We left at about 8:30 for Halifax area. We headed north first towards Sydney and then took highway #4 South West along the south side of Bras d’Or Lake. This was a beautiful drive mostly along the shoreline and through large well-wooded valleys and hills. We passed Rita McNeil’s tea house, which prompted many tired jokes from Paul, then we stopped for breakfast at a McDonald’s (ethnic food?) in Port Hastings. We crossed the causeway into Nova Scotia proper and took 104 west until we reached highway 7, which we took south. We stopped for popcycles at a small shop in the highway and reached Dollar Lake at about 3:30 p.m. The drive down highway 7 was mostly hard-scrabble and small bays and inlets. It is amazing how much of this area is undeveloped, though most of it also looks like it isn’t well suited for much.

We were pleasantly surprised at Dollar Lake Provincial Park. Though the map shows only a tiny area, the park seems huge, and the campsites were the largest we saw in the Atlantic Provinces. There was no one at the gate when we came in—just a sign inviting us to pick a site in area "A" and come back at 4:00 p.m. to register. We argued for a short time over which site to occupy and finally settled on one midway between the lake and the washrooms. There were some very noisy children around but otherwise the place is very secluded. Paul and I later drove back to the camp office to register and get firewood ($2.14 for ten pieces—generous by park standards). Then we drove into "town" to find a general store about 8 kilometres away, Parker’s General Store, which was as general as they come but not very ample.

The kids were very good in the car—they didn’t even get out when we picked up popcycles. The 4Runner, as usual, was flawless. We filled up in Port Hastings and still have half a tank.

Along route 7 there were many small general stores, fishing villages, and hardscrabble forest. Driving was all right—there wasn’t much traffic either way. Tomorrow, we discover Halifax.