Cross Canada and Back Part 9

Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada

Fortress of Louisberg was France's jewel in the 18th century. Today it's Canada's treasure and North America's largest historical reconstruction of a fortress.

Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia Canada.

View Day trip to Fortress of Louisberg in a larger map



Here we discovered an 18th century adventure nestled on the edge of a continent, a place where muskets and mortars were fired. Women in hoop skirts and men in wigs recreated bygone life in a fort.

Liz and two soldiers

There are town criers and the "iron collar" were a part of everyday life, it's a lot of fun and a must see.

Getting ready to fire the cannon

The site is over 12 acres with 50 plus buildings, so plan to spend the whole day. Here again if you have a yearly pass to the National Parks of Canada, this visit is free, just bring your pass in.

Fortress of Louisbourg

When you arrive, your first stop is the Visitor Center. This is located just beyond the modern town of Louisbourg. Here you can browse the display center and gather tons of information. 

Fire!!!

After that, you take a seven minute bus ride from the Visitor Center to the Fortress. There are several buses shuttling back and forth. Don't forget to bring your camera, comfy shoes and warm clothing, it does get windy at times and the fog can roll in very quickly.

Liz and Anders at the Fortress of Louisbourg

Fortress of Louisbourg

Anders at the Fortress of Louisbourg

Get ready, set, go and step back in time to 1744. Experience Louisbourg, a thriving seaport and capital of Île Royale of Cape Breton Island. The Fortress of Louisbourg was one of the busiest harbours in North America and one of France's key centres of trade and military strength in the "New World". Today, the site is a fascinating, exciting and entertaining lesson in history.

Liz

Actors in one of the buildings.... Just wonderful.

The "Father" telling storries

She does not agree

There was at least one place open to eat at, just like in the 1700's.

Time for lunch, just like in the 1700's

For more on the history and re-construction of Louisbourg, check out the Parks Canada website

Fortress of Louisbourg

Fog rolling in

For more pictures from the Fortress of Louisbourg, check out our Picasa Web Album. Just click the image below.


Cheers, Anders and Liz

Fortress Louisbourg NS

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs from our Cross Canada Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you

 1,    2,    3,     4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,   10

11,   12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,   22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  29b

30,   31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,

40,   41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,

50,   51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,

60,   61,  62,  63,  64,  65.


.

Cross Canada and Back Part 8

Nova Scotia Here We Come

It was the 31st of May and time to leave New Brunswick. I have a feeling though, that we might just come back for another visit to this wonderful province.



View New Brunswick to Nova Scotia in a larger map



We came across the border into Nova Scotia on the Trans Canada Highway. We decided to take Route number 6 "The Sunrise Trail" along the Northumberland Strait to see the rural coastal villages. 

Nova Scotia here we come.

Wonderful drive along the ocean.

We stopped for lunch at Mc Mahon's Restaurant in Wallace for lunch. It is right on the water and a wonderful place for food. I had seafood chowder and a lobster roll. Liz had a lobster burger, all just wonderful.

Mc Mahon's Restaurant in Wallace, NS.

After a divine lunch, feeling a bit thursty, it seemed appropriate to stop in at Jost Winery in Malagash, just off Route 6, also along the Northumberland Strait. 

Jost Vineyards

This winery has been producing wines for over 28 years. They make white, red, fruit, and specialty wines. Very different from what we are used to in British Columbia. 

Liz in the vineyard

Enough parking space for our chuck-wagon and pony.

Anders in the vineyard

This winery is well worth the visit. They also have a restaurant and according to Liz "a gift shop to die for".


We drove on and came to Seafoam. We decided to camp there for the night at Seafoam Campground. 

The Beach at Seafoam Campground

Our site

Keep me warm darling.... it's cold.

The campground is OK with very nice views but some of the sites do slope quite a bit.

Steaks on the BBQ

Vegetable stir fry.... sooo good.

We went for a walk on the beach, cooked supper and relaxed for the evening.

Dinner is ready

Next morning the 1st of June, we were on the road bright and early. Before long we drove across the causeway over to Cape Breton.

Connecting Causeway over to Cape Breton

Welcome to Cape Breton

I have been in Cape Breton once before and it is so beautiful. There is so much wilderness and rolling hills.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Our next stop was the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Park in the town of Baddeck. This is a must see, don't miss it.  If you have an annual pass to Canada's National Parks, then all the National Historic Sites are free. Each time you visit a National Site, not just the parks, it is free. A saving each time $ 5.00 to $ 10.00 each, the family yearly pass is about $ 138.00. Then you just show the pass each time.

Alexander Graham Bell

Speed boat or hydrofoil

Alexander Graham Bell a True Humanitarian

Persistence and Determination is Omnipotent

The park commemorates the humanitarian and scientific achievements of Alexander Graham Bell.

Motor on his hydrofoil

You may only think the "telephone" when someone says Alexander Graham Bell.... not so. This man was in to just about everything, a real genius. Bell was a teacher, scientist and inventor. 

Bell's Hydrofoil in the background

Bell's Hydrofoil

Not only did he invent the telephone, he also produced important inventions and discoveries in medicine, aeronautics, marine engineering, genetics, electrical science and laid the foundation for teaching deaf people to communicate. From studies on sheep to building hydrofoil speed boats to airplanes, he pretty well did it all.


It was time to find a campground. We drove to Cabot Trail KOA Campground right on the water. Great spot to camp with full services.

The campground is down there some place before the bridge

We are camped and the BBQ is on.

The fog is moving in.

Settled in for the night in our chuck-wagon. This is a really great spot. You get a little bit of noise from the highway but nothing to worry about. We will stay here again when returning from Newfoundland.


More pictures on our Picasa Web-album. Just click the image below.

NS Jost Vineyards, Seafoam Camping,A.G.Bell, North Sydney

Cheers, Anders and Liz

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs from our Cross Canada Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you

 1,    2,    3,     4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,   10

11,   12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,   22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  29b

30,   31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,

40,   41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,

50,   51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,

60,   61,  62,  63,  64,  65.


.

Cross Canada and Back Part 7

Bay of Fundy, Hopewell Cape Rocks and Cape Enrage

We camped for two days in Ponderosa Pines Campground right on the Bay of Fundy and the date is around the 30th of May 2011. We were in for a natural wonder: The Bay of Fundy.

Bay of Fundy

View The Bay of Fundy in a larger map



The Bay of Fundy

Incredible, magnificent, fascinating, captivating, enchanting.... One could go on for ever trying to describe this natural wonder, The Bay of Fundy. 


The tides in the Bay of Fundy are some of the highest in the world at 55.8 feet or 17 meters at their highest. Each and every day 100 billion tonnes of seawater flows in and out of the Bay of Fundy. During one tide cycle more water flows in and out than the combined flow of the world’s freshwater rivers, totally amazing.

High Tide at the Bay of Fundy

Low Tide at the Bay of Fundy

Low tide at the Bay of Fundy

In July 2009, the Bay of Fundy was named as a finalist for the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest that ends in November 2011. Please cast your vote, it is the only Canadian entry left. You can also do what I did, text FUNDY to 77077 ( 25 cent charge applies) with your cell phone. We need to bring up the stats for the Bay of Fundy, you can check out the voting trends here.






The Bay of Fundy's attractions are not just the tides, it is also home to 12 species of whales which can many times be seen from shore and a variety of shorebirds. Lobsters are also plentiful in the Bay of Fundy. They supposedly taste better and grow larger. One was just recently caught weighing in at 22.3 lbs or around 10Kg. More info on the beast.


Hopewell Cape Rocks


Hopewell Cape Rocks are located in The Rocks Provincial Park on the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. What is really different with this park is that you have to come back twice. Once for low tide and once at high tide.

High tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

High tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

Low tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

Low tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

It is spectacular to see the differences in the tides. We have some pretty good tides (up to 18 feet at our place on Cortes Island) on the West Coast but not 55 feet.

High tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

Low tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

Low tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks

At Hopewell Cape Rocks you can watch the tide rise at a rate of 4 - 6 feet per hour. The tides happen  because of the sun and the moon's gravitational force. There is a great explanation of all this on the Rocks website. Check it out.


There is lots of wildlife in and around Hopewell Cape Rocks, we were fortunate enough to see a nesting Peregrine Falcon. This is one of the fastest animals in the world and can dive at speeds reaching up to 300 km per hour.

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Cape Enrage

Between high tide and low tide at Hopewell Cape Rocks we took a quick trip to Cape Enrage. On the way we stopped at a quaint little town called Riverside-Albert and had a lobster lunch, The Red Roof Restaurant is an awesome place to eat, it is nothing fancy, just good food. 

Anders outside the Red Roof Restaurant

Cape Enrage, a National Historic Site, offers one of the most spectacular views of the natural phenomenon "The Bay of Fundy" from its towering cliffs and has been a light station and fog alarm since 1838. The current light house tower is over 150 years old.

Cape Enrage on the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick

Cape Enrage

Cape Enrage

The beach at Cape Enrage is rich in fossils and is one of the best places in the world to beach comb for fossils.

Cape Enrage

Cape Enrage

At Cape Enrage you can get a real adrenaline rush, you can be rappelling down the cliffs in no time (it was not open when we were there), and they are in the process of installing a zip line.

For more pictures of the Bay of Fundy, click image below.

Cheers,

Liz and Anders

Hopewell Cape, NB with Hopewell Rock and Cape Enrage

Here are some shortcuts to all the blogs from our Cross Canada Trip. Just hover over the number to see where it will take you

 1,    2,    3,     4,    5,    6,    7,    8,    9,   10

11,   12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  19,  20

21,   22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  29b

30,   31,  32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  39,

40,   41,  42,  43,  44,  45,  46,  47,  48,  49,

50,   51,  52,  53,  54,  55,  56,  57,  58,  59,

60,   61,  62,  63,  64,  65.


.