A Final Sunset Swim at Inverness Beach

Summer is usually a beautiful time of year in Cape Breton, weather-wise. However, the summer of 2023 was not so great in terms of the number of nice days there were.  I recently heard that it was the wettest summer on record.  I believe that; I'm sure it rained at least every second day and at times, it rained for days at a time! 

The swimming season was off to a late start and it wasn't until much later in the season that I finally made it to my favorite beach at Inverness and when I did make it there, I made sure to go back as much as possible.  I went three weekends in a row and each time I went, I thought it would be my last. The weekend at the end of the first week of September was my last beach trip to Inverness and it was perfect in every way I can think of. 

 You may be wondering why I love the beach in Inverness, Cape Breton so much.  Well, there are many reasons besides the fact that it's my favorite beach. It's sandy, It's long, the water is always quite warm, the scenery is nice and the sunsets are incredible. That's why when I plan a trip to Inverness Beach, I plan it strategically.  Everything has to be just right.  The temperatures need to be in the mid-20s at least, low winds to the south and low probability of rain or other adverse weather conditions. I always leave very early in the morning but the main goal is to always be on the beach right before sunset no matter what. That's the highlight of any day spent in this magical place. 

On that final day I had on Inverness Beach, it was calling for great weather and ideal conditions so I set out early and drove straight to that little town on the west side of Cape Breton Island.  It seemed strange that there were hardly any cars there when I arrived as I usually have to search for a while before finding a place to park.  I drove right to the edge where I could look out over the water and was even more surprised by what I saw there; Very high tide, rough water and lots of wind.  I was crushed.  I drove all that distance to be faced with the worse kind of conditions for swimming. 

I knew sometimes conditions changed later in the day at Inverness and because low tide would be that evening, I thought I had a chance at enjoying a sunset swim.  I left Inverness and drove to Cheticamp, had a coffee, sat on the boardwalk for a while and took a scenic drive along the back road at the foot of the mountains before driving back to the Margaree area and stopping at Chimney Corner. The water was nice and calm there and there weren't many people around.  At around 5:30, I drove back to Inverness. I was right!  The conditions had changed and by that time, it was a perfect evening for a swim in those warm, clear waters. 

 I set up my towel in my favorite spot and headed right for the water.  On the way, I met up with a friend who had the same idea. It's always nice to have company when swimming in the evening especially later in the summer when the rip currents seem to be prevalent. I tried not to think about the two tagged Great White sharks that were lurking just offshore from Inverness Beach.  One in 16 million chance, right? Nothing will keep me out of the water, not even the sharks!

There was a nice rolling wave that evening and the water was as it always is; clear right to the bottom.  I stayed in for about an hour, got out for a bit before sunset and than just before the sun went down, I entered the water one last time. I swam right into that spot where the last rays of the lowering sun come down over the water and swam into that beautiful sunset.  Nothing is more relaxing.  I could have stayed there forever just floating in that red strip of light on the clear, blue sea. 

I didn't want to leave because I knew it would likely be my last trip there for the year.  But I had a long drive home and I would be alone on that long highway through the Margaree Valley. It's days like this that I think about when the snow is falling and the days are cold.  Thoughts of sunsets, clear ocean water and warm breezes keep me going during those long winter days.

A Summer Day Trip From Jersey Cove to Ingonish

It's nice to have friends with trailers and summer homes in nice places.  It's especially nice to have a great friend who has a trailer in beautiful Jersey Cove, Cape Breton.  That's because it's the perfect place to enjoy a quick summer getaway.  It's scenic, it's quiet, it's relaxing and it's centrally located near all the places I love to visit.  Baddeck is only 20 minutes away and Ingonish is less than an hour away just to name a few of those places.  Most importantly though, this friend spends much of her summer there in her trailer and loves when company stops by.  Sometimes that company happens to be me.  One such day this summer, it was me.

 One of the best things about Jersey Cove is it's less than an hour away from my house so it's the perfect place to head to if I want a quick getaway.  I arrived at the trailer mid-morning and after we unpacked the car, we headed straight to Ingonish for the day. Our plan was to recreate the perfect day we had the year before at Black Brook Beach. It didn't quite turn out that way but it was still a great day!

We drove to Black Brook as I thought for sure the beach conditions would be perfect on such a perfect day.  As we walked down the hill to the beach area, we realized that there was no beach!  The tide was so high and it was so windy that the water was coming right up to the grass.  There was no way it was safe or ideal to swim there that day.  Off we went in search of another beach. That beach ended up being the little patch of soft sand by the wharves in Ingonish known as The Point.  The water was clear, warm and free of jellyfish and debris. It was lovely. 

Supper that evening was take-out by the ocean.  After a walk along that beautiful beach at North Bay, we headed back to the trailer at Jersey Cove. It was a clear, warm night so stargazing and sitting around the fire listening to music was in order.  The closer I am to nature, the better I sleep and that night I slept like a baby to the sounds of the trees rustling and the waves gently rolling ashore. I awoke to an adorable little hummingbird staring at me through the window right next to my bed. 

An Almost Ruined Beach Day Turned out to be one of the Best Days all Summer

The summer of 2022 was a strange one.  I was excited that Covid-19 was no longer a threat and the government had loosened restrictions so I was looking forward to getting back to beach days, road trips and camping excursions.  However, high gas prices, soaring inflation and work restrictions prevented me from having the summer I dreamed of while I was in pandemic isolation for the previous two years. 

Despite the hurdles, I vowed to take at least one day trip to my favorite beach, Inverness Beach in Western Cape Breton. I started to plan early because I knew I had a small window to work with when the weather would be nicest and I would have some time away from my work. I didn't care if anyone came with me or not so I didn't even try to plan the trip around anyone else's schedule.  I eyed the second week of August, I gave notice to my employer that would be taking a few days off and I got everything ready to go at a moment's notice.  My logic was that one of the days I choose to take off would be nice and I would be able to monitor the weather and head out on my way at a moment's notice when the winds and skies were just right.  Why plan a beach day if clouds, rain and wind is forecast?  I wanted the day to be perfect because I only had one chance. 

I chose the day and that day started out wonderfully.  Sunny, warm, not a cloud in the sky, at least not until I started getting closer to my final destination.  Grey clouds were moving in, the wind picked up and raindrops started to appear on my windshield. I pulled up to the beach hoping that at least the water was warm enough to keep some people swimming despite the weather but, much to my disappointment, everyone was leaving and soon there was no one left on the beach.  The surf was up and even the lifeguards didn't look like they wanted to be there.  

Thinking my beach day was ruined, I decided to try and make the best out of out anyway.  After all, I drove over two hours to get there. I stopped for a coffee in the little town of Inverness before driving toward Cheticamp. As I drove along the coast, the sky started to clear and the sun came out.  I saw cars parked along the road to Chimney Corner which I thought was strange since it had just been raining. I drove down to check it out anyway and a good thing I did; the beach was beautiful!  Low tide, no waves and all sand.  This beach is a little more sheltered than Inverness and that was my theory as to why it was so nice there.  The water was incredibly warm.  I stayed there in those warm waters for several hours, content that I got my beach day after all.  Chimney Corner is a close second when it comes to favourite beaches in this area of Cape Breton so I was perfectly fine spending the afternoon there.  

 Later that afternoon after I had walked the beach and dried off, I continued on to Cheticamp where I grabbed some Nachos from Le Gabriel and ate them on the boardwalk.  I looked off in the distance and could see nothing but clear skies towards Inverness.  The sunsets in Cheticamp are nice but the sunsets in Inverness are incredible. Inverness sunsets are one of my life's greatest joys and that day was my only chance to enjoy one that summer. I headed west and back to where I started.  I walked up to the edge of the dunes to check out the conditions of the beach and couldn't believe what I was seeing.  The seas were calm, the tide was fairly low, the horizon was clear and there were dozens of people in the water!  I didn't argue with myself for long.  I knew it was late and had to hit the road soon but I couldn't pass up this opportunity.  I grabbed my beach gear, changed into my swimsuit again, found a place in the soft, warm sand to make my base and immersed myself into that sparkling water.  The water was so clear I could see right to the bottom.  There's one thing I love more than Inverness sunsets; swimming toward those last rays of the sun and feeling as if I'm the last person on earth, one with the mighty ocean...and that's exactly what I did until the sky turned dark and the air turned cool and I made the long drive home.