Saturday, August 02, 2008

Cape Breton Island and Alexander Graham Bell


Our trip across the North Umblerland Straits took only 75 minutes but seems countries away from PEI. We left the ferry at Caribou, Island, NS and headed east to the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island. On the ferry Sue learned of a Ceilidh Festival along the “Scottish” (North) Coast of Cape Breton. Unfortunately we arrived too late for the folk music and dancing so plan an attending another show later this weekend. We did see some of the beautiful Cape Breton coastline in beautiful weather so it was an enjoyable ride.

We were headed for the North Sydney/Cabot Trail KOA to meet RV Forum friends Betty and Terry Brewer and Russ Mahoney who have been on Newfoundland for the past month. We checked in drove back across the mountain to meet them at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck.Bell was a prolific inventor who was known for the telephone but invented or perfected an amazing array of inventions ranging from the Iron Lung to the Hydrofoil. The Museum is in Baddeck, NS because Bell and his wife fell in love with Cape Breton during a stop here and returned every summer for over 40 years. Their home is still owned by the Bell family who donated much of the material to the Museum which was built by the Canadian government to honor its distinguished summer resident.

We had a very enjoyable two hours there and then returned to the campground and spent the evening with the Brewers and Russ having dinner at a nearby restaurant and filling each other in on all the “hot spots” we had each seen or were about to visit.