Exploring Cape Breton East

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The drive from Halifax to the link to Cape Breton is not hugely exciting so we added our own excitement by first getting lost on our way out of Halifax and then by missing the exit for Truro, where we intended to have breakfast. After Truro, the highway meets the Trans-Canada at a "T" and we exited at the first town after that. The town really only had a convenience store, so they recommended going 5 minutes down the road... to Truro! We ended up with a really yummy breakfast at a diner attached to a motel - and it was super cheap, about $3 per person!

Once on Cape Breton, we headed east to Isle Madeleine. There is a reknowned candy store here that my boss had raved about. They make their own candies and chocolates and sell a lot of popular bulk candy. We stocked up for the trip and later discovered that their chocolates are really quite delicious and they have some unique items.

We spent the next two nights at a small inn called The Birches at Ben Eion. This is probably the nicest small inn on all of Cape Breton. Every detail has been taken care of to make it feel overall quite luxurious and the included breakfasts are quite scrumptious. The dining room is a public restaurant in the evenings and serves absolutely delicious food, with impeccable service.

We ventured out the first day to the Glace Bay Mining Museum and the Louisbourg National Historic Site for some history lessons. We had never heard of the Glace Bay museum but heard rave reviews from another traveler so we gave it a try. The main attraction is a tour into an actual (shallow) coal mine, led by a retired coal miner. These miners really bring the history to life with all their stories about working in the mine, both funny anecdotes and stories of the hardships they endured.

Louisbourg is completely different, with employees dressed in costumes and pretending to be residents of the fortress. Wandering around and hearing their vignettes gives an idea of what life was like and can be entertaining. We particularly enjoyed talking to the soldier on lookout on top of the fortress wall. His character was a resident of the fortress before the final loss in battle with the Americans. He talked about the previous battles that the French lost and the tactical errors they had made. He insisted they would be ready to turn the tables the next time they were invaded.

Finally, we discovered that fish and chips is not easy to come by in Sidney, NS, although the casino serves up a pretty decent version of the classic.

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