Old Grand Lac Rd, NS, Canada

Day three. This morning was beautiful in downtown Halifax, the sun was blinding over the bay but it was worth the pain to dumbly stare at the hot orb as it’s reflection slowly moved in the sky. Warm too for Halifax, by 7am the temps were in the 70’s and highs were going to be well into the 80’s; those are temps for the locals to be concerned about! Shorts? Where did I pack those shorts back in 86’?
We were packed and on the road by 10 am, headed north into Cape Breton and away from the oppressive heat!! The drive was nice but mainly we were driving in forests with occasional glimpses of the sea. We stopped halfway through at a local bakery for a pit stop and some lunch. It was local and simple, old chairs and tables on a stained rug throughout the small dining room...but the food was honest and good and came with a friendly, and very happy hostess. I had a steak sandwich on a recently homemade bun with a delectable au-jus that was so good I drank the remaining dregs straight from the small pitcher. Both kids had breakfast for lunch, French toast for Addie, also home made bread, and a waffle for the boy. Heather had a bowl of seafood chowder that was...you guessed it, homemade and fresh as you can get when you live on an island.
Two hours down and two to go, the driving is easy and actually pretty pleasant, when the two evil demons from the back seat are behaving and mindlessly sucked into iPad purgatory. I’m kidding, they were truthfully being...somewhat good, I only lost my mind twice.
When we arrived at the house it was just what I wanted: secluded, exposed to nature, a small jaunty skip away from the beach, and big enough to accommodate the entire family. The ocean is the main focus, just about viewable from every window. The grass that surrounds the area is really an extension of the ocean, it moves and flows like the water, creating an illusion of sorts of what’s land and what’s water. In other words, the place is dramatic, and cool... and I like it here.
The afternoon was mainly spent by the ocean walking around the cliffs that border the beach and talking with the rest of the family. Plans are being made and details sorted...the nitty gritty of traveling with large numbers. But thank god we have more PhD’s on the trip then the average college... I think we’ll be ok. If we study hard.Read more