North Sydney

Day six. It’s easy to rise with the sun when the sun smacks you in the face... I was grateful however as this was our last day in Cape Breton. The morning became busy and a little frantic as 6 adults dogging 3 children scoured the house for all belongings and tried to re organize our luggage. Once we packed, ate, and caffeinated ourselves to sufficient levels we took the obligatory group photo and got on the road. The plan was to meander around the famous Cabot Trail that takes you through the Cape Breton Highlands National Park from one end to the other. The road borders the sea for most of the way and the views and driving were dramatic.
In most of the travel and guide books they say that July is the high tourist season and to expect crowds. Well if this is an example of Nova Scotia’s busy travel season then they either have no concept of “crowds” or our expectations of crowded is just ridiculous and an example of what we’ve become used to in the states with huge lines, bursting amusement parks, and claustrophobic beaches...I want to live here.
We drove for several hours stopping a few times to gawk at the beauty, and once to swim in the freezing waters of a beautiful cliff lined beach ( i didn’t swim...I’m too smart).
We arrived at the ferry terminal in Sydney and waited in a long line for a long time before we drove into the belly of the big ferry that would take us to Newfoundland. It was a cruise ship circa 1984... it tried to be a nice experience for its travelers, it tried to have entertainment, it overall tried to be everything we wanted it to be. But, no matter how to you twist it, we were all sleeping in a 4 person coffin with nothing but the sounds of your neighbors and the unvarying drunk spinning kinda feeling from the rise and fall of the ocean waves the entire night. It was a 14 hour ferry ride, they had beer...thank God, it would be complete mutiny if they didn’t, and of course ridiculous overpriced, over cooked, re-used...(just hypothesizing here) food. But, after only 5 toddler breakdowns we made it into Newfoundland. The last 45 minutes of the journey was beautiful as the big ferry navigated through the channel with the rugged coastline on our flanks. The wind was unrelenting and managed to find any opening, no matter how small, into your clothes and to your skin. But none of that really mattered as we watched the approaching harbor get closer. We were in a new place, a rugged place with cold and wind and unsurpassable beauty, and...ready to get off this fucking boat.Read more