Friday 7/01/2022 - Day 20 of 31 on our 2022 Canadian Maritime #2 Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

We departed Arm of Gold Campground, but not before I got a morning walk in and captured the sunrise and Jack walking Sunny in the early morning hours. John and his family have been awesome hosts! For anyone camping or looking for a campground in the Bras d’Or area, Arm of Gold is my only recommendation!

We got back onto Highway 105 and did a little backtracking. Since there is really only one way onto Cape Breton Island! We crossed the Seal Island Bridge. I told you about the structure when we arrived in Cape Breton. Now I will talk about the controversy, as the location of the bridge had proven extremely controversial. It replaced two ferry services crossing the Great Bras d'Or; one at the northeastern end between New Campbellton-Big Bras d'Or, and the other at the southwestern end at Big Harbor-Ross Ferry. It was decided to place the bridge halfway between the two ferry services on account of an outcry by communities fearing the loss of their transportation links. Unfortunately to do this required a massive modification to the Trans-Canada Highway 105 on the eastern slope of Kelly's Mountain, creating the 180° "switchback". A safer alternative to continue the highway further east on a gradual descent of Kelly's Mountain toward New Campbellton, crossing at the northern end of the Great Bras d'Or channel was rejected. Likewise, a route between Beinn Bhreagh and Kempt Head at the extreme southwestern end of the channel, a much wider waterway but avoiding Kelly's Mountain altogether, was never considered. There have been numerous deaths at the switchback over the years.

On the climb of Kelly’s Mountain, the graffiti covered rocks are detracting from the natural beauty of the mountain. The route over the mountain in Cape Breton gives drivers the view of St. Ann's on one side and Bras d'Or Lake on the other. The spray-painted images and names on the rocks that have long sullied the view.

Bras d’Or Lake is an inland sea, or large body of partially fresh/salt water in the center of Cape Breton Island. Bras d'Or Lake is sometimes referred to as the Bras d'Or Lakes or the Bras d'Or Lakes system; however, its official geographic name is Bras d'Or Lake as it is a singular entity. There are several competing explanations of the origin of the name "Bras d'Or". The most popular is that the first Europeans to discover and subsequently settle the area were French, naming the lake Bras d'Or meaning "arm of gold"; this likely referring to the sun's rays reflected upon its waters. However, on the maps of 1872 and earlier, the lake is named "Le Lac de Labrador," and the literal meaning of Labrador is "Laborer." In a paper prepared by the late Dr. Patterson for the Nova Scotia Historical Society he says he believed the name Bras d'Or came from the Breton form of Bras 'd'eau arm of water or of the sea. The Mi'kmaq Nation named it Pitu'pok, roughly translated as "long salt water".

Prior to the arrival of the first settlers, the Middle River and Nyanza areas were inhabited by the Mi’Kmaq First Nations people. Just over 200 years ago, the first Scottish immigrants arrived and for many years, others followed. The first settlers from Scotland took up land along the river, were fish were plentiful. The river is a vibrant today as it was inviting then! There are several First Nation Communities in the Cape Breton area. We passed through a couple. Here is a sign from one, along the Skye River. Here is another proud Mi'kmaw community, near Antigonish.

On the way to Bras d’Or we passed a house that I thought looked like a castle, on the way back out, I saw that I was right! There is the million dollar “Castle Moffett.” in Bucklaw. It is a nearly 10,000-square foot home sitting on 200 acres of rolling hills overlooking Bras d'Or Lake. The house was built for Linda Moffett more than 20 years ago by her then-husband, Desmond. The castle’s 10 bedrooms are each uniquely decorated with four-post and canopy beds. There are even whirlpools in some of the ensuite bathrooms. There is also a two-story "great room" on the main floor, as well as a wood-paneled lounge, a wine cellar, and sauna in the "dungeon" basement.

Canso Causeway connects St Georges Bay and Chedabucto Bay. On the Cape Breton side of the Canso Causeway, there is the Canso Canal Bridge. It is a rotating swing bridge that carries the 2 traffic lanes of Highway 104 as well as a single track railway line operated by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway. The bridge is 308 feet long. The bridge carried its first traffic, a train, in April of 1955 when the Canso Causeway construction was completed. The railway employs a bridge operator who is required by federal law to rotate the structure to accommodate vessel passage. 

These happy Acadian people were on the side of the road greeting everyone that drove by!

In Truro, we got off Route 104 and onto Route 102.

We crossed the Salmon River during low tide. This is still part of the Bay of Fundy and you can tell, because the side of the river are dirt and the water is very muddy.

Mill Brook, is another proud Mi’kmaw community. Their Cultural Center has a very over-sized Indian Statue in the parking lot. He reminds me of the big Indian that used to stand at the intersection if Routes 15 and 20A, in Avon.

We passed through the Town of Stewiacke. In the 1900’s the chief of the Micmac’s at Millbrook said the native name for this place was pronounced “Ah-seed-ee-a-waac” which means “place where the sands move” which then slurred to “Stew-aack” then pronounced as we pronounce it today. Waterways were the main means of travel for long distances or transporting heavy loads until the late eighteenth century. For the ones who traveled on foot, the Micmac trails followed the ways making detours to important places. The trails were given a name “Green Road”. The Trail was due north from where the present highways now crosses Main Street to the river. The “Holesworth” house was built in 1839, which is the oldest standing house. Their most recent claim to fame is they are halfway between the equator and the north pole ... in theory, their weather should be perfect!

Entering the Municipality of Halifax, the Shubenacadie Valley. It hosts a diversified agricultural economy and is also experiencing suburban sprawl, given its location in the Halifax-Truro transportation corridor.

The Shubenacadie Canal was originally surveyed by William Owen in 1767 which lead to the proposal of the canal 30 years later. The government of Nova Scotia commissioned Owen to follow the Shubenacadie waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to Cobequid Bay.

The Shubenacadie Canal was envisioned to facilitate transportation between Halifax and the agricultural, timber and coal producing areas of northern Nova Scotia and the Annapolis Valley. Construction was started in 1826 by the Shubenacadie Canal Co. which went bankrupt in 1831. Several Scottish and Irish stonemasons had immigrated to Nova Scotia to work on the project but were left stranded in the colony with few resources after the project had halted. Construction started again in 1854 under the Inland Navigation Company. The new company altered the original British stonework lock designs to use more inexpensive North American stone and wooden construction. Steam boats and barges began to use the canal in 1856 and the entire system was completed by 1861. The canal enjoyed a few years of healthy traffic especially during the Waverley gold rushes of the 1860s. However the canal company showed little profit and experienced many problems relating to frigid winters which damaged the locks linking the freshwater lakes. A final blow was a takeover by the Town of Dartmouth of the Dartmouth Lakes for the city's water supply which ended canal operations in 1871.

Hwy 103, Exit 5 is the Lighthouse Route. Traveling along the Lighthouse Route, can to get out and explore, seaside towns like Peggy’s Cove, Chester, Mahone Bay and Lunenburg! We will be visiting all of these charming towns. 

We were on Highway 213, for a mile or so … then we turned onto St Margaret's Bay Road, Route 3. We skirted the bay as we meandered down the road.

Driving along this road was reminiscent of driving along a less populated Finger Lake, with houses across the road from the lake.

We arrived at King Neptune Campground Campground, the first sights of the cove that would be our home for the next three nights was breathtaking!

We stopped at the Swiss Air 111 Memorial. It is located on Route 333 on the western side of the Preservation Area. On Sept. 2, 1998, anyone near the coast felt their homes tremble as the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 passenger plane, Swissair Flight 111, bound for Geneva, Switzerland crashed into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, a few miles off the shore of Peggy’s Cove. All 229 people on board were killed. Though only four Canadians were killed on the flight, the crash of Swissair 111 had an enduring impact on Canada. The flight took off from JFK airport and then began to fly over the Atlantic Ocean, but a little less than an hour into the flight the crew noticed smoke and issued the international urgency signal.

They were cleared to proceed to the airport in Halifax but crashed in the relatively shallow water. Remains of many who were aboard Swissair 111, are buried at a monument near Peggy’s Cove. The recovery effort retrieved 98 per cent of the aircraft which was then painstakingly pieced back together to aid in the official investigation of the crash. Lost cargo from the flight included currency, diamonds, jewelry and Pablo Picasso's The Painter. At the time, the painting's value was estimated at $1.5 million.

Along the road to Peggy’s Cove, moss and lichens creep across a barren landscape peppered by huge boulders called “Erratic Rocks.” Glaciers shaped the land thousands of years ago. Ancient boulders, some weighing many tons, were left behind and are scattered along the coast. Crashing waves batter the rocky shoreline as soaring gulls cry overhead.

Peggy’s Cove is famed for its picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on smooth bedrock granite facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community. Who is Peggy? According to local folklore, the village was named after the lone survivor of a schooner that sank here in 1800. Or it might simply be named after any Peggy from St Margaret’s Bay.

Amid the unforgiving landscape, the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse endures. Nestled in a blanket of mist or bathed in bright sunlight, this iconic white and red beacon is a must see. The lighthouse clings to the edge of sea smoothed rocks, which visitors scramble over each and every day. Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is one of Nov Scotia’s most well-known lighthouses and may be the most photographed in Canada. Located in the quaint fishing village of Peggy’s Cove along the South Shore, Peggy’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1915.

The village’s most famous resident was renowned painter and sculptor, William deGarthe. He was a Finnish artist who carved a memorial to the courage of the local fishermen. 

The sculpture covers a 30 meter granite outcrop and depicts St Michael, several fishermen, their wives and children. The Fisherman’s Monument is located beside the deGathe home, in the village. There is a gallery there now, too.

Some caravanners stayed and walked around Peggy's Cove, others headed to a restaurant recommended by the owners of King Neptune Campground.

Shaw’s Landing has a long and storied history within the quaint community of West Dover. Originally built in 1970’s, the building has hosted a variety of businesses;  a general store, post office, card room, take-out and lastly a full service restaurant. 

The founding name comes from Mr. Ian Shaw, who originally came to Nova Scotia after tragically losing his daughter in 1998 when Swiss Air Flight 111 went down off the coast of Peggy’s Cove. Mr. Shaw stayed in our community for a number of years running Shaw’s Landing as a full service restaurant until he retired with his wife in Spain. 

The current owners, Karen and Rob have owned Shaw’s for eight years. They started off with zero restaurant experience but with the amazing support of their community and the help of incredible and knowledgeable staff. Shaw’s continues to thrive. Eight years later, a wedding and three babies, Shaw’s continues to grow and prides itself on being a small, locally-owned, family restaurant that sources local products and serves fresh authentic East Coast meals, and of course lots of beer and lobster! 

Did I mention that the sunsets are spectacular at King Neptune Campground?