I am typing this in front of a blazing fire, made up entirely of kindling we purchased at the local Shell Station/General Store/Restaurant/Video Store/Bait Shop/Ice Cream store.

This morning we rose early, about 7:30, had a quick breakfast, and packed the 4Runner. As usual, Paul and I packed everything in very tightly but efficiently. Then we embarked on the rest of the Cabot Trail, heading North on the Eastern side of Cape Breton. Near the peak, we saw a sign for whale watching at White Cove. We drove down to have a look, after passing through several quaint little fishing villages including Neil’s Harbour. The Whale Watching outfit was called the "Two Tittles", after a pair of rocks out on the inlet to the cove. The owner, Cyril, was about fifty years old, gregarious and colourful, captain of the "Nancy B", a converted fishing boat with a capacity of about 20 passengers. His rates were $25.00 per adult and $10.00 for children under 12. He seemed sociable and the weather was calm, so we decided to go. We parked the 4Runner on the dock and got into his boat along with another gentleman in his 20’s who had just married, was from Denver, and was enjoying a honeymoon on Cape Breton with his wife from New York.

We set out of the cove and he quickly pointed out a bald eagle descending on a fish. He thought he saw a fox as well but we couldn’t see it. We proceeded to follow the coast generally. Before I expected it, he said there was a whale ahead. It was a minke whale, surfacing, making a lot of white water, and showing his fins. We followed him for a time until he disappeared and then continued up the coast. We saw three more minke whales, a seal, and cormorants and gannets and gulls. The weather was beautiful and the water was calm and nobody got seasick. All three of the kids had a chance to steer the boat. The trip lasted two hours and was quite satisfactory, though I envied the other gentleman who said that on a whaling excursion from Halifax, they saw innumerable whales, including large ones who breeched, dolphins, and other acquatic life.

It took a little while to get used the truck again as we proceeded down the north and westerly sides of Cape Breton. The scenery here was stunning. We climbed incredibly steep slopes with amazing views of mountains, valleys, the Atlantic ocean, islands and cliffs. We did not see any wildlife, but the view itself was easily worth the drive. If you go, consider taking a bus tour: the effect of the shifting horizons, from mountain to ocean to valley, can be somewhat disorienting on the driver, and you will want to look.

We stopped at a small town near the end of the coastal driver for Tim Horton’s coffee and bagels. Then we cut across the peninsula towards Little Narrows where we took a small ferry across a river. From there we drove to Iona at which we expected another ferry but found, instead, two bridges, an old one which was closed, and a new one which was open. From there we drove along Bras D’or lake (I believe) towards Sydney. We filled up at an Esso station just off the main highway. The friendly attendant gave us directions and warned us that there were a lot of accidents at the crest of the hill caused by people failing to adjust to the narrowing of the lanes. Then we drove south to find the Mira River Provincial Park. This park was typical of provincial camp grounds. The sites are very isolated, at least where we are, (site 149) and there is a nice river where we can swim if we wish. There are lots of mosquitoes, though.

We had supper of potatoes, corn, and spam, and then went into town—to the Shell station—for ice, bread, and cigarettes. Helen saw an ad for some kind of musical tribute to Cape Breton in the town of Louisburg at the "historic playhouse", so we decided to go. It was only 15 minutes to town, and we found the playhouse on Aberdeen Street very quickly. It was almost empty but about 50 people eventually drifted in. The play was a kind of quasi-musical which I found mostly boring, except for the pianist who was quite good. The two female "leads" were both hefty girls with brassy voices. The blonde male lead was fairly harmless, earnest, and proficient and had a decent voice. The pianist was very good and was responsible for all of the interesting harmonies. In the distance, from the front porch of the playhouse, you could see the fort across the bay. There were also several fishing boats in the harbour. During the intermission, Helen and the kids tried "oak cakes" which tasted like oatmeal cookies with less sugar in it.

We returned to the campsite and had a quick campfire before the kids went to bed. Once again, the 4Runner ran very well and the kids were really good in the car, patient with the long drive, generally enjoying music, or just watching the scenery or reading. We are all running out of clothes and need to find a launder mat and probably a bank machine to get some more cash, since I paid cash for the whale watching.