This summer my husband and I are planning to explore our own province, Nova Scotia, and maybe visit our neighbours, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. I have recently learned that a staycation is often a day trip and a nearcation is an overnighter or longer but still within your own province. I'm not sure if this definition is correct but I am going to use it as my guide as I post through the summer months about our adventures near our home.
We have just returned from a nearcation trip to Cape Breton Island. The first night was spent in New Glasgow visiting with a friend and planning our next couple of days in CB. We have "done" the Cabot Trail several times, so this trip was going to be a bit different. We would travel up the shoreline to Port Hood, Mabou and then turn inland to Baddeck and then on to Sydney. We would visit gift shops and local tourist attractions on our way and if we saw something interesting we would stop.
One gem that we discovered was the little day park in Port Hood. Easy access, great signage and a well maintained boardwalk, sandy beach (practically deserted) picnic tables and a beautiful view of the water. A wonderful breather, a peaceful place to stop and stretch your legs.
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Glenora Distillery while listening to genuine Cape Breton music provided by a musical duo, one planning the guitar and the other the fiddle.I highly recommend the Maritime Seafood Chowder on the Distillery's lunch time menu, a generous sized serving with a flaky homemade biscuit. Scallops, fish and potatoes all hot and flavourful.
And of course the charming community of Baddeck and the surrounding area also is a delight for the senses. The skies were overcast for most of the second and third day and we only had a couple of heavy rain showers...one when we were inside a restaurant looking out and another on our way into the hotel.
We were a little disappointed about a couple of our planned stops, we couldn't find them. They may have gone out of business or maybe the problem was poor signage. Just a note to anyone trying to sell things, if people can't find you...
The following pictures are a few of our memories of the trip. Hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed the experiences.
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| Ship loading at the quarry at the Causeway |
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| Port Hood Day Park, a nice surprise |
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| Port Hood Day Park, tables and broadwalk |
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| Port Hood Day Park, great chance for a long walk |
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| We arrived in time for a very tasty lunch and the early afternoon music. Tours are available. Beautiful grounds and friendly people. |
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| Just outside Baddeck |
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| Although a cloudy day, the rain held off |
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| From the top of the mountain looking down to where we will be crossing. Winding road...good brakes are a must. |
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| Orangedale museum |
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| Inside the dormer train depot at Orangedale |
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| Orangedale Museum. A must see for railway buffs. |
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| Approaching the causeway on our way home. Fog hugging the mountain tops. |
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