ECS Days 13-15

August 6

Enough of the up and down roads of the South Shore; we’re off to Cape Breton. Really, it’s just a cross-country day with stops for supplies and a nice drive up the western part of Cape Breton.

We hit the Sunset Campground in Port Hood at 4:00 (Site 23, $42). Though the campground is crowded with mostly seasonal people and lots of small kids:

…it’s only a few steps from this:

Here’s the view from my chair (for all my friends who like to call us “Trailer Trash”):

August 7

So, we were in the midst of party central last night (three surrounding campers), and it started to rain hard, so the party ended. It was still raining in the morning, and we wished one of the party-ers (not out loud) a good day inside with his four small children and very big dog. Are we bad?

We headed to Inverness Beach (for some beach glass!) through Mabou, “Home of the Rankin Family”. There was even a sign for a Catholic Shrine on Rankin Road!

Wow, the beach and the glass, despite the rain and fog:

We stopped for goodies at the Inverness Cottage Workshop, a bakery run by the local Community Living. The workers were great and so were the cookies (Raisin and Molasses).

We decided not to complete the Cabot Trail (we had booked the Newfoundland Ferry for tomorrow!!!!) so headed across the Margaree Valley and its EIGHT Margaree-related towns (Upper Margaree, Margaree Forks, etc.).

We got to North Sydney and pulled in to our favourite spot beside the ferry, the Ocean View Park on Indian Beach. It’s a park, a fishing pier, a beach, a pavilion and a great free place to stay for the night. Oh, and I got more beach glass from this small beach and, in fact, parking lot, than I’ve got almost anywhere else.

We met Pete and Sandy from Bracebridge heading to Newfoundland for their first time. We loved sharing our favourites with them.

Lucky us, it was a music night at the pavilion. The music wasn’t great (or was it the sound system), but it was fun because everyone sits in their cars and toots their horns after each song:

Here are two Cat’s Eye Views:

…and the BEAUTIFUL view from my chair:

August 8

Here are our two rides for today:

It was a sunny day, a great day for a ferry ride. We left on time, had another good chat with Pete, and met five women who were heading to a friend’s 50th Wedding Anniversary in Codroy Valley.

It was nice to be on deck for a while:

…and we even saw a pod (?) of dolphins and the spouts of some whales! We hoped to hear some scheduled music at Scott’s Cove, but the lovely gent who chatted me up said that the performers were doing weddings and a 50th Wedding Anniversary in Codroy Valley (he loved that I knew about it!).

We got some chicken and headed to the Coleman’s Grocery Store parking lot we found last year for a night (with permission). We’re so happy to be in Newfoundland (Mandy’s fourth province).

Here’s the view from my chair: