Wednesday night, September 7, 2016 – Cabot Trail Part One:

There are more stars here than we can see at home.  And we can see almost all of them J  Moon rising as a crescent – last night was just the slightest Cheshire-cat grin.  Tonight a little fuller.  What a lovely ending to such a grand day.

Oh – gotta start this blog entry with things I haven’t done since August 22^nd:

1.     Haven’t watched TV
2.     Haven’t received any robo calls
3.     Haven’t received one piece of political mail
4.     Haven’t stepped on a scale
5.     Haven’t had more than one cup of coffee a day
6.     BUT I’M STILL GETTING UP AT 4 A.M.!!!!!!  ATLANTIC TIME!!!!

Cabot Trail and the Cape Breton Highlands – crowning jewels of the Island and, most probably, Nova Scotia. A 185-mile loop goes around a significant amount of Cape Breton and includes the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  Think of Yosemite with more green and more trees and cliffs on the ocean, but no meadows.  MAGNIFICENT!!!!  And hiking trails.  Can’t believe how many – for all levels of hikers.  http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ns/cbreton/index.aspx ; http://www.cabottrail.com



Today we drove the eastern half of Cabot (from the Gaelic College at St. Ann to Dingwall).  Many stops along the way – Visitor Center, lunch, hikes/walks, just looking, and getting a tee shirt at Wreck Cove.  Here are our pics from the day – it really looks like the travel brochures:

Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada





 

Most of the signs are bilingual English/GAELIC!

Headed up Smoky Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Towards the top of Smoky Mountain on Cape Smoky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You get that we're on an island, right?  Surrounded by water?  So many beaches - so little time!!!! And lots of little coves -- some harbors with little villages and marinas and some just there to enjoy as is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I claimed this as Dona's Point (didn't like the name White Point).  Saw an eagle flying just out of reach but gone before I could get to my iPhone.  This is now MINE!!!  Come visit -- but not too often. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't see from the picture, but we saw WHALES!!!!!

Wreck Cove -- the picture on the front of this tee shirt is the ONLY building there.  The caption on the tee shirt says it all:  "Beautiful downtown Wreck Cove.  Cabot Trail, Cape Breton.  'Conveniently located in the middle of nowhere' ".  A sign in the window of an adjacent shed said "Presidential Election Woes? Eat a lobster sandwich!!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Day Two on Cabot Trail coming up tomorrow!

 

 





Doesn't it look like it's in Scotland

A digression.  I forgot to tell you that on Tuesday we ended the day by stopping at Colaisde na Gàidhlig – the Gaelic College located in St. Ann (www.gaeliccollege.edu).  They teach all kinds of Scottish cultural subjects:  weaving and kiltmaking, Gaelic language, music and dance (including the bagpipes), etc.  We picked up several Clan Mackay items (because Rick’s McKee family thinks it descended from Scottish Mackay clansmen.  HOWEVER, based on some recent genealogical research, it may be that they really were Irish J .  Does it make a difference?  Just ask an Irishman or a Scotsman!!!!

Mackay tartans

 

 

Enjoy the journey…Dona and Rick