Driving The Cabot Trail

Ned and Joe Posing in the Role of Moose

The next morning the weather looked like rain but it hadn't started by the time we broke camp. We set off. It would take three to four hours to drive the Cabot Trail without stops. That is impossible. Perhaps if you have driven it ten or more times you might become immune to the views. It took us almost seven hours. We stopped at many overlooks and hiked some of the trails. We drove up side roads to see waterfalls. There is still more that I would have like to see.

Our first stop other than a scenic pullout was at MacIntosh Brook. It is about a one and half mile hike through an old growth forest along a brook with small waterfalls. It was a good early morning way to loosen the legs and wake us up. The parking area has a kitchen shelter and when we finished the hike we fired up the stove and had our breakfast. While we ate it began to pour so our next stop wasn't until Beulach Ban Falls a bit further down the road. We continued along the Cabot Trail until we came to the Atlantic coast where we stopped at Green Cove.


Looking Down to Fishing Cove

The View to Pleasant Bay

I'm Telling You There are No Moose!

Green Cove is a small rocky headland that juts out into the ocean. It is formed of some really neat boulders of pinkish rock with intrusions of a highly crystalized granite forming lines and crosses. Down the road from there we turned down a side road to view Mary Ann Falls. They were crowded and there were people swimming the pools beneath them.

Green Cove


Joe and Ned Clamboring Over the Boulders

Our last stop along the Cabot Trail was to hike Middle Head. Middle Head is a long headland creating North and South Ingonish Bays. It is a two and half mile hike starting at the Keltic Lodge. The hike goes through some forests and meadows and has rocky cliffs on the sides and at the end for great views up the coast and to Cape Smokey to the south.

Wildflowers


Go Ahead Jump


The End of Middle Head


The Keltic Lodge Near Ingonish, NS

After the hike we said goodbye to the Cabot Trail and headed for the Southeast corner of Cape Breton Island taking the ferry at Englishtown and camping south of Sydney, NS at Mira River Provincal Park.


The Englishtown Ferry


Chéticamp, NS to Mira River, NS, 165 miles 8 hrs 28 min

To Cape Breton Island

The Cabot Trail

From Halifax we headed for Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail. Along the way we stopped in Stellarton to visit the Nova Scotia Museum of Industry. It is a hands on exploration of the industries in Nova Scotia from the past to the present. We were early so some displays were not quite set up but the boys had a good time.


Ned the Engineer


Tire Boys

Crossing the Canso Causeway we entered Cape Breton Island. At this point there are a number of ways to go and I decided to take the northerly, coast hugging Highway 19 the Ceilidh Trail. It is a pretty drive and we soon arrived in Chéticamp which for us was the beginning of the Cabot Trail.

The Cabot Trail is a 180 mile drive around the northern part of Cape Breton Island most of it being inside Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It is a beautiful drive with many pulloffs to view the vistas of deep valleys, mountains and ocean.

After we arrived in Chéticamp we made camp at the National Park's Chéticamp campground. It was early so we headed up the Cabot Trail a few miles to hike the Skyline Trial. The Skyline is 6 mile loop that goes out onto a headland about 950 ft above the ocean. Views are spectacular. The trail back is through a forest where moose are often spotted. We saw lots of moose sign but the only mammal was a lone ground squirrel. The woods were full of bird calls clear and bright.

On the way back to the campsite we saw a group of people on the side of the road with cameras. Slowing down to take a look we saw they were looking at a bull moose. He was munching his way around a shrub. He would be our only moose sighting. Other travellers I talked to reported seeing mothers and calves, two bulls, black bears and cubs, and bald eagles. One woman from the Netherlands told me they saw six moose. We saw only the one moose and ground squirrels. Bird wise is was terns, gulls, cormorants and crows.


The Cabot Trail Looking South


The Skyline Trail Boardwalk


Wildflowers and Tree Trunk


Our Only Moose


The Cabot Trail Winding Its Way North


Halifax, NS to Chéticamp, NS, 266 miles 7 hrs 8 miin

To And About Halifax, Nova Scotia

Joe Ask the Highlanders What Is Under...the Big Stone Behind Them

The drive to Halifax was interesting. We stopped in Annapolis Royale to visit the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station. It is the only generating plant in North America using the energy from tides. The boys were disappointed because they wanted to go on a tour but you had to be 16 or older.

We then headed across the interior of Nova Scotia passing by Kejimkujik National Park. Just south of there we almost wrecked the car when we came around a turn and found a black bear in the middle of the road. It was large cub and once it saw us it quickly ran into the woods. I thought it wise not to follow.


The Annapolis Tidal Generating Station

After a quick visit to the town of Liverpool we next stopped at Lunenburg. Lunenburg is a UN designated World Heritage Site but I mostly wanted to see the Bluenose, a famous sailboat. Unfortunately it was in Prince Edward Island. We moved on through Mahone Bay, the city of churches and very near Oak Island home of the money pit. Soon we were in Halifax.

We camped across the harbor in Dartmouth at Shubie Park.

This morning we drove into Dartmouth and took the commuter ferry across the harbor to Halifax. We wandered down the harbor front and visited with Theodore Tugboat before going to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. The museum contains boats, models of boats and ships, a chandlery, shipwrecks including relics from the Titanic and a pirate exhibit. There is quite a bit to see and we spent a lot longer there than I had planned.


Halifax from the Ferry


Halifax is Big Harbour of Theodore Tugboat


The Only Deck Chair Recovered from the Titanic

We had to get back to the car since our meter was running out so hopped the ferry back and then drove into the city to visit the the Halifax Citadel.

The Citadel is on a hill overlooking the city and is very impressive. The boys loved it, especially Joe. I think we explored every nook of the place. They have a History Hunt that if you get all of the questions correct you get a free cookie which the boys both received.

After the Citadel we stopped at the Halifax Public gardens for a quick stroll then headed back to the campsite. I wanted to get up early tomorrow to make the drive to Cape Breton Island.


Joe Taking Notes on How to Fire a Cannon


New Recruits Ready For Duty


The Halifax Public Gardens are Beautiful


Digby, NS to Halifax, NS, 230 miles 7 hrs 17 min

Reversing Falls, A Ferry, And Whales

A Trip Through Maine Is Not Complete Without Blueberries

We left later than we wanted from Acadia National Park. Perhaps it was the park keeping me from getting up when alarm went off or it calling for me to stay and linger a little bit longer. But we did get up and broke camp and headed for Canada.

We took the scenic Route 1 along the Maine coast but because of the late start we could not stop along the way. When we reached Calais we had lunch and a fifteen minute wait at the border. We managed to get to St. John, New Brunswick with enough time to stop and view the Reversing Falls. They are rapids on the St John river that reverse direction when the tide comes in. It takes a while to watch them reverse, about 5 hours. We went to catch the ferry.

The ferry trip was nice. The ship was large and comfortable. We watched a movie and Joe and I saw some whales from the deck. One was spouting and I saw a whale tail. There were some porpoises swimming in the bow wake but when we got there they were gone. It was late when we got in to Digby, Nova Scotia so we decided to stay at an hotel.


The Reversing Falls

Our Ship Comes In


The Bow Opens to Let Us In


Driving on the Princess of Acadia


Nova Scotia

Bar Harbor, ME to Digby, NS, 215 miles 8 hrs 59 min (Including time on ferry)

Mountains of Acadia

Atop Beech Mountain

Our last day in Acadia National Park was one of contrasts. We walked across tidal pools and climbed two of the smaller mountains in the park.

We started in the morning for the western part of Mount Desert Island driving to the bustling town of Southwest Harbor. Southwest Harbor is a nice town. I thought it much nicer than Bar Harbor since the throngs of tourists are absent. Yes we were there but we are not much of a throng though the boys attempt to be sometimes. There is a very good bakery, a nice grocery store and the library is wonderful.

From there we drove along route 102A to the natural seawall and explored the tidal pools. They were filled mostly with snails and kelp. Driving on we stopped at the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse one of the most picturesque lighthouses in Maine. The highlight for the boys was climbing the huge rocks and watching a lobsterman pulling up his traps, emptying them and sending back to the depths.


Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse


A Lobsterman Checking His Traps

Next stop was Echo Lake where we had lunch. After lunch we climbed Beech Mountain. The trail from Echo Lake is called Canadian Cliffs. It is a ladder trail which means that there are ladders fastened to the cliff face to help your ascent. Once at the top we took the Beech Cliffs loop for some great views. Coming down the ladders was the hardest part of the trail.


Joe and Ned Ascend a Ladder


The Canadian Cliffs Trail

Atop Beech Mountain


A Camouflaged Grasshopper Cannot Escape Joe

After this climb we were ready for, another climb. This time we went back to the eastern part of the island to tackle the Beehive. Not as challenging as the Precipice trail which climbs 1058 ft Champlain Mountain to the north the Behive at 520 ft is a great hike. The Behive is a ladder trail up the southern face. There are no ladders on this trail but iron rungs pounded into the granite cliff face to use as handholds and footholds. The boys loved it and I had to call to them to slow down.

We came down a trial that goes around the back of the Beehive by a hidden pond called the Bowl. The trail was laden with blueberries (note the "was") and the pond had beaver lodges and many frogs.


At the Start of the Beehive Trail


Our Goal the Beehive


Up the Side of the Beehive


Taking a Rest on One of the Ladder Sections


Don't Look Down!


The View From the Top


Blueberries on the Trail

After a late dinner we went to Sand Beach to partake in Stars Over Sand Beach though we left before it was over since it was late and we had to break camp in the morning to catch our ferry in St John.

Acadia National Park is as beautiful and glorious as remember it from 20 years ago when I last visited. Bar Harbor and the park was much more crowded though we were there at the height of the season. There were many things we didn't see or do like biking on the carriage trails but that only means we will have to come back and spend more time. One thing is for certain I am not going to wait another 20 years to return and Mary is coming with me.