, now that we'd finally seen one.

We stopped for dinner in the small village of Neil's Harbor (population 300). This tiny fishing town was much more like what we'd been expecting to see in this area. We chatted with a young couple who had just opened an ice cream parlor in a decommissioned lighthouse- they were a fascinating couple, who informed us after we bought fudge that they make it with hemp seeds because it's a "whole food" (please note- NOT marijuana seeds. This was clarified for us by the proprietors. Although apparently they can be just as difficult to get!). It was surprisingly good, although a bit crunchier than I'm used to my fudge being. They also suggested that we take an alternate route up to our campground, and were we glad that we did! We saw some of the most spectacular views of the whole trip- the coastline of Cape Breton is simply stunning.

We are sometimes lucky enough to have impeccable timing, and we were with our arrival at the campground- we got there just in time to see a gorgeous sunset over a fishing boat coming into harbor. Our tent site had a pretty fantastic view, although the "eco" toilets left a lot to be desired- they were quite easily the smelliest pit toilets imaginable, and we are still mystified as to what made them any more "eco" than a normal pit toilet.

We spent one day exploring the beaches of Cape Breton, starting with Meat Cove on the northern tip of the island. While on the beach, I noted that it actually SMELLED faintly of meat, prompting us to ask the nearby tourist info office how exactly the beach got its name. Apparently in days gone by, this was where boats would stop to restock on meat, and they would leave the carcasses on the beach... so the smell really DID contribute to the name. It's hard to believe that the smell would have lasted for so many years, but it certainly did have a faintly meaty aroma. The beach itself was fairly interesting though, with puffins nesting in the cliffs and a rock outcropping just begging to be explored- so of course we did. =)

We also went to Cabot's Landing beach, which is quite possibly the most picturesque beach I have ever been to- the coastal cliffs with clouds rolling over them made for a great backdrop. Adam explored the far reaches of the beach while I enjoyed a "real" beach like you're supposed to- sunbathing and reading. We even worked up the guts to go for a swim, and the water was surprisingly warm- much warmer than Halifax!

Back at our tent, we enjoyed our lovely view over the harbor while drinking the wine we had gotten at Jost Winery back in Tatamagouche- Glowine, which is best served warm. To accomplish this, we put the bottle next to the fire- complete success, even though all we had to drink it out of was a mug (yes, a singular mug. We shared).



We completed our loop counterclockwise around the Cabot Trail in much the same weather as the first section, although it was slightly better and we were able to see great views from the lookout points, including the classic picture of the Cabot Trail. We also saw another moose! This one was a female, so still no impressive antlers. We spent our final night in Cape Breton staying with a minister in Baddeck- she was only a little older than us, and it was fascinating to listen to her account of what it's like to be a minister.

To round out our wildlife experiences, as we crossed the causeway out of Cape Breton, we saw what must have been an entire pod of whales fishing in the cove next to the causeway! They were small whales- we think pilot whales, but there must have been at least 15-20 of them. We saw plenty of fins, several tails, a few breaches, and even a complete jump! Overall Cape Breton Highlands was a good stop on our trip- definitely a nature lover's haven, with spectacular views, and FINALLY lots of wildlife. =)

If you haven't seen it already, be sure to check out the "Pictures" page for links to the complete albums of our trip so far!