The World Famous Cabot Trail

Baddeck, Canada

That’s what the sign says, and from the languages I heard being spoken on the Trail today, I’d believe it. German, english from Australia, England, and USA, and another which I wasn’t entirely sure. Lesson learned for today: In Cape Breton you say, “Down north”, not “Up north”. I love oat cakes! My exercise ball makes a great footstool. The sun shone mostly brightly today, as promised, and so I took off early to navigate the Cabot Trail. Which direction you ask, well that is the 64,000 question. Discussions about the direction of travel – whether clockwise or counter-clockwise – consume visiter info booths and campground gathering spots around the island. On the advice of the pedicurist I went counter-clockwise, and it was confirmed by the Parks Canada employee at the gate that it was the right way to go about it. First, since most of the pullouts are on the right going counter-clockwise means you need to cross traffic less often. Second, the sun is in the right direction for photos doing the east in the morning and the west in the evening. (Of course that one depends on where you start the circle), and the vistas on the west are definitely better going north to south. The pictures really say it all. The only thing I’ll add is that I had awesome crab and corn chowder at the Chowder House up near the lighthouse in Neil’s Harbour. The people were super friendly, but then that is the case all over Cape Breton Island and more generally Nova Scotia and even more generally, all of Atlantic Canada. Oh yes, and don’t miss the moose picture. She came out of the woods and just stood at the side of the road as I slowed to a halt and took her picture through the windshield. Then off she went back into the woods.