July 16, 2008

July 16, 2008

From Baddeck, NS we begin our drive up the western shore of the Cabot Trail. Our first stop is the Acadian town of Cheticamp. Acadia was what the French first called this part of New France. When England conquered the area in the 1700’s, they renamed it New Scotland and exiled the Acadian French citizens to faraway places like Louisiana, where the name corrupted into Cajun. A few hid out in the mountains here, later settling towns on the coast. Cheticamp is one such French enclave in Nova Scotia. We stop at Les Trois Pignons to let Aimee visit the Museum of Rug Hooking while I take a nap in the RV. Across the street we have lunch at a French café overlooking the ocean. We give the lobster a try again, this time warm with melted butter. Much better.

From Cheticamp we drive north into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Here the terrain suddenly takes a vertical leap skyward with cliffs that plunge down to the sea. The road follows the perimeter of the park up and down steep hills. Awesome scenery! This is why Cape Breton was recently named one of the premier island destinations in the world.

Along the way we stop at several viewpoints and for a short walk on the Bog Trail around several ponds filled with lilypads. We spot our first carnivorous Pitcher Plant. We finish with a short hike on the Macintosh Brook Trail to a waterfall. While taking long-exposure photos, I have to share the spot with a fisherman. It is ok, because he lends me his fly rod for a few casts and a bit of instruction on using a streamer fly.

Halfway through the Cabot Trail drive we exit the park to stay at a campground in Dingwall, NS with a site on a cliff overlooking an ocean inlet. Among our fellow campers we meet a Swiss gentleman who has been traveling full-time for eight years and a North Carolina family preparing some live Snow Crabs for dinner. Hungry, we stop at the camp store and buy a pre-cooked Snow Crab for ourselves. Very tasty! Aimee and I have decided we like Snow crab better than lobster.