An Early Fall Camping Trip in Cheticamp

It's not very often that I get a camping trip in after mid-September but the weather has been so nice this fall, I planned a last-minute camping trip to Cheticamp.

I was originally just going to go there to visit some friends but when I saw the forecast, I thought "what the heck" and booked a site for one night in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  It's a good thing I always leave my camping gear in the car until the end of fall, just in case. 

I left super early in the morning and grabbed myself a pumpkin spice latte for the road and took my time on the long drive to my campsite.  I did many of the shops on the other side of the Cabot Trail earlier in the week so I made a point to stop at a few on this side too.  

The Red Barn has always been a stop on family outings and now, as an adult, I always stop there too.  I found some good sales and bought a few Christmas gifts and gifts for myself before heading through the Margaree Valley and onto Chetimcamp. 

I made it to the campground mid-afternoon and started setting up the tent right away.  Better to get set up and out of the way before it gets cold and the flies come out. I got it put up in no time.  For a tent that was almost impossible to set up earlier in the summer when I first started using it, I've certainly gotten used to setting it up with no issues!

After everything was in the tent and ready for the night, I sat in my beach chair with a book and some snacks and relaxed for a bit.  Later that afternoon, I went for a drive through the town of Cheticamp and stopped at the beach on Cheticamp Island to watch the sunset.  On the way back, I took the Cheticamp Back Road and kept going past the campground into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park to see I could spot some wildlife.  

When I got back to camp, it was dark and a little chilly.  I changed into some warmer clothes and sat outside watching the clear night sky for a while.  When it became too cold and damp to sit out anymore, I got ready for bed and hopped into my thermal sleeping bag for the long, chilly night ahead. 

I admit, I didn't have the best sleep.  It was a little cold and uncomfortable but I made it.  Mornings are the worst after a cold night in a tent.  Everything was wet and the air was cold and damp.  I got dressed and hopped in the car with the heat up as high as it could go and drove into town for a hot coffee and a little drive along the shore. 

When I got back to my site, the sun was out and things had dried off a bit.  I started taking everything down.  After it was all packed up in the car, I headed back towards Cheticamp Island to meet my friend. 

The weather had forecast it to be warmer than it was so we thought we were going to go swimming.  Well, that didn't happen.  We went to Chimney Corner Beach and Whale Cove Beach but instead of swimsuits, we were wearing hoodies.  We walked both beaches, caught up on some gossip, cooked up some hotdogs and went our separate ways just at sunset.  

 

 

Sleeping in a Tent is one of my Summer Highlights

Nothing really ever changes at Broad Cove campground except one thing...how much harder it's getting to book the site I want!  I always book between my two favorite sites and for over 20 years, I've no issue booking one of the other. But, the last two years I either had to book months in advance or I had to book at another site. This year, I wasn't able to book well in advance so I had to make do with a site I wasn't familiar with.  I was disappointed but in the end, it worked out perfectly and now I have a third site that I can add to my favorites!

Another big change to my camping trip this year was I didn't have to worry about drafts and leaks.  My old tent had both but this year, I had a brand new tent to test out and it works perfectly.  In fact, I love it!  For one, it's huge.  Secondly, it has a "porch" separate from the main part.  It's big enough for my beach chair so I could sit in there away from rain and flies and read a book or go through pictures I took earlier in the day.  To make it even more cozy, I just hooked up a few little lights and it was like having a living room in my tent!

That camping trip couldn't have been more perfect.  I love the new tent, I loved the new site and the weather was amazing.  The site, by the way, was grassy, level and close to amenities such as washrooms.  The weather was hot and sunny the entire time and the flies weren't too bad.  I spent my days at the beaches, evenings eating takeout while watching the sun go down and nights walking around the campground and admiring the beautiful night sky filled with stars. 

There was no dew inside my tent the next morning which was something I wasn't used to.  Tear down was easy and I was packed up and ready to go in no time.  Not that I wanted to but I knew in a few weeks, I would be back.  Other adventures were awaiting me at home.  The only thing I don't like about busy summers is how quickly they fly by!

 

 

 

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!