Hiking the Highlands

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The is a certain amount of excitement as you approach a "treasured" location that you've heard so much about and have been wanting to see for yourself. Perhaps this is why the drive up to Ingonish seemed a bit long. Or perhaps it was the roundabout route that the highway takes, first heading north and then coming back south down the inlet to the inland sea before crossing over at a narrow point. Joining the circular Cabot Trail at this point, the road north is less of a highway and more of a two-lane twisting scenic route. This suited us just fine, because the Cabot Trail scenery was what we had come for, along with good food and good maritime music. I would imagine that this road is extremely frustrating to drive in the summer when it is packed with RVs that can do only half the posted speed limit. However, at the very end of the tourist season there is very little traffic except for some tour buses that take cruise passengers for a lightening-fast tour from the dock in Sidney up as far as Ingonish.

Our pre-trip research had uncovered a couple of nice waterfalls to admire just off the highway, and the view from Cape Smokey necessitated a stop before rolling into Ingonish. On arrival we inquired of both the gas station attendant and our innkeeper (at Lantern Hill and Hollow) as to the best restaurant for a nice dinner (read: a meal where one might order a bottle of wine). There is the widely known Keltic Lodge, but both people for different reasons pronounced the Mainstreet Bakery as good, if not better than, the Keltic Lodge, and much more reasonably priced. We certainly wouldn't disagree! The lobster dinner, even though it was beyond lobster season, was fabulous and at only $22, was less expensive than anywhere else we ate on our trip. The restaurant is small and friendly, with plenty of freshly baked goods tempting you on your way in and out. We enjoyed our meal so much that we seriously considered returning the next night. However, live music at the Glengorm Pub beckoned.

Oops, the title of this post mentions hiking, so I should mention the hike that we did up Mt. Franey. This 1.5 hour continuously upward climb provides expansive views from a mid-point and from the top of the mountain. It is not an easy hike, but reaching the top is rewarding enough to compensate. There is a nice variety of terrain on the way up. The return trip down the fire road is much easier terrain but less exciting, save for a stop at the lake, where the fall leaves had turned almost flourescent shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Following this "main-feature" hike, we also meandered over to Mary Ann Falls and Green Point for some nice photo-ops.

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