One of the most popular attractions on the island was the Cape Breton Island National Park. It was encircled by the Cabot Trail. The complete loop was more than 180 miles. Getting a late start on this misty, overcast morning we had no illusions about seeing it all. The weather, however, did add a certain amount of drama to our sightseeing.
Along the road, there were many stops where you could walk to the shoreline. Joani could have spent all day along this one beach.
One of my favorite shots of the rugged coastline was from a roadside pull-off.
Along with the indigenous First Nation people, the Mi'kmaq, the island includes Acadian, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, and English cultures. Everywhere signs were in Mi'kmaq making them very unusual. There was no chance of understanding the signs without a translation.
Unama'kik is the word Mi'kmaq used to refer to Cape Breton Island, and loosely translates to Land of Fog; Pjila'si loosely means Welcome: Come in. I'm sure you could have guessed that's what the sign below said.
The rain held off although the skies always looked like they could open up at any time. Once we were inside the park boundaries the scenery became even more spectacular. My short hair doesn't give any indication of the wind blowing on the point below. It nearly threw me off balance while I walked the boardwalk.
I wondered who would leave a red chair on the cliff overlooking the beach. It was perched above the waterfall. I carefully chose my angle to hide it in the photo below. Later, as we were hiking through the woods we found the same chair. Since it was bolted to the rocks, we can assume the park installed it so I could enjoy the view and contemplate the beauty of nature.
We followed the Cabot Trail counterclockwise to Neil's Harbor before running out of time and turning around.
In Baddeck, we visited the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. A nice view of the building, a Canadian flag, and a lighthouse in the distance greeted us on our way inside.
The museum was free with the National Park Pass provided by Fantasy RV Tours.
The museum has a lot of history regarding Bell's famous invention and the evolution of the phone since then.
A reproduction of Bell's office showed he was a man of very modest means. I suspect he spent most of his time in a lab or outside flying kites (for research, of course).
I did not know about his interest in many areas beyond the telephone. His study of kites and airplanes sparked the development of hydrofoil watercraft.
Below is a full-scale replica of the HD-4. Two large propellers pushed the craft along as foils, fore and aft, and under each wing raised the body above the water. It reached speeds of 70 mph. That's not bad for watercraft in 1919.
Eight of us planned to meet at the Freight Shed in Baddeck for dinner. They only had seating for us outside but it was cold (they offered blankets) and it was raining (mostly dry close to the wall). When we hesitated they suggested we try their alternate Shed just a short walk away. Warm and dry indoors was the better option.
Bruce and Linda
Randy and Jean
Brian and Jean
When everyone was full, it was time to find the venue for tonight's music. We were assured Ceilidh in Gaelic was pronounced "Kay-lee" and meant "a gathering". Gather-we-did in this small hall where a crowd of about 80 listened to traditional Scottish music for nearly two hours.
Baddeck Gathering Ceilidhs was not included as part of our tour, but it was recommended as a "shouldn't miss."
It didn't disappoint.
A very rare selfie while waiting for the show to begin.
Buddy MacDonald, Rachel Davis, and Darren McMullen
Hot tea and oatcakes were served during intermission.
The love of Scottish music runs deep in these folks. It was clear these three loved playing together and loved the music. In fact, Rachel and Darren had just celebrated their 2nd anniversary and Buddy's wife was with us listening to the music.
The music ended around 9:30 so it was dark as we headed home after a full day. I remembered the signs saying to be alert for moose so I was hyper-focused looking for glowing eyes along the roadside. We saw no moose, deer, or other critters and hit the hay as soon as we were home.
