On Top of Cape Smokey

Years ago, visitors to Ingonish in the warmer months could ride the chairlift to the top of Cape Smokey to get a view of the land and sea from above.  I never got the chance to do it before the service stopped.  

Now, that service is being offered again but it's much better than the old experience.  Now visitors can ride a gondola up the mountain and enjoy a range of other services that are included in a day pass.

I finally had the chance to make my way up to the top of Cape Smokey this August.  It was a spur-of-the-moment decision and, in hindsight, probably not the best decision considering what was going on at the time.  The day I decided to go was in the midst of a province-wide forest lock-out.  In other words, no one was allowed to enter the forest or have a fire anywhere or for any reason due to the dry conditions Nova Scotia endured this past summer.   

My friend and I arrived before the Gondola even opened and walked around the main lodge.  When the ticket booth opened, we got our lift tickets and free cookies and hopped on the gondola to take the scenic 8-minute trip to the top.  The view was amazing but I was not all that impressed with the experience at the top that day.  The only thing we could do was grab a beer, sit and enjoy the view and go back down.  For over 50 bucks, this didn't seem all that worth it but.  Considering that during other times when the forest is accessible, there are e-bike and kayak rentals and hiking trails available, I would definitely consider giving it another try.  

After our mountain adventure, we headed to Black Brook to do some swimming but the water was so rough, we ended up leaving and spending the rest of the afternoon swimming the clear, calm water at The Point.  After supper at the Seagull Restaurant, we made the drive back over the mountain...another thing ticked off my Cape Breton bucket list! 

 

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. 

The Point in Ingonish - One of the Best Views on Cape Breton Island

It's one of my favourite places to go in the evening when I'm not ready to head back to my campsite at Broad Cove near Ingonish.  The Point has one of the best views on the island - mountains surrounding the beautiful bay and just before dark, the mountains become silhouettes against the reds and purples leftover of a sun long gone down into the horizon. 

The breakwater at The Point near Ingonish.  I love this spot right before darkness falls.  I make a point to stop here on my way back to my campsite so I can watch the colorful sky turn black with millions of stars.  It truly is a magical place.  Sometimes I go to the end of the breakwater and sit on the rocks.  Sometimes I lie down in the sand on the little beach.

Ingonish is paradise!  I love this place!