And Just Like....Summer is Almost Over for Another Year

It's been such a busy summer that I didn't have time to post about any of the wonderful things I've been doing!  I'm never home except to sleep or get ready for work.  Most days, I head out somewhere to do something immediately after work.  I pack a lunch, take it to work with me, store it in the fridge and it's fresh and ready to eat on the way to whatever adventure awaits.  No time wasted here.  Summer is short and I enjoy every moment of it.  That means my laptop is hardly ever turned on.   

It seems like just yesterday I was packing up my car with camping, swimming, hiking and paddling gear.  I finally broke down and bought an action camera to capture all the memories I knew were coming with all the things I had planned and family coming home from Alberta and I swapped my winter clothes and gear for warm weather adventures. And now it's the end of August already.  They say time flies when you're having fun.  I can certainly say that there's plenty of truth to this because I had an incredible summer.  

Summer was interesting in Cape Breton this year as we saw the province implement a very strict fire ban that also banned anyone from entering forested areas to prevent wild fires.  Nova Scotia and the rest of eastern Canada has seen some pretty big fires recently and one here would be devastating in so many ways.  

The extreme heat and dry conditions started early and I almost had to endure the entire summer with no air conditioning in my car!  Fortunately, I was able to get it fixed before I took any long road trips. While it was a bummer to not do any hiking, I found plenty of things to do outside the woods.  Paddleboarding on the Mira, swimming at Dominion, Black Brook and Ingonish beaches, scenic drives around the Cabot Trail and to Main-a-Dieu, roaming the streets and alleys of the Fortress of Louisbourg, hanging out in Iona with the family, riding the gondola at Cape Smokey, sunset walks by the ocean, swimming in my sister's pool, a long weekend in Margaree and Cheticamp, taking in the festivities at Festiville Baddeck, enjoying a visit from my sister who came all the way from Alberta and, of course, watching my little nephew growing up and learning new things. 

Although the calendar might say summer is winding down and signs of it are all around - leaves are starting to change, kids are heading back to school and the lifeguards and are on their final shifts at the beaches - I still have summer-like activities planned for weeks to come!  This weekend, I plan to go camping in the Highlands and I'm hoping for warm enough weather to do some swimming at some of my favourite beaches.  Paddleboarding on the Mira is done for the year but I'm thinking of trying out the dragon boat paddling that's being offered nearby.  When the woods reopens, I hope to get to the top of the gondola at Cape Smokey in Ingonish to do some hiking, kayaking and biking.  In mid-September, I'm taking a road trip to Mahone Bay.  

The only thing missing this summer and the one I will miss the most if it doesn't happen is my annual camping trip in Framboise with Dad.  Because of the fire ban, we were unable to go.  If it lifts very soon, we might get a late-summer trip in but it doesn't look good.  Dad doesn't like camping later in the summer as the nights get too cold.  If the fire ban doesn't get lifted in the next couple of weeks, I might convince him to just suck it up and camp in the Provincial campground in St. Peters for the night.  At least we can say we got out and we are close to all the things we like doing in that area. 

 

A Weekend at Rita's Retreat

As a child, I got a kick out of driving up the long driveway in Coxheath, Cape Breton and admiring that beautiful home with the well-manicured lawn and indoor swimming pool. "look, I think that's her in the kitchen" my mother quipped one day.  "Her" being renowned Cape Breton singer/songwriter Rita MacNeil.  Every time we went for a family Sunday drive, us kids would be in the back seat chiming "can we drive around Rita's mansion?". And that's what we would do. No one seemed to mind us taking a little peak.  Just a young, nosy family out for a drive, trying to catch a glimpse of a local celebrity.

 Years later, Sunday drives with my parents were replaced by coffee runs and aimless road trips with friends.  For many years, I didn't lay eyes on that beautiful home in Coxheath.  It wasn't until June of 2022 that I would get to see the house again and even sleep inside! 

I received a call from my friend inviting me to a party that was taking place at an Airbnb in Coxheath. After not getting out much for more than 2 years due to Covid, I jumped at the chance to get out of the house and do something different and see some people I haven't seen in a long time. Curious as to where exactly the Airbnb was so I would easily find it when the time came, I searched for the address on Google Maps. That's when I learned that I would be staying at that house I used to beg my parents to drive by on those long ago family drives!

I drove up to the house and it was almost exactly as I remembered it. I couldn't wait to get inside! I always imagined what it would look like inside and I have to say, I was quite impressed!  As an Airbnb, Rita's Retreat has everything!  Well, first of all it's huge!  The main house where I stayed had several bathrooms, a games room, a huge fully-equipped kitchen, dining room, piano room, sun porch, and large patio. However, the best part was the indoor swimming pool!

There was drinks and pizza around the dining room table before venturing to the bottom of the hill to sit around a campfire. Even though it was quite late when I returned to the house, I couldn't resist a late-night swim in the beautiful pool. 

All in all, I strongly recommend anyone local looking for a beautiful place to host an overnight event like a family reunion or any large families traveling in Cape Breton to book this amazing property but I hear it's quite popular and can book up quickly!