Day 21 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Sunday June 25, 2017 we departed Arm of Gold Campground. John and his family have been awesome hosts! For anyone camping or looking for a campground in the Bras d’Or area, Arm of Gold is my only recommendation! We heard sirens all night and as we were getting ready. We saw tankers coming and going from the intersection closest to the campground. I searched the news, but could not find anything.

We got back onto Highway 105 and did a little backtracking. Since there is really only one way onto Cape Breton Island! We crossed the Seal Island Bridge. I told you about the structure when we arrived in Cape Breton. Now I will talk about the controversy, as the location of the bridge had proven extremely controversial. It replaced two ferry services crossing the Great Bras d'Or; one at the northeastern end between New Campbellton-Big Bras d'Or, and the other at the southwestern end at Big Harbor-Ross Ferry.

It was decided to place the bridge halfway between the two ferry services on account of an outcry by communities fearing the loss of their transportation links. Unfortunately to do this required a massive modification to the Trans-Canada Highway 105 on the eastern slope of Kelly's Mountain, creating the 180° "switchback". A safer alternative to continue the highway further east on a gradual descent of Kelly's Mountain toward New Campbellton, crossing at the northern end of the Great Bras d'Or channel was rejected. Likewise, a route between Beinn Bhreagh and Kempt Head at the extreme southwestern end of the channel, a much wider waterway but avoiding Kelly's Mountain altogether, was never considered. There have been numerous deaths at the switchback over the years.

If I was thinking, we would have left early and gotten on the pull off on the other side to photograph the rigs coming across it! Oh, well … I looked back out my window and did catch a couple after they had crossed the bridge!

 

On the climb of Kelly’s Mountain, the graffiti covered rocks are detracting from the natural beauty of the mountain. The route over the mountain in Cape Breton gives drivers the view of St. Ann's on one side and Bras d'Or Lake on the other. The spray-painted images and names on the rocks that have long sullied the view, except in one case. There is a spray-painted portrait of Kelly.

Bras d’Or Lake is an inland sea, or large body of partially fresh/salt water in the center of Cape Breton Island. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system; however, its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular entity. There are several competing explanations of the origin of the name "Bras d'Or". The most popular is that the first Europeans to discover and subsequently settle the area were French, naming the lake Bras d'Or meaning "arm of gold"; this likely referring to the sun's rays reflected upon its waters. However, on the maps of 1872 and earlier, the lake is named "Le Lac de Labrador," and the literal meaning of Labrador is "Laborer." In a paper prepared by the late Dr. Patterson for the Nova Scotia Historical Society he says he believed the name Bras d'Or came from the Breton form of Bras 'd'eau arm of water or of the sea. The Mi'kmaq Nation named it Pitu'pok, roughly translated as "long salt water".

Prior to the arrival of the first settlers, the Middle River and Nyanza areas were inhabited by the Mi’Kmaq First Nations people. Just over 200 years ago, the first Scottish immigrants arrived and for many years, others followed. The first settlers from Scotland took up land along the river, were fish were plentiful. The river is a vibrant today as it was inviting then!

On the way to Bras d’Or we passed a house that I thought looked like a castle, on the way back out, I saw that I was right! There is the million dollar “Castle Moffett.” in Bucklaw. It is a nearly 10,000-square foot home sitting on 200 acres of rolling hills overlooking Bras d'Or Lake. The house was built for Linda Moffett more than 20 years ago by her then-husband, Desmond. The castle’s 10 bedrooms are each uniquely decorated with four-post and canopy beds. There are even whirlpools in some of the ensuite bathrooms. There is also a two-story "great room" on the main floor, as well as a wood-paneled lounge, a wine cellar, and sauna in the "dungeon" basement.

There are plenty of ferries in Nova Scotia. We did not take this ferry, but the Englishtown Ferry is a cable ferry carrying vehicles and passengers on Route 312 across the mouth of St. Ann's Bay. The ferry route runs 24 hours a day, on demand, and takes only a couple minutes to cross the 410 foot wide channel. You could throw a rock and hit the other side, the ferry just saves driving time and distance to enjoy part of the Cabot Trail. The Little Narrows Ferry operates in the same manner, just further west off TCH 105 in Victoria County.

There are several First Nation Communities in the Cape Breton area. We passed through a couple. Here is a sign from one, along the Skye River. Here is another proud Mi'kmaw community, near Antigonish.

Canso Causeway connects St Georges Bay and Chedabucto Bay. On the Cape Breton side of the Canso Causeway, there is the Canso Canal Bridge. It is a rotating swing bridge that carries the 2 traffic lanes of Highway 104 as well as a single track railway line operated by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway. The bridge is 308 feet long. The bridge carried its first traffic, a train, in April of 1955 when the Canso Causeway construction was completed. The railway employs a bridge operator who is required by federal law to rotate the structure to accommodate vessel passage. The wagon master has never seen it rotated in his 30 years of making this trip … but the tail-enders got to see it rotate this year, as they let a small barge pass through half way through our convoy of RVs.

We made our rest stop in Antigonish at a familiar place. The Canadian Tire / Sobey’s plaza where we had all our rigs measured for the ferry on our way north. It gave everyone a change to stretch their legs, get groceries, liquor or items from Canadian Tire.

(3360) Riverside International Speedway is a 1/3 mile, high banked, asphalt short track located in James River, Nova Scotia. I had to grab a picture of it, for our racing friends, Kenny & Annie! It started out as a dream Antigonish businessman John Chisholm, who was an avid racing fan and was determined to advance his favorite sport in his home province. In 1967 Chisholm flew down to Bristol Motor Speedway and met with NASCAR co-founder Bill France, Sr., who gave him permission to model the track after a scaled-down version of Bristol. So, there is a little bit of Tennessee in Nova Scotia! Chisholm and his team began construction on the speedway in 1968, it was completed a year later and opened its doors for the first time on May 18, 1969.

 

I just have to remark again, on how colorful town signs on the highway are in Nova Scotia!

I have no idea the name of this farm, but I thought it was so pretty … I am calling in the “peppermint” two silo farm.

In Truro, we got off Route 104 and onto Route 102.

This was the second time some of us were crossing a bridge over other parts of the caravan. This time, it was daylight and I was able to get a picture. Walter told me him and Betty are directly below us in the underpass.

We crossed the Salmon River during low tide. This is still part of the Bay of Fundy and you can tell, because the side of the river are dirt and the water is very muddy.

Mill Brook, is another proud Mi’kmaw community. Their Cultural Center has a very over-sized Indian Statue in the parking lot. He reminds me of the big Indian that used to stand at the intersection if Routes 15 and 20A, in Avon.

 

We turned onto Route 2 and arrived in Brookfield, a town known for its volunteers!

Speaking of volunteers ... We arrived at Scotia Pines Campground and were greeted and directed by our “dawn patrol.” They are such a welcome sight when you arrive! Everyone that has been on the "dawn patrol" has paid to be on the caravan and has volunteered to help the other cravaneers by leaving early and assisting with our arrival! Hats off to all of them!

We had time for a quick lunch and rallied for our car caravan to Wide Open Wilderness Campground, to view the tidal bore. As we passed over the Schubenacadie Canal, there were shouts of joy from all the vehicles … because the tide was still out! We made it!

What is the Tidal Bore? With the world’s highest recorded tides, the Bay of Fundy is witness to one of Nature’s unique shows found on the Shubenacadie River. The bore of “first tidal wave” will gather height and strength as it nears the head of the bay and enters the river. There’s nothing quite like the moment when immense force of the incoming tide will reverse the outgoing river and send it backwards, it makes your heart skip a beat. The Shubenacadie River is the longest in Nova Scotia at almost 45 miles from Grand Lake to Maitland.

There are several observation points along the river that provide panoramic views. 

I really can’t describe it … but we watched the almost dry river bed change from a place people could stand to four feet of water, with rapids, in 22 minutes.

More water and yet more water.

A few rapids have started.

Rapids big enough to raft on!

We enjoyed ice cream at the campground, where they let us watch the tidal bore and headed back to the campground for a social hour or two. Everyone enjoyed a quiet night, before our move to Halifax.

Day 20 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

On Saturday June 24, 2017 we started to travel on the Fleur-de-lis Trail, it is the shortest of all the trails on Cape Breton Island at 37 miles, but it contains some of richest history of the area. Beginning in Sydney, the largest city on the island at 26,000, the trail travels west to the historic town of Louisbourg.

Sidney was established in 1785 and has a rich and varied history. Near by the Table Head was the site where inventor Guglielmo Marconi sent the first trans-Atlantic wireless message. The Sidney Coal Mine Museum includes a guided tour of the Ocean Deeps Colliery, an underground coal mine. Retired coal miners accompany you on this 20 minute excursion into a 1932 "room & pillar" mine, where you will experience first-hand what it was like to extract coal by the sweat of your brow. We did not stop at the mine. The mines closed at the turn of the century and the Canadian Government decided to spend over 25 million dollars and put the thousands of displaced coal miners to work restoring the famous Fortress of Louisbourg on the south eastern coast of the island.

We continued onto our main destination today, on Cape Breton’s rocky shoreline east of Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Fortress of Louisbourg brings you back into one of North America’s busiest 18th-century seaports. Founded by the French in 1713, this one-quarter reconstruction of the original French town and fortifications is the largest – and best – of its kind in North America. From the moment you enter the gates until you are transported back to the 1700’s with hundreds of occupants all in full costume and character ready to make you “feel” what it was like to live at Fortress of Louisbourg.

Construction of the Fortress began in 1719 and was only finished on the eve of the first British siege in 1745. Over the course of almost three decades, engineers surrounded the town and garrison with massive stone walls that would make it one of the most extensive fortifications in North America. In fact, the almost 3 miles of walls – measuring 30 feet high and 36 feet thick in some places and the cost of the construction was so exorbitant for the time that King Louis XV was reported to joke that one day he should be able to see Louisbourg rising over the western horizon from his palace at Versailles. The fortress changed hands between the French and the British once in 1745 and again in 1785 after which it was returned to the French by treaty in 1748.

The British did, however, steal the famous Louisbourg Cross that hung in the fortress chapel. Found later at Harvard University Archives in Boston, the cross is now on permanent loan to the fort. Following the surrender of Louisbourg, British forces and engineers set about methodically destroying the fortress with explosives, ensuring the fortress could not return to French possession a second time in the eventual peace treaty. By 1760 the entire fortress was left as mounds of rubble.

Even with its proud military heritage, the Fortress of Louisbourg was about more than just the military. At its core, Louisbourg was a thriving civilian community made prosperous by a profitable cod-fishery and strong trade ties reaching across the Atlantic. Our tour guide explained the importance of cod fishing to the success of the fortress and the reason for its existence.

During its peak it was the third busiest port in North America and was considered the jewel of France’s holdings in the new world. Louisbourg represented hope, and its prosperity convinced many of France’s poor and impoverished to leave their homes behind and seek a chance at a better life.

Upon entering the fortress, our guide, an Officer’s son, gave us a stern warning not to fraternize with the British prisoners. Looking at our attire, he was concerned that we might be the Red Coats! 

At the entrance to the King’s Bastion, there were the guard’s quarters with bunks, gun racks and two different toilets. One was in a hole in the fortress wall and the other in a quaint little room over hanging the sea wall. Looking down the hole to see the sea below, it kind of made a meal of fresh cod fish less appealing.

The fortress boasts over 30 points of interest including barracks, power magazines, bakery, forge, tavern, period hotel and inn, stables, chapel, Governor and officer’s quarters, gardens, a typical home for the nobility and the commoners and even an iron collar. The fortress walls and ramparts boasted 18, 24 and 36 pound cannons, all original. Each area had “locals” who loved to strike up a conversation and would answer questions.

We started at the McLennan Center, with it's detailed trim work. We saw the King’s Garden, De la Valliere Storehouse, and the Louisbourg Cross. We purchased local bread. 

Some went to confession at the chapel and others experienced the punishment of the iron collar near the Frederic Gate. 

We toured the Ordonnateur’s Residence, ate lunch at the Petit Grandchamp House, looked for a room at the Hotel de la Marine, strolled the Quay and others ate lunch at the L’Epee Royal Café.

 

Original artifacts recovered from the site were cataloged, photographed and measured to reproduce every aspect of the reconstruction. Many of the original items are present in each of the exhibits. Countless hours were spent in France documenting the original printed plans of the complex.

The Fortress of Louisbourg might have been lost to history had it not been designated a National Historic Site and partially reconstructed in the 1960s. One quarter of the original French town and fortifications. It has become the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America, with archaeologists, and engineers and historians working together to recreate the town as it was in the 1740’s.

There is so much more I can tell you about Fortress of Louisbourg, but it is better to experience it yourself! 

Whether you’re strolling through the town’s streets or simply sitting in front of a crackling fire, you will feel that, for a brief time, you have been transported to 18^th century New France. 

After we departed the fort, we stopped at Lighthouse Point. On a clear day, you can stand on the rocky cliffs gazing out at the harbor entrance with its islands and mighty fortress. 

We were lucky to be able to see the lighthouse in the fog! We could hear the ocean rumbling at our feet and imagine the hundreds and hundreds of ships and fishing boats that have sailed in and out of this harbor since the 1600s. This historic site, where Canada’s first lighthouse was first lit in 1734, offers one of the most picturesque coastal vistas in Nova Scotia. The existing lighthouse was built in 1923 and is not open to the public.