Parks, Trees, and Trails

Okay, so I know this still a relatively new blog, and I’ve already dropped the ball on keeping up with it – but that’s hopefully not an indication of how trends for the future. In any case, today is September 15^th, so there’s lots of catching up to do. I pretty much wrote all about the highlights of my week in Halifax/Dartmouth in the last post, but haven’t gotten around to saying anything about Cape Breton, which was by far the best part of my time in Nova Scotia – and exactly what I wanted. Honestly, cities are nice and all, for their food and shops and things like that, but I’m coming to realise that they just don’t it for me. Maybe it was just my frame of mind while I was away, but for me the best moments were the ones where I could just walk around on trails or drive along highways that only had one lane in each direction. Basically, the most enjoyable things were the complete opposite of things you’d find in a large city. Some people might call it “a whole lotta nothing”, but I loved it, and I’d count the open spaces, quiet and sense of calmness as far better than what a city might offer.

Again, maybe you could just chalk it up to what I was looking for, cause don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely had a good time in cities like New York and Chicago. But getting the chance to explore Cape Breton, a place I didn’t really know much about beforehand, and all on my own, probably made the experience that much more special. When people say Cape Breton is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Canada, it’s with good reason. Even though I only really stayed at three places, Baddeck, Pleasant Bay, and Ingonish, I did drive around the whole of the island (it’s not that large), and every step of the way is filled with scenic views. Exploring each of those places on foot was also great. If there’s anything that Cape Breton has an abundance of, its parks, trees and trails. One really great park was the Uisge Bahn Falls Provincial Park, which honestly felt a little unreal, or a little too good to be true. Like the name suggests, the trail ends at a small waterfall, which was awesome to see, but the walk to it (and the parts where you can walk along the river) was just as cool. Besides that though, even the people I met made it a memorable experience, like the father/son I came across who were trying to find a spot for fishing trout (or salmon?) – and pretty much everyone would say hi as we passed one another. Not so fun at the time was getting lost because I somehow managed to get off the trail, turning around and realising that all the trees looked the same, but looking back now even that contributed to part of the experience.

From Baddeck it was onwards to Pleasant Bay (you just have to love a place with a name like that!). Again, the drive up to it didn’t disappoint, especially because pretty much the entire way you’ve got the coastline on your left-hand side, and lots of undeveloped land on your right – just a couple of houses here and there. And as a strange of a thought it might’ve been, one thing I remember thinking about was how there didn’t seem to be a single Tim Hortons along the way. The definite highlight of Pleasant Bay was the whale-watching tour I went on, which was a blast. We didn’t see any humpbacks or anything like that (we were probably too close to the coast), but we did see pods of pilot whales, which are pretty small (anywhere from 12-18 feet), and some seals (really shy!) and bald eagles. Even if we hadn’t seen any whales though, the feeling of zipping on the water in a zodiac with the ocean spray hitting your face made it an experience all on its own. I have to admit I can’t really remember much of Ingonish – except that the room of B&B I stayed at seemed to be a converted attic or something. I did walk one final trail there, called the Middlehead Trail, which turned out to be far more dramatic in terms of its scenery than Uisge Bahn – there’s just something about seeing the cliffs rise out of the water that makes you really appreciate what Canada’s got to offer. You really don’t have to go very far to see some pretty incredible things.

Halifax Bound…and Arrived

So, I had actually meant to write up a new post before I left, but time was against me – and so I’m writing this while in Halifax (hence the “and arrived” part of the title). In any case, I am now safely arrived and settled in Halifax, which is my first stop on a three week vacation that’ll take me coast to coast. Right after the week in Halifax, I’ll be flying to Sydney, NS, and over there to California to spend a week with a friend.

As a lot of my friends know, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to travel to a lot of different places around the world. Still, that being said, there’s something different about this trip, and I think I know what it is. Even though I’ve gotten to travel, this feels like the first time in a long time where it actually feels like a vacation (the last time might’ve been 2011?). Almost every other place I’ve gone in the past few years, there’s been some element attached to it, usually an educational element. Again, don’t get me wrong, I loved each and every one of those places and had a great time in them, but the fact remains that they weren’t holidays/vacations, but there was always some work to be done, whether in the form of excavating, reading and studying, writing essays or exams…but this time, it really does feel like a genuine vacation, or perhaps more properly, a getaway, because I’m doing it all alone. And that makes it all the more exciting. Driving back home late last night after spending some time with a few friends, I actually had a sense of butterflies in my stomach…not so much because of nervousness, but anticipation, and I haven’t really had that feeling about travelling for a pretty long time.

Basically, I really am looking forward to this time on my own, and the chance to de-stress, clear my mind and just do things when and how I want to, without working under specific schedules. That sense of freedom is what makes travelling so amazing…and for this trip, I’m just going to take things as they come – no real itinerary or plan, no “Place X on Day 3” or anything like that (although there are of course a couple of places I know I want to go visit). I’m not even really overly concerned with going to museums (I know, shocking!) or famous buildings, or any of the typical “touristy” places…that’s not really the goal of this trip. I think I’ve done enough of that already, but what drew me to the east is its nature and landscapes (things that I feel I haven’t really appreciated before). Besides that though, you often hear people talking about how it’s a good idea to explore your own backyard before travelling somewhere else. In my case, I guess I’m doing it backwards – still, to close this post with another common saying, better late than never…