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We left at 7:30am and everything was still closed in the small town of Alma so we left without eating breakfast. It was very uneventful driving to Moncton where we ate at a McDonald’s in Moncton. We had our usual egg McMuffin breakfast with coffee and got back on the road.
There was a bit more traffic on the road – compared to where we were before – but nothing worth mentioning. Just like in New Brunswick, the roads are very well maintained and easy to drive.
We stopped at a small family diner in Antigonish called Snow Queen, where Jim had a burger and I had a Caesar’s Salad. Decent food. Definitely off the beaten track!
Then, we continued our journey on major roads until we reached Cape Breton Island via the Canso Causeway and Canal that links Cape Breton with mainland Nova Scotia. When we were crossing, the winds were very strong and the waves from the canal went over the road… our car didn’t get too wet but the car in front of us got drenched!
The Canso Causeway and Canal
The Cabot Trail starts right after crossing the Causeway. We opted to take it from the beginning to get to Margaree Harbour, the little town where our cottage is. The Cabot Trail is a 300-km road that goes around Cape Breton Island and passes through Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A very scenic route along the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the West side and the Atlantic Ocean on the East side. We will spend lots of time on the Cabot Trail over the next couple of days.
The Celtic Music Interpretive Center in Judique
We were pretty much all alone on the Cabot Trail. Parts of the road were rather bumpy to potholes. We stopped in Judique to see the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre where a small band was playing Celtic music. Inside, there is a small museum explaining the influence of the Celts and Celtic culture on the Island. Quite interesting. The signs on the road show both English and Gaelic. Very strong Celtic history and influence still today.
Upon arriving to Margaree Harbour, it was extremely windy and the locals told us that they’ve had this wind storm for the past couple of days and it could last another day or two, “one never knows what happens here,” as the locals told us. Indeed, we could hardly stand outside the car to take photos so strong the wind was. We could see the white caps on the ocean as the waves were quite strong.
The Island Sunset Resort is our final destination. We had reserved a cottage with a bedroom, a kitchenette and living area. Very nicely done, however, the Internet didn’t work, and all electronics were probably from the 1990s – coffee pot, TV sets. We managed and didn’t really care about the TV but not having the Internet was not good. Unfortunately, we couldn’t change cottages as the front office was closed for the day.
After unloading the car, we drove to a co-op grocery store in East Margaree, a few kilometers from our cottage, to pick up a few things for breakfasts and on-the-go lunches and snacks.
We then went back to our cottage and got ready to eat dinner at the on-site restaurant (the Island Sunset Restaurant) where we were pleasantly surprised with a very nice menu and atmosphere. Quite a few people eating there including locals on this Saturday. I chose grilled haddock and lobster with vegetables and Jim chose the pasta with Alfredo lobster. Everything was delicious.
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