Nova Scotia was similar to New Brunswick and that masks are required to enter businesses and public places, which for us was a throwback to how it had been many months ago in the States. Nonetheless, we quickly adapted to this requirement, keeping a mask in the back pocket at all times.
In the morning we continued east toward Cape Breton Island – the ultimate destination of our journey.
Just outside of Ingonish, we stopped at a General store for a few provisions and the cashier, upon hearing that we were planning to camp in the National Park, emphatically proclaimed that we had to go to Meat Cove (outside of the Park) at the very northern tip of the island and stay at the, “most awesome campground ever.” Being a perfect fit with the theme of our journey, we headed straight to Meat Cove Campground in the morning – and what a spectacularly breathtaking ride it was!
Going counter-clockwise, we traveled through the national park, along the coast, and at the northernmost tip of the Cabot Trail we turned off and were shortly chattering along an unpaved road toward Meat Cove. At the very top of the Cape, the road deteriorated as we drove along the edge of limestone cliffs some hundred feet above the churning ocean below.
He warned us to wear long pants as the narrow trail cuts through dense scrub and we were sure glad we did. As we were finishing up our morning hike the drizzle turned to a light rain which would last for the rest of the day and promised to continue through the next, so we decided to hunker down another night before our longest drive to the Eastern Coast of Nova Scotia.
Our next and final stop was the delightful little town of Mahone Bay with sailboats in the foreground and church steeples in the background as we pulled into the Visitor Center. Yet another amazingly helpful Canadian quickly validated our decision to stop in, which is uncharacteristic of me to do so. He told us about the amazing network of rail-to-trail bike paths, best places to eat, and even got on the phone to find us one of the last remaining places to spend the night. We realized that serendipity had struck once again as the host showed us our room at the Bayview Pines Country Inn, it was perfect!
Along some 15 miles of gravel cycling (included crossing an old railroad tressel high above a river), we sampled wild apples growing trailside and some were remarkably tasty, in addition to being free and 100% organic! As we sat around a fire pit on the banks of Mahone Bay that evening we realized that another day was needed to explore this magical area and again we were lucky to secure the room for one more night.
On our last day, heading to visit a vineyard, we drove on Crescent Beach, which is the only beach in Nova Scotia that allows vehicles.
In the end, the lack of planning hadn’t undermined our trip but rather enhanced the wonder of organically discovering magical places. Our chance encounters led to wonderfully unexpected adventures. A format for future trips? I’m thinking so.
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Really enjoyed this travelogue
Great prose
And helped by the photos
Would be a great holiday
Would love to visit this area