Woke to the hot sun shining down on our tent. We got ourselves dressed and hopped in the car to head to Baddeck for some breakfast. It was great to start the day with a full charge since we had a lot of driving ahead of us. Stopped at a pretty hip place called “Highwater Cafe and Bakery” for some breakfast sandwiches and delicious coffee. Sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the cool but refreshing morning sun. Next stop was the Alexander Graham Bell museum just down the road. We arrived a few minutes before opening, so were the very first customers to walk through the door when it opened at 9:00 a.m. Although Ryan and I were familiar with Bell being the founder of the telephone, I think we both discovered that he was so much more than that. He was a scientist and inventor at heart and did research on so many things. We also didn't know how involved he was with researching sound and linguistics. The kids connected with that part of it since they have both read Helen Keller, who it turns out, actually met with Alexander Graham Bell when she was a student. We could have stayed at this museum for longer but had to cut our visit short since we knew that we had a big day ahead of us.
Next stop was the trailhead for Middle Head trail. The hike was challenging but very doable for the kids. The elevation gain challenged our legs and lungs. We saw some spectacular views of the ocean and also enjoyed lots of fresh wild raspberries from along the edge of the trail. It was hot but not too hot fortunately. And we occasionally enjoyed the ocean breeze when it passed by. After our hike, we drove a very short distance to Ingonish Beach to cool off with a swim. This beach was so unique… we arrived to discover a giant wall of rounded rocks, which at first glance, appeared to be man-made, with a sandy beach between the rocks and the water. After going in the water, Ryan discovered that the same rounded rocks were situated under the water too which made us start to wonder if the wall of rocks did in fact come from the ocean (further internet investigation concluded this fact - the wall was an entirely natural geological feature shaped by the powerful forces of the Atlantic Ocean). This was such a fun spot. At one point I looked out and saw a seal in the water not too far from Ryan. I called out his name in excitement and he didn’t understand what I was saying, so he panicked and ran towards the shore. The kids and I had a good laugh about it, commenting on the look of sheer horror on his face, thinking maybe it was a shark nearby. We then spent some time watching for the seal to appear for a half minute before disappearing and swimming further down the beach. Unfortunately, since we planned to do the Cabot Trail in one day, we couldn’t stay too long at the beach. Once everyone was refreshed, we headed back to the car. On our way out of the parking lot we spotted some Tesla superchargers and commented on how impressed we were to see that.
Our next stop was for lunch in a small town in the north east corner of the island called Neil’s Harbour. The attraction was a place called The Chowder House which was highly regarded for its seafood selection. Ryan had been drooling at the thought of seafood since the beginning of the trip - he was particularly excited to eat some lobster. The kids and I were less thrilled about this, but we went along with this lunch plan to appease. We decided to order a few things to share: Lobster Supper, Lobster Roll, and Clam Chowder. It was a bit breezy outside, but after some debate we decided to eat outside at the picnic tables overlooking the ocean. You couldn’t beat the view. Ben and Ryan spotted two seals while Katie and I waited for the food to be ready. Turns out the meal was delicious. I was actually shocked at how much I enjoyed it. The lobster roll might have been my favourite, but the clam chowder was pretty close too. I was surprised to discover that the lobster roll was actually like a “chicken salad on a hot dog bun” but instead a “lobster salad”. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but that wasn’t it. Ben enjoyed picking away at the lobster supper with Ryan using the plethora of metal tools that were provided and Katie enjoyed the french fries that came with the meal. There was conversation around the cost of the meal, which was close to $100. The kids learned how expensive seafood is, and how even more expensive it is when you are in a tourist center.
We hit the road and only a minute or two after leaving, out of nowhere, Katie yelled out “my retainer!!”. A quick turn around and discussion about where it ended up (last time seeing it was on a napkin inside one of the take-out trays), Ryan and I rushed to the garbage that we had just disposed of everything in, and the kids ran to the picnic table to search there. FORTUNATELY, we didn’t have to go dumpster diving… We only had to pull a couple of containers out of the garbage can to find the expensive piece of plastic. As we continued on our way, a new rule was made for Katie: retainer is only to be worn at night (which was the original plan from the orthodontist anyway).
Ryan and I had both wanted to do the famous Skyline trail, and were even forewarned ahead of time by friends that this was the first year we had to book parking ahead of time. Somehow our communication threads got crossed and we both thought the other person had booked it. We showed up to the parking lot in the tiny hope that we could snag a same day spot, or a cancellation, but were told to come back on Tuesday. LOL. We continued along and stopped off at a restaurant parking lot overlooking a beautiful lookout. We considered getting more food, but the kids were REALLY not interested in seafood (and they were lecturing us about spending more money). By this point, the kids were really not very interested in doing another hike and were more keen to make use of the amenities at the campground. I really wanted to see everything I possibly could while we were on Cape Breton Island. We hummed and hawed about doing one more beach or another hike before leaving the Cabot Trail highway, but the kids persisted and the family decision was made - we would go back to the campground. Katie and Ben spent a good hour or more in the pool while Ryan and I enjoyed watching and listening to them have fun. This was such a significant reminder to Ryan and I that our kids are still kids, and that sometimes they just want to do kid things. Although this trip is something we dreamed up, it was important to make concessions when needed so ensure they were still having fun too.
By this point we had worked up a good appetite - especially since our shared lunch wasn’t quite enough. So we drove back to Baddeck, where we had started our day, in search of a nice spot for dinner. We parked at the Inverary Resort and browsed the menu at the Narrows Cafe and Bar. It was a neat spot, and had a live artist setting up to perform, but the menu didn’t seem super appealing. So we walked across the street to another place called “The Lookout”. We decided to stay there and boy, was it ever a good choice. By the end of the night we had all unanimously decided that it was our favourite meal of the trip so far. The menu was diverse and we all shared a bit of everything we ordered - Fish Tacos, Chicken Korma, Quesadilla, Chicken Wings, and one of the best salads I had ever eaten in my life! We were so stuffed and satisfied with this dinner.
On our short walk back to the car Ryan, in true fashion, “let one rip”, and for some reason, decided to “politely” (?) cover the sound by yelling out a loud screaming “aaaahhhh”. The kids thought it was the most hilarious thing ever and the giggles came out. It was a beautiful night and we walked through the resort where we had parked, checking out what we could see in the dark. The walk was nice to help digest our meal, although Katie was on edge worried that we were “not supposed to be there” and would “get in trouble” (which was becoming a theme for her for the trip). We headed back to our campsite, plugged the car back in, brushed our teeth and hit the sack.
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