Since moving to Nova Scotia, visiting Cape Breton was a must-see experience for us. The island is located north of the mainland of Nova Scotia and connected by a land bridge that crosses a narrow strait between the two land masses. Our plan was to visit the National Park located on the northern most part of the island, which is approximately a four hour drive to reach. So, we were waiting for a long weekend to make the trip.
On the July Long Weekend, we packed up after work and made the trek to the island. We drove up to Truro, grabbed our usual A&W meal on the road, and headed northeast towards Cape Breton. As soon as we crossed the strait to the island, we immediately noticed a difference in scenery. As a whole, Cape Breton is not developed in a modern sense, and a lot of the towns and infrastructure was reminiscent of the 90s. The Walmart we passed in town did not look like it had been updated in decades, and the street signs had a rustic feel to them all. It felt like a time warp back to days of my early childhood.
We had to drive through the interior of the island to the most northeastern point. The road hugged the eastern side of the massive inner sea, called Bras d’Or Lake, which the island surrounds. If you did not know any better, you would have thought you were looking out into the ocean. When it was safe to pullover, we got out of the car and stood at the edge of the lake and took in the beauty as the sun set on the far side of the lake. Each time we decide to venture out and explore a new corner of this province, we can’t believe the scenery that we wind up stumbling upon.
On Saturday morning, we took a walk through the town. Our hotel was situated right in downtown Sydney, and it so happened that a cruise ship was docking that morning. While we had breakfast outside on one of the main streets, we watched as the drove of tourists made their way further into town.
Once we finished breakfast, we hopped in the car and made the drive up to Highlands National Park. There is a scenic road called the Cabot Trail that runs through the park and our trip took us along half of the route. You quickly realize how remote you are on the island as cell service diminishes and signs reminding you to gas up before proceeding further pop up on the side of the road. By this point the terrain had turned mountainous and our car wound up and down as we made our way to the park.
This was our roadtrip on Saturday from our hotel to the Franey Trail in Cape Breton.
Once in the park, we stopped to hike the Franey Trail, which was recommended by a friend back in Halifax. The cliff was moderately challenging and it took us about two hours to complete the full loop. At the top of the trail, there is a beautiful look out over the ocean in one direction, and a view of the valley and interior of the island in the other. This trail was definitely not a dud.
At the top of Franey Trail
We were hungry when we returned to the car and sought out food in a nearby town called Ingonish. There was a restaurant right on the highway that might have been the only one open at that time. Amy and I split a tower of onion rings, called “Lord of the Rings”, and each got a hefty meal to tide us over for the rest of the day. There was a two-hour drive back to the hotel and we were ready to make the return journey. Once in town, there was still some light out so we went down to the boardwalk that surrounds the harbour and got a smoothie as we enjoyed the rest of the summer evening.
The “Lord of the Rings”
Sunday turned out to be a dreary day full of rain and clouds. Instead of driving back to the park, we opted to stay in Sydney and check it out what all it has to offer. Our hotel’s restaurant was closed on Sundays, so we got breakfast delivered to our room, and spent the morning relaxing and enjoying the view of the harbour from our hotel window. In the afternoon we checked out Breton Brewing and then drove up to North Sydney through and cruised through the neighbourhoods. We stopped at what we think was the eastern most tip of the island and gazed out into the ocean. The view of endless ocean is always spectacular no matter where we see it.
After some time walking along the shore, we went back to Sydney for supper. Across the street from our hotel was a local pub that we decided to give a go. I ordered the brisket (which maybe wasn’t a good choice at a mostly seafood place?), and Amy ordered a seafood boil, which turned out to be a massive plate full of all kinds of delicacies from the ocean. There was an option to add a whole lobster on top of the dish, but that would cost an extra $50, and we aren’t high-rolling that much. Feeling satisfied, we headed back to our room and settled in for the night.
(Top left) hanging out at Breton Brewing. (Bottom left) what we believe was the most eastern point on the island, also the furthest east Justin had ever been up to that point. (Right) Amy’s seafood boil.
We didn’t have much planned on Monday and just made the drive back to Halifax. On the way out, I discovered that Amy has never been to a Robin’s Donuts before, so naturally we had to stop. We ordered one coffee and a donut to try, and honestly, it’s much better than I remember. The bar might just be that low for cheap coffee now. The drive wasn’t very eventful, but it allowed us to see all the scenery we passed in the dark. The views of the hills and the lake were just as amazing as when we first spotted them on the way in.
Our car pulled into the driveway by late afternoon. We crashed on the couch and laid low for the day. It was Canada Day, but both of us agreed that our time would be better spent relaxing for the rest of the day. It was a full long weekend and getting some rest before our work week started was well deserved.
Thanks for keeping up with our travels!
Love,
J&A
J & A's Adventure 
Leave a comment