Mira River Provincial Park – Nova Scotia

The next stop on this (all too brief) tour of Nova Scotia took us to Mira River Provincial Park. Surprisingly, the park was largely deserted. Part of this I’m sure was that we were there on weekdays, still it seemed remarkable that we were the only campers at our end of a large loop, with only a handful of other campers scattered about. The facilities were more than adequate, so we were (as the description goes) happy campers.

Our chose this park because Minkie really wanted to visit the Louisbourg Fortress. This is a National Historic site which comprises the reconstruction of about one fourth of an 18th century fortress, one of the most extensive European fortifications built in North America! Originally founded in 1713, it was critical to the defense of what was then the norther reaches of New France. Unfortunately, it suffered a few important weaknesses (largely built to withstand an attack by sea), making vulnerable to assault by land. It was taken taken twice by the British, the second time in 1758, and was completely destroyed a few years later in the 1760s.

The outside wall….

Lucky for us all, the land lay largely undisturbed for the next couple of hundred years, until Parks Canada undertook a phenomenal archeological excavation. More than a million artifacts were recovered, which, coupled with the incredible records kept by the French, allowed for an amazing historically accurate reconstruction of about one quarter of structures. Here is fortified town. The time is the mid 1740’s. Park staff and volunteers are its citizens – dressed in period clothing, occupying many of the structures – cottages, barracks, inns, taverns, a bakery, storehouses and the like – in short, all that you might expect to see in such a place. Lives of the inhabitants are richly evident – through the citizens, slaves, servants or soldiers that you “meet”, the interpretive signs, and of course, all the architecture and period pieces that greet you throughout. Although we had planned to take a hike afterwards, we found ourselves so enthralled, we ended up spending the better part of the day there. The attention to detail was simply unparalleled!

Yes, the French of this time required all buildings to be on the street – no front yards! The walls must align and meet the building codes (design and styles) of the day. Non-conformance was not allowed!

And lest you think that Louisbourg was largley fortress wall and little hovels:

So, come to Nova Scotia – hike for sure, eats lots of good food, bike, go whale watching, walk on the beach, but don’t – DON’T miss the Fortress of Louisbourg!

Inescapable!

For our last hike I took the TLs to what I think might have been my favorite. Difficult? Not so much. Coastal vistas? Not really. High mountain peaks above timberline? Not here. Is this a long trail, full of twists and turns, and surprise changes in terrain? No again.

Soooooooooo, what exactly is there? The Highland mystique of a Taiga forest! It is something of a cross between a blueberry barren and Scottish heath, with stunted evergreens where the wind and snow will let them grow. Here are dwarfed black spruce – surrounded by low plants and shrubs – juniper, blueberries, cranberry, and sheep laurel. Reindeer lichen, moss, and grasses carpet the grounds.

Highland bogs and wetlands dot the rolling plateaus, and the views are largely open for miles distant.

Listen, and you hear the old spirits of the land, lake, river and sea all join in a chorus of raucous laughter as they whirl and twirl their way on the winds. This is what makes this trail so special. And where else will you see the pillows and blankets now turned to stone that once belonged to the giants who roamed here so long ago?

And but a few yards away, lie the tears of the mountain – diamonds now – darkened shards reflecting the sunlight back to us:

Oh yes, this is the trail to Mica Hill. It is rich with stories waiting to be told. Travel it, listen, and trust me, you will be better for it.

Oh, and we saw a good half dozen or so of these big boys and girls keeping watch over all…..

Capers on the Cape (Breton, of course!)

Minkie asked me a question the other day about whether it is being fickle or feckless to fall in love with every place you visit, or almost any trail you walk… What if each place becomes your new favorite? Or maybe, not even your new MOST favorite, but right up there? The Toad is no philosopher, so I simply toad her for me, it’s all good. I have no favorite, I love them all. Equally, but differently. And that’s all there is to it. So, move on, Minkie – we’ve got new hikes, and new places to see, and more for you to love!

Like the Middlehead trail. This is certainly a relatively short, easy trek. Perfect after a morning’s rain. Here the trail takes you out a long spit of land, complete with internationally understood warnings to stay on the trail:

Sure enough, some of the viewpoints are sheer cliffs, but oh, so worth it! Most though, are far less hazardous, and well worth a peek near the “edge”. Look out and across such blue, blue waters:

Or below, to the waves breaking over ledges:

It seems everywhere we turn, breath taking coastal scenery tries (and usually wins) to steal the show. In a word – stunning.

On another day we opted for a little longer venture, so I took my TLs off to Franey Mountain. Not a terribly long trail, but a good 1000 feet in elevation gain. So yes, Carlos and Minkie got a decent workout! Lift those legs! Upward, onward – there’ll be no slaggarts here! (I think Minkie is totally unimpressed with my attempts to keep her spirits (and knees!) up). While the trail is not overly difficult, it does help to have good hiking boots on, and to be in pretty good shape. And it’s such a beautiful hike. About two thirds along the way, you get a short break, where the trail levels off and takes you along one end of a lovely highland wetland. Deep yellows and golds – this is surely a place of riches!

From here you continue up, through a “mixed” Acadian forest – and while we are no arborists, we can’t help but admire the fir, birch and maple that populate this section of the park. And before you know it, you reach the top where in one direction you take in coastal views:

And in the other – the almost dry riverbed of the Clyburn Valley:

To get back, there is a second trail, longer, and much more gradual with its ups and down. It is a old service roads, which many a hiker will ignore, oftentimes, with good reason. Here though, we were rewarded with a very different aspect of the forest – often fir with little to no understory, interspersed with birch and maple meadows. So, once in while, give it a whirl – and if you’re really lucky, this young bird just might stop by and say hello:

There really is nothing to grouse about….

So, my friends, until the next post!

Cape Breton Highlands National Park – Nova Scotia

We made our way from PEI to Cape Breton, bidding the coast a temporary goodbye, and heading inland. Here the signs are also bilingual, but not in French – Gaelic it is! Here at Broad Cove we have again found a well kept, well managed campground, so typical of Canadian National Parks. Here the sites are all pull throughs, most have the picnic table and campfire ring well to the rear, and quite close to the neighboring site. It is a bit unusual, but the TLs have adapted….

This is another hiking destination, so I have already reacquainted the TwoLeggs legs with walking…. No pedaling around these parts! Up some nice steep trails – rocks and roots, through Acadian forest, overlooking coast and cove!

Our first venture out was a short jaunt up to Broad Cove Mountain. It is a short trail, out and back, but does take you up some nice steep sections. At the top are some very nice views of the Cove and the Atlantic:

Here, we met a very interesting fellow from Denmark – who has been traveling the world since January. He’s been to many countries, staying mainly in hostels, traveling light, and photographing his journeys and adventures. He showed Minkie his cameras – and I think I saw just a little hint of photo-envy in her eyes.

From the mountain, down to Warren Lake below:

So far, the Cape is pretty darn nice!

But far and away our 8 miler along the Jack Pine and Coastal Trails takes the scenic cake. Here you travel first through an area that is slowly recovering from a devastating fire of 1921 which destroyed the Jack Pine forest established here. It is unique – it grows in an area distinct from its siblings, aunts and uncles. And slowly, incrementally, it is re-establishing itself….

As for the trails – nothing difficult here, but mind your step! Easy enough for the Road Toad – I can jump from stone to stone and not lose my footing. The TLs, though – well! Parts of the Coastal cross beaches, but not those white sand beaches you think of, if you’re contemplating the Caribbean…. Here we encounter coarse red or grey sands, or large cobblestone beaches – of rocks worn round and smooth, pushed into coves and inlets with storm and tide. For a TwoLegg, it’s tricky. Step on some of these babies, and they’ll roll beneath you, send you flying!

But the scenery is well worth the treacherous footing! Cold clear waters, cliffs, ledges, gulls – it is sight to behold!

And of course, at the end of the days, we save time to sample a local brew – IPAs for Carlos, brown ales and ESBs for Minkie, and nacherly, the Toad is all about the most recent buzz – be it winged, or flightless, if there’s six legs or more, I’m on it!

The last of PEI

So long, Prince Edward Island! You musseled in on Minkie’s taste buds, converting her to a lover of your famous mollusks. You brought us wonderful bike trails, coastal scenery, quaint fishing villages, friendly people, and good food.

We also had our first fire the last night on Prince Edward Island, compliments of a fellow whom Carlos had helped get his trailer on site. (Snide aside: The Toad felt only minimal pity for this TL dude, watching as he drove the wrong way through the campground, then attempted to turn into his site. These are pull through sites, angled to make access easy – provided you make your entrance following the arrows guiding you throughout the campground. Oh well. These are newbies, with a new rig, and directionally challenged). They stayed a couple nights and gave it up for greener lily pads. More importantly, the weather turned chilly the day they left, so that we had ourselves a lovely happy hour, the TLs sipping on local brews, and I dining on the occasional slow moving midge, moth or mosquito.

On now, to Cape Breton!

Of Bikes and Bottles….

Once upon time, a couple of TwoLeggs got themselves a travel trailer, adopted a Road Toad, and set off for adventures. They have been to many places, guided by the ever faithful Smuchi, RoadToad a la Supreme. (No, not the Diana Ross Supreme…. though he has been known to belt out a few!)

Over the past few days, I, Smuchi the Road Toad, took my TLs for a ride of ride. No more silly getting lost. We were bound for North Rustico! We mounted the bikes, I taking the lead, directing Carlos, that he may not stray!

Observe the Dunes, oh TwoLeggs of mine!

Say hello to mamma duck and ducklings fair!

Note the effects of time and tide on this ever changing coast, eroding away at a rate of a meter a year (that’s a little more than a yard, fellow statespeople)! This arch may be gone when next we visit –

Up hill and down, pedal on – we’ve a destination and destiny to fulfill! The TLs did me proud. Pedaling fast, though not with fury, on and on, the kilometers fell behind, a fair dozen in all, til at last we found the trail’s end. And decided that we’d have to come back for dinner! Yes, my Toadies, give the Blue Mussel Cafe a try! It is not fine dining. No, this is substantially good home cookin’ seafood. Think lobster dip, thick and creamy. Think mussels steamed – wine and garlic. Dream of a seafood Newburg, of a scallop linquine, a glass of wine, a local brew….. Top it off with a chocolate cake made with potatoes, ice cream on the side – and, well there just isn’t much more to ask for, is there?

Oh, wait. There is. Wine comes in bottles. Brews come in bottles. We’d better see some bottles, my TwoLegged friends. And so I took them to the Bottle House of Prince Edward Island.

Built by a local chap, Edouard Arsenault, after his daughter brought home pictures of bottle houses on Vancouver Island, these are a local treasure. The last of three houses built, the chapel is the first you see. Imagine trying to build any structure out of bottles you collect from friends, scavenge from the local dump. So many shapes, colors, sizes! Now surround them in concrete, spaced so they don’t break, so they maximize light, and add pattern, and design elements that draw you ever in:

The altar….

And then there is this, the first of the houses, and the most complicated. Six gables, and lovingly crafted.

And behind this, a lighthouse, fashioned after the one where Monsieur worked only a few miles away, built to scale.

Mr. Arsenault loved gardens, and obviously, loved to build using all manner of materials!

There is also a third building, originally used as a gift shop; but, to this Toad, holds echoes of a tiny Irish Pub.

Yes, and throughout the grounds, are the gardens – flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits, all lovingly cared for. Glorious, and colorful – they’d make the little people weep with joy!

Now then. That’s enough for this evening. We’ll be off again tomorrow, to fight the headwinds as we pedal our way back to North Rustico, where we plan on trying a second local venue for a seafood lunch. All is good in PEI.

Cavendish Campground – Prince Edward Island

To be sure, this is a Prince of an Island. Accessible by either bridge (this would be an 8 miler, spanning the Northumberland Strait) or by ferry, the island is a delightful amalgamation of farms, forest, tourism, beaches, working fishing villages, and – we’ve only just started our exploration. As we’ve found in so many Canadian parks, there is a multitude of bike trails begging to be pedaled. And pedal we shall!

We arrived on a busy Labor Day weekend – though by U.S. standards, park visitors were (thankfully!) quite tame. Polite. Considerate. Boisterous, but only during daylight hours, when everyone is up and about, and camaraderie abounds. Come dusk, conversations start to quiet. And well before mandatory quietude, lights are mostly out, voices barely a whisper in the breeze. This is no dark sky preserve, but campers all seem to relish in the deep darkness wherever it can be found.

We have settled in for a week’s stay, and already have found ourselves happily sated with a seafood lunch at the Lost Anchor – a local favorite. Their seafood chowder is worthy of kings. The fish tacos are creatively seasoned – a bit of sweet and tang, crunch and cream – a combination that Minkie (channeling Billy Crystal) found “simply mah-velous”. And the lobster roll? Carlos had no complaints there either.

Today we took off on the bikes expecting to work our way eastward towards North Rustico Beach. Unfortunately, the trail map would have you believe that the way to get there is to stay along a fairly straight path. No mention of a sharp left turn the Cavendish Beach House along a boardwalk across a marsh. Soooooooo. The TLs found themselves in an endless loop, appearing at the same place no matter which way they went. oops. Lucky for us, though a couple whom we had passed a few times already, were stopped at a posted “you are here” map – and explained where the misstep (or mispedal?) occurred. They also highly recommended the Homestead Trail, at the opposite end, back toward whence we cameth.

Appreciative of the guidance, and undaunted by our blunder, Carlos, ever the fearless leader led us back. And me oh my, the Toad couldn’t have been happier with this new trail!

First along low beach cliffs where beach swallows nest. Then to a stretch that shadows the dunes:

Onward to salt marsh:

And off to farm and field:

And never forget the apples and beach roses for olfactory bliss as work your way along:

Are we done yet? Not even close!

Kouchi-Kouchi-2

Alas, our stay at Kouchibouguac is drawing to a close…. The TwoLeggs have had quite a time with the bikes! Each day has brought another variation of trails that the Park has to offer, with hints of the trails that interconnect throughout much of the Province. Yes, Canadians apparently love their bicycles!

In addition to the bearly visible wildlife sightings, our rides have offered a few mechanical interests. Along one outing, a good 4-5 miles out, Carlos’ bike, under a mammoth uphill effort, blew out a flip-flop (as my good buddy, Jimmy would say), and sent his back wheel crooked. No wheel damage, fortunately, but the tire remained misaligned making for a slow go home. Repairs were made.

Not to be outdone, a day or so later, Minkie tried a similar move, but her gears operate a little differently (hers are from Venus, or so they say) so to chain-ge things up a bit, she popped hers. Fixable, but my, what a greasy mess!

Lucky for the Toad, his bike suffered no such maladies, though I did grow a bit tired of watching the TLs mess things up! I almost SPOKE up, but didn’t, as it was g-rim enough as it was. OK, no more puns for the minute.

Instead here are a few of the places we visited –

The Marina:

Riding along the coastal trail, near Kelly’s Beach:

Checking out the salt marsh:

Riding in the woods:

And of course, the iconic Red Chairs of Canada’s National Parks:

From here – Look out Annie Green! We’re off to Prince Edward Island!

Kouchibouguac National Park – New Brunswick, Canada

If you’re a Road Toad who happens to like a park that has really nice, large, well separated (read – private!) campsites; and said park also offers a beach on the ocean, miles of bike trails, lots of activities for the wee ones, amenities such as a camp store, laundry, and concession stand; AND is a dark sky preserve….. Well you might want to put this one on your list. While the name is a bit intimidating, the park is not. And it is a riot for my TLs, who have never taken bikes with them before! We are having a blast!

Part of the park offers a small tribute to the first people of the area – the Mi’kmaq Indians who lived here before the French, English, Scottish, etc entered.

But the majority of the park focuses on its surroundings – the ocean, the forest, their inhabitants, and of course, the sky above. So far, we’ve not had a chance to enjoy the night sky – clouds have been a consistent visitor, obstructing our view of the cosmos. I’ve suggested that they might want to go elsewhere for a night a two – we’ll see what the next few nights bring.

But as to those forest inhabitants, we went for a lovely ride through the park, encountering no one, save for this youngster:

And tonight, we had some of the best pizza EVER! Half a veggie delight (for Minkie, of course) and half a supreme (for Carlos) – and naturally, the Road Toad had to sample both. I was NOT disappointed. Nay, even for a lover of bugs, this was a pizza to tingle the taste buds. Along with some local brews, ensconced atop our zero-gravity recliners, tucked inside the screen room (where of course, I gobbled up the stray mosquito or fly that happened in), we were a trio that could hardly have been any happier.

Happiness to you all, too!

Back to New Brunswick

Our final day in Forillon was a cloudy, blustery, cool day with rain a constant threat. We decided to visit the north side of the park, which we had glimpsed from a distance at several observation points along the mountain hikes. Off to Cap Bon Ami, which was busy, but not obnoxiously so, given the weather. This too, is a location that puts you in awe of the ruggedness of the area – beach rocks rounded and smoothed by the constant tumbling in the crashing surf. Overhead, gannets soared. Seagulls called. The TwoLeggs ate a picnic lunch, and I wandered about and snapped a couple of pictures of the views in either direction….

And of course, we had to stop at Cap-de-Rosiers (Cape of Roses), to see the lighthouse there:

Adieu, Forillon!

Up next: another Dark Sky Perserve in New Brunswick: Kouchibouguac National Park. As we made our way from Forillon along the coast of the Gaspe Peninsula, we couldn’t help but marvel at the impressive, ever present magnificence of the shoreline beauty. Everywhere there are cliffs, rock formations jutting from the water, islands in the distance, and of course, sea life. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Rock of Perce, that sits between the town of the same name and Bonaventure Island – home to an impressive migratory bird sanctuary – where one can view colonies of Northern Gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes, common Mures, Cormorants (Great and Double-crested), Herring Gulls, Razorbills, and other migratory birds.

Birds, marine mammals, forests leading to water/cliffs edge, beach roses, wildflowers – there seemed to be no end to the color and variety as we worked our way south. Even the TwoLegg towns and villages – many of them working communities – find pride in their surroundings: litter isn’t present. Flowers brighten window boxes and driveways; even advertising – where you find it – seems unobtrusive, not wanting to detract from the natural beauty of the area.

Yes, we will miss the Gaspe Peninsula quite a bit. And we will all miss hearing French spoken everywhere. Carlos and Minkie got quite a kick out of practicing the few phrases they knew, and learning new words and expressions. Carlos, in particular, would probably become somewhat proficient in no time at all, given the chance to stay a while longer. (The Toad of course, admits this with grudging admiration!)

Adieu, Quebec!