Sat. Oct. 5  The Cabot Trail

Today we had a treat:  a choice for our breakfast at Belle View. We were offered blueberry pancakes, French toast or ham with eggs. Among the 4 of us, we sampled all of them and each of us determined breakfast to be excellent. And the presentation by Denise, the owner, was excellent with fresh fruit and whipped cream ( no whipped cream for the ham and eggs!). Denise proved to be a very interesting woman who had run a large hotel, a retail business and had 2 children and 2 grandchildren. She had good suggestions for our tour of the Cabot Trail and we were off on our excursion by 9:30. 

The Cabot Trail, known as one of the most scenic drives in the world, is named for John Cabot who reached the shores of Cape Breton in 1497.  It is a citcuitous, 2 lane drive of 185 miles through stunning landscapes of mountain and ocean views. We started the drive by taking another very short cable ferry ride from Englishtown to the start of the Trail. 

We proceeded to be awed by the highlands, the craggy cliffs, the amazing ocean views from high above and near the beaches and the many river canyons. What we were longing to see was some wildlife especially a moose or two but that was not to be!  Part of the trail goes through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. We decided that each of the four of us would drive about 45 miles so we could all appreciate to the fullest the natural beauty. We stopped at a couple of artisan shops, bought some leather, but, actually, it was another gorgeous day and we wanted to be enjoying nature!

We stopped at several "look off" sites, as they call them here, to "ooh" and "aah" at the views. One small town , Neil's Harbor, was quaint with a light house and the tallest, largest jetee I've ever seen. Our lunch was simple, at the side of the road, near a stream where we were sure we'd see a moose...no such luck!  We got off the road at Skyline for a short hike, again determined to find moose and all we found was moose scat!  Near the end of the trail, we headed for Inverness to a new golf course the Osentons wanted to see....Cabot Links. Pretty plain and austere but expensive and right next to the ocean!

We arrived back in Baddeck about 6 still exclaiming about all of the natural beauty we had observed today. What a special place....so beautiful and quiet and isolated. Amazing!  Anyway, we played some cards and went into town for dinner. Now we're readying for our next adventure....Prince Edward Island, aka PEI. We leave tomorrow after breakfast. 

Fri. Oct 4 A Step Back in History

After a continental breakfast at our Comfort Inn and a stop at Frenchy's we were on our way to Cape Breton. Frenchy's is a look at the original Marshall's in Beverly...bins of clothes from major clothiers like Saks and Old Navy, probably previously worn and returned, very cheap and making you feel like you needed to wash your hands. We didn't buy anything!!

We were on the road to our next destination, Louisbourg Fort, at 9:30. The road took us a little inland to view the transforming fall foliage and then back to vistas of the Atlantic. We stopped just after arriving on Cape Breton for coffee at Tim Horton's (Canada's answer to Dunkin Donuts!). The scenery was unbelievable with vistas of the huge Bras D'or Lake and rural areas where immense lengths of roadway were being prepared for paving. After a stop for provisions and then lunch in the car, we arrived at Louisbourg Fort about 2:30. 

We decided to do the tour of the fort which afforded us the opportunity to enter reconstructed houses of the era. People in costume humorously described life in the early 1700's in this fort maintained by the French. The whole fort is the largest restored historic site in North America. A soldier recruited in France told us of the horrors of living, 3 men to a single bed, with barely any pay, subservient to the officers. A domestic in the Captain's house told us of her life as compared to the privileged "Madame" of the house. A cook's helper showed us how she helped the cook in the Engineer's house and where she slept on the floor. And a musician played the harpsichord for us as he prepared for a "soirée" in the same house. So informative and entertaining!

Upon returning to the car, very wind blown and chilly, we discovered that "Marilyn," our GPS was frozen!!  However, with the aid of our maps, we were able to find our way to Baddeck, 60 km away, where we were staying for the next two nights. We even followed our noses to Belle View B&B with a beautiful of Baddeck Bay!  This place is incredible....lovely rooms in a very well-appointed Victorian home with a friendly and helpful receptionist and a mysterious owner. 

After a drink in our room, the 4 of us headed for the Cable Restaurant in the Telegraph Hotel for a delicious dinner:  scallop, grapefruit and avocado salad, lobster risotto and steak. It had gotten cloudy and chilly,in the low 50's, so fall has definitely arrived. So, back at our B&B, we said goodnight. Tomorrow we drive the Cabot Trail, one of the most amazing drives in the world. 

Thurs. Oct 3 Meandering along the South Coast

Today was "Adieu" to Pubnico and all of the people we have met. We wonder if we know more of the community here than at home!  Mel's friends and family were so warm and welcoming as were our hosts Sue and Mike at Yesteryears B&B!  Forgot to mention yesterday that we also met Mel's cousin Melvin,a seiner who scored 350,000 tons of herring last year,  and his wife Doreen.  Pubnico is  quiet and peaceful but maybe a little isolated and insular.  Anyway we had a last breakfast at Sue and Mike's and met a couple who work for the Park Service and figured they'd be on furlough so took the opportunity to travel!  Before leaving, Sue asked us to let her know if something exciting was happening because she'd like to join us!

Today we were aiming to drive the Lighthouse Route along the South Shore of Nova Scotia and get a little beyond Halifax by evening. Our first stop was in Shelburne for coffee and a walk along  historic Dock Street.  This seaport is nicely restored and the waterfront is charming. 10,000 Loyalists from the US came here during and after the American Revolution so there is quite a New England heritage here. We continued along Sandy Point Rd. to the Sandy Point lighthouse near the mouth of the bay.   

Driving along the coast was breathtaking....so many villages, so many rivers and bays, so much undeveloped land. At one point we surprised a beautiful red fox who stared at us before running back into the forest. We next wanted to find LeHave because we had heard raves about the LeHave bakery. After a couple of u-turns (LeHave is not in our GPS!), we found it!  Very quaint and great baked goods and sandwiches for lunch. There was also a local artisan coop where we did some shopping!  After lunch we went by cable ferry across the LeHave River...crossing time 7 minutes!  

Once on the other side, we continued along the coastal route to Lunenberg, a seaport whose town was on a steep hill leading down to the water. We met a guy on the dock who was readying for a voyage south on his 38 foot sail boat. He figured he'd be going through the Cape Cod Canal by the Sunday.  Our favorite stop was Mahone Bay...a lovely town surrounding the Bay. The cute downtown was preparing for "Scarecrow Weekend" so all of the businesses and many private homes had decorated scarecrows in costumes. Quite creative!  And some very lovely homes!

Our last stop was Halifax, the provincial capital. We went directly to the waterfront and walked along the boardwalk. Saw a tall ship, a cute tug, a corvette navy ship, a 60 foot science experience sail boat from Toronto, a huge cruise ship and lots more. In general, we decided that  Halifax had the "feel" of Portland OR:  neighborhoods, bikes, lots of young people, coffee shops. We left Halifax about 7pm to drive to Truro which would put us an hour closer to Cape Breton tomorrow. We found a Comfort Inn, got 2 rooms, had dinner in a local Italian restaurant. This area, unlike most of rural Nova Scotia that we've already seen, is strip mall after strip mall just off the highway!  Interesting contrast!  A long day tomorrow so we retired on the early side. 

Wed. Oct. 2 Pubnico and Acadian Culture

At 7:15 this morning, the fog dominated the weather but by 8:30 the sun was shining and the sky was blue...a beautiful day and unseasonably warm. After a delicious hot breakfast served by Sue in the dining room and, after an interesting chat with her Northern Irish husband Mike, we drove back to Mel's to start our only full day in Pubnico. We languished in the sun on his deck while Mel took lobster meat he'd just cooked over to Aggie's who was making fish chowder for our lunch. 

When Mel returned, he said mass for us in his living room (he even had hosts) in English and French. Quite an experience! And then we drove to Eglise Saint Pierre to see the French church....there's an English speaking Catholic Church on the other side of town. Our next drive was to the Point where we viewed the 17 wind turbines next to the bay. We returned to Mel's to meet Aggie and Guy for a lunch of delicious fish stew and homemade (by Mel) bread. Very interesting couple; Guy is a retired fisherman in his 80s and Aggie is his wife and mother of their 6 children, 2 of whom we met last night. Lots of talk of fish, techniques and the life of a fisherman and his family. 

Back in the car, we visited a small, local ship yard and viewed a large lobster boat being built for a local. At the Acadian Village we saw a replica of an 18th century town and learned more about the Acadian Expulsion and the eventual return of the Acadians to Nova Scotia via Europe. At the local Acadian museum we had a tour of an Acadian home with artifacts of Acadian life and learned even more about the culture. 

Pubnico today is a small community of about 450 families, all of whom are related or at least have known each other for generations. Life here today is quiet and simple; the men fish, the women work in service related jobs, the children, for the most part, attend the French speaking school and everyone is bilingual. 

After a short hour respite (prone on our beds!), we all left the B&B for The Old Argyler overlooking the Bay. We watched the sunset on the porch while waiting for a table and now we've done both sunrise and sunset on this trip. For the most part we each had a fish entree....all of the restaurants in this area pride themselves on their fresh fish. Mel regaled us with stories of his school life at Assumption prep in Worcester, later as a young priest in the Archdiocese and also his year spent studying in France.  After a great dinner, we drove back to Yesteryears where we bid "Adieu et merci" to Mel. Tomorrow we head up the Atlantic coast to see some lighthouses. 

Tues. Oct. 1  Rendezvous with the Locals

We awoke today to rain, the first we'd experienced on our trip. Breakfast at 8:30 was a stuffed French bread casserole and bacon, fresh fruit, ok and coffee.  After showering and packing, we bid adieu to our hosts "Giggly" Cheryl and "Happy Guy" Dwight and were off to Starbucks for wifi and coffee before boarding our ferry at 11:30 to Digby Nova Scotia (NS). 

The ferry ride across the Bay of Fundy lasted 3 hours and was a little bumpy. But we didn't mind. We had brought makings for subs and had a great lunch and then played 3 games of Hand and Foot. Didn't mind the rocky boat at all!  When we debarked, a little before 3, it was still spitting rain!  But who cares; we were on vacation!

Our hour and a half drive to Pubnico was through very rural countryside on a very nice two-lane highway bordered mostly by dense forest. We had reserved 2 rooms for 2 nights at Yesteryears B&B in Pubnico and planned to spend time with Bill and Framcine's friend, Mel Surrette whose family is from the area. 

We found Yesteryears, met our host Sue, checked in and were very pleased with our accommodations. Mel met us there and took us on a short tour of the area. Back at Mel's we met his friend Gerald, the Vicar General of the diocese and we all had dinner prepared by Mel. 

We no sooner finished eating when a couple arrived. Shortly later 2 more couples arrived and then eventually a fourth couple arrived. Iris and Jean Pierre, Deana and Calvin, Alec and Nicole and Yvette and Rickie, friends and relatives, had been invited to give us a taste of Acadian people, life and culture. 3 of the women work in education, one of the men is in local politics, 3 of the men are local fishermen, one is a long-term and very serious volunteer coach, one is a local millionaire who started from scratch....in general a very interesting group of people around the age of our own kids. They all speak French (the Acadian heritage) and English. Their kids even had the choice of attending a French or an English school. The evening flew by facilitated by Mel's questions. Fascinating!!

By the time everyone left and we helped Mel with the dishes, it was time for us to head back to our own beds!

What an evening!  So much more meaning to a trip when locals are introduced!

Mon. Sept 30 The Bay of Fundy

We began our first full day in Canada with a delicious breakfast of fresh fruit, warm cranberry muffin, frittata and bacon with oj and coffee served by "happy Guy" Dwight. The day started with pretty nice weather, got cloudy for a bit and then fairly sunny. Our first outing was to the Old City Market which was somewhat of a disappointment--a little small, kind of eclectic, but not much we wanted or needed. We did buy a few tomatoes. 

By 11 we were on the road to the St. Martins and the Fundy Trail Parkway.  We thought we'd hit the mid-tide correctly to explore the caves. The beach at St. Martins is rocky and the tide WAS going out but the way into the caves meant scooting across some slimy rocks or wading across neither of which turned out to be easy. But, it WAS an adventure!  The beach and its 2 restaurants were inundated by people on several tour busses!  The line at the restrooms was long and slow. 

Our next excursion was on the Fundy Trail Parkway, touted as being one of the last bits of accessible wilderness. We had a picnic lunch at the first lookout and then drove along the new and well-maintained roadway with many stops for photo opportunities and walks to lookouts. Fuller Falls was one of these so Peter got his waterfall viewing!  Rugged, high, weather beaten cliffs directly over the Bay are spectacular. 

By this time it was mid-afternoon and we were an hour and a half from Saint John and our B&B.  So we decided to see just a little more of rural New Brunswick before heading back. We stopped for provisions to make supper in our room and got back about 6. Early dinner, a couple of games of Hand and Foot and we retired. Tomorrow we take the ferry to Nova Scotia. 

Sun. Sept. 29  Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

WE DID IT!!  Up at 5:15 to drive into Acadia National Park and then up Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the Atlantic coast at 1500 feet.   Fortunately we were able to take a cup of coffee with us (24 hour coffee at the inn!). There were a couple of cars behind us in the dark and we felt like pioneers leading the way up the circuitous narrow road up the mountain!  

Upon arrival at the peak we were greeted by a FULL parking lot-at least a couple of hundred vehicles including a tour bus!!  Despite the crowd, we were treated to a truly incomparable site of the red hue of sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean, Bar Harbor and the outlying  islands!  What a way to start the day!

We then drove into downtown Bar Harbor to get coffee from Grumpy and drink it on the town pier watching cruise ships leave and dock. Back at our inn, we had a good continental breakfast and decided to meet at 9 to checkout and leave for our drive around the national park loop. 

Our drive around the Acadia National Park Loop was breathtaking!  Sandy Beach, Thunder Hole and Jordon Pond House at sea level were a stark contrast to Cadillac mountain suggesting glacial movement . At sea level pine, fir and birch trees, wildflowers and needle-carpeted ground as opposed to little vegetation, long stone ridges and steep stone cliffs along the mountainous summit. 

The highlight for us was our stop for lunch at the popover famous Jordon Pond House on the shore of the pond. We were shown to a table outside on the back lawn in view of the Bubbles, twin rounded peaks in the distance. The popovers were the best!  And lunch in that milieu was idyllic! Lobster salad, seafood and more popovers!  Our last drive was through the town of North East Harbor and its "cottages" and then along Somes Sound, the only fjord in the US. 

By 1 pm we were ready to wend our way into Canada via Route 1, the coastal route. Saw lots of rural Maine and a little more fall foliage in mild weather and under blue skies. Entered New Brunswick, Canada easily where the time changed ahead 1 hour to Atlantic Standard Time. Arrived in Saint John shortly after 6 PM AST and found Earl of Leinster B&B with Marilyn's help (our GPS). Checked in for 2 nights with quirky host Cheryl, walked a few blocks to Church St. Steak House for dinner and retired watching the Patriots.  It was a long day considering our sunrise outing at 5:30 am!! 

Sun. Sept. 29  Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

WE DID IT!!  Up at 5:15 to drive into Acadia National Park and then up Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the Atlantic coast at 1500 feet.   Fortunately we were able to take a cup of coffee with us (24 hour coffee at the inn!). There were a couple of cars behind us in the dark and we felt like pioneers leading the way up the circuitous narrow road up the mountain!  

Upon arrival at the peak we were greeted by a FULL parking lot-at least a couple of hundred vehicles including a tour bus!!  Despite the crowd, we were treated to a truly incomparable site of the red hue of sun rising over the Atlantic Ocean, Bar Harbor and the outlying  islands!  What a way to start the day!

We then drove into downtown Bar Harbor to get coffee from Grumpy and drink it on the town pier watching cruise ships leave and dock. Back at our inn, we had a good continental breakfast and decided to meet at 9 to checkout and leave for our drive around the national park loop. 

Our drive around the Acadia National Park Loop was breathtaking!  Sandy Beach, Thunder Hole and Jordon Pond House at sea level were a stark contrast to Cadillac mountain suggesting glacial movement . At sea level pine, fir and birch trees, wildflowers and needle-carpeted ground as opposed to little vegetation, long stone ridges and steep stone cliffs along the mountainous summit. 

The highlight for us was our stop for lunch at the popover famous Jordon Pond House on the shore of the pond. We were shown to a table outside on the back lawn in view of the Bubbles, twin rounded peaks in the distance. The popovers were the best!  And lunch in that milieu was idyllic! Lobster salad, seafood and more popovers!  Our last drive was through the town of North East Harbor and its "cottages" and then along Somes Sound, the only fjord in the US. 

By 1 pm we were ready to wend our way into Canada via Route 1, the coastal route. Saw lots of rural Maine and a little more fall foliage in mild weather and under blue skies. Entered New Brunswick, Canada easily where the time changed ahead 1 hour to Atlantic Standard Time. Arrived in Saint John shortly after 6 PM AST and found Earl of Leinster B&B with Marilyn's help (our GPS). Checked in for 2 nights with quirky host Cheryl, walked a few blocks to Church St. Steak House for dinner and retired watching the Patriots.  It was a long day considering our sunrise outing at 5:30 am!!