Day 14 -- to Ingonish, NS

Instead of packing and getting on the road ASAP, we spent a luxurious morning lingering at our campsite, just hanging out with Corey and Emily and family, talking, drinking coffee, hiking and playing games.





We planned to stay through lunch, but the clouds, which had been gathering all morning, finally crowded out the sun completely. Then the wind picked up and the rain started, chasing us all into our cars.

We drove into St. Peter's for lunch and ended up at a place called Louie's Cosy Cafe, where they cheerfully accommodated all 11 of us in a private room -- nice because the kids could get up and roam and stretch and we didn't feel like we were bothering anyone.

Fred, Sharon, Corey, Emily and the girls are en route to New Foundland tonight via the ferry from Sydney. They've all been on the road together since they left Boston five or so days ago. When Keith and I expressed frustration that we seem to be spending most of our time on the road and not enough time getting to know the places we visit, Corey and Emily nodded in agreement. It's nice to talk to someone who feels the same way, and I'm glad to know that we're not doing this wrong. It's the nature of a road trip, I guess. If we stopped at every place we wanted to see along the way, we'd be gone for months.

After a long lunch, we said our good-byes and got back on the road.


We drove north toward Sydney, along the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes rimmed with lush, green hills, and then west toward St. Ann's, where we hooked up with the Cabot Trail, the 300 km scenic drive that circles the northernmost part of Cape Breton Island, along the coast, through shady forests and glens, and over the spruce-covered mountains that plunge into the sea. We took the Cabot Trail north along the coast to Ingonish and the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, where we are camping tonight.

Cape Breton Island definitely has a Celtic air about it. It's the emerald-green mountains that disappear in the low, misty clouds. The sweeping views of the steel-gray ocean.


The road signs in English and Gaelic. The roadside gift shops stocked with kilts and tweed hats. And the people here who have fascinating accents -- a thick Scottish brogue with a dash Canadian "oot."

All day it has been spitting rain, and the cool, damp air makes it feel more like October than July. We thought maybe the rain would stop by the time we got to the campsite. It didn't, of course, so Keith and I rushed to set up the tent and threw the rainfly on before it could get too wet. This rain is putting a literal damper on our day; it's hard to enjoy ourselves when everything is soggy and cold. Hopefully it won't last.

We ate in Ingonish, and it had looked like the sky was clearing as we finished dinner, but it started to rain again as we got back to the campsite. I'm in the Teardrop now, and the rain has stopped. The people at the other campsites have quieted, and now I think I can hear the ocean a-ways off through the woods. It will be fun to investigate tomorrow.