Boylston Provincial Park – July 24

In the morning we pack up and make our way towards Cape Breton. Instead of crossing the causeway to Cape Breton we turn south heading in the direction Canso. We have booked 8 nights at Boylston Provincial Park where we plan on slowing down and relaxing as we explore the East Shore, the coastal region between Halifax and Cape Breton.

After picking up supplies in Antigonish we arrive at Boylston Provincial Park just north of Guysborough. Guysborough is familiar, but neither of us can remember why. The campground is way up on a hill overlooking a bay far below. As we attempt to check in we find that our reservation is the check in process and no one is around to official check one in. We find our sweet little site tucked in around a thicket of small trees reaching up about 20 feet.

Once camp is set up we head out with the truck to explore the local area. Right away we discover today is the last day of Stan Fest. Stan Fest is a festival celebrating the life and music of Stan Rogers. At this moment a light bulb goes off and Wells remembers a song by Stan Rogers about someone waiting for the Guyborough Train. Turns out the train never came. The train bed was put in place but tracks were never put down. Canso is where Stan Rogers as a child would go for holiday with his family. It is where his Mom grew up and his grandparents lived. This is the area where Stan wrote so many of his songs that launched his career. I suggest if you are not aware of Stan Rogers, take the time to listen to some of his work. Just as his career was skyrocketing he lost his life in a plane fire while in his early 30’s.

We consider driving to Canso and catch the end of Stan Fest but decide to not head to the festival since temperatures are in the nineties. No shade and plenty of sun, we pass on Stan Fest. However, we decide that Canso is a good destination for today. As we arrive in Canso it’s clear the festival is busy. It was cancelled the past two years due to Covid, but continuing now.

It’s getting late in the day so we head back up to the campsite and settle in the for night. The park continues to be almost empty with maybe 4 other campsites occupied.