Baddeck, Cape Breton

Our next stop was Baddeck (emphasis on the second syllable), Cape Breton. After setting up the camper in a nice, out of the way and shady site, we headed to the visitor center to see what there was to do in Baddeck.

The visitor’s center

Afterward, we drove down to the harbor, struggled to find a parking spot, finally succeeded, and walked along the very pretty boardwalk.

There were a couple of these metal sculptures scattered throughout the wharf area. I thought they were charming.

Greg was interested in getting a drink at the restaurant on the wharf. I talked him into having an appetizer to go with it. Our choice was lobster bruschetta, and it was delicious! I have also discovered my favorite cocktail, which is an aperol spritzer.

I immediately dug in, and only then thought to take a photo.

Cabot Trail

The next morning, we attempted to drive the Cabot Trail, which is a very famous scenic drive in Cape Breton. The weather was cloudy when we woke up, but as we got into the higher elevations, a fine mist made visibility difficult.

Greg decided it might be best to turn around and try the trail another day. But first, we stopped at a local chocolate shop to ask for information and, of course, to buy some chocolate.

I only thought to take the picture after we had already consumed some of the chocolate.

The ferry

Greg decided to take the ferry to get back to Baddeck. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a ferry this small.

It took all of 5 minutes to get across the water on the ferry.

The Alexander Graham Bell Museum

Since the weather was still lousy, we stopped at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum for a visit. Did you know that Alexander Graham Bell made his home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, for many years?

Holy cow, Alexander Graham Bell was a busy guy! His early career involved teaching speech to deaf students. One of his students later became his wife, Mabel. He also taught Helen Keller and started a school for the deaf.

Teaching the deaf was not his only passion, however. As we know, he invented the telephone. He was also interested in the study of longevity, breeding sheep so that they always gave birth to twins, inventing a very fast boat using hydrofoils, experimenting with tetrahedrons, and making airplanes. In fact, he and his team won the American Scientific award for the first powered flight to travel 1 km.

Despite the iffy weather, I think we made the most of our day.