"I'll only go for a drive if it's not for too long" was the response my sister gave my father when he proposed we go on a father/daughters day trip somewhere on Cape Breton Island. Years ago, my father loved going for long drives but now that he prefers to just go from point A to point B, he seemed pleased with this. "We'll, where would you girls like to go?". My suggestions of Inverness or Ingonish was too far and my sisters suggestion of Louisbourg was shot down because it's always too cold and foggy there. We all agreed that there wasn't much to do in Baddeck that time of year and The Cabot Trail was out of the question! There really was only one other area of the island we could go. Well, it was actually several areas that were interconnected via a series of back roads. Dad suggested the route. He said it wasn't a long drive. He was wrong.
With no destination in mind, we just drove and ended up on the 125 Bypass and than onto route 4. I think Dad was hoping we would go to his favourite spot in Framboise but instead of keeping straight in East Bay, we decided to head towards Iona. Not a bad choice; it's a beautiful drive through Northside East Bay, Eskasoni and Grand Narrows. However, in Eskasoni, we found ourselves unsure of where to go next.
"How about we take the ferry at Little Narrows, drive up the Trans Canada Highway and take the Turn-off to Orangedale, drive through Marble Mountain and stop in St Peter's for supper before taking the back way home through Framboise" dad suggested. "It shouldn't be too long of a drive" he reassured my than 7-months pregnant sister who made it clear she was not in the mood for a terribly long day on the road.
I love the drive through Northside East Bay and Eskasoni in the fall when the leaves are starting to change. Really, any drive along the Bras d'Or Lakes is nice any time of year! We passed through Eskasoni and almost made it to our first destination when we met a road block. Odd since we did not see any signs indicating there was a detour ahead. A road maintenance worker confirmed that yes we indeed had to turn back the way we came. I remember many years ago a friend pointed out that I don't pay enough attention to road signs. I guess the same can be said for my father and my sister. None of us noticed the sign 15 kilometres back that warned of a road block ahead. There was even a big flashing arrow pointing to where we needed to go to make the detour around the area where the work was being done.
We finally made it to Grand Narrows and Iona. We took a little break to enjoy the views from the high parking lot at the Highland Village Museum before moving on. Once we made it across Little Narrows on the car ferry, we drove west along the Trans Canada Highway before making the turnoff towards Orangedale and Marble Mountain.
The road that goes through Marble Mountain and area has been described as one of the worse on the island and we discovered that that was indeed true! Potholes so big I thought the car would fall apart or we would end up in the ditch trying to get around them!
We stopped at one of our favorite beaches and stretched our legs near Grand River. It's so peaceful in this part of the island. All you can hear is the wind howling through the trees, the seagulls squawking and the waves crashing ashore. We took our time going over that incredibly bumpy highway known as the Fleur de Lis Trail (it was almost as bad as the road going through Marble Mountain) and watched for deer and other animals that often come out in the early evening.
It was dark when we got home. Tired we were but also satisfied with the lovely day spent together. After all, with a new baby and winter on the way, it could be a while before we get another chance to hit the road together!
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