On our second day in Cape Breton, we got up early, packed our suitcases, had breakfast and checked out of Markland. It had been a pleasant stay in the resort. We started crossing the highland section of the national park. The geological features were awesome, with several viewpoints presenting far-reaching views. As we drove west, we crossed the Aspy River Valley before reaching North Moutain, which at 457 m (1,560 ft), is the highest point in the park.

View of Cape North, from the Cabot Trail.

View of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, over Pleasant Bay.

We briefly stopped at Pleasant Bay, before reaching the Skyline Trail, a 7.3 km (1.2 mile) loop, elevation from 320 to 400 m (1050 to 1350 feet) and estimated hiking time between 2 to 3 hours. Before our trip, our friend Trevor told us that many years ago when he hiked along the Cabot Trail, Skyline was the most memorable hike in his trip, so I was excited to do this one. The trail guide warned us to keep an eye out for moose as well as spruce grouse, both of which frequent the area. Not being familiar with the spruce grouse, we concentrated on looking for moose. Another trivia fact mentioned was that a forest fire swept through the area in the 1950's, which would explain why the forest seemed to be disturbed.

Skyline used to have a parking lot for visitors at the head of the trail. For some unknown reason, the national park closed its parking lot, forcing hikers to park closer to the Cabot Trail highway and walk more than one kilometer before reaching the beginning of the trail.

View of the Skyline Trail, atop the ridge of the mountain.

The new parking area by the road was huge, and it was full with cars. It was not easy to find a parking spot. Clearly this was a very popular trail in the park. When we started our hike we realized how well maintained the trail was, with manicured gardens along the path, which resembled more a path in a large city, rather than a trail in the wilderness. Despite the fact that the fire that had disturbed the forest around Skyline occurred in the 1950's, the signs of charred tree remains were clearly everywhere. It is amazing how long it was taking for the vegetation in that area to regenerate after the fire.

Hiking along the Skyline Trail.

As we passed other hikers along the trail, we noticed that several of them were elders, which explained why the trail was so well maintained, to provide accessibility to people from all ages and physical conditions. As we approached the end of the trail, the espectacular view started to unfold ahead of us. The Cabot Trail became visible below us and finally we had an unobstructed view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where we could look towards Chéticamp or look for whales in the blue waters of the gulf.

View of the Cabot Trail highway, from the Skyline Trail.

The end of the trail is comprised of a system of boardwalks, built to preserve the delicate vegetation on the steep side of the mountain that holds the soil and prevents erosion. Stepping off the boardwalk yields a hefty fine. The boardwalks has several terraces with benches where hikers can rest and have a picnic while enjoying the awesome views.

At the end of Skyline Trail, with Chéticamp at the back.

At the Skyline Trail boardwalk, overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

From the boardwalk, hikers have two options: they can either return the same way the had come, through the well maintained manicured trail, or continue on the loop that would meet the beginning of the trail. While most hikers opt to return on the same path, we decided to do the entire loop. The rest of the trail was a real hiking trail, no manicured gardens and flat paths with fine gravel, but well maintained nonetheless.

The trail took us north, along the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It was a bright and nice summer day, a bit on the cool side but still very pleasant. The trail made a turn west, taking us away from the water and towards inland. At one point we crossed this couple who was coming the other way. They were walking on their tip toes very quietly, looking towards the side of the trail. When my eyes followed the direction where they were looking, I almost jumped for joy. A huge moose was grazing a few feet away from the trail. The majestic animal had beautiful full grown antlers sticking high up in the air. It was looking at us with caution, making sure that we were not getting too close to it. Brian tried to get a good picture of the animal, but it was standing behind this heavy curtain of vegetation which made it challenging to get a clear picture. No matter what, I was ecstatic having seen a moose in the wild!

Where is Waldo?

After we finished our hike, we left for the town of Chéticamp, where we had a quick lunch before proceeding to New Glasgow/Pictou, where we were planning to stay overnight. Instead of continuing on the Cabot Trail and then take highway 105, we decided to take route 19, which took us to the Canso Causeway folllowing the west coast of the island. We drove past small communities such as Margaree Harbour, Inverness, Mabou and Judique. Having always lived in large cities, I don't think I would ever be able to live in such remote small communities, although I'm able to appreciate the lifestyle away from the mad traffic, polution and criminality of large cities.

The Cabot Trail highway, close to Chéticamp.

We checked into our hotel in New Glasgow, took a shower, changed and headed to Pictou, where we had dinner reservations at the Pictou Lodge Resort. This place had been highly recommended by our friend Guy, who had stayed there previously.

When we arrived at Pictou Lodge Resort, it reminded me of Markland Coastal Resort, but everything in a larger and grander scale. Pictou Lodge is situated on the ocean, on 165 wooded acres of park-like setting with an enclosed fresh water pond and 1/2 km of ocean frontage. The resort offers a fine dinning restaurant, as well as a private beach for its guests, among other ammenities.

The Pictou Lodge Resort.

The dinning experience at Pictou is fantastic. When guests arrive, they are taken to the lounge with panoramic views of the Northumberland Strait, where they can order the courses for dinner, while enjoying drinks and beautiful sunsets through the large glass panels that cover one entire wall of this room. The opposite wall features a giant two-sided fireplace that is shared with the dinning room.

Sunset at the Pictou Lodge Resort.

When the meal is ready, friendly waiters take the guests to the charming dinning room, where a table awaits them, and the first course is served. I started my meal with a seafood chowder; the tasty seafood chowder served at Pictou followed a more traditional recipe made with assorted fresh shellfish, potatoes and corn. It was very satisfying, although heavier compared to the more contemporary french-style fare I had experienced earlier at The Captain's House and The Five Fishermen.

My main course was a beautifully prepared seafood pasta. Despite the fact that the sauce was too heavy for my taste, it was very good. Brian had a grilled tenderloin steak with fine vegetables.

Brian, enjoying his dinner.

Comfortable chairs at the Pictou Lodge Resort lounge.

After dinner, guests are invited to return to the lounge, where they can enjoy desserts with a nice cup of coffee. My choice of dessert was creme bruleé. It was with big disappointment that I found out the creme bruleé served was nothing more than a heavy vanilla pudding with a thick coat of caramelized suggar at the top. I strongly do not recommend this dessert if one day you visit the Pictou Lodge Resort. Instead, I had some of the chocolate fudge cake that Brian had ordered.

Early next morning we got out of bed, got ready and left to take the ferry to Prince Edward Island. We heard that at times the line-up of cars can be very long, so we wanted to make sure we would not arrive too late and not be able to cross the Northumberland Strait at the time we had planned.

Waiting for the ferry in NS to cross
the Northumberland Strait into PEI.

Trucks were the first ones to be loaded onto the ferry, occupying the lower level. Passenger cars were next, driving up a ramp to the second level. Once our car was parked, we headed to the third level, where the restaurant and tourist information booth were located. A fourth open level offered nice views during our cross of the strait.

Passing by the ferry from PEI to NS on the Northumberland Strait.

As we left Nova Scotia, we were able to see the Pictou Lodge Resort in the distance, where we had dinner the previous night. The weather was initially overcast, but opened up as the day progressed. The 22 km (14 mile) cross took approximately 75 minutes. As we approached the Wood Islands Ferry Terminal on PEI, we were able to see the red-clay soil, so typical of this island.

Approaching the Wood Island Ferry Terminal on PEI.

We first drove to Charlottetown, the capital of the smallest province in Canada, Prince Edward Island, and the birthplace of the Canadian Confederation. The Province House National Historic Site in the "Olde" Charlottetown housed for eight days in September of 1864 the Charlottetown Conference, which led to the creation of the Canadian Confederation in July 1867, under the terms of the British North America Act. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Canada East (Quebec) and Canada West (Ontario) became the Dominion of Canada.

Visiting the Province House National Historic Site in Charlottetown, PEI.

It was lunch time when we finished visiting the Province House. As we left the building, we saw this lady with a basket of tourist brochures. We stop by and asked her if she could provide us any suggestions for restaurants along the waterfront. She not only had a map of the "Olde" Charlottetown, but also showed us on the map where all the restaurants where located and what kind of food they served. On top of that, she was friendly and courteous. I was impressed with the level of professionalism and support the local government puts on tourism.

Hey, should I be dressed like the locals in the "Olde" Charlottetown?

We walked down Great George Street, which connects the Province House to the waterfront, admiring the beautiful houses along the way. When we arrived at Peake's Quay, we met this group of characters dressed in period costumes, and Brian took a picture of me with them. Free of charge. Cool. The people here take tourism seriously! Charlottetown should serve as an example for so many other places that want to revitalize their tourism industry.

One of the numerous fish farms we saw in PEI.

Hay fields dotted the Maritime countryside.

After lunch, we headed north towards the Prince Edward Island National Park. Established in 1937, it comprises a 40 km stretch of the province's north shore, as well as 6 km of the Greenwich Peninsula. This park is known for its sand dunes and beaches, red sandstone cliffs, freshwater ponds and wetlands, as well as salt marshes. This diverse geography hosts a rich ecological environment.

We first entered the park on the east side, close to the Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site, built in 1896 by an American oil industrialist. This elegant Victorian house was commemorated as a national historic site in 1994 because of its architectural significance. The property is now a heritage inn.

Testing the ocean water temperature at the PEI National Park.

Sandstone cliffs at Orby Head in the PEI National Park.

Driving west, we stopped for a while to appreciate the sand dunes at Ross Lane Beach and Brackley Beach. Stable sand dunes provide shelter and food to wildlife and protect the local inhabitants from heavy storms. Walking on them can destroy the fragile dune habitat, so visitors are asked to use the boardwalks or some cool carpeted foot paths that prevent further damage.

The park coastline is made up mainly of red sandstone cliffs that are so common throughout the island. The rock was formed some 285 million years ago, and the distinctive red colour comes from a mineral called hematite. The red sandstone is very soft, so the coastline constantly changes because of the force of the waves.

We continued driving west until we reached North Rustico Beach, followed along the sandstone coastline, past the Orby Head scenic lookoff to Cavendish, where we did the short (0.75 km) Cavendish Dunelands trail.

Sandstone cliffs at Cavendish Beach East.

A barchois, or barrier pond, on the Cavendish Dunelands Trail.

As most people know, PEI is the inspirational setting for the classic tale created by L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables. Green Gables is located within the national park and houses interpretive exhibits, educational programs and other activities.

Visiting Green Gables.

After visiting Green Gables, we left the park and headed towards the Confederation Bridge, which would take us to New Brunswick. The 12.9 km Confederation Bridge opened in May 1997 and is the longest bridge over ice covered waters in the world. It replaced an existing ferry line linking New Brunswick to PEI and the crossing now takes about 10 minutes.

The Confederation Bridge.

From the bridge, our destination was Cap-Pelé, the heart of Acadian culture, where we met my old friend Lindsay. He moved back to Canada a while ago and now lives in that part of the country. We had dinner in town, before leaving to Moncton, where we had hotel reservations.