The second joyous vagary of 2023 started on June 29, traveling to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The focus of the trip was to explore the Cabot Trail, a 298 km (186 mi) highway that weaves through Cape Breton Highlands National Park, while car camping at Chéticamp Campground. Chéticamp is one of several campgrounds found within the National Park.
The journey began with a stopover the first day in Sussex, New Brunswick, as the total drive time was over 8 hours, and Rapha requires specific stopping points to get ‘re-charged’. There were enough DC charge stations along the way between Sussex and Chéticamp to keep Rapha happy. Side note: Sussex requires a return visit as the downtown area had many wall murals, and there was not enough time to stop and photograph them!
Having arrived at Chéticamp Campground toward the end of the day, and being a bit hungry, we headed to Chéticamp for some pizza, and came across Wabo’s. They had the best pizza as their crust is made fresh on a daily basis.
The first two days after arriving at Chéticamp Campground yielded some partly sunny conditions, with daytime temps in the 70’s, affording a lovely drive around the Cabot Trail, taking in many scenic views, as well as exploring some trails and a boardwalk through a bog. Along the boardwalk, there were signs of moose track, but no moose to be seen in the bog.
There is a trail called Skyline that is reportedly very popular. Upon arrival early in the morning, there was only one other car and an interesting camper trailer in a very large parking lot. We discovered that there is a 3 km walk on a 8-10 foot wide gravel path before reaching the boardwalk – not what was expected!
Upon reaching the boardwalk, one is provided with sweeping views off the headland cliff of French Mountain. Upon our return to Rapha, the parking lot was almost full to capacity with cars and campers, validating the ‘popularity’ of Skyline. Advice to anyone who wants to experience Skyline: go early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowds!
The next two days yielded much on and off precipitation. The rain did not hamper efforts to continue exploring, as we decided to see some areas outside of the National Park such as Neils Harbour, Dingwall, Aspy Bay, Bay Saint Lawrence, Capstick, and Meat Cove. Along the road to Meat Cove, we discovered a young entrepreneur selling lemonade and cookies – a serendipitous experience, given the remoteness of where Meat Cove is. The journey ended at a private campground as the road was beginning to look like something Rapha would not enjoy driving up.
After two days of on and off rain, a third day of forecasted rain, and exploration options pretty much exhausted, it was time for Rapha to return us home. Overall, Cape Breton Highlands was a beautiful place to visit.
More images of the trip can be found in the Cape Breton Highlands Gallery