Saturday, August 3
After breaking camp, we connected back to the Cabot Trail and headed south around the western side of Cape Breton Island. On a Saturday morning, we almost had the roads to ourselves. Down the road, we exited the Cabot Trail to take a coastal loop for more great scenery. On an impulse, we took a spur road to White Point that dead-ended in a small village of a few buildings but with a gorgeous harbor including a protective rock jetty. We parked our RV and walked up a rocky road to take some pictures of the village and serendipitously discovered that we were on a hiking trail. And, what a trail it turned out to be! In a region with endless beauty, it’s hard to pick a favorite spot, but this trail ranks at or near the top for me.
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White Point Harbor |
As we walked along the trail we could see across the blue water to mountains on the other side and rocky cliffs ahead. I began to understood why the Scottish people felt at home here. I’ve never been to Scotland, but the low green vegetation with rugged yet awe-inspiring coastal cliffs aptly fit my mind’s images of that country. We passed an ancient cemetery. We took our time lingering to take in the beauty, peering down cliff sides, watching men on fishing boats, and listening to the birds on a nearby island before we reluctantly walked back to the RV. What a prized hidden gem we had unexpectedly stumbled on!
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The White Point Trail |
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Neils Harbor Ice Cream Lighthouse |
Continuing along the coastal loop, we stopped in another town, Neils Harbor, to check out the lighthouse that turned out to be an ice cream shoppe in disguise. Despite being duped, we decided to support the local economy and sampled their wares. After departing, we drove all of the remaining distance to our campground non-stop. The end of the route took us down Kelly Mountain and along the shore of the St. Andrews Channel of Bras d’Or Lake to the New Harris / North Sydney KOA. Our site is on the bottom tier of a hillside of RV sites and we’re facing the water with a nice water view, shade trees, and a breeze. We decided to do laundry and start catching up on blogging.
After dinner in the RV, we unhooked and headed to the nearby town of Baddeck to attend a ceilidh at St. Michael’s Hall. Jane drove and once in town, we parked beside another RV behind the town’s welcome center. Because the music hall is small, we bought our tickets and had over an hour before the show. So, we walked the streets of Baddeck and near the docks, like moths to a flame, we were drawn to the Bras d’Or Yacht Club (BYC) pub by fiddle music. We had beers and were enraptured by the music of Chrissy Crowley (fiddle) and Jason Roach (keyboard). Chrissy’s fiddling was great and typified the Cape Breton style including rapid bow direction changes.
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Site of the Baddeck Ceilidh |
After that surprise musical treat, we proceeded to the ticketed ceilidh where Rachel Davis (fiddle) and Buddy McDonald (guitar) entertained us with stories, fiddle tunes, and ballads. Turns out that Rachel and Chrissy (from the BYC) were part of band and toured together during the Cape Breton off-season. It was another casual but entertaining show. Jane drove us back to the RV and we again set up in the dark.
Great music clips!! What a great time you are having up there.
Thanks, Nancy. Hope there's good music in Newfoundland, too!
It's hard for me to believe that you're having a wonderful time without the Cackalacky Hackers! But, there you are, living the good life! Good on you guys! Safe travels my friends and thanks for sharing!