Nova Scotia and especially Cape Breton, are filled with tiny sinuous, dinky toy, lead to no-where, lead anywhere paved roads. If you expand that to dual purpose riding, knock yourself out!
After our visit to the fabulous Fortress of Louisburg, Ron and I head to Baddeck for an off- season visit to the Alexander Graham Bell museum and interpretive center. You see, Mr. Bell and company, built a little summer cottage on the shores of Bras d'Or lake, the largest salt water lake in the world apparently. To say the riding and scenery are beautiful wouldn't be stretching the truth on any account. There will be no 'Pinocchio' sized schnozes in my future.
With a light load, both VX 800 and Thunderbird, wound SW along Andrews Channel, highway route 223, through tiny villages and cottage country, amid hills and woods. The backdrop of the Channel, popped into view regularly to our right and although the pavement is broken up and choppy in places, this is not a high speed superhighway in any case. More suited to a leisurely day ride than a pseudo road race course. I say this because it wasn't long ago that a group of promoters were hoping to kick off an Isle of Man TT type race along the shore of Cape Breton. Last I heard, government regulators and insurance demands killed that one dead as a fly hitting my windshield. Shame, we could have had our own little Tourist Trophy going on...
We crossed the Grand Narrows to Iona, to a breathtaking view, backwards, darn... and continued riding South West to the Little Narrows ferry. Having lived for years on Prince Edward Island, which is actually an Island, and spent many vacations traveling to the other coast and Vancouver Island, I was well acquainted to ferry rides.
This... is nothing like those! In fact it's very similar to the Arrow Lakes ferry at Needles/Faquier or the crossing of the Red Deer river upstream from Drumheller AB.
Once on the 105, it was but a short hop to Baddeck and lunch and gas, but the vehicle kind not the other...
The G Bell museum is very well done, with a full sized replica of the Silver Dart, the first plane to fly in the British Commonwealth. There is also a replica and even the hull of the fantastic hydroplane that Bell and "Casey Baldwin' his junior and brilliant protege, designed and built that utlimately reached a speed of more than 70 plus miles per hour!!
It's worth a few hours to read the exhibits and watch the short flics detailing the many faucets of Bell's work over his lifetime. Truly an amazing man, surrounded by other amazing people.
The weather was threatening as we climbed aboard our wheels and followed scenic 206 before we connected back on 105. By the time we'd reached the Englishtown ferry turn off, we were in the soup. Not bad mind you, but chilly, cloudy and yes even some wet stuff. Hey... the Atlantic is only a short hop away, what can you expect!
Tomorrow... off to the Cabot Trail...
After our visit to the fabulous Fortress of Louisburg, Ron and I head to Baddeck for an off- season visit to the Alexander Graham Bell museum and interpretive center. You see, Mr. Bell and company, built a little summer cottage on the shores of Bras d'Or lake, the largest salt water lake in the world apparently. To say the riding and scenery are beautiful wouldn't be stretching the truth on any account. There will be no 'Pinocchio' sized schnozes in my future.
With a light load, both VX 800 and Thunderbird, wound SW along Andrews Channel, highway route 223, through tiny villages and cottage country, amid hills and woods. The backdrop of the Channel, popped into view regularly to our right and although the pavement is broken up and choppy in places, this is not a high speed superhighway in any case. More suited to a leisurely day ride than a pseudo road race course. I say this because it wasn't long ago that a group of promoters were hoping to kick off an Isle of Man TT type race along the shore of Cape Breton. Last I heard, government regulators and insurance demands killed that one dead as a fly hitting my windshield. Shame, we could have had our own little Tourist Trophy going on...
We crossed the Grand Narrows to Iona, to a breathtaking view, backwards, darn... and continued riding South West to the Little Narrows ferry. Having lived for years on Prince Edward Island, which is actually an Island, and spent many vacations traveling to the other coast and Vancouver Island, I was well acquainted to ferry rides.
This... is nothing like those! In fact it's very similar to the Arrow Lakes ferry at Needles/Faquier or the crossing of the Red Deer river upstream from Drumheller AB.
The G Bell museum is very well done, with a full sized replica of the Silver Dart, the first plane to fly in the British Commonwealth. There is also a replica and even the hull of the fantastic hydroplane that Bell and "Casey Baldwin' his junior and brilliant protege, designed and built that utlimately reached a speed of more than 70 plus miles per hour!!
It's worth a few hours to read the exhibits and watch the short flics detailing the many faucets of Bell's work over his lifetime. Truly an amazing man, surrounded by other amazing people.
The weather was threatening as we climbed aboard our wheels and followed scenic 206 before we connected back on 105. By the time we'd reached the Englishtown ferry turn off, we were in the soup. Not bad mind you, but chilly, cloudy and yes even some wet stuff. Hey... the Atlantic is only a short hop away, what can you expect!
Tomorrow... off to the Cabot Trail...
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