So Many Places are Near and Dear to my Heart

Wreck Cove General Store – I have made the trip from Lingan to Ingonish hundreds (maybe even thousands!) of times and have stopped at this store every single time. It’s tradition. The store has been there since I can remember and it hasn’t changed since the first time I stopped. That’s why I like it – it never changes. The outside is rugged and old-fashioned and so is the inside. When I walk in there, it’s like I’m walking into the past, into one of those old ma and pop stores I used to frequent when I was kid but have all since disappeared. Even if I don’t need to buy anything, I go in and look around and have a friendly chat with the cashier or walk around outside to stretch my legs. If that store were ever to close, the drive to Ingonish would never be the same again!

Kananaskis Country – As I was driving through the Rocky Mountains near the town of Canmore, I stopped to take a break and noticed a gravel road near a reservoir that looked like it went right up into the mountains. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I don’t pass up too many opportunities – especially ones that involve me driving up roads that I’ve never been on before. I didn’t know it at the time but I found out later that the area I drove into (and got lost in, of course) was known as Kananaskis Country. There was a maze of roads up there and it didn’t take long for me to get lost. But that was ok because the scenery was out-of-this-world, like nothing I had ever seen before. And there was no one else around! I didn’t see a single other human being during the many hours I wandered that remote region. The air was crisp, there wasn’t a breath of wind and the only sounds were of birds chirping and trees rustling. It was like I was the only person left on the planet.

The Fairy Hole – Hard to get to but well worth the trip! Tucked away in a far corner of the Bras d’Or area, at the end of a long dirt road is the fairly difficult trail leading to one of Cape Breton’s best kept secrets. The trick to getting the most out of a visit? Go when the tide is low. So that is what I did. I arrived at the trailhead late in the afternoon and made the hike down to a small, rocky beach. From there, I had to swim through some very rough waters filled with giant boulders to an entrance in the side of the cliff. I was tossed about and came out bruised and cut but made it through that entrance to be greeted by a site that was almost fairytale-like; a round pool of deep blue water protected by large rocks and cliffs so the raging waters of the bay could not disturb me. The most eerie thing about the swimming hole was how warm the water was for that time of year compared to the water raging just a few feet away. It was October, not a time of year that is great for swimming in Atlantic Canada. The other eerie thing was the deep, dark cave that lurked right above the swimming hole. I didn’t dare go in since the tide was coming up but it’s on my list! I did, however, enjoy the warm waters of that spectacular swimming hole for a couple of hours.

Bell Island – Another island within an island. Bell Island is located about a half-hour boat ride from Portugal Cove on the bigger island of Newfoundland. I decided, on the spur of the moment one day, to take a little day trip over to the little island I often admired from the shore at Topsail Beach. There was a small town with a museum and some resting areas but it was the leisurely drive on the one road that went completely around the island that really made the trip worthwhile. There were hardly any other cars around so it was like I had the entire island to myself as I drove the windy road and admired the surrounding view. I pulled over at a little park by the water with some trees and a little beach and just sat there in the sun until the last ferry crossing of the day took me back to the other side.

St. Anne’s Loop – There is an option to take the ferry at Englishtown to get across the bay to the North Shore but I almost always take the long way. Why do I chose to waste time and gas to go the long way around? Because I don’t see it as a waste of time or gas. This scenic loop takes me about forty-five minutes out of my way but it is worth every minute. The road is windy and almost free from potholes (which makes it very fun to drive!), it is almost always deserted (which means I have the road to myself to drive as slow or as fast as I please!), there is a quiet little picnic park to stop and rest and there are frequent views of the bay through the trees. When the moon is full, sometimes I drive to St. Anne’s just to go around that loop and back home again because there is just something about that road on a clear, moonlit night that makes it perfect for summer night cruise.

Fortress of Louisbourg – As a child, the Fortress of Louisbourg, a reconstructed 18th century fortress on Cape Breton Island, was like a giant playground. There were so many buildings and rooms to explore, places to hide and walls to climb. Today, it is still like that to me. Although I have explored those buildings and exhibits over and over again over the years, I still love to go to the fortress at least once a year to just wander those gravel streets and imagine what it must have been like to live in such an interesting time in history.

Under the Seal Island Bridge – Anyone who has driven on the Trans-Canada Highway through Cape Breton has gone over the Seal Island Bridge, that massive structure that makes it possible to pass that body of water that cuts between Kelly’s Mountain and Boularderie Island. Some people are afraid of crossing over it because it is so high and narrow and is said to sway on very windy days. Other people, like myself, love crossing it! Recently, I discovered something else to love about the bridge – that there is a way for me to get underneath it and experience it in a while new way. I love being able to crawl underneath the workings of the bridge for the simple fact that hundreds of people are driving right above me and have no idea that I am there. It’s also cool under there on hot days and the view is amazing!

California/Nevada Border – I’ve only been there once but there was just something about crossing over that state line that gave me a sense of achievement. As a child growing up in Canada, California was this magical place with beaches, sunshine, parties and happy people. This is what flashed across TV screens and was highlighted in books and magazines. I just always wanted to go to California and experience that for myself. I reached that point on that deserted, lonely, desert highway mid-day and stopped to take in the moment and, of course, get a picture of the sign saying I had reached the threshold of the two states. Crossing that state line fulfilled a childhood dream…even if I only went as far as Death Valley National Park!

That Long Sandy Beach in the Magdelan Islands – I always wanted to travel to the Magdelan Islands, the archipelago that lies between Prince Edward Island and Quebec in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the place my great-grandparents hailed from. I finally got that chance in 2009 and had no idea what to expect before I arrived. I was mesmerized by the scenery and relaxed way of life on the islands but I most intrigued by a sandy beach I discovered quite by accident. The main highway passing through the main island is lined by sandy beaches but driver’s are unable to see them because they are hidden behind giant sand dunes that line the highway. I noticed foot paths leading over the dunes in some places and decided to park the car and follow one over to the other side. I’ve been to the southern United States and the Caribbean and have yet to see a beach as spectacular as the one I found that day. Long with soft, white sand and warm, blue waters. The best part? It was completely and totally deserted!

The Beach in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico – To some people, a beach is a beach and they are all the same. To me, every beach I’ve ever visited had something unique and the beach lining the town of Playa Del Carmen was quite different from many of the beaches I have visited. During the day, locals and visitors congregated together on the beach which was lively with music, volleyball games and people out to enjoy the nice weather and relax. By night, it was something different. The long, sandy stretch was a welcome alternative to a night spent in a nightclub or hotel room watching TV. Each night during my visit, I took my place in the warm sand and listened to the sounds and smells around me. Gentle waves rolling ashore and Mexican music and the smell of freshly cooked local fare coming from the beachside restaurant behind me. I couldn’t imagine spending my evenings in the town any other way!

Some more of my Favorite Places

A couple of weeks ago, I began writing a post about some of my favorite places on earth and realized that they would not all fit into that one blog post that I posted...so here the continuation of that list!

Mary Anne Falls – Two fairly large waterfalls, one on top of the other, located high up in the mountains of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park and surrounded by trees, a crystal clear brook and pure, pristine nature. What is there not to like? During week days in the summer, when everyone is still at work and I know there will not be a lot of people around, I make that slow, steep drive up to the falls and spend the entire afternoon there. I relax on some rocks with the sound of the falls lulling me to semi-unconsciousness. I swim in the cold, deep waters of the pool below the falls. I hike to the look-off that overlooks the falls. I walk along the brook, deep into the forest and just enjoy the quiet and peaceful surroundings of this almost untouched area of the park…and it really is like heaven on earth!

Blacketts Lake – I don’t actually hang out at Blacketts Lake, I drive around it. It’s one of my favorite coffee routes when I am in the Sydney area and, although it is a fairly short drive, there is hardly ever any traffic, the area is scenic and, at night, there are hardly any lights which makes it a great little drive on a clear night when the stars are out or there is a full moon.

Lot 87 at Broad Cove Campground – My family has been camping at Broad Cove campground in Ingonish for many years. I discovered Lot 87 one of the first times I started camping on my own and it has become my home-away-from-home. The lot is close to everything I need at the campground in an area where there are usually other campers nearby so I am not completely alone. The lot has a picnic table and two trees spaced perfectly apart to allow me to rig a clothes line and the public fire pits are only a few yards away which means I can hear the happy sounds of people singing campfire songs and smell marshmallows roasting through the evening.

Playa Santa Fe – I love to get lost and this beach is one example why I love getting lost. Some of the best places I have found while traveling were found after I had lost my way, including Playa Santa Fe. I found this beach quite by accident when I took a wrong turn while walking around the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico. Giant sand dunes, palm trees, turquoise water and a long, stretch of soft, white sand that went on for what looked like miles. What else could I ask for? Seclusion? Yup, it had that too…I was the only person on the beach! And, oh yeah, there was a small hut hidden in between a couple of giant dunes with a friendly local serving chilled Cerveza.

Signal Hill – I didn’t know anyone when I first moved to St. John’s, Newfoundland. Fortunately, I had a car and was able to provide myself with some entertainment during those first lonely days in the city. I drove for hours, trying to learn my way around the city and, in the process, found a great place not far from my apartment to just hang out and get out of the house. Signal Hill is known as a popular meeting place for locals but for me, it was an escape. I went there to admire the spectacular view of the city from high atop that hill or to gaze out into the vast ocean on the other side. I could park there for hours just people-watching and listening to the distant sounds of the city below.

The Lone Sheiling – I first experienced The Lone Sheiling when I was a child but it was after I started exploring Cape Breton on my own that I really felt a connection to the place. The Lone Sheiling is more than just a little hut on the side of the highway. There is a short walking trail that winds down into a little valley where some of the tallest and most beautiful trees create an almost fairy-tale-like atmosphere. The very green and lush forest is alive with plant life and little critters scurrying around and a brook runs through the area and makes for the perfect place to relax with my feet in the water and not a soul around to bother me.

Death Valley National Park – Desolate, quiet, vast, sunny and insanely hot. Most people would probably think I’m crazy to have fallen in love with such an unforgiving landscape but there was just something about Death Valley that had me awestruck. Perhaps it is because it’s so vastly different from the landscape that I am used to back home in Canada or maybe it was that surreal feeling I got while driving along those lonely roads through an area of North America made famous in so many movies and so many real life events…some of them quite notorious.

The corner of Lingan Rd. and Lingan Beach Rd – My old house. I lived there from the time I was 5 until I was 20. I moved out and returned when I was 32 and lived there for another year and a half. I still drive passed it everyday but another family lives there now so I can’t actually go on the property and wander around like I once did. Now, I can only admire it from the road as I drive by or visit it in my dreams. I spent the best childhood any kid could ask for in that house and the surrounding property. There were woods, gardens, tree houses, a huge front and back yard and a hill in front that we used to sleigh down. The house itself is large but cozy and, although the new owners have no doubt changed the interior, I will always remember it the way it was.

Quidi Vidi Village – This tiny little village tucked away in a little corner of the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland was one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon when I lived there…and is still one of my favorite places to visit when I happen to be in town. Colorful little houses along the water, boats lining the small harbour and coming and going throughout the day, a walking trail that runs along the scenic coast and a little rocky beach that no one seems to know about where I can lay in the sun with a book and the sounds of the ocean. The best thing about Quidi Vidi Village is it seems like you are in the middle of nowhere when you are there. It looks like a typical outport town in rural Newfoundland except it is in the middle of a capital city!

Kidston Island – Or the “island within an island” as I like to call it, is located just a little ways offshore from the village of Baddeck in central Cape Breton. I liken this place to being shipwrecked on a deserted island. After the little shuttle ferry drops me off at the island, I am quite literally stranded (well, until the boat comes back a few hours later but it’s nice to pretend!) and I usually have the island to myself except for a few people on the little stretch of beach. I hike the trail that winds all around the island and relax on the benches that overlook Baddeck Bay where Bald Eagles are often spotted and beautiful yachts float around the harbour. I like to wonder who is in those yachts as, rumor has it, quite a few Hollywood celebrities travel to Baddeck to get away from their hectic lives in the spotlight.

Memorable Places

I have been lucky in my life in that I’ve had the opportunity to see and experience so many wonderful places and so much of the beauty that this planet has to offer…So I decided to compile a list of those places to share with the world and to bring me back to the times I spent in those places. Many of them are located around my hometown. Others are located in the city I lived in for over ten years. Some are located in far-flung locations far away from my home. Some of these places encompass a very small area and are a simply places where I like to watch the sunset or gaze upon the ocean. Many of them are not really places at all; they are favorite stretches of highways, coastal drives or bus routes. Below are my some of my favorites but since it is such a long list, I will post them in a multi-part series:

PART 1

The Point – This is one of my all-time favorite places on the entire planet and I only have to drive for two hours to get there. Located in the heart of Ingonish in the Cape Breton Highlands, The Point is more than just a fishing wharf. It’s a meeting place, a central location in the town…and it’s where one can witness some of the best sunsets and moon rises around. Bonus: Majestic Cape Smokey Mountain looms in the background along with a spectacular vista consisting of mountains surrounding a beautiful bay that includes Ingonish Island. A breakwater juts out into the bay and I love to walk to the end of it and sit on the rocks and watch the sun disappear into the horizon and the moon climb high into the sky.

The bench Above Broad Cove Beach – Atop a cliff overlooking this rocky beach is a bench that I’ve spent many a summer evening just staring out at the ocean – watching whales, watching the sun set, watching the moon rise. On some nice summer days, I bring a book or a notepad and do some writing. On many a warm summer’s night, I cuddle up with a blanket and watch the waves roll in the beam of the moonlight while the smell of campfires and roasting marshmallows and hotdogs fill the air and coyotes howl in the distance. A few times, I even fell asleep on that bench to the relaxing sounds of those waves as they came ashore below me.

Lingan Wharves – I moved to Lingan when I was only five years old, moved away to another province at the age of twenty and moved back at age 31 but the wharves in Lingan have always been a favorite place for me whenever I found myself at home. I only have to walk for about two minutes to sit on a dock with my feet dangling over the water, relax on the picnic benches overlooking the beach or climb to the top of the cliffs above the beach to get a better view of the entire area. This place brings back so many good memories of my childhood and the fun us kids had skipping rocks at the beach, fishing off the docks, climbing the cliffs, jumping ice clampers in the bay (I do not advise anyone try this!) and building rafts out of salvaged wood we found on the beach to attempt to float out into the bay (I DEFINITELY do not recommend anyone try this). But, despite our adventurous and, sometimes dangerous endeavors, we survived…and we grew older and moved away but the wharves have not changed a bit!

The parking lot at the Keltic Lodge in Ingonish – Another great view in the scenic town of Ingonish. This parking lot faces the water overlooking the bay. During the day, it’s a great place to sit and watch the boats coming and going or imagine what it would be like to row out to that little island in the middle of it all. At night, it’s a great place to stargaze or watch the moon’s reflection shimmer over the water. On weekends, wedding receptions take place at the hall across the street and it can be quite entertaining to just sit and watch the drunken revelers come out into the parking lot slurring, singing and dancing without a care in the world. Over the years, this parking lot also became a bit of a safe have for me. I don’t like to sleep in my tent during lightning storms, so as soon as I hear a crack of thunder or flash of lightning nearby, I drive away from the storm and to that parking lot where I can watch the zigzagging streaks light up the sky over the water.

Dominion Beach – My family spent many summer days at this beach when I was a kid. It was one of the most popular beaches in Nova Scotia back than. A new boardwalk swept along the ocean, well-groomed paths led to the beach and a road led all the way to the end of the sand bar and cars would be parked all along it. Thousands of people congregated on that beach on an average day but over the years, many people moved out west to work, the beach fell to disrepair and people started frequenting other nearby beaches. Some work was done over the years to bring the beach back to its old self. People started to trickle back but nowhere near the numbers that once did. I continue to go there summer after summer for a number of reasons; It’s sandy, it’s long, it makes for the perfect morning walk or run, its almost always deserted, the sunsets are spectacular and there is a family of foxes that make their home near the boardwalk and come out to play at dusk. At night, I love to just sit in the sand and listen to the sounds of summer and watch the stars and the moon overhead.

Cemetery in ? – I discovered this place quite by accident one day while I was out for my daily coffee. Instead of just driving around town, I decided to go for a longer drive to a village further away. When it came time to turn around and head back home, I turned into a driveway that was actually a cemetery. I don’t want to say which cemetery it is because I discovered something there that I would like to keep a secret from as many people as possible. No offense, it’s just that what I discovered is something I don’t want to see disturbed. You see, when I looked up into the large trees in the middle of the graveyard, I noticed a large nest. There were two bald eagles nearby, obviously the owners of this large nest. There was no one else in the area at the time and I have no idea how many people know about the nest but, since it is occupied by two beautiful eagles who’ve carved a cozy and quiet home away from crowds, I would like to see it stay that way for their safety and well-being. I do return to that cemetery often to check on my feathered friends and every spring, there are new additions to the family! I’ve spent hours watching them in and around the nest with their young ones, hunting for food and bringing it back to the nest and pushing them to learn how to fly until finally, they set off to find their own territory, leaving the parents with, yet again, an empty nest.

The lifeguard chair at Ingonish Beach – Ingonish Beach is supervised during the day in the summer months but in the evenings, the lifeguard chair is empty. This chair is located at the main area of the beach just behind the parking lot and provides a spectacular view of the ocean, Cape Smokey Mountain, Middle Head Peninsula, The Keltic Lodge and the entire beach. Some evenings, I love to grab a coffee and drive to the beach just before sunset and if no one else raced me to it, I climb to the top of the chair and park myself there to watch the sun go down, the moon come up and the stars appear overhead. These visual delights, combined with the sounds of crickets in the nearby lake and the waves crashing ashore are something I can only describe as therapeutic!

Morrison Beach – Long, deserted, sandy, beautiful. Describes a typical beach one would see in the Caribbean…but wait, it’s not in the Caribbean at all, it’s on the south coast of Cape Breton Island in a remote area of the island that not many locals are even familiar with. I go to this beach for many reasons. One, I have been going there since I was a child and have very fond memories of it. Two, I am usually the only person there. Three, wildlife is plentiful and it is not out of the ordinary to see seals, deer, fox, bald eagles and coyotes all in one day. Four, the surf is wild and the sound of those large waves hitting shore is so relaxing.

Cheticamp Cemetery – I know a cemetery sounds like an odd place to just chill but this cemetery, in particular, has special meaning to me. My mom grew up in Cheticamp so many of my relatives have been laid to rest there, including my grandfather. I never met him. He passed away at a very young age when my mom was just a baby but I go to that cemetery every once and a while to find his headstone and repaint the wording on it because it fades over time. My mom recently passed away and this mini pilgrimage has taken on a whole new meaning as she once did this with her father’s gravestone too and now it’s been passed down to me. The view from the cemetery is also spectacular and the area is quiet and remote so I know no one will ever bother me there.

The Old Plot of Land in Framboise – Once upon a time, a little cabin rested on a small plot of land on a dirt road in a remote and isolated area of Cape Breton. Framboise was always my dad’s favorite place so, naturally, he purchased a little bungalow that became a little home-away-from home. That little home is no longer there but the plot of land is. It is overgrown with weeds and shrubs now but I can still find it because every time I drive down that road, waves of nostalgia come over me as I approach that place where I spent much of my childhood. Visions of the bats that used to fly out from behind the shutters when they were opened, the guitar pillow and other knick knacks that were left behind by the previous owner start flooding back. The sound of those old floors creaking echo in my head. Then I see that familiar little place where my sisters and I used to play and remember how much fun I had there as a child.

The Bean Barn – I always use to say I wanted to, one day, open a coffee shop in Ingonish. Well, someone else beat me to it! But, although it wasn’t me who opened The Bean Barn Cafe in the center of the town, I’m glad someone finally did because that was the one thing that was lacking in Ingonish. I spend a lot of time in that area. I love coffee and before The Bean Barn, I had to drive to Baddeck or Cheticamp for a half decent cup. I love coffee shops but hate the noise and informal atmosphere at large coffee chains so this place provides a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. And because I am a freelancer, I take my work with me when I travel and this coffee shop is the perfect place to spend a few hours writing from my laptop with a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade carrot cake!

The lighthouse in the Magdelan Islands – Although I’ve only been there once, my time there was unforgettable. I always wanted to travel to the Magdelan Islands and so did my mom so we took a trip there in 2009 and it ended up being the last, long road trip I took with Mom because she passed away not long after. The memory I have of that spectacular evening is made that more special by that fact. The lighthouse is located on the main island at the far, south end near a little ice cream truck. We traveled to that area of the island after supper one evening with the intention of getting some ice cream and heading back to our campground but the sight of that lighthouse perched over the water with the sun about to set was too much to pass up. We spent a few hours sitting on the rocks and watching the sun go down over the horizon…and that sunset was definitely in the top five sunsets I have ever watched!