20020621
June 21, 2002
Day 43
Start: Arm Of Gold CG, Bras D’Or, NS
End: Seafoam CG, River John, NS
Miles: 192
The high today was 89f in Nova Scotia and the low was 65 last night. There’s a big low pressure center
northeast of us that is funneling hot air from the US eastern seaboard and gulf all the way to Nova Scotia
and Newfoundland. It was flat out HOT today, especially since we’re accustomed now to cooler climes.
We left the campground late this morning, because we were chatting with our camping neighbors. They
live in Alberta, but he came from Nova Scotia. They both love Newfoundland. We had seen each other
and waved a couple of times while we were in Newfoundland. They were also in Alaska last year at the
same time we were, so we had lots of things to talk about.
We went down the south side of Bras D’Or Lake on route 4. On the way down the lake, Dolores saw
an eagle fly over the truck from her side. It’s a beautiful lake, but the road is pretty miserable in places. By
the time we came to Port Hawkesbury and the Canso Causeway leaving Cape Breton Island, it was really
warm. Even the truck noticed it; the temperature gauge went up significantly on long upgrades.
Then we ran down the Trans-Canada Highway to the turnoff for Pictou. Going in,
we came across a place where there was a bridge at one time; now it's just
pilings and the cormorants
have taken over the pilings for nests.
We went past Pictou
to the campground for tonight. It’s on the Sunrise Trail in NS, and on the water – the straits between NS
and PEI. We can see PEI in the distance over the water. The beach is rather rocky, but the water is very
clear – and cold.
We set up the trailer with some trouble; most of the sites are on a slope. Finally, we raised one side enough
to feel comfortable using 1x6’s that we carry for that purpose.
We took the truck into Pictou, the site where
settlers from Scotland came in 1773 to found Nova Scotia (New Scotland). There is a nice
interpretive
center describing the people, where they came from, and the ship they came on. There is a
replica of the
ship in the water next to the center, which was built on the grounds by local people. It’s a nice piece of
work.
We patronized the gift shop and bought things for the people Dolores works with, and for relatives. Then
we walked the town, finding the usual interesting pieces of trivia. Did you know that chloroform was first
produced in the building at 37 Water Street in Pictou?
It came time for dinner, and Dolores needed another lobster to stave off withdrawal symptoms. We went to
the Salt Water Café, overlooking the marina. She had her (now) usual mussels appetizer and lobster. She
pronounced the lobster (which the waitress called “Larry”) a good one. I had salmon and salad. The Nova
Scotia chablis was nice. An interesting comparison between US meals and meals up here is in the
vegetables. In the US, one is frequently served broccoli or cauliflower or squash; up here, it’s almost
invariably carrots or a carrot/turnip combination. Maybe root vegetables do better up here or something.
We returned to the campground and then walked around the campground and beach. There’s a square-dance session in the recreation center. This place is real family campground. There are kids everywhere,
running loose because there’s no real trouble they can get in to. Most of the trailers occupy sites they rent
for the season. They augment the site by putting decks next to the trailer and doing minor landscaping or
decorating. Since this is the first weekend of official summer, the place is packed.
It’s 9:30 and the temperature has cooled to 69f, which feels very comfortable. There’s a gentle breeze from
the land to the water. It should be a very nice night.
