405 Kilometers
3661 Total Kilometers
We breakfasted this morning at a McDonalds across the street from the Maritime Hotel. Bill and Bo feasted on pig and eggs while Jim greeted the morning with a McLobster. That's right, a McLobster. The food and coffee was tasty and we were ready to start another day of exploration. Well, eventually.
McLobsterWe found a small local park and decided to hang out a while. We have traveled from motel to motel, unpacking and packing our bikes at every stop for nine days now. Add to that over 3000 kilometers on loud, windy, vibrating motorcycles. It's great fun but we needed a little rest. So, we dismounted our bikes and napped and read for a couple of hours.
Rejuvenated, we climbed back aboard our bikes and aimed for the Cabot Trail, the most scenic ride in Nova scotia. It hugs the rugged coastline of Cape Breton. The Lonely Planet calls it the number one road trip in america.
Like most motorcycle trips, getting there is more than half the fun. We spent a couple of hours on the Ceilidh Trail, which, according to the Nova Scotia tourism website, "around every bend, the Ceilidh Trail offers stunning vistas of rugged coastline, bays and inlets, verdant hills and rolling farmlands as it follows the shore of western Cape Breton for 107 km (67 mi.) from the Canso Causeway to the Cabot Trail." The Ceilidh Trail crosses the Celtic region of Nova Scotia. Many of the signs along the road were printed in both modern English and Gaelic, the language of the Celtic people.
Road sign along the Ceilidh TrailWe stopped for a visit at Joe's Scarecrows, a really bizarre roadside attraction that featured fully dressed scarecrows, including scarecrow renditions of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
He's back and better than ever
Jim at Joe's ScarecrowsWe then found a little roadside restaurant and continued our assualt on Nova Scotia's sea dwelling creatures. Clams and Haddock made for a fine lunch.
We stopped for gas and noticed that a local boy is one of the ten finalists on Canadian Idol. He's Mitch McDonald, a local carpenter and singer. There were signs urging people to vote for him all over the area.
Log on and vote for MitchWe then found the Cabot Trail. Part of the trail runs through small villages and another part is in the Cape Breton National Park. The first part was beautiful. The National Park section was incredible. The road twisted along the coast, rising and falling in elevation. It offered one incredible view after another. The riding was also superb. Hairpin curves were followed by broad sweepers, which were followed by intense downhill twisties that required our full attention and tested our riding skills to the utmost.
Scenic view off the Cabot Trail
It's not easy keeping our eyes on the roadTo our dismay our Cabot Trail ride was soon over. We then began our ride to Sydney, the third biggest city in Nova Scotia. By then we were riding under very dark skies. Finally our luck ran out and it began to rain. We donned our rain gear and continued to ride. After a wet ferry crossing and a final 32 kilometer ride we arrived at our motel in Sydney. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant (not recommended if avoidable) and Day 9 was over.
Tomorrow we plan to ride around the Sydney area. Our focus will be to find some more interesting roadside attractions.
Definitely on our schedule is Fort Louisbourg, the site of many conflicts between the English and French and now part of the Canadian national park system.
