Our Travels › Canada › Cape Breton - 2009
A Journey to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Getting There
Part 1: Getting There
We left home on 30 July 2009 for a 4 week trip to Cape Breton
As is always the case with a trip to/through Maine, we stopped for a couple of nights in Freeport. Two major goals here: several hours spent wandering around the LL Bean store, the other: lobster rolls and lobster stew at Morrison's.
As we pulled into town, we discovered a major change in the overnight RV situation in town. In all our previous visits, there has been plenty of wide-open level parking. But this year, RV's have been relegated to a very small area with five lanes, each lane capable of holding 3-4 RV's. It's not real level and the major issue is that it's easy to get blocked in. But at least we were able to spend the night OK.
Dinner at Morrison's turned out to be dinner at the Freeport Chowder House. Same location, same menu, same great food - just new owners. Just be sure to get there before they close at 6 PM.
Today's point of interest was the recreated WW&F 2-foot narrow gauge railway in Sheepscot, ME, north of Wiscasset. The original WW&F died in 1933; more than 50 years later it began to come back for a second life. After a ride on the train and some time exploring the shop area, we were back on the road.
The beautiful 1820's farmhouse home of new friends Tom and Jennifer, who graciously invited us to spend the night with them in Whitefield. Owners of a Born Free motorhome (we'll forgive them for that <G>), they have a large cement pad with full RV hookups. These folks were so gracious with their hospitality; we can't thank them enough.
Continuing on Down East, we stopped for lunch in Belfast, where we found this large racing canoe, one of two tied up at the town dock. These are propelled by six-man crews. Considering where we were, we enjoyed the play on words of the name of this one.
Also at the Belfast town docks, some unknown artisan sculpted a very interesting set of faces into old pier pilings sticking up out of the water. This is just one of several.
Arriving at Lamoine State Park near Ellsworth, we were fortunate to get the last available site. We took a little walk down to the shore where we found this large field of lilies.
Our lunch stop today was at the easternmost point in the United States - West Quoddy Head Light near Lubec, ME.
The Channel Light sits in the middle of the channel into Lubec.
After lunch we crossed the International Bridge from Lubec to Campobello Island. We had no problems at Customs - the Canadian aent was very polite, asked a few questions, looked at our papers and wished us a pleasant stay in Canada. Our RV was not searched.
The Mulholland Lighthouse on Campobello Island looks out over the Lubec harbor.
The town of Lubec, across the channel from Campobello Island, was once a major herring-packing center. There was even an American Can Company plant here that made the tins in which the herring were packed.
It was only another 4 miles to our destination for the next two nights - Herring Cove Provincial Park.
We spent the day exploring some of Roosevelt Campobello International Park, including the summer cottage of FDR and a hike on one of several trails.
We awoke to pea-soup fog this morning and decided there would be little point in stayng another day so we could visit East Quoddy Head Lighthouse. We packed up and headed for the first ferry, from Campobello Island to Deer Island, figuring that we'd have to sit and wait for the 10 AM departure. Much to our surprise, the ferry was unloading just as we turned into the short road to the ramp, and without even turning off the engine for a wait, we were aboard and on our way. We were asked how long the LD was, and I replied 26 feet, for which we paid $33.
Here we are on our way to Deer Island.
Our luck held out - as we arrived at the other end of Deer Island and the terminus of the Letete Ferry, it was in the midst of loading and again, without shutting off the engine for a wait, we were soon on board.
The fellow loading us has a darned good eye - we were the last vehicle to board and after he guided me to a stop just inches from the truck ahead of us, this was the clearance between us and and the ramp!
Once back on the mainland, our next mission was a request of my sister: stop at MacKay's Blueberries in Pennfield, NB, for two blueberry pies. We got them piping hot just coming out of the oven. And of course we couldn't resist some fresh blueberry muffins for ouselves. It was a bit of a challenge finding the place, for the fog was so thick we were past it before I could slow down - had to turn around and come back. To make sure we could find MacKay's on the way back, I noted its coordinates: 66.66832 W, 45.12331 N. We did stop again and got more pies and muffins - fantastic!
Almost there! Only 200 more miles to my sister's place in Marble Mountain, Cape Breton.
Now we're really getting close! This is the bridge at the end of the Canso Strait Causeway that connects Cape Breton to the mainland. From here it's about 25 miles to Marble Mountain.
