A Chilly Late Spring Day Along the Coast of Framboise

They keep saying we are in for a hot summer here in Eastern Canada but we haven't seen much of that in Cape Breton yet! It's early June and I'm still wearing a winter jacket and mittens with rechargeable heaters in them. I even wore a toque on my walk the other day! But being cooped up in the house and at work all winter means I am itching to get outdoors and do some hiking so that's exactly what I did this past Friday. 

The forecast called for warm temperatures and sun but that's not exactly how the day went. Sure, it was quite warm when Dad and I left New Waterford and headed for Framboise but by the time I arrived and got out of the car, I had to trade my T-shirt for a heavy sweater, jacket and gloves. It was sunny, but that north wind off the water was relentless. 

The main goal of the trip was for Dad to do some fishing and for me to meet up with an old friend for a hike along the shore. We started the morning fishing the brooks along the stretch of highway between Forchu and Grand River. It was warmer up there away from the ocean but the black flies were quite hungry. Only one fish was caught and released. The last spot we tried, no fish were caught but we spotted something interesting in the water below. There were hundreds of Gaspereau swimming up river! I'd never seen this before and, I must say, it was worth getting eaten alive by flies to watch this amazing natural phenomenon. A few hours later when I returned to show my friend what we had seen earlier, they were all gone.  I guess it was just pure luck that they happened to be going upstream at that very moment in time. 

After we finished fishing, we drove down the long dirt road to Ferguson Beach to do some hiking along the ocean.  The beach was full of seaweed and it was high tide so we walked for quite a distance along the old, grassy trail above the beach.  When we reached the river, we had to turn back because the water was too high to cross.  In warmer weather, I would have just taken off my shoes and waded across but it was way too cold that day.  

When we reached the car, it was still too early to call it day and the sun was coming up and warming the air a bit.  So we just kept walking down the beach in the other direction until we reached another river crossing that was too high to cross.  

By this time, the wind had shifted and it was so warm, we took off our sweaters and jackets and lay down in the soft sand for a rest.  It didn't take long for the wind to shift back to the north and we were reaching for our sweaters and jackets again.  

We took a different route back to the car through a grassy meadow and onto an old wood road.  There were signs that wildlife had passed through, but all we saw were the footprints of coyotes and deer who had passed through not long before us.  

At the car, we sat and watched the ocean with some hot tea and muffins and headed back to the main road.  Of course, no day in Framboise is complete without a scenic drive to the little village of St. Peter's for some coffee, something to eat at Jigg's Takeout and a relaxing drive along the Bras d'Or Lakes. 

Sunburnt and tired, I must say, despite the flies and cold wind, it was a good day.  The more I think about it, world travel is not as much of a priority for me at the moment.  I'm sure I'll want to go back to exploring far-away places in the future but, for now, my little island has everything I need.  

 

 

Recapturing Childhood Memories at Broad Cove Campground

Broad Cove. Just the mere mention of this place brings back memories from long ago.  From a time when I camped there with friends and we roamed those grounds late into the night doing what kids did back than and what I wish kids would do more of now.  From a time when I was a teenager and my parents parked a used RV in the trailer section during the summers and I would travel back and forth in my '89 Honda Accord to enjoy the last few summers I had left before heading off to college in another province. 

Every year for as long as I can remember, I've spent at least a few days at Broad Cove Campground. For weeks leading up to this past summer, I tried to book two nights at my favorite campsite but it kept saying it was booked all season.  I waited it out and hoped the spot would open up later in the season.  And that it did!  In mid-August, I was able to snatch the site up and book it for my yearly stay at my childhood summer playground. 

I arrived at my site late morning and got started setting up camp right away so I could enjoy the rest of the day without worrying about setting set up later in the dark with the flies. 

After everything was set up, I relaxed for a bit on my beach chair with a book.  When my energy returned, I went for a drive towards Ingonish, grabbed some food, ate it on a picnic table at North Bay Beach and walked that long stretch of sand.  After a drive to Ingonish Beach and the Keltic Lodge, I returned to my campsite just before nightfall.  I changed into some warmer clothes and headed out for a walk around the sprawling grounds, remembering the days when I was young and my friends and I roamed the forest and paths. Hearing children and seeing them running and playing hide and seek made me happy to see that at least some kids were still enjoying the great outdoors! 

I walked around the trailer section first and than headed to the beach at the far end of the campground.  This is one of favourite places to be at night.  A wide open space right on the ocean.  As I stood and took in the sparkling night sky before me, a yellow glow appeared on the horizon.  A full moon was rising.  I stayed longer than I intended.  I'm not one to miss a moon rising over the ocean.  I don't see things like this at my house in town. 

I didn't need my flashlight as I walked back to my tent because the moon was so bright, it lit the way!  Back at camp, I opened a cold beer and sat in my chair and watched the night sky some more before turning in for the night.  While most people don't sleep all that well in a tent, I sleep like a log!  And that night, I slept right through the night without waking!

Chasing the Northern Lights in Cape Breton

It was a chilly fall night about 25 years ago.  Myself and some friends were driving on the dark, lonely highway towards Main-a-dieu on Cape Breton Island when something in the sky caught my eye.  Without thinking, I hit the brake and stared wide-eyed in fear at the strange dancing lights in the night sky ahead of me.  Silence fell over us until a voice from the back seat yelled "let's get the hell out of here".  He didn't have to tell me twice.  I turned around and with tires squealing, I sped in the opposite direction. We were convinced it was some kind of alien invasion or otherworldly catastrophic event.

Having never seen anything like that before, it was only natural that fear would be the initial reaction.  Now I know what I saw that night and when an opportunity arises to experience that again, I race towards it, not away from it.  

I now know what I saw that night all those years ago; I witnessed the incredible Northern Lights, otherwise known as the Aurora Borealis. 

Being a rare occurrence this far south, my sightings of the Northern Lights were limited to Instagram photos and tourism brochures for far-flung destinations.  I always wanted to go to Iceland or Northern Canada to see the lights and often looked up information about these destinations.  Those brochures always came with plenty of awe-inspiring images. Until recently, I never witnessed them again in the night skies above Cape Breton Island. 

It was just over a year ago that I discovered a Facebook page and associated app that was tracking sightings of the Northern Lights over Nova Scotia. Of course, I started to follow the alerts closely.  Every now and then, excited group members would post that the levels were alleviated and conditions were ideal for sightings.  Almost every time I saw these alerts, I'd get my camera gear ready and head out to a dark place to watch...and watch. Usually, it was too cloudy or there was just nothing there to see.  Sometimes I'd see members posting pictures of their sightings and realize that they'd been out earlier or later than me.  

Finally, I got my chance on May 10th.  The alerts came as usual but they came with the added alerts from local, national and even international news that the Northern Lights would be visible in many places that are normally too south to see them.  A solar storm was brewing and it was set to ignite the skies with a spectacular show that would be seen in many places all over the world.  Cape Breton was highlighted on the map as one of those places that had a high chance of witnessing this show. 

I got my camera gear ready, dressed warm and headed to a dark spot to wait and watch.  My first stop was Dominion Beach.  For a while, I saw nothing.  I wasn't sure if it was my eyes playing tricks on me but the sky started to turn a funny color.  I snapped a picture and posted it to the group; they were convinced it was the Northern Lights.  It wasn't quite dark enough to know for sure if that was what I was seeing.  I left and drove to Victoria Mines and set up in my Dad's backyard. I focused on the sky to the North. And there it was. The distinct green, purple and pink streaks flowing through the night sky.  I stood there in awe taking in the beautiful spectacle in front of me.  

My excitement was overwhelming which many people would find strange.  "It's just some lights" some would say.  But for a person like myself who thrives on new experiences and has deep a connection to the natural world, this was something that could not be taken for granted.  I get overly-excited over the littlest things.  Well, they're big things to me even if they are mundane to everyone else.  That's just who I am. 

A text alert on my phone snapped me out of sky -viewing mode.  A friend had seen the alert I posted earlier that day on Facebook reminding everyone to look north and she was wondering if I had seen the lights.  I sent her some of my pictures and she excitedly decided to head out to see them too.  I know I have a true match in a friendship when someone gets this excited about these little things that excite me.  It was 11:30 PM, close to my usual bedtime.  But in case you don't know me by now, my motto in life is "plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead....the time to live is now".  I never turn down an opportunity. I jumped in the car and met my friend in River Ryan where we got the Grand Finale of the Northern Lights show.  The green and purple lights danced over Lingan Bay for several minutes before stopping altogether.  Another example of how life often takes unexpected turns; for a day that started in the most mundane of ways, it ended as an unforgettable night.

Spectacular Mountain Views are in no Shortage on Cape Breton Island

Whether you are in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, cruising through the Margaree Valley or enjoying the views from the many scenic look-offs that are located around the Cabot Trail, mountain vistas are a common sight! Some of the most notable mountains on the island include:
 

Kelly's Mountain, which is located in the Trans Canada Highway, has two scenic look-offs and stunning views of the Seal Island Bridge. Elevation: 267 metres.
 

Cape Smokey Mountain, which is located along the Cabot Trail via Englishtown, is home to a provincial park, exciting hairpin turns and ocean views.  Elevation: 322 metres.
 

French Mountain, which is situated between Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, is mostly-known for being the location of one of Atlantic Canada's most iconic hiking trails, The Skyline Trail.  Elevation 430 metres. 

North Mountain features beautiful mountain views and, in the winter, is known for having giant snow squalls that easily tower over the tallest of vehicles. Elevation: 479 metres
 

MacKenzie Mountain features lovely views of Pleasant Bay.  Elevation 355 metres.
 

Franey Mountain, which is located in Ingonish, also has a scenic hiking trail and some of the best views around.  Elevation: 430 metres

It's a fairly steep climb to the top but the views from the trail on Franey Mountain are incredible.

My dad and I hiked the Franey Mountain Trail a few years ago and I can't wait to hike it again this fall!

The view from the Skyline Trail on French Mountain.

The view of Cape Smokey Mountain from Ingonish Beach

The Final Leg of my Costa Rica Adventure - A Night at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, a Mighty Volcano and my First Run-in with a Very Poisonous Snake

I arrived at The Arenal Observatory Lodge late in the evening after a bumpy drive along a dark, country road through the national park area. Check-in was easy and, fortunately, my room was ready and waiting for me. Although it was late, I still inquired as to whether the swimming pool was still open. To my surprise, it was so I checked into my room, changed into my swimsuit and enjoyed a relaxing dip in the pool. And why not? I had a long day, it was a beautiful, calm night with temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celsius even at that late hour and I had the pool all to myself.

If I hadn’t been so tired, I would have stayed awake longer and wandered around the lodge because it was so calm and quiet except for the sounds of howler monkeys and various tropical creatures that come out at night. However, my very spacious and comfortable room allowed some of those soothing sounds to seep in and those are the sounds I fell asleep to and woke up to. I awoke surprisingly early, around 5:30 to be exact, and retreated to my small back deck to admire the view of the sun rising with a perfect view of the volcano directly in front of me. The fog had lifted and I was able to see Arenal in it’s entirety! I didn’t realize the volcano was right there outside my window because it was too dark when I checked in and I was too disoriented to know exactly where it was. I guess you can say I truly had a room with a view!

It wasn’t until I actually left my room that morning that I was able to see the true beauty of the lodge and its lush, green, mountainous surroundings. The lodge itself was very clean, well-maintained and stylishly renovated while still maintaining a rugged, outdoorsy look and feel to match the vast wilderness that surrounded it. The grounds of the Arenal Observatory Lodge were big with many gardens, trails and green spaces. I didn’t have time to do all of the trails but I did do a guided nature hike later that morning. For a few hours, I wandered around the grounds taking more pictures, admiring the view and listening to the many interesting nature sounds around me. I was feeling a little uneasy about walking alone too far into the wooded areas for fear of snakes. The night before, my concerns about snakes were validated by a resort employee. I’m not a big fan of snakes so from that moment on, my sandals remained in my suitcase and sneakers, long pants and socks were my preferred attire despite the heat. I didn’t want to allow the possibility of meeting a snake completely stop me from venturing off into the rainforest so that is why I opted for the guided nature hike.

Breakfast, as were all of the meals I ate in Costa Rica, was absolutely delicious and filling with much to choose from at the buffet table. The view of the volcano from the restaurant just made it all that much more enjoyable. When I finished eating my breakfast, I met my fellow hikers and guide at 8:30am. For a couple of hours, I was able to enjoy the true serenity and pureness of the place. Tall trees, steep ravines, colorful plants, rolling fields, distant mountains, a suspension bridge, some wild turkeys and howler monkeys, a strange animal that I had seen a few times on my travels around the country but cannot recall the name of and a beautiful waterfall were some of the things I saw on that one short hike. As much as I didn’t want to come face to face with any snakes, I did get to see one – a very poisonous pit viper sleeping soundly on a branch. Thankfully, he didn’t wake up and I overcame my fear enough to get within a few feet of the lethal creature and take a few pictures before silently backing away and moving on. I expected a venomous and deadly snake to be much larger but it was quite small. We returned to the main lodge via a tractor, which was good because I was getting tired and overheated by that time.

There were a number of tours available at the lodge including bird watching tours, guided hikes, kayaking tours, horseback riding tours and white water rafting but, unfortunately, time didn’t allow me to avail of any of them. I had a plane to catch the next day in San Jose; that dreaded flight that would have me backtracking through Houston, Toronto and Halifax before reaching cold and snowy Cape Breton. But I did have some free time to wander the grounds of Arenal Observatory and visit the museum where I learned a lot about the area including the history and, of course, its most famous landmark, Arenal Volcano. Although the volcano wasn’t active while I was there, it was still amazing to be able to observe it and learn about it.

My drive back to San Jose arrived mid-afternoon and instead of backtracking on the same route I came to get there, my driver took a different route back to the city so I was able to see even more of the country. This route brought us over mountains and through heavily forested areas along very windy country roads, across the continental divide and onto a section of the Pan-American Highway before arriving back in the city. I didn’t get to see much of San Jose but that last night in the city, I decided to at least walk around the neighborhood of my hotel and see what was around. It was a typical city neighborhood with fast food joints, a mall and busy highways with overhead pedestrian crossings where I was able to get some pictures of the city. The worse part of my entire trip was the following day when I found myself back in airport lineups waiting for flights and dealing with the headaches that comes with flying and on top of that, not looking forward to disembarking my plane in Sydney, Nova Scotia where a fresh ten centimeters of white, fluffy and cold snow had just fallen the night before!

Into The Rainforest - La Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano

During my recent travels in Costa Rica, I was fortunate enough to be able to see many areas of the country. I started my journey in San Jose and made my way to Montezuma on the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific coast. I spent a week there before heading back to San Jose and catching a ride to a more northern region of the country in the area of La Fortuna. The biggest thing I noticed when I traveled from one area to the next was the diversity. The weather patterns were different, the scenery was different and while the Nicoya Peninsula was quite remote, La Fortuna seemed to have more tourists around but both areas were very uncrowded. That was one of the best things about Costa Rica; peace and quiet…an uncrowded paradise.

My transportation to La Fortuna, which was with Expeditiones Tropicales, arrived early the next morning and made the several hour journey to La Fortuna, making several stops along the way. The scenery was a stark contrast to what I had been surrounded by the previous week. While the Pacific Coast consisted of rugged, rocky coastline and beautiful sandy beaches, this more northern and inland region was mountainous with long, windy country roads, coffee plantations and was green with thick rainforest. The weather was much different too. After spending a week baking in very hot temperatures, the cooler and damper climate of the north was a much needed relief but it was still warm enough (the average year-round temperature is 25 degrees Celsius) not to snow like it was doing back home in Canada around that time.

I was able to see a lot of this part of the country while en route to La Fortuna and I noticed some very interesting things. I knew ziplining was a big thing in Costa Rica but I had not heard anything about the popularity of bungee jumping until we came across a very high bridge over a steep ravine with signs advertising the adventure sport. Had I known this, I might have planned to stop or take a side trip. I also would have booked a night at the Treehouse Hotel I spotted along the way. I’m sure there will be many more opportunities in the future! We passed through several small towns and villages before stopping at a souvenir shop to buy some locally-made treasures and test out some locally-grown coffee. The road from there was much like a roller-coaster with rolling hills and hairpin turns until we reached the town of La Fortuna and the main thing I wanted to see above everything else during my time in Costa Rica; Arenal Volcano. Before making the 12 kilometre drive around the volcano, we stopped to have a delicious meal at a roadside restaurant.

Unfortunately, it was foggy that day and I was unable to see the very top of Arenal and although I was able to get some very nice pictures, I had my fingers crossed that the next day, the fog would lift and I could get some better ones. A memorial was set up at the look-off to remember the 87 people who were killed when Arenal suddenly and violently erupted July 29th, 1968. The volcano was thought to be dormant at that time and a number of people were also injured and the three small villages of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís were buried.

I had little sleep the night before and all the walking I did that day was starting to wear me down so I was looking forward to the next stop; Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort and Hot Springs. These hot springs are located at the base of the volcano and are naturally heated by it. The resort itself is fairly big with a main lodge area, a gift shop and a restaurant. My immediate concern upon arrival was getting into my swimsuit, acquiring a towel and finding a quiet pool to relax in. Fortunately, there are lockers available so I was able to safely stow away all my belongings. Towels and drinking water were available too. I found a small, fairly shallow pool that was away from any crowds and submerged myself in the warm, relaxing, mineral-saturated water. There were signs warning guests not to stay in the water for long periods at a time, particularly if you have any underlying health problems. I don’t have any health issues that I am aware of and I didn’t have a watch so I was not too concerned with the length of time I spent soaking in those heavenly waters. However, when I did finally stand up to get out after what was probably an hour, I was overcome with light-headedness. This only lasted a few seconds and I felt like a million dollars for the rest of the afternoon.

There were a number of various-sized hot-spring pools all over the grounds so I spent a few hours walking around Tabacon taking pictures and admiring the pools, the beautiful gardens, bridges, waterfalls and archways. Being surrounded by so many large, tropical trees combined with the sounds of running water and various birds and insects made it seem like I was walking in a rainforest in the middle of nowhere. I came across the Grand Spa in my wanderings and wished I had the time to enjoy some of the services and treatments that were available. As a member of the Leading Spas of the World, there was no doubt in my mind that the services provided were world-class. "Refreshing Breeze", a service consisting of an Avocado wrap, back neck and shoulder massage and avocado and olive oil mini facial caught my attention on the spa menu. Then there was "Coffee Orange Parfait" which consisted of a coffee and orange exfoliation treatment, a Swedish massage and a honey yogurt mini facial which sounded like an indulgent dessert rather than a spa treatment and "Rainforest Caress", which consisted of a mud mask, mud wrap and Swedish massage and this sounded like the perfect way to end a long, tiring day. These luxurious treatments were available at a very reasonable price of $220.00. Many other individual treatments were also available including deep tissue massages, aromatherapy, waxing, volcanic mud wraps and facials ranging from $20.00 to $220.00.

By this time, I had been walking for quite a while and the heat was starting to get to me. I found the larger pool that offered a more refreshing and cooler water temperature and jumped in for one last dip before dinner. I met up with a few people who had come on the same bus as me and found out that they would be having dinner at the same time as me. Traveling alone usually means eating alone a lot of the time so whenever I am fortunate enough to meet some nice, friendly people to enjoy a meal with, it is always a treat. Eating alone is not so bad in your hotel room but in a large dining area filled with couples and families, it can be lonely and sometimes even intimidating and uncomfortable. But not this night; I had the opportunity to enjoy one of the best meals I had on my entire trip surrounded by some very nice people from all over the world which lead to some interesting conversations in several different languages. That’s one of my favorite things about traveling; meeting people from all over, hearing their languages, discovering what their lives are like back home and sharing my experiences here in Canada with them. These conversations are always so enlightening and interesting and some of my best learning experiences came from conversations like this in random places in faraway lands. The buffet dinner I enjoyed that night consisted of everything you could imagine and, even as a self-proclaimed picky eater and vegetarian, I had no problem filling my plate…twice, plus dessert.

I parted ways with my group immediately after dinner as they were headed back to San Jose. As for me? I was sticking around the area for a bit and spending the night at The Arenal Observatory Lodge where the next and last leg of my Costa Rican Adventure began.