Not Your Mom's Cabot Trail

Hello again! Last I left you, we were headed for the Ferry to head back to Nova Scotia. For the trip back I booked a daytime ferry. If I had to compare the overnight and the daytime, I'd say they're both unpleasant necessities when driving to Newfoundland. Perhaps it would have been different had I booked sooner and got a cabin- we'll have to find out next time.

We decided to leave Tesla in the car this time. We set up the bed, drew the curtains, left some food and water and hoped for the best. We did have reserved seats this time, and the boat was much less crowded. Since it was mid-day, we decided to have some lunch... or try anyway. My stomach was not a fan of the waves that day. After some Gravol, I napped, watched some History Channel, and played Candy Crush. It made for a long day. In hindsight, I would recommend the overnight ferry, with either a reserved seat or cabin. Also, leave your dog in the car if he/she is used to being at home for a workday. Tesla was much more relaxed and happy compared to her night in the kennel.

View of Nova Scotia from the ferry.

We reached Sydney around 6pm. We stopped for gas and groceries and decided to head straight for the Cabot Trail. Well we didn't make it too far and stumbled upon "Mountain Vista Seaside Campground" (also known as Bird Island Boat Tours) just outside Big Bras D'Or. The sites were fairly small and open, and the showers cost 25¢ for 5 minutes but it definitely sufficed for one night.

There was a little boy staying with his grandparents who was quite enamored with Tesla. The next morning as we were packing up, the grandfather took a moment to ask where were headed and make some suggestions. Never turn down suggestions from locals or regulars!

We stopped at Wreck Beach for more gas and then headed for Mary Ann Falls, as recommended to us by the campground grandpa. It was about a 2 hour drive, just past Ingonish.

This beautiful spot was a short walk from the small parking lot. We were actually some of the first people to arrive and it only got busier from there. Justin jumped in first and of course Tesla had to follow. The water was COLD, but very refreshing. After hanging out here, watching people climb up and jump off the rocks, we headed back to the van. 

We continued along the Cabot Trail, stopping here and there to take in the views. That's when I decided that we should find a spot to toss my bouquet out into the ocean. It had a front row seat to our adventure on the dash for a few days and was beginning to dry out. So, we found a wicked spot, climbed out onto some rocks and I tossed it out to sea. It seemed fitting to do something nontraditional after our tiny wedding. 

Justin expertly caught this moment. I wish there was a picture of me hiking down there, but I made him hold my hand the whole way. It was a bit of an adventure, and totally worth it. From there we began our search for somewhere to stay. By now it was about the middle of summer and everyone and their grandma was on vacation, and on the East Coast.

We stumbled upon Hide Away Campground outside of Dingwall. Of course we were immediately informed that they only had "overflow" spots available. We decided to take a chance.

Well, here's my advice for overflow areas at campgrounds- go for it! Why? Because the view will probably look something like this...

Stick is life.

Room with a view. 

The view was so good in the overflow that a woman who had a pre-booked numbered site tried to snipe one from the overflow that someone had already taken. Basically we were blocking her from this glorious view. Who knew flying by the seat of your pants could pay off.

We ended up making friends with our campsite neighbours as they also had a dog, Hudson. We then met a group of 7 or 8 American guys travelling on their second annual Canadian RV road-trip. We traded craft beers, hung out by their fire, and briefly chatted politics, but not really because vacation. I enjoyed their idea of rounding up friends, splitting the cost of an RV, gas, and food and hitting the road.

Beer with a view.

The next morning we chatted some more with our neighbours, Josh and Mallory and realized we were heading the same way. We thought we'd stick together so the dogs could play at our stops.
The goal for the day was to hike the Skyline Trail. This seems to be one of those must-do places; however dogs are not allowed on the trail. The signage at the trail head notes this is due to wildlife, but it is a frustrating situation to be in.

When planning the trip, I had thought maybe Justin and I would do the trail separately, knowing that both of us would want to see the view, but not leave the dog behind. In reality, we ended up leaving Tesla in the van and Hudson in Josh and Mallory's truck with the windows down and some water and hauling ass down the trail.

We made it to the top of the stairs... I'm not too sure how much further down they went, but this would have to do considering the dogs and the weather. It took us 45 minutes each way, just to give you an idea of the distance.

Where we stopped... stairs kept going down

Scarf for sun protection!

That Road!

We decided to find a beach for the dogs to swim and where we could have some lunch after our (sprint) hike.

Judging by the length of this post, you might think the Cabot Trail is super long, but it really isn't. You could drive the whole thing in one day, but you wouldn't see much and would miss all the stops. Many travel sites recommend two days (and up to five if you do something awesome like a sea kayak adventure), but we were enjoying the views and weather, so we carried on our way making short stops along the road, picking up some groceries, and looking for a place to camp for the night.  As we headed into the August long weekend, it was obvious that finding a campsite could be tricky.

We came across Plage St-Pierre just south of Cheticamp. They too informed us that all that was left was overflow. What was that rule about overflow campsites? Oh ya, go for it!

Plage St. Pierre

Josh, Hudson, Mallory, Steph, and Tesla

 The spot wasn't the best- it was basically the campground's soccer field, and it was a good walk to the bathrooms and showers. However, we had a great view of the water and were closer to the beach. On my walk to the shower, I noted that the RVs were just packed right in, and the tenting area was located behind that... no view or beach in site. Overflow for the win again!

We hung out, the dogs played, and we had a delicious dinner followed by a campfire. Justin and I realized that maybe we did spend one day too many along the trail given our tight timeline, so it was early to bed knowing we had a long day ahead. If we didn't have such time constraints, I'd recommend a motorcycle or sports car and 4-5 days to take everything in.

 Alas, after enjoying a few days along the trail, it would be back to city life next! Thanks for hanging in while I get through back to school season!

J & S