Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton

On Saturday, we left the South shore and drove to the Cape Breton area.  We are staying at a KOA campground near North Sydney. It’s about an hour away from the start of the famous Cabot Trail that circles the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The drive took about 7 hours but it was pleasant and the traffic was light.  We arrived at the campground in time to make a quick dinner of soup, macaroni and tomatoes, and grilled cheese sandwiches. 

 

Lots of sea gulls over the bay we crossed going into Cape Breton

On Sunday, it was rainy and cold so we took our time getting ready that morning.  We tried to locate a church but there were not any nearby so we ended up listening to a church service on CD.  In the afternoon, we drove into the town of Sydney to go shopping for a little while.  We saw a Value Village and I just had to stop.  We found a few good bargains and then headed to the mall for some real shopping.  It was a fairly small mall so it didn’t take very long to look through the shops. 

Later we went to the waterfront area in Sydney to see the world’s largest violin.  The waterfront museum was closed and there was only one ship in the harbor so there wasn’t too much see.  Before we headed back to the RV, we had a good dinner at a place called Boston Pizza.  They had some good pasta dishes and specialty pizzas.  It was definitely better than another McDonald’s hamburger.  I think we’ve all had our fill of those. 

 

 

Monday, we had planned to drive the Cabot trail but it was still rainy so we decided to drive into Louisbourg and see the recreated French Fortress there.  We took a guided tour and learned a lot about how this area went back and forth between French and British control.  Isaiah loves studying history so he was captivated.   Our guide was very knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the tour.  We had the special treat of watching an eagle flying overhead while she talked with us.  The guide said there is an eagle nest on the property but we didn’t see it. 

 

 

 

 

From the fortress, you can see a lighthouse that guides ships into the harbor.  The guide said this was the oldest lighthouse in Canada and the 2^nd oldest in North America.  We drove over to the lighthouse and took a few pictures.  There was a trail along the shoreline but we didn’t walk it since it was so cold.  We all needed scarves and gloves today. 

This is one of my most favorite pictures so far this trip.  I just love lighthouses.