Canada's Cabot Trail

Summer and autumn months are wonderful times to experience the culinary delights of one of Canada's best-loved provinces, Nova Scotia as well as its music and great outdoor living. There is no better way to discover this than a drive around the Cabot Trail, one of the most scenic circular drives in North America, and akin to America's Route One in its fame. A fresh air paradise, it is situated in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, which is reached by travelling 290 miles north east from Halifax, a good days ramble around pretty coves and woodland.

Following the rocky coast around the north shore of Nova Scotia, the Cabot Trail and Park boasts wild life, including moose, bald eagles, black bears and coyote with a range of scenery. Containing a huge system of hiking trails, from the challenging to the family amble and camping grounds throughout, it is a wonderful place to explore. Walking, bird watching, diving, canoeing and kayaking are all popular and for skiers, it is a winter wonderland with networks of cross-country and downhill runs.

The biggest question, and one that locals will debate heatedly, is the various merits to driving the trail counter clockwise ("best scenery at the end, and your passenger gets a good view") vs. clockwise (driver gets a good view, (debatable point) and.. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Views from the road are breath taking, with magnificent forests (saturated in colour in late autumn), stunning ocean vistas and wild inlets.

If lucky you may glimpse porpoises and humpback, minke, and pilot whales in migration. It is a popular attraction with several north coast companies offering whale-sighting trips until mid autumn. A two days leisurely drive takes you around the Cabot Trail's entirety, although if keen, it is a fantastic cycle tour, with awe inspiring climbs and impressive panoramas. This 185-mile ride will put hair on your chest but is definitely worth the feather in your cycle helmet. Not only is there wonderful scenery and outdoor activities, but due to a snowy winter, many Cape Bretoners have the opportunity to perfect their talents for crafts. Rug hooking, folk woodcarving and pottery are common traditions and around the route there are piles of antique shops and studios. Cheticamp supports the Dr. Elizabeth Lefort Gallery, which show cases her sumptuous woven tapestries, some owned by the Vatican, U.S. Presidents and Queen Elizabeth. Also worth visiting, is Baddeck, on the east side. Alexander Graham Bell, creator of the telephone, lived here and the museum is comprehensive, with a very pretty picnic spot with views of the Bras d'Or Lakes. Cape Breton's history is one spanning back thousands of years with prehistoric communities and Native Micmac settlements. In 1497, John Cabot turned up claiming the island and "hey why not all of North America while I'm at it" for the British. Not too big a problem, except Portuguese and French fishers also settled, and during the 1700's with English and French fighting to consolidate power in North America, things grew ugly. Many French communities were destroyed with settlers deported to inhospitable areas, a period in Nova Scotian history immortalized with the world famous tragic love story of the Acadian girl "Evangeline" by William Longfellow. Several Acadians did filter back and many families settled around Cheticamp on the west side. And then the Scots came in the 1800's, over 5,000 of them. So, you can imagine how such cultural influences have effected the dialect in this part of the island.

Cheticamp is where I had my mouth-watering meal, overlooked by the elderly ladies of the town. Being in a French enclave, I tried my best "C'est Merveilleux!". This was returned with a torrent of Bonhomie, which sounded like, "my pigs got stuck in the loo". Let's just say the French spoken here is a wee bit different. In fact, the English lingo in Cape Breton, is just as confusing, and I had to sometimes scrunch up my eyes in concentration to their singsong accent. However, one can rely on the international language of music to bond with Cape Bretoners, and Acadian gigs with accordions and guitars are prevalent or try perhaps Celtic music with a "fiddling ceilidh", often heard around Margaree (south of the park) and the coast quite regularly. And don't forget the food! Experience fresh harvest from the sea, forests and fields from June to October when many community centres hold Lobster, Blueberry, Strawberry and Maple suppers. Delicious large home cooked meals for bargain prices. Maritimers are a close-knit bunch and with an often harsh sea faring life, they feel strongly about community ties and hospitality. This attitude extends to their visitors and people I met were obliging and friendly, (that is if you can understand them!). During the year many open their homes for Bed and Breakfasts with reasonable rates.

Motels and Campsites are two other alternatives and details can be found by visiting the helpful staff at the large tourist info centres in Halifax, and Port Hastings or see the official internet site: www.exploreNS.com Several bus tours reach Cape Breton from Halifax, but if you are planning to drive, check into the several car hire firms located in Halifax International Airport. Daily rates, (including insurance) are competitive. It is not remarkable that the British put up a good fight to secure this area of the world. With its beautiful scenery, tasty food and good ole Maritime hospitality, it is a place that is hard to forget.

13 June 2005