First Full Day on Cape Breton

Is it our first full day on Cape Breton, or our first full day in Cape Breton? Oh well, who cares. We are camped at a private campground in Dunvegan along the shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The campground is huge, full, and open without trees, yet there is plenty of space between campsites. The views from here and along the gravel road to get here is outstanding. Again, we find our Internet band width almost nothing so photos will be uploaded later when we have connectivity.

In the morning we head towards Cheticamp and to Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Here the road follows the coastline with dramatic vistas over the Gulf then it turns inland crossing the mountains towards the Atlantic Ocean side. The road climbs to about 1,000 feet about sea level as the road cuts along mountain sides.

Since Wells is still not walking difficult terrain yet due to his foot issue we pick a trail we first walked in 1982, the Bog Trail. This is a 1 km boardwalk in and about a bog. We have hopes of seeing pitcher plants and sundews both of which feed on insects. We are in luck with pitcher plants, but no luck this year with sundews. Next we decide to hike a short section of the old Cabot Trail which connected the coastal Acadian settlers to each other. The trail is short yet steep. This is the most difficult walk for Wells over the past two years as he is both breathing hard with a huge smile.

On our way back to the campground we stock up on supplies in Cheticamp and return to our campsite. Tonight, we are invited out to Donna and Bob’s home about a ten minute drive from the campground. Donna is a friend Wells first met in the 1970’s when she ran a contra dance in Concord, MA at the Scout House. Here is where Wells first learned to contra dance. If you don’t know about contra dancing check it out on Youtube. The band was Yankee Ingenuity, with Tony Parkes as caller. Donna also runs the Great Groove Band at the Old Songs Festival. Each year Donna and others put together a band of kids ranging in age of maybe 7 years old to 17 years old.

We arrive at Donna and Bob’s and catch up on various things of the past then Robert arrives. He’s from and grew up in Cheticamp and also is a fiddler. After a lobster dinner we enjoy conversation and music until it’s time to head back to camp.