travel tangent: cape breton 2022

When MAC visited me in September, we took a four-day road trip to Cape Breton.  Cape Breton is a large island with its own distinct culture that is connected to mainland Nova Scotia by the rock-filled Canso Causeway across the deep Strait of Canso.  Per Wikipedia, the five main ethnicities of the island are: Acadian, English, Irish, Mi’kmaq, and Scottish.  Driving the Cabot Trail around the island was on MAC’s must-do list, but I think I was just as excited as she was—I hadn’t been to that part of the province since the late 1990’s.  Also, it felt like my first real vacation in almost three years because of, you know, the pandemic. 

I booked all the accommodations two weeks prior and even that was leaving it a little late—two of my first choices were already full and, with the three places I did book, it seemed like I was getting their last room.  Unless you’re camping, I don’t think CB’s a place to be spontaneous about accommodations.  I also researched restaurants because, in the 1990’s, there wasn’t much offered to vegetarians other than iceberg lettuce salads, grilled cheese sandwiches, and french fries and I couldn’t assume anything had changed in that regard.  Cape Breton is known for seafood. 

Day 1:  The Annapolis Valley to Baddeck (~410km / 255 miles).

• We left around 10AM which seemed to be our default leave-the-apartment time for our adventures during MAC’s entire stay.
• We took our lunch break in Antigonish, a university town ~50km / 30 miles before the Canso Causeway.  I can’t recommend the restaurant (it was just OK) but we found a delightful shop close by called The Tall and Small Café where we went afterwards to pick up a coffee-to-go for me—this was definitely more our kind of place and we ended up ordering fruit smoothies as well.
• Immediately after crossing the causeway, we stopped, along with a multitude of tour buses, at the visitor center in Port Hastings where you can get info, shop for souvenirs, and use the toilet (smoothies run right through you).
• Our first adventure of the trip was to see Myles Doyle Fall.  We visited 10 waterfalls during MAC’s visit and, typical for us, finding these falls was not as simple as it appeared in the guidebook—in this case, I took the “wrong” end of the “correct” dirt road so there was some backtracking, etc. etc. etc.  Anyway, once we found them, the falls (40ft) were indeed worth it and we enjoyed them all to ourselves.
• Our next stop was Baddeck, our destination for the day.  We stayed overnight in the lovely Dunlop Inn.  The inn is right on Bras D’Or Lake (Arm of Gold in French), a large saltwater lake in the middle of Cape Breton.  We enjoyed time by the water relaxing in the late afternoon sunlight, MAC catching up online, me with a crossword puzzle.  Note: Baddeck is famed for being a residence of Alexander Graham Bell and there is a National Historic Site there to highlight his life and achievements.

• In researching restaurants, the place that looked most promising was the Freight Shed but I didn’t realize until sitting on the inn’s patio that the restaurant was right next door!   The restaurant is large and open, on the waterfront, and was packed on that warm September evening.  We had to wait in line for ~30 minutes but we had fun talking with other tourists, including a woman from out west who was wearing the same shoes as me!  The food was plentiful and tasty—MAC enjoyed scallops and I was delighted to find a quinoa-tofu dish on the menu.

Day 2: Baddeck to Ingonish (~105km / 65 miles).

• We enjoyed a good buffet breakfast at the inn (we made a significant dent in the large bowl of fresh fruit) while talking with other guests, most of them from the US. 
• When we checked in at the Telegraph House (an historic and much larger place that also runs the Dunlop Inn), there was a screen displaying photos of local landmarks and MAC asked about a magnificent waterfall.  It was Uisge Bàn falls … so that was our first destination in the morning, just a short drive north of Baddeck.  There were a few other people in the parking lot and on the trail but the timing was such that we had the falls (50ft) to ourselves (important to MAC who doesn’t like people in her nature photos).  The name means White Water Falls in Gaelic.  After leaving the park, it was back through Baddeck and on to the famous Cabot Trail, a 300km / 185 mile scenic route around the northern coastline of Cape Breton.
• We entered Cape Breton Highlands National Park near Ingonish Beach, stopping at the visitor center there to pick up info, maps, and a park pass.  This park, established in 1936, is one of Nova Scotia’s three national parks.  The highlands are Nova Scotia’s mountains and are actually part of the Appalachian chain with one end way down in Georgia where MAC lives.
• Before much more activity though, lunch.  We stopped at Salty Roses and the Periwinkle Café, one of my researched restaurants, and it fit the bill—we sat outside on comfy furniture with hummus and veg sandwiches and lattes.

• Our next main stop was Black Brook Beach and Cove to find a waterfall (of course).  This area had a significant detour with lots of heavy machinery as the highway was still being repaired due to landslide / washout damage from heavy rainfall in November 2021.  True to course, it took three attempts before finding the best way to access the falls.
• We had driven by our accommodation destination earlier in the day— the Island Inn right outside the park entrance at Ingonish Beach.  We had a lovely large cabin there all to ourselves and the resident cat helped check us in. Before dinner we drove around the area, checking out the beach and Keltic Lodge, an historic golf course resort in the national park.

• For dinner, we went to a place called Coastal Restaurant and Pub as it seemed to be the best option in my research.  I confess as soon as we walked in we both hesitated and didn’t expect much—it looked like just a big roadhouse.  So let me tell you: the food was excellent (it was featured on the Food Network’s You Gotta Eat Here show).  I had a Veggie Ringer, a vegetarian version of their hamburger with a fried onion ring and their special BBQ sauce.  I don’t usually like BBQ sauce but I loved that meal.  MAC enjoyed her meal too but regretted not ordering a seafood speciality.  And we were glad we went early—there was a long line of people waiting in the parking lot when we left.

Day 3: Ingonish to Port Hood (~200km / 125 miles).

• I had been on the Cabot Trail before but always as a passenger!  I got my driver’s license at 42 years-old so this was my first time driving there.  I chose to go counter-clockwise so we would be in the lane closer to the coast and MAC, as passenger and chief-tourist, would have the best view. Of course, the trail has lots of pull-offs with stunning views and we had no problems with parking / traffic. Green Cove on the northeastern side was a welcome stop, providing a short walk out onto a granite headland where you can get up close and personal with the Atlantic Ocean.

• After stopping at the picturesque fishing village of Neil’s Harbour, we got off the Cabot Trail to drive an alternative coastal route with stellar views of the highlands, beaches, and Aspy Bay.  Note: Neil’s Harbour was one of many areas in Cape Breton that suffered significant damage during Hurricane Fiona just a week later.
• We joined up with the Cabot Trail again at South Harbour and went west inland, stopping to do a short hike through old-growth forest to MacIntosh Brook Falls.  It was exciting to see plenty of e-vehicle charging stations at trail parking lots throughout the park. 

• The rain held off that day until we got to the Skyline Trail.  The view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence from the viewing platforms on this popular hike are used in the park’s marketing campaigns.  It seems that if people only do one hike in the park, it’s this 6.5km / 4 mile trail.  Every other place we stopped had fewer than 10 cars but this trail had a packed parking lot and park rangers checking park passes.  I had done this hike twice before in the 1990’s when there were few other people (if any) on the trail.  Since then, the wooden viewing platforms to protect the environment have been constructed and it is now a hiking highway.  Despite the rain, everyone seemed to be smiling.  As usual, some magic: when MAC and I got to the very end of the platforms (a little slippery), the rain and wind stopped long enough for MAC to get her camera out of her backpack for a photo. 

• We changed out of our (soaking) wet clothes in the car and stopped for a late lunch in Cheticamp at a large institution of a restaurant I’ve eaten at before.  We were still a bit chilled from the hike so mostly just felt grateful to have a warm and dry seat and some hot food and drink.  Cheticamp is at the western entrance to the Highlands National Park and the majority of the population in this community are francophones of Acadian heritage.
• Our destination for the day was Port Hood where we stayed at a fabulous B&B called The Fiddle & The Sea.  The hosts recommended we call / go early for dinner but, having had a late lunch, by the time we were a bit hungry and went out, one nearby restaurant was already closed (7PM) and the other had FULL on the door.  We decided not to drive anywhere further in the dark and just eat something from the big bag of food we always have with us when we travel. 

Day 4: Port Hood to the Annapolis Valley (~370km / 230 miles).

• OK, the breakfast at the B&B was FANTASTIC.  Lots of homemade goodness, including fresh bread, granola, and jams.  MAC had a frittata and I had my vegan mainstay of oatmeal (but it was excellent oatmeal).  During breakfast, the host spoke about the history of Port Hood, showed pictures, and then entertained guests with a few songs on the fiddle!
• As we drove along the western coast (I’ve seen it called “the sunset side” of Cape Breton and “the musical coast”) we noticed signs for the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail—this is a 92km / 57 mile rails-to-trail route.  Next time, we’re taking (or renting) bikes! 
• Port Hood is the designated beach capital of CB and, if the weather had been better (it was windy and wet), we might have stayed longer to check out more of the area but by then we were ready to head home.  We stopped at The Tall and Small Cafe again in Antigonish for smoothies to go, we had a quick lunch stop in Truro, then were back home ~4PM. 

MAC and I packed a lot into four delightful days but it was definitely just a sampler pack.  And we only toured the northwestern side of the island—there is a lot more to see next time!  The three accommodations were all great and I had plenty of good vegan food (but I was glad I had done the research).  Also, the restaurant staff shortage that has been a topic throughout the pandemic was evident in CB.  One of the coffee shops I wanted to visit had recently closed and, at one of the restaurants, the staff wore t-shirts that read something like “if we could hire more staff, we would” on the back.  And please don’t think I’m complaining about the lack of accommodation and restaurant choices.  The slow pace of development there is part of what makes Cape Breton special.

Epilogue

This September road-trip stirred up memories of my stay at Gampo Abbey in November 1995.  Gampo Abbey is a Buddhist Monastery for westerners overlooking the ocean near Pleasant Bay in Cape Breton.  Without ANY previous experience in meditation, as a very unhappy 31-year old, I decided a 10-day stay at the remote abbey (and not talk therapy or even going to a spa) was what I needed to help get my shit together.  I didn’t have a driver’s license and my husband was away on a business trip, so I took the bus to Whycocomagh where someone on a work term picked me up and drove me two hours to the abbey.  Before email and cell phones, all of this was arranged by mail and long-distance land-line phone calls.  Looking back, it was beyond crazy!  But I had an amazing experience, met wonderful people, and here I am, nearly 30 years later, still meditating.

There was one “day off” a week from the usual practice schedule and so the one other “paying” participant there (everyone else was a monastic or doing a work term) hiked that Skyline Trail.  It was a cold and gray November and we were the only people on the trail.  I remember we disturbed a crow and eagle together eating a dead moose.  Afterwards, we had lunch at that big restaurant in Cheticamp.  The other participant, M, was a woman from Maine and I got a drive home with her and she stayed at my house overnight.  We exchanged letters and then email regularly but lost contact about seven years ago.  After this road trip in September, I reached out to M and we are in contact again!

References and related links:

• MAC: mon amie Caroline.
• Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Parks Canada site)
• The Cabot Trail (Tourism Nova Scotia site)
• Fiona damage ‘nowhere near as severe’ as $40M cost of earlier storms: Parks Canada (SOURCE: CBC News)