Wednesday, June 15, 2022

The Cabot Trail

 I had another “You know you are getting old when….” moment again this week. Sadly, they are occurring more and more often and I am not even trying! This one went like this….. I woke up and had no idea what day of the week it was. Only when I went to the medicine cabinet and pulled out my pill container with the days of the week on it and saw that everything before Friday was gone did I realize it must be….. Friday! Well, unless, I forgot to take them on Friday and it is actually Saturday. That has been known to happen as well.

But we did know what day of the week it was when we took the ferry from Prince Edward Island to Caribou Nova Scotia. It was Sunday, 6/12 at 8:00am to be exact. Well, we did have to show up 40 minutes early, check in, turn off our propane and get in line. Pretty soon the mouth of the ferry opened up and we were signaled to drive on in. This is the first ferry ride for the Ram, Dakota and Zoey. The Ram did good, Dakota and Zoey were a little more apprehensive.

After parking, we put the dogs in the camper and went up on deck for our 70 minute ride across. Thankfully the winds were light and the seas were calm. We got to talking to another couple from Alberta and before we knew it we were approaching the other side!


The ferry was $134 for the one way trip. The ferry opens on both ends so you drive in one end and out the other. For those of you who are unfamiliar with how the ferry works, here is a short video of us loading and unloading. 
The first thing we had to do was fill up with fuel. I had waited hoping that it would be a little cheaper once we got off the island. It was $2.14/liter. $0.14 cheaper per liter which equates to $0.53/gallon. Still over $8.00ca/gallon but cheaper! It was a full service gas station and the attendant was a kid about 18 with a mullet Billy Ray Cyrus would have been proud of. He saw we were from South Dakota and commented on it. I asked him what we should make sure we see while in the area. His exact words were “There ain’t nothing to see around here”. Oh well, so much for Nova Scotia!

We were on our way to Baddeck when we saw this sign and they were not kidding!

A little while later Barb saw a sign for a brewery along the way. The Big Spruce Brewery was the perfect first adventure. Dog friendly, good beer and outdoor seating. 

After that we needed to work off our beers so we went to Uisage Ban Falls for a hike. The weather was cool and it was only 45 minutes each way so we decided to take the girls.

The trail are gravel and smooth for the most part with a little scrambling here and there. There were a few water puddles along the way which Zoey hopped around in like she was on a pogo stick. Up and down, up and down, it was hilarious. Too bad we were not able to get a video of it as would have been a video even dog hater Harry would have enjoyed!


Near the end you had to go a lot of scrambling to get near the 50’ waterfall. Zoey would jump gracefully from rock to rock. Dakota, not so much. She is a panic scrambler, legs and paws everywhere as she tried to work her way through the obstacles. But we finally got there and took a few group photos.

Then it was back on the road to Baddeck. Barb had found a spot on line to boondock right in town at the Masonic Lodge. We parked in the deserted parking lot and settled in. Pretty soon a few cars started to show up like something was going on in the lodge. I was outside and an old-timer came up and talked to me. There was an A.A. meeting tonight. Pretty soon another guy walks up and starts talking and then another. Just about when I thought that maybe this was an intervention they went inside. Whew!

Our plan was to go to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum the next day but a check of the weather showed that tomorrow was going to be the only nice day all week so we opted to leave the museum for a rainy day and do the Cabot Trail instead. EVERYONE we talked to said you have to do the Cabot Trail. It was definitely worth it! 

When we got there we checked out the hikes for the area and found that the Skyline Trail is by far the most popular. It is described as: A dramatic headland overlooking the rugged gulf coast. 1.5-2.5 hours, 4 miles round trip. No dogs were allowed on the trail so we parked in the shade and tucked them away in the camper. The trail was very easy with a gravel pathway or boardwalk the entire way.

The top had some open sections, some wooded section and some amazing views of the surrounding area and coastline.





The hardest park was at the end of the trail where there are a series of stairs leading down to viewing area. The walk down is not bad but you can feel the burn on the walk back up!

From there we drove more of Cabot Trail stopping to take pictures along the way.

We had decided to spend the night at Meat Cove, one of the northern most parts of Cape Breton Island. It was remote and slow going up we found an awesome boondocking site right on a bluff. I would not not bring anything larger than our rig down here. As a matter of fact, I would not bring our rig down here again. A camper van, yes, but not a cabover truck camper unless you want to go REALLY (20mph for 25 miles) slow. There was some beautiful scenery along the way. 

We got to the campground which was on a one acre rolling grassy knoll overlooking the Atlantic. There a half a dozen vans, tents and pods already there. The cost was $40 a night with no hook ups. The woman comes out and says “You can try and squeeze between the tent and the Pod”. We look at it and it has about a 10° sideway slant. No can do so we passed and headed back to a turnout on a bluff we saw a few miles back. An even better spot and we saved $40!

During one of the lulls in the rain this young couple stopped at the turnout to take some pictures. Barb and I watched carefully to see exactly how we should be posing for our next photoshoot. I even took a few pictures so we made sure we got it right!

The window was slightly open as I was taking their picture and I am pretty sure I heard the girl say "That creepy old couple in the camper are taking our picture!"

The rain continued all night and into the next day. As a matter of fact it was ALL the next day!  But it still made for some interesting pictures.

We headed back to Baddeck to check out the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. It just was not our thing and we were in and out of there in about 20 minutes. So we headed over towards Sidney were we were set to catch the ferry on the 16th.

Arriving after 5:00pm, we just went to the Walmart where Barb did some shopping and I worked on the blog. That is when catastrophe struck! I was merrily typing away on my computer when Bam! Blue Screen stating that a critical error has occurred and it is shutting down. No matter what I did I could not get it to boot back up again. So I looked up computer repair in Sidney NS and found 3 locations. The next morning we drove to the one closest to us. It ended up being a house in a residential neighborhood so I called the number to see if we could come in. At first he was skeptical as it came across as an American number. He asked why we were calling and where we were. I explained the situation and said I am parked in front of your house. He let me in and we went to his office to work on the computer. After taking the back off he asked if I dropped the computer. Of course I did at least a half a dozen times but not recently. He found a board of some sort inside that was a little askew, took it out and reinserted it. Then he did some other magic cleaning up some files and it was as good as new! 

Interesting story about this guy and his family. They moved from Pakistan 12 years ago saying that they were Christians who were constantly persecuted by the Muslims. It took him 7 years to go through the immigration process and says he will never go back. 

Relieved we went to lunch at Governors Pub then for a walk with the girls along the waterfront. We did not know it at the time but it was home of one of the Roadside Attractions Barb had on her list for this area! Are you ready for it? The worlds largest fiddle! I know, I could hardly believe it either!

This statue is a depiction of a "Barrel Raft". During WWII the merchant ships were being torpedoed by enemy submarines so the merchant ships carried these barrel rafts as a lifeboat.

After that adventure I figured that I needed a beer and what better place than Breton Brewing Co! Barb had a flight, I had a pint of Island Time Lager which was very good. Barb's favorite was the Son's of Hector Brown Ale.


Since we were preparing for another ferry ride in the morning we decided to get a campground so we could do laundry, fill with water, shower and work on the blog. By the way, we do take showers in our camper too, not just when I mention we stop at a campground! Arm of Gold Campground is within minutes of the ferry terminal and for $40ca/night (w/e) it was the perfect spot to get ready for our next ferry ride. Goodbye Nova Scotia, see you in two weeks, tomorrow morning we head over to Newfoundland!

Last, but certainly not least, Barb and I want to wish Farmer Bob and DeAnne Happy 40th Anniversary this week! Congratulations DeAnne, I know it is a challenge putting up with him!

42 comments:

  1. Longer ferry ride to Newfoundland. Hope you like it! Our homeland.

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    1. Today's ferry ride is 7 hours or so. Do you have any "must sees" in Newfoundland?

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    2. It really depends on which part of the island you will visit. Which area are you headed to?

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    3. We are going up the west side to Gros Morne then across to St. John's then back down to Caribou to catch the ferry in two weeks.

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    4. My husband’s home was in Corner Brook. The Gylnmill Inn Pond Trail there is a jewel. Captain Cook’s Lookout gives a great view as well.

      If you’re up to it, walk to the top of Gros Morne. Do the boat trip up the fjord at Western Brook Pond. Take the boat across the bay at Rocky Harbour.

      If you have time, take in the local theatre production at Cow Head. It is always really good.

      Drive along the coast to L’anse Aux Meadows where the Vikings landed in North America. The exhibits are great.

      There is an excellent Dinner theatre in St. Anthony.

      On your way to St. John’s, you pass through the central part of the province where we lived during our working lives. At Grand Falls-Windsor, there is a salmon ladder along the Exploits River and you can see the fish in the ladder and in a display area along the ladder.

      If you can take a detour off the TCH, go to Twillingate area to see the lighthouse and do a boat tour of Iceberg Alley. There have been a lot of bergs this year. You can get up close usually.

      In St. John’s, Signal Hill, Cape Spear, Quidi Vidi and its brewery, George Street, Mistaken Point, the boat tour at Bay Bulls to see the puffins and whales, the colony at Ferryland where the Mayflower stopped on its way to what is now the U.S. You can order a picnic at the lighthouse in Ferryland and eat at the site. Walk a trail at Signal Hill where you will walk along the side of the cliff over the water. Mistaken Point is a must for oldest fossils on the planet. The Geo Centre on Signal Hill is great! Bowering Park is a great place for a walk with the dogs.

      Just a few ideas!

      My home was the St. John’s area and we visited Signal Hill and Cape Spear regularly. My favourite places on earth!

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    5. Oh my gosh, thank you for the information! We are going to many of those places and will add these activities to our itinerary. We head to Corner Brook today!

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  2. I thought there was quite a bit to see in Nova Scotia! I enjoyed seeing the sights as you shared them here. Of course I would have to see the giant fiddle myself if I was there. I like things like that, lol! Looks like a wonderful adventure the two of you are having!

    betty

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    1. We are going to hit more sights in Nova Scotia after our Newfoundland adventure. I know Halifax is on the list, Who knows what other attractions Barb has in store for us over the next two weeks we are in Newfoundland!

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    1. They had speakers placed around it playing fiddle music and apparently it is lite up at night as well!

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  4. Friends from our park in Florida are from Sidney. He’s a musician, so I’ll have to ask him about the fiddle. What was that other sculpture?

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    1. I was going to write something about that and forgot. That is a depiction of a "Barrel Raft". During WWII the merchant ships were being torpedoed by enemy submarines so the merchant ships carried these barrel rafts as a lifeboat.

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  5. Another fine installment. Cudos to you my fine fellow. The scenery is wonderful and I am glad that Barb is getting over being camera shy. I found my toe tapping to your nice little music video. You are covering so much that I feel that I don't have to go there because I have already seen it. Enjoy!

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    1. I am surprised you watched the video at all. I should have thrown a dog video in at the end just to waste more of your time. But then again, what else do you have to do with your time now?

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    2. Actually some people have to work for a living now and we can't all be as carefree as others chasing unicorns and ferry dust. That's as positive as I can make it.

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    3. Stop using that "W" word on this blog. It is seriously depressing.

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  6. The Skyline stairs on the Cabot Trail was a leg burner for us as well but the views were so worth it! Looking forward to your Newfoundland blog as we never made it that far. Glad you got your laptop fixed so we all can keep up with your adventures. Safe travels!
    Colibaba’s

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    1. I backed everything up on the computer before we left but I would have lost a lot of pictures from our trip.

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  7. I know Zoey's puddle dance of which you speak. It requires lots of towels. Loved the ferry ride. Did it once in a big RV but we had to back off. Yup I would have gone just to see the fiddle!! I'm also glad you are spending your cash visiting there so now I don't have to!!! Beautiful country, but I don't drink beer. I'd be up $hitt Creek!!!

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    1. Well, we have seen wineries, distilleries and even a few tea rooms so I am sure you could find something!

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  8. Thanks for the tour. Too bad the weather wasn't better. Newfoundland is on our bucket list too. Can't wait to see all your pictures.

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    1. Looks like we are going to get some rain over there as well, hopefully we will get a few good days!

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  9. Looks fun! Love the falls and the CT hike. Sometimes it’s nice to just drive and watch the scenery go by. Steve would love the beer stops. I didn’t see a fiddle video?

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    1. No fiddle video this time. There are so many places you could pull over and take pictures you eventually has to say "enough" and just enjoy the view.

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  10. Looks like a wonderful journey, we’re looking forward to exploring that area in the future! We just wanna be like y’all when we grow up! See you’re stilling enjoying some nice brews, yummy! Was wondering as y’all haven’t check in any new brews on Untapped in quite a while. Safe Travels!

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    1. We were just talking about Untapped and that we have not used that app in a while. She is downloading it on her new phone as I write this!

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  11. The photos are wonderful and you are keeping us with you the entire trip, glad I did not have to actually do those steps. What struck me about this post is your wonderful smiles. The first selfie is spectacular, you done good kid. Seriously you both have great smiles and it is obvious that you are enjoying this adventure. Good overnite spot and that $40.00 saved will come in handy.

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    1. It's all Barb, her smile is infectious, when she smiles I smile. When she growls, I run!

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  12. So glad you are having a great time. Yes, rainy day activities are necessary. Love seeing the girls having a fun time. Poor Dakota. Scrambling is tough sometimes. We did the Cabot Trail on our motorcycle trip. Near the top of the trail we had to stop for a gigantic moose that was posing by the road for photos. It was amazing. We saw Meat Cove but didn't make the drive since it was a gravel road. Motorcycles and gravel roads don't go together. Enjoy Newfoundland. We didn't make the trip over.

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    1. We have seen one yearling moose so far. You would not have wanted to take that road to Meat Cove. We talked to some locals at a dog park the next day and mentioned we went to Meat Cove. They said "Oh, how were the roads?". You know they must be bad if even the locals are asking!

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  13. I am really enjoying this area you are visiting...sure hope to get up there some day. Amazing you can find boondock spots, were there signs saying you could park overnight, or did you just do it like one would do up in the Yukon and Alaska?

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    1. There are no signs anywhere stating that you CAN stay overnight. Each of the spots we have stayed have been on Freecampsites.net or iOverlander. We did talk to two locals who said no one really cares up here. There are signs other places where they do not allow overnight parking however. I am sure we will run across a spot we will get kicked out but so far the websites have been accurate.

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  14. Really enjoying your tour especially in the maritimes plus Newfoundland will be a great adventure.Since I’ve followed for some time,you might find the antique metal stuff- particularly the old tractor seats - on blog “mills-travels.blogspot.com”
    All the best,A James

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    1. The first place we went in Corner Brook was the Antique Emporium. No treasures for us there.

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  15. Very jealous as I read about all the maritime fun, we haven't been to the east coast yet but certainly want to. Enjoy Newfoundland, some of the nicest people we know are from there. Good luck understanding some of them, they speak fast and with an accent that's a little Irish sounding. Just smile back lol. Have you heard of Magnetic Hill? It's a road I believe in Newfoundland that if you put the truck in neutral it seems to roll backwards up the hill. Friends have video is all I have seen.

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    1. We've been to one business so far and the person did not talk to us at all. Probably because they thought WE talked funny!

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  16. Sorry about last comment, Magnetic hill is in Moncton, New Brunswick. Should have googled before I typed.

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    1. Shoot, we should have looked that up when we were there!

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  17. It’s Gay…such beautiful scenery to enjoy there. Those views from Cabot Trail were some of the prettiest we have ever see. We did not make it to Newfoundland…looking forward to your post.

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    1. Very unique terrain over here for sure. I will post some pictures next week.

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  18. Lots of good memories from the Cabot Trail for me. I am sorry the weather wasn't great when you were there. Meat Cove was a standout day for us, but we encountered great weather and few people, which is basically the recipe for a terrific travel day. In any case, I'm looking forward to your Newfoundland report. We didn't get to go there. Oh, and I'm glad your computer was fixable. Kevin keeps telling me that bouncing my technology off the floor will not make it last longer, but what does he know??

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    1. I bet I have dropped that computer 6 times or so, picking it up and checking to see if it worked each time. The weird thing is that I haven't dropped it in months and now it decided to die?!?

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