The Cabot Trail

The highlight of this trip was meant to be driving the Cabot Trail, a scenic loop highway around Cape Breton on the easternmost end of Nova Scotia, so I was pretty bummed when it started raining pretty hard last night. Luckily, it was clear this morning when I hit the road and while it was freezing and windy at the end of the Skyline Trail which was destination for the day, I was able to take a spectacular walk before driving to Pleasant Bay.

Whale Cove Cemetary

The Cabot Trail (highway)

The Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park

This Spruce Grouse tried to kill me.

I really wanted to see a moose but this sign is as close as I got.

nice place to spend the night

Inverness

It was quick drive to the ferry this morning which is how I left Price Edward Island. The crossing was 75 minutes and as I was admiring the view for the first 20 minutes or so, I couldn't help but think that as great as the scenery is around here, it's not better than what I see on any day I decide to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, which I can pretty much do anytime I want when I'm home #ilovelivinginseattle.

Got a tour of the bridge. I overheard the guy on the right, an old Navy guy who was interested in ships, ask a guy who was working in the on-board restaurant if he could see the bridge; the restaurant guy called the first mate (on the left) who came down to meet the first guy - and I asked if I could tag along.  

Nice view from up there. 

I drove off the boat and for a couple of hours until I got Inverness on Cape Breton Island, just ahead of the rain.

My accommodation for the night. 

View out the back.

Dinner: lobster fresh from the Atlantic. 

Prince Edward Island

Yesterday after one more of Joey's awesome breakfasts, I drove across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island.

cute bedroom in my cottage in Belle River

View from the bedroom

Tidal Bore

Today I went rafting, sort of. A tidal bore is what happens when an ocean tide enters a narrow river channel and is met by the outgoing river current; this meeting of the two forces of water results in rapids, or at least something like rapids. Today I drove to near where the Bay of Fundy meets the Shubenacadia River. The Bay of Fundy on the northwest border of Nova Scotia has the highest tidal bore record, with a record rise of  over 70 feet during a cyclone in 1869. On a typical day, the water doesn't rise that high, but it still rises high enough against the ocean current to cause some pretty intense rapids. This wasn't really like other rafting adventures in that we weren't actually riding the river at all, and the rapids weren't created by rocks - we were just riding directly into the waves on a zodiac with an outboard motor, but it was still a fun and unique adventure. That being said, I definitely prefer real river rafting - for one thing, "rafting" in salt water means constantly burning eyes as the water flies into your face.

This isn't my video but tidal bore rafting looks like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBch-WE-x3c

I think the river is equal parts mud to water. 

Peggy's Cove and Halifax Food Tour

Yesterday, after another one of Joey's insane breakfast, I headed to Peggy's Cove, which is a little village with a lighthouse and little else. People flock there though as it's a nice day trip from Halifax to a picturesque coastal village, and taking leisurely drives to picturesque coastal villages is one of my favorite things.

After going for a short walk along the coast, I drove back to Halifax and met up with Scott for some tips on what things to see when I drive the Cabot Trail in a couple of days. Wendy, Christina, and I met Scott a couple of years ago in Whistler, he was staying at the same place as us, and when I found out he lived in Nova Scotia, I basically forced him to be friends with me in case I ever showed up here, which I now have. Anyhow, I met up with Scott in town and got a great list of stops in Cape Breton, which is where he's from, and where I'll be heading in a few days. After my travel consultation, I met up with Rachel who was leading my food tour - a tour on which I was the only participant, which was great. Rachel was a font of knowledge about Halifax, its immigrant populations, and the downtown food scene.

We had a lot of great eats on the tour, the
last of which was this lemon curd pavlova. 

Halifax Library

Halifax

I've wanted to visit Nova Scotia for a long time. I'm not sure what sparked the desire, but I flew to Halifax yesterday and this is my home for the next couple of days:

Joey and Paul's house

View in the other direction:

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it here.

Little known fact about Nova Scotia: 121 victims from the Titanic are buried in Fairview Cemetery in Halifax. I went there today to see the grave sites.

at the Citadel Hill Fort (c. 1794) Nova Scotia = New Scotland at the Halifax Public Gardens

Urban Farm Dinner in Detroit

Food Field: a small urban farm less than 5 miles from downtown Detroit

cocktail of the evening made with gin and celery soda

Guest chef: Sarah from Marrow, and kitchen crew

Korean-inspired bites

Midwestern summer rain: we ate under tents.

opening remarks

Farm worker, Gabrielle, giving a tour of the property.
Speaking on thoughts she had when deciding to transition from a 'traditional job' in a hospital to working on an urban farm:
"I'm young, why am I so sad?"
My observation: she seems very happy now. 

pasta made from rice flour. It was a little chewy. 

New York strip steak

smashed cucumber and faro salad

awesome dining companions: Chris, Christina, and Jeff

the farm