Nova Scotia 2024-5. Cape Breton Island: Continuing the Cabot Trail & Bras d'Or Lake

    After a night camped at Meat Cove on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, we continued the 298-kilometer Cabot Trail. We found the route overall underwhelming, perhaps because we'd already traveled so much of Nova Scotia's 7,500 kilometers of coast. In fact, in Nova Scotia you are never more than 56 kilometers from the coast.

Gulf of St Lawrence at Petit Etang.

    Along with the Celtic influence, Acadian culture thrives on Cape Breton Island, as it does throughout Nova Scotia. The Acadian Trail heads south from Chéticamp along the Acadian Coast. Les Trois Pigeons Museum of the Hooked Rug and Home Life is also in Chéticamp. The Centre de la Mi-Carême is in Grand Etang.

    

    Much of the western side of the Cabot Trail is not on the coast at all. But it does have rather exciting steep, curvy downhills, fishing villages, and gorgeous views of the Gulf of St Lawrence.

Curves are plentiful on the 2-lane Cabot Trail.

Drive a bit of the Cabot Trail with us.

Geodesic Domes resort, Pleasant Bay.

Continuing our drive...

The Gulf of St Lawrence suddenly appeared in front of us as we rounded a curve. We were reminded of driving California's Hwy 1 from Leggett, twisting downhill, until the Pacific springs up straight ahead after the last curve.

Parts of the coast reminded us also of the Oregon coast.

Only bear sign we saw, but no bears.

Petit Etang.

There were the colorful houses & huge groomed lawns we'd seen throughout Nova Scotia.

Grand Etang—typical Nova Scotia village & harbor.

There were lots of churches, as we'd seen throughout Nova Scotia,  this one near St Joseph du Moine...

...& cemeteries.

Margaree Harbour.

Mowing the lawn, Margaree Harbour.

    At Margaree Harbour, the Cabot Trail turns inland back to its official beginning at Baddeck. We departed the trail and continued on around Cape Breton Island.

Farmland rolling to the horizon.

Celtic Music Interpretive Centre, Judique.

    We ended the day on a hillside campsite at Battery Provincial Park, overlooking St Peter's Bay.

Marilyn brought out her good friend, a Thermacell, to repel mosquitoes & their friends.

    Driving to Battery Provincial Park took us along St Peter's Canal, one of the outlets of Bras d'Or Lake to the ocean, this one artificial. 

St Peter's Canal National Historic Site, built where the Mi'kmaq traditionally portaged their craft from Bras d'or Lake to the Atlantic Ocean.

    It's nearly impossible to travel Cape Breton Island without driving along the large body of water that occupies 10% of the island, right in the center: Bras d'Or Lake (arm of gold). The Mi'kmaq, original inhabitants of its shores, called it Pitupaq, "long salt water." The lake is technically an estuary: it is tidal, rivers flow into it, and it has outlets to the ocean. 

Driving along Bras d'Or Lake en route to Baddeck: aquaculture in Whycocomaugh Bay.

    We drove part of Bras d'Or Lake's 1,0000-km (620 mi-) shoreline our first day on Cape Breton, when we stopped for the night at a campground in Baddeck .

Home along Whycocomaugh Bay.

    Driving north from Baddeck to Meat Cove took us along the Baddeck Bay portion of Bras d'Or Lakes.

Baddeck Bay.

    Leaving Battery Provincial Park in St Peters, we would travel the lake's southeast shore on our way to Fortress Louisbourg via Sydney. After visiting Louisbourg and the Miners and Marconi Museums in Glace Bay, we would cross over Great Bras d'Or Channel, a natural outlet to the ocean.

Seal Island Bridge across Great Bras d'Or Channel.

Great Bras d'Or Channel, natural outlet of Bras d'Or Lake to the ocean.

Then we'd drive south along Baddeck Bay again and stop at Whycocomagh Provincial Park to camp.

Baddeck Bay Lighthouse.

Purple line: roughly our route around Cape Breton Island, including Bras d'Or Lakes' shores.

Sunset, Battery Provincial Park, St Peter's.

Coming soon: Louisbourg, Louisbrick, & the Big Fiddle.