We scored the jackpot with our camping spot (#1) at Whycocomagh (We’Koqma’Q) Provincial park on Cape Breton. We chatted with the two young women in the converted mini-school bus who were on their way to Newfoundland.
We took a run over to Mabou and up to Inverness (on the west coast and part of the Ceilidh trail). Ffly was bodysurfing on the beach in Inverness – literally diving through the waves) and we enjoyed a pitstop at Route 19 Brewery and brew pub.
We met a lovely young couple from Halifax (originally Gujarat, India) who insisted on us sharing and sampling their picnic! Dennis loved the sweet goodies! I loved the spinach and cilantro paratha!
On Wednesday we drove much of the Bras d’Or (Arm of Gold) lake and inland sea (the only one in Canada). It provides a beautiful variety of barrier beaches, rocky headlands, and wetlands. We enjoyed the pristine waters and the beach at Iona catching the ferry back across the Narrow Straits to Whycocomagh.
Thursday started with a stop and walk around Baddeck with breakfast at The Freight Shed at the marina. We opted to do the entire Cabot Trail driving anti-clockwise. The west coast of the cape offers breathtaking scenery with craggy cliffs. A couple of times we thought we might have seen whales, but couldn’t confirm.
Our beach stop was in Ingonish where the most beautiful round stones create a barrier between land and the lovely sand beach. Ffly made a new friend (Mile the border collie from Montreal) and enjoyed another body surfing swim!
Dingwall, at the top of the Cabot trail is a sleepy fishing village with picturesque lighthouse and harbor.
The drive across to the east coast took us up and around tree covered mountains and along the Aspy Fault.
Down the east coast and back to Whycocomagh we had completed the almost 300km drive. Unfortunately all the ceilidhs that we saw advertised were for the evening, and we weren’t up to getting back in the jeep to drive the 40km to Baddeck. However, we went to a local jam at the waterfront center in Whycocomagh which was fun – but more of a blend of country and folk ballads rather than the rousing Scottish fiddle music.
