AAA Traveler - Spring 2021 - 30

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The Mi'kmaq community has lived in Nova Scotia for at
least 10,000 years. Members share their First Nations legends,
traditions, games and music through programming at Cape
Breton Highlands National Park and in Cheticamp.
Cheticamp is also a good place to learn about Nova
Scotia's Acadian history, a culture with close ties to that of
New Orleans' Cajuns. Nearby, the Mi-Careme
Interpretive Centre and Les Trois Pignons shed light on
400 years of Acadian history, music, dance and a unique
hooked rug tradition. At day's end, Cheticamp's Doryman
Pub and Grill serves locally sourced beef and seafood
dishes accompanied by live Acadian music.
Relative newcomers to Nova Scotia, the province's
Scottish settlers celebrate their culture at The Gaelic
College in St. Ann's. Learn about the 200-year history of
these immigrants at the Great Hall of the Clans Museum.
Watch master weavers, dancers and musicians recreate the
creativity of the Scottish Highlands. And see experienced
seamstresses transform bolts of wool tartan into the
magnificent kilts for which the Scots are so well known.
In the village of Baddeck, visitors can learn about an
American of historical note: Alexander Graham Bell. From
1885, the inventor summered on Cape Breton Island, where
he perfected creations ranging from recording technology to
high-speed watercraft and Canada's first powered aircraft,
the Silver Dart. The Alexander Graham Bell National
Historic Site showcases the inventor's work and overlooks
Beinn Bhreagh, his family's sprawling estate.

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Wander in the Wilderness

The stunning natural beauty of Cape Breton may be best
appreciated on brief forays away from the asphalt of the
Cabot Trail, along the hard-packed dirt of a hiking trail.
The region's greatest walking paths crisscross Cape Breton
Highlands National Park, which is almost entirely surrounded
by the Cabot Trail. South of Pleasant Bay, the Skyline Trail
ranks as one of the park's easier routes, and one of its most
spectacular. The 5-mile loop winds through weathered pine
trees, skirts the edges of scrubby moose habitat and ends with a
boardwalk trek high above the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The 5-mile Acadian Trail, set near the Acadian town of
Cheticamp, offers a moderate loop that peaks 1,200 feet
above the Cheticamp River and the Atlantic coastline. The
route blends rugged climbs with meadow hiking and stream
crossings. A half dozen benches provide spots to rest.
More difficult is Franey Trail, near Ingonish. The
rugged path leads upward some 1,000 feet, but rewards
hikers with 360-degree vistas of the entire Clyburn Brook
canyon and the Atlantic coastline from Cape Smokey to
Ingonish, some of the most beautiful views on Cape
Breton Island.

Your expert AAA Travel Agent can help you
plan an awe-inspiring Novia Scotia road trip.
Visit AAA.com/Travel.

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AAA Traveler - Spring 2021

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