After three wonderful days, we left Prince Edward Island in the early morning and headed for the Confederation Bridge. We had considered taking the ferry to Nova Scotia, but their website was unclear about whether Louise would be allowed on the boat, despite the fact I took her on the very same ferry in 2017. Though it was a longer drive across the bridge, the time was about the same so we made the best of it, stopping at one last liquor store to buy a few more bottles of my beloved Moth Lane Brewing beers.
The drive to Nova Scotia and eventually Cape Breton Island was absolutely beautiful. We’d made a Maritimes playlist and jammed to the music as we drove. We stopped for lunch at Route 19 brewing, across from a big golf course that had just opened for the season.
Our destination for the day was Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It’s a breathtaking gem on the northern tip of Nova Scotia. Known for its stunning landscapes, the park offers dramatic coastal cliffs, rolling hills, and lush forests, all set against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean.
Nestled at the edge of the park is the charming town of Cheticamp, a vibrant Acadian community renowned for its rich culture and artistic heritage. The small town has a laundromat, grocery store, Home Hardware and a few restaurants, some of which have live music, though we were there too early in the season to take part in that.
It was at the Cheticamp grocery store that we discovered a product called “Wiener Wraps” which are essentially canned biscuit dough, but in small sheets allegedly to wrap your wiener… I mean hot dog… in. They were the perfect thing to put in my double pie iron, and we enjoyed many tasty meals with them! Breakfast sandwiches with egg and cheese and tuna melts were the favorites!
Anyway, unfortunately they don’t make Wiener Wraps in the USA anymore, so I’ll have to save my love and affection of them for my Canadian camping adventures!
Finally, we arrived at Cape Breton Highlands National Park, and checked into our campsite at Cheticamp. This is a campground I’d stayed before. I must say, as huge of a fan as I am of the Parks Canada campgrounds, this is one of the older sites that needs a bit of love. It’s showing its age, and only half of the washrooms were open due to the early season, I suppose.
The bugs in the Cheticamp campground were the worst we encountered on the entire trip, and inspired the purchase of a couple of bug hats at Home Hardware the next day, which kept them off of our faces at least! Sorry there is no photographic evidence of these hilarious hats!
One of the highlights of our stay in Cheticamp was the Aucoin Bakery on the edge of the park. We affectionately nicknamed it “The Butt Bakery” because…. Well…. The logo. It was DELICIOUS, and a great value! We bought lots of treats for breakfast, including some coconut donuts that we munched on for a few days. If you’re in the area, definitely check out Aucoin!
We noticed a potential leak on Louise and decided to cut our time short in Cape Breton Highlands in order to get to a bigger town and investigate some repairs prior to the ferry to Newfoundland.
We headed north, opting to take the slightly longer drive to Sydney via the Cabot Trail. The Cabot Trail is one of the most scenic drives in Canada, winding through the stunning landscapes of Cape Breton Island. Stretching approximately 300 kilometers, this route showcases the island’s coastal views, rolling hills, and vibrant foliage. Named after the famous explorer John Cabot, the trail meanders through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, offering numerous lookout points to pull over and take in the majestic vistas of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Now, unfortunately for us, weather was not on our side for the drive. It was foggy and drizzly, so there were very few glimpses of wildlife or the majestic mountains, but we had a great time stopping at some of the small villages along the way and purchasing souvenirs at local shops.
I am so happy we got to take the entire Cabot Trail from one side of the national partk to the other, even if the fog was in the way of spectacular views. I really love Nova Scotia, especially Cape Breton Island!
Upon arrival in Sydney, we grabbed a snack from Tim Hortons and made a visit to Canadian Tire and Home Hardware for the aforementioned bug hats, some flex tape to seal up Louise, and new windshield wipers.
We spent the night in a hotel in Sydney, the only non-camping night of our adventure in Canada. Tim Hortons for breakfast, and after spending some time getting Louise patched up, we found a city park with a large parking lot and spent a couple of hours re-organizing, sorting our belongings and trying to clean up the messes we’d made, and by we I mean me, because my ADHD makes it very difficult to stay organized, especially when I can’t see where everything is!
The reward for all of the organizing, planning and re-arranging was a visit to one of my favorite brewery finds of the trip, Breton Brewing. The weather in Sydney was fantastic, and we got to enjoy the gorgeous spring day on the patio. We had booked the overnight crossing, and had to be at the port four hours before departure, and Breton Brewing provided a great place to relax the day away.
Teardrops & Ales 