Nova Scotia - Sydney

Halifax to Sydney, NS Travel Distance: 400 km
AirBnB accommodations: $96.12 CAD for 1 nights (taxes, fees and cleaning fee inclusive)

Today we got packed up and headed out about 8 am. We headed up the north side of the Nova Scotia to cross over the bridge into Cape Breton. Once crossing the bridge we stayed to the west side of Cape Breton, travelling up highway 19. The road winds back and forth from the waters edge and then slightly inland again.

Our first stop was Mabou. The Village of Mabou is the heart of a network of rural communities rich in the Gaelic tradition. For generations names such as Beaton, Rankin or MacDonald have been synonymous with a music tradition that echoes back to its roots in the Highlands of Scotland while shaping itself down through the generations into a distinct and celebrated sound identified now around the world as Cape Breton Music. It is not only the sound of the fiddle and the feet dancing to that fiddle that pays homage to the ancient tradition of the Gaels. The Gaelic tongue too, thrives in Mabou where for the past 30 years the language has been on the school curriculum and a local organization, Féis Mhàbu, has mounted a heroic effort to salvage the language and the tradition, with increasingly successful results.

Cape Breton currently had the "Celtic Colors" scheduled (today is the

last day), making the area a bit busier than we expected. For nine days in October, Cape Breton Island is alive with music, energy and excitement as people come from far and wide to celebrate their rich culture. From concerts to dances and workshops to community suppers, they offer a full range of events against a gorgeous backdrop of autumn colours.

Unfortunately this time we are too late to take part in any of the activities; if we ever decide to return to Cape Breton we might have to time our arrival next time to be able to take in this interesting festival. As we were exploring Mabou, we were able to stop in at the Red Shoe for lunch. It is the establishment of the Rankin Sisters and it is often known to have one of them singing on a weekend night.

After lunch we continued on in our journey up highway 19 to Margaree Forks. From here we start to head east on the Cabot Trail

until we reached Baddeck. Baddeck is situated in the heart of Cape Breton Island, considered to be the beginning and end of the world famous Cabot Trail. Stretching along the shores of the beautiful Bras d'Or Lakes, Baddeck is a bustling village that maintains it's essence as a quaint community. Alexander Graham Bell, compelled by the beauty of Baddeck, chose this area as his summer home.

Alexander Graham Bell was a Scottish-born scientist, inventor, engineer, and innovator who is credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone. He also founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.

Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work. His research on

hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876. Bell considered his invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.

Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. Although Bell was not one of the 33 founders of the National Geographic Society, he had a strong influence on the magazine while serving as the second president from January 7, 1898, until 1903.

Parks Canada has a fascinating Alexander Graham Bell National Historical Site in Baddeck. We were able to visit the site with the use of our Parks Canada Pass. So far the pass has been really helpful in exploring not only the Parks but also a number of historical sites in Eastern Canada.

Back on the road and targeting our final destination.. Sydney, NS.
We booked another AirBnB for the night (actually in Westmount) to settle in for the night before our ferry journey tomorrow.

The house we booked was a lot larger than we expected. It is a 3 bedroom, converted to a 2

bedroom. It has a large kitchen and living room that is above the garage (an addition to the home at one point). It is decorated nicely and quite a large home. We have also booked the place for 2 nights following our return from Newfoundland. I am glad that the home is everything and more than what we expected.

Another great day exploring. Tomorrow we will arrive to the the last province in our Cross Canada Trip. Very exciting.