Skies start to clear as the ride continues through Malignant Cove, Georgeville, and Livingston Cove to Cape George Point. There, the Cape George Lighthouse overlooks the Northumberland Strait, which separates Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island, Canada’ s smallest province. Road 337 winds us south to Antigonish and Route 104, part of the Trans- Canada Highway, which crosses the Canso Causeway to Cape Breton Island. Route 105( also part of the TCH) takes us to Baddeck.
Next day, I head out on a morning jaunt through the Lake Ainslie region east of Baddeck. Smooth, curvy blacktop cuts through a deep green landscape and along a calm lakeshore. At Margaree Harbour, the Northumberland Strait comes into view. A ways north on the Cabot Trail is the village of Chéticamp. At Restaurant Evangeline, most patrons are speaking French. Greeting the server, I exhaust my recall of middle school French: Bonjour( Good morning) and Comment allez- vous?( How are you?). She appreciates the effort, then takes my order in English.
This part of Cape Breton is Acadian, with strong cultural ties to the early French settlers of eastern Canada. The French tricolor flag, adorned with a gold star, is widely displayed to symbolize this heritage. I notice that many road signs in this region include both English and Acadian French. In other regions of Cape Breton, signs often include Scottish Gaelic( remember, Nova Scotia means“ New Scotland”) or Mi’ kmawi’ simk( a language spoken in First Nations communities).
After breakfast, the ride returns south on the
Arisaig on Cape George is a delightful place to learn about lobsters … and enjoy them for lunch!
Cabot Trail to Road 219, hugging the coast to Dunvegan. There it joins the Ceilidh( say“ KAY- lee”) Trail and rolls south through Inverness, Mabou, and Port Hood. Doubling back to Road 252 delivers me to Whycocomagh and an afternoon coffee break. In the cafe, I notice framed photos of local hockey teams, recalling another memory.
38 / JULY 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM