Tag: Cape Breton

Posted on in Historical, travel

Today’s travel hack: catch a ferry

Ferry approaching the beach at Deer Island NB

Whenever I travel, I like to take a ferry. Ferries are a great way to see a city or area from the water. They can break up a long drive, or give you some downtime after a long day on foot. Best of all they are usually very cheap or even free and you often meet some interesting people on board.

Last week, when I was in Halifax, I took the ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth for $3. It was interesting to see the preparations for Sail GP, one of the largest sailing events in the world and all the naval ships in the harbour. My friends who live there were telling me they’ve seen increased activity since Canada has committed to spending more on our national defence.

On the ferry ride home, I met two of the crew members from the British crew competing in Sail GP. Their home base was on the Dartmouth side, but they were staying in Halifax. They are currently in second place in the circuit, hoping to bump the Aussies out of first place. I asked them what their life was like. The racing season starts in January and goes until November. They travel to 13 different countries, staying a little over two weeks in each spot, all expenses paid. Their favourite courses to race are Sydney, Australia, New York and Halifax and their least favourite was Dubai. What a life!  

In February, Dave and I took the ferry from the one side of the Bosphorous in Istanbul to our home base in Taksim for about $2.50 each. The ferry system in Istanbul is extensive and we had great views of the Maiden’s Tower, an ancient watchtower and all the boat traffic from fishing boats to tour boats, high end power boats and commercial vessels in the busy harbour.

Here are some of my favourite ferries I’ve taken in the past few years on my travels:

  • The ferry from Armadale to Mallaig in the Isle of Skye in the highlands in Scotland. Last summer, my best friend Leslie and I saw dolphins right off the boat.
  • The cable ferries in Cape Breton in Englishtown and Little Narrows. Cable ferries are a throwback to earlier days when ferries were manually propelled with a crank or by pulling on a cable. There are about 65 still operating in Canada.
  • If you’re visiting Kingston this summer, be sure to hop on the free Wolfe Islander to see Kingston by the water. Stop at Spicer’s Dockside Grill or the Hotel Wolfe Island for a drink or something to eat on their waterfront patios.
  • The two ferry trip from L’etete, New Brunswick (between Saint John and St. Andrews by the Sea) to Deer Island and Campobello Island. The second ferry is privately owned and is a riot because you literally drive onto a beach to get onto the ferry.

More travel hacks and tips:

  • The Canadian government has dropped the fares by half for ferries to Newfoundland this summer.
  • If you’re travelling down east and need a break from all the driving, take the ferry from Digby, NS to Saint John, NB.
  • Longer distance ferries book up fast so book well in advance and pay attention to the time you need to be there (most are 1 hour in advance, the Newfoundland ferries are 2 hours). If you arrive late, you may miss your spot. This happened to us a few years ago catching the ferry from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast in BC.
  • Today is the last day for Sail GP in Halifax. You can catch all the action on the Sail GP YouTube channel.

Happy sailing!

Photos: Above: ferry landing on the beach on Deer Island, NB. Below: Ferry traffic on the Bosphorous in Istanbul and view of Galata Tower in Taksim district. Navy ship in Halifax harbour.

Ferries in Istanbul harbour
View of Galata Tower in Taksim district from the Bosphorous
Navy ship and a barge in Halifax harbour
Posted on in community, humour, travel

Down east sayings to make you giggle

Man holding bottles of wine
Terry with his favourite wines

The West is beautiful, but you can’t beat the warmth, humour and light o’ life attitude of Easterners.

When we arrived in Antigonish a few weeks ago to spend a few days with Danette’s parents, her Dad Terry greeted us with a big hug and holding two bottles of wine in his hands, Four Skins and Kiss Me Arse.

The next day Terry walked out wearing a t-shirt that said, “It’s all shits and giggles until someone giggles and shits”.

We visited one little fishing wharf where every building had a funny sign on it, some even upside down. There was The Lost and Found Bouys shack and the Little River Fisheries and Heritage Museum, Closed for Innovations.

Lost and Found Bouys fishing shack

We sure had lots of giggles on our trip and thankfully not the shits. We learned “The older the crab, the tougher its claws” and if someone was running late, they were “off like a herd of turtles”.

Yes, we can all learn a thing or two about keeping life light and happy from our friends down east. And remember, if yer not happy where yer is, yer never will be happy where yer to.

Long may your big jib draw. Til next week…

Sign on lobster shack
Posted on in Uncategorized

Explore a National Park

acadia national park beach at sunset
Exploring the tide pools at sunset outside Seawall campground, Acadia National park

Yesterday we returned home from two weeks down east. We spent time in Quebec City, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Maine. By far, our favourite days were exploring our continent’s beautiful national parks.

In the United States, the National Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The first National Park in the United States was Yellowstone in Wyoming. In Canada, our national park system is even older—the first national park established in Canada was Banff National Park in 1885. Dave and I have been to both of these remarkable places and I encourage you to go.

On this trip, we explored three national parks—Kouchibougouac National Park in New Brunswick, Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia and Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine.

ocean inlet
Inlet at Kouchibougouac National Park in New Brunswick

On our last night camping in Acadia, we went to a talk given by the park ranger called “National Treasures: the story of our national parks”. The reasons why these unique places were preserved was because a select few people, visionaries, recognized the importance of preserving these important ecosystems while at the same time, making them accessible to people to enjoy for generations to come.

The park ranger asked an interesting question. What if one hundred years ago, these same people had designated Niagara Falls a national park? How different would that landscape and experience be? It was a theme Dave and I discussed several times this trip after visiting places like Peggy’s Cove, a quaint fishing village now overrun with tour buses and tourists.

This week’s #HappyAct is to explore a national park. Pitch a tent and gaze at the stars or just explore for a day. See why these incredible places have been designated national treasures and commune with nature.

Instead of trying to describe these magical places in words, I’ll share their beauty in pictures.

If you go with kids: both our national parks and the U.S. park service has a “junior rangers” program where kids are given a booklet and encouraged to answer questions about the park’s attractions. In Canada, Clare collected dog tags at each national park and historic site we visited—in the U.S. they give out badges for junior rangers who complete their booklets.

Ed. note: In the U.S., Niagara Falls was a state park but was designated by Congress in 2008 as a National Heritage Area. In Canada, the Niagara Parks Commission was formed to preserve Niagara’s beauty.

cabot trail view
Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Highlands National Park

ocean bluffs
The bluffs at White Point, Cape Breton, one of the most beautiful spots on earth

ocean views
On the road to White Point

mountain view
Panoramic from the top of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park