16 AUG 2010

This morning we had to say good bye to Sharon and Helmet . We had such a good time visiting them and other members of their family. I wish we had been able to visit with Aunt Doris again, but it did not seem to work out.

We got up to learn that the download for the GPS was successful. Of course we are not pleased that we had to pay for a new maps down-load when the problem seemed to be a software issue. So we got on the phone to Garmin and after a minor 30 minute wait on the phone they agreed with us and will reimburse the cost of the new map download.

Off we went across Nova Scotia to follow the road towards Cape Breton. Our goal is to get to the Cape Breton Highland National Park so we can see about hiking a trail in the park on Tuesday. For those not familiar with Nova Scotia, Cape Breton (yes it is part of NS) is an island connected by a causeway. The causeway is man made but has a swing bridge at the end so Cape Breton continues to be an island.  The causeway is build across the Canso and allows for both a highway and a railway line to cross between Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.   It is 1.3 km in length.  Constructed in an "S" shape, the causeway has a base width of 244 m (801 ft) in waters having a maximum depth of 65 m (213 ft).

As we travelled on Cape Breton we learned that the island has a major inland sea (saltwater) called Bras d’Or Lake. This sea was used by Alexander Graham Bell where he established a summer home near Baddeck and conducted electrical experiments on the lake using kites. Very interesting history in this area.

Aunt Kathryn suggested we stop at Orangedale which has a railway museum.  However, it also was a place that Uncle Harold was the minister for serveral years and Aunt Kathryn had shared several stories.  We stopped and it was very interesting.

We were surprised to discover that part of the drive involved a ferry. The length of the ferry trip was no more than 100 feet (30 meters) so was quick. The cost was $5 per vehicle.

We continued up the northern arm of Cape Breton Island to find the park. Since we have a National Park Pass from BC, we were delighted to learn that it also gave us access to this park. We were fortunate to learn that we had a option on tent sites, so picked one that was relatively close to the water, but amoung trees.

We immediately set up camp and went to the beach to frolic in the waves. The waves were such that we only managed to stand and get pushed around. Neither of us braved trying to swim but I am sure it could have been done by some brave heart.

This evening we returned to watch the waves again and listen to the sounds of water rushing to shore.