Tuesday & Wednesday, September 5 & 6 Bayfield, Antigonish I didn’t arrive at Sea’scape Cottages until nearly 9pm – in the dark and rain. When the road changed from paved to gravel I was grateful that the hosts’ directions were so good. This letter from a wildlife biologist to the owner in 1986 expressing his…

Wednesday, September 6 I went to the Louisbourg Lighthouse intending to walk the trail, but the trail was closed due to damage by Hurricane Fiona in 2022. But the lighthouse, the waves crashing on the rocks, and the wildflowers were worth the bumpy drive. Just up the road was an overlook with picnic tables and…

Thursday, September 7 The Louisbourg Harbor Inn is a lovely Victorian bed and breakfast in downtown Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. It had wonderful views of the harbor from my room and from the shared decks at the rear of the house. People who were staying in the other bed and breakfast owned by Parker in Louisbourg…

Friday, September 8 Beaches, the Hostel, Stargazing I drove from Louisbourg to Cape North, mostly driving northeast up the southeast side of Cape Breton Island and past Bras d’Or Lake. Bras d’Or Lake (Mi’kmawi’simk: Pitupaq) is an irregular estuary in the centre of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It has a connection to the open sea, and is tidal. It also…

Saturday, September 9 Whales and Dolphins The Oshan Whale-watching tour started in Bay St. Lawrence harbor – only an 18 minute drive from the hostel. We hugged the coast for the first couple of hours; the scenery was magnificent and the sea was great – a nice mix of swells and waves. But no whales…

September 10 The general store in Cape North had sufficient groceries for lunch, and after a late start, I headed southwest on route 30 toward Cheticamp in dense fog and rain. My goal was to walk the short trails along this stretch of the Cabot Trail in the Cape Bretons Highlands National Park and eat…

September 11 Went to Cabots Landing Provincial Park, a 15-minute drive from the hostel. This is where John Cabot is to have landed in Nova Scotia in 1497 and was formerly a launching site for Mi’kmaq to paddle to Newfoundland. I was supposed to have a Zoom meeting there “on the beach”. The weekly meeting…

September 12 Peter suggested today’s itinerary, and it was a winner. He led the way in his car to “Grandpa’s Beach”. After a short walk through the woods and marsh grass, we were at a very pretty beach. Peter left me to walk for an hour by myself. It was wonderful – the waves were…

Wednesday September 13 A relatively early start to Pictou (pronounced pic-toe). Darlene and Gary from the hostel both gave me their contact info in Truro and Halifax, respectively, with invitations to call if Hurricane Lee strands me. So nice! Sad but nice goodbyes from several. I’ll miss Peter, Patricia and family. And the hostel workers…

September 14-18 Thursday 9/14 Come From Away Bed and Breakfast in Digby, NS The drive from Pictou to Digby was tense. Drove 40mph through torrential rain with the four-way flashers on – fortunately behind a road maintenance truck with a huge yellow and black chevron back bumper – easier to see and follow with very…

Monday 9/18 Stopped at the Blue Beach Fossil Museum near Hansport, NS for a fascinating talk with the guy there about fossils. Unfortunately, I neglected to take any photos of the fossils and didn’t have time to walk down to the beach to look for fossils. BlueBeachFossilMuseum.com On Monday night, I stayed at the Alt…