Touring Cape Breton Island in our MGB

1,174 miles in our red MGB to and from the Cabot Trail on a Tour of Cape Breton Island. Fantastic summer weather, great views. super places to eat and stay, all along with 28 friendly members of the British Automobile Touring Association of Nova Scotia (BATANS). What a treat!

Our (Shirley Ann and John) adventure started out in company with Larry, Sandi, Bob and Diana overnighting in Saint John for the ferry to Digby and onto Windsor for the British Motoring Festival. Held in the treed (and trendy) venue of the Kings Edgehill School grounds, the Festival featured unique highlights such as the Windsor Town Crier announcing the Festival's opening, English cream teas, a cricket match, a 3/4 scale model of a Spitfire fighter, and FABAC's display of vehicles from Kelvin's pink Land Rover to six FABACian's cars all in red.

The day following the Festival, tour participants headed for Port Hawksbury overnighting at the Maritime Inn, Then in groups of five, cars headed for Cheticamp, with a stop at the Celtic Music Interpretive Centre and a lunch stop at the Glenora Distillery. People who visited the "whisky sampling centre", found the aroma from the mash close enough to oblivion! From Cheticamp (and dinner at the famous Le Gabriel restaurant) the tour route followed the Cabot Trail with its magnificent views, rolling roads  -  and major road construction every few kilometres complete with many traffic delays and dust, dust, dust.

A lunch stop at the expansive Keltic Lodge Resort was a welcome relief from the road problems encountered. Surprising what a beer, soup and sandwiches can do to revive the spirit!. We overnighted that third day in Sydney  staying at the Cambridge Suites Hotel. In the evening, tour participants were hosted for a barbeque by the British Car Club of Cape Breton at the Dobson Yacht Club. About a dozen of their club members shared in the pleasure from everyone's common interest in British cars.

We stayed in Sydney for a second night to enable participants to visit the Fortress of Louisbourg, the Sydney Mines Museum, the Marconi National Historic Site or a scenic drive around Big Pond.. We chose none of these attractions, having seen them in previous years..
However, we did join the group in attending the Beggar's Banquet in the Town of Louisbourg which replicates the food, music and other entertainment of life in Louisbourg in 1760. This included dressing up in costume!

The following day it was off to stay at the Silver Dart Lodge in Baddeck with optional visits to the Alexander Bell Historic Site , the Kidston Island Lighthouse and Big Spruce Brewing, a Nova Scotia craft beer success. By the next day, it was time to head for home. We stopped off in Sackville at the Coastal Inn to break the ongoing trip to Fredericton.

The MGB covered the 1,174 miles or 1,890 klicks without missing a beat. What a treat!

Pictures to follow.

John and Shirley Ann B.