As I got out of bed today, I tried not to be too excited about breakfast, just in case it wasn't as advertised. Thankfully, we were greeted with a lovely spread of food as soon as we opened our room door. There were 2 different types of fresh bread, an assortment of homemade jams, salad with veggies from the farm, scrambled eggs with herbs, and our host was there to bring us coffee and tea! It was hands down the best breakfast of the trip so far, which was a great way to start the day.
From the Airbnb in Middle River, we set out clockwise on the Cabot Trail. The goal was to drive the entire trail, stopping at as many notable sights as possible. Our first stop would have been the Dancing Goat Cafe, in case we needed a second breakfast, but since we were well-fed, we continued on to Margaree Harbour. It was a short detour to the beach for a couple of photos, then we explored a bit further to find the Whale Cove Cemetery. At first, we missed the turn, but finally made our way down a dirt path then followed it up to the top of a hill, which offered a majestic view of Whale Cove. Unfortunately, we didn't see any whales, but fortunately, we didn't see any funerals either!
Following the Cabot Trail, we headed to Chéticamp Island, which runs parallel to Chéticamp. Again, we ended up on a dirt path, this time leading us through private property to a lighthouse, and giving us a great view of Chéticamp. Surprisingly, the island had a fair number of cows randomly roaming or resting along the road, so many that we figured the island must belong to the cows! They were very complacent and didn't try to block us, which was nice.
It was easy getting back to the Cabot Trail, past the cows, through the town of Chéticamp, and to our next stop: Aucoin Bakery. We saw lots of French influence in the town, and were happy to pick up a couple of pastries as a snack. The bakery was busy with both local and tourist clients, since the prices were very reasonable ($9 for a whole pie!) and they had a wide selection of goods.
Continuing along the trail, we entered the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. The occasional houses disappeared, and we were quickly surrounded by lush forests, driving through windy roads along the coast. We stopped at a few of the marked viewpoints to admire the red coastlines, and eventually parked at the Skyline Trailhead.
It was a good thing we had the pastries at Aucoin, and had a couple of leftover scones from the day before. That fueled our 7.5km hike which took us through grasslands and forest to a gorgeous boardwalk along the edge of the park, overlooking the Cape Breton coast. While we were walking through the forest engulfed in mist, I had doubts as to whether the hike would be worth delaying lunch, but when we were rewarded with the view at the end, we were both satisfied.
Thoughts of lobster and seafood encouraged us back to our vehicle and onwards to Pleasant Bay where we knew the Rusty Anchor was awaiting. However, we were foiled by construction on the way, twice! Undeterred, we channeled patience and finally reached the restaurant by around 3pm. Of course, we had heard about their famous lobster roll, but when we saw the price tag (a whopping $25), we balked and opted for chowder and a seafood wrap instead. The food was decent, and based on what we ordered, we did not regret passing on the overpriced lobster roll.
From Pleasant Bay, we drove straight to Ingonish and the Keltic Lodge. The view by the golf course was beautiful, and we enjoyed a beverage and some local mussels at the restaurant as an early dinner. We were a bit underdressed, but there weren't too many patrons on a Thursday afternoon, so we squeaked by.
From Ingonish, we drove the rest of the Cabot Trail until we were back to where we started, a mere 10 hours later. Whew. Our hosts welcomed us back and made us feel like we had returned home, promising to show us around the farm tomorrow before we make the trek to Halifax. It was a busy day, but worth the drive!
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