Cape Breton- Cabot Trail

Nova Scotia

Baddeck

Baddeck is a picturesque, vibrant little village right in the heart of Cape Breton Island set on the shores of the great inland sea known as the Bras d’Or Lakes. Baddeck is widely known as ‘the beginning and end’ of the famous Cabot Trail, a magnificent scenic drive along some of the most stunningly beautiful coastline in the world!

Lynwood was built in 1868, and owned by Charles Hart.  In the mid 1800's the Hart
family were prominent local business people and merchants.  For many years Lynwood
was a private house, later a prominent local store selling art, antiques and
collectibles.  Recently it has been renovated to become an inn and restaurant.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic site sits in the beautiful lakeside village of Baddeck on Cape Breton Island.  Bell visited here in 1885 and fell in love with the surroundings.  It reminded him of Scotland, his place of birth. He returned the following year, bought land, and began to build Beinn Bhreagh. His descendants still consider this their residence.

Bell was only 29 years old when he invented the telephone and changed the world.  What many folks don’t realize is that this famed inventor also had many other remarkable achievements from which we are still reaping the benefits today. Bell also invented an audiometer (a device to detect minor hearing problems), a photophone (a wireless telephone) and he also invented the metal detector. He was a co-founder of the National Geographic Society and would serve as its president.

********* When I was three, in Louisville, KY, I was unable to hear.  I have vague memories of the disorientation I experienced at this time.  Turns out I had an accumulation of wax that caused my eardrums not to vibrate.  I had an adenoidectomy and tubes put in.  Throughout my childhood I would again have the tubes put in my ears because of the excess wax limiting my eardrums to vibrate.  All this to say, deafness was at the foremost of my little brain going up.  This drew me to learn about Helen Keller who was one of the first women I admired growing up.  I learned about Alexander Graham Bell meeting Helen Keller, and he became quite important to me also because of his work with deaf people.  Alexander Melville Bell Alexander Graham Bell’s lifelong commitment to helping deaf people began with his father, Alexander Melville Bell.  Melville Bell was a noted elocutionist and teacher of speech.  His greatest achievement was a new phonetic alphabet which he called “Visible Speech”.  Alexander Graham Bell tried using his father’s invention to teach the deaf people to speak.  He was an instant success.   Visible speech was based on Melville’s detailed knowledge of the human organs of speech.  He studied the vocal organs when making sounds.  He then assigned to each sound a symbol that represented the corresponding position of the vocal organs.  Melville painstakingly compiled his list of symbols until he had a complete phonetic alphabet. Alexander Graham Bell Bell was born on March 3, 1847 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the second born son of Alexander Melville Bell, a teacher of elocution, and Eliza Grace Symonds, a hearing-impaired pianist.  One of the pictures showed Alexander holding a dog by the throat.  It turns out  that he had taught his dog to growl for an extended period of time while he would  manipulate the dogs throat.  Alexander was able to get the dog to make  vowel sounds as well as a couple of words. While a teacher, Bell met 15-year-old Mabel Hubbard, one of his deaf students. Despite a 10-year age gap, the two fell in love and were married in 1877. The couple would go on to have four children: daughters Elsie and Marian, as well as two sons who died as infants. One of the films about the Bell couple talked about how they would position themselves at dinner so that the light was always on Alexander's face so Mabel could read his lips.  The person said they would go meals without making a sound while still carrying on a conversation. Inventing the Telephone While a teacher for the hearing impaired, Bell was asked by a group of investors — one of whom was his father-in-law Gardiner Hubbard — to help perfect the harmonic telegraph. The device was one of the most exciting innovations of the day, allowing for multiple messages to be sent over wire simultaneously.But Bell was more keen on developing a voice transmitting device, which he would later call the telephone. After some negotiation, the investors allowed for Bell to work on both technologies, with more focus on the popular harmonic telegraph. However, in the end, the telephone won out. As Bell would later explain, “If I could make a current of electricity vary in intensity precisely as the air varies in density during the production of sound, I should be able to transmit speech telegraphically.” On March 7, 1876, Bell was awarded a patent on the device, and three days later, he made his first successful telephone call to his assistant, electrician Thomas Watson, who would hear Bell’s famous words transmitted through the wire: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” Bell had many other inventions including the precursor to the metal detector and the improvement on Edison's gramophone. In 1888, Bell became one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society and later served as its president between 1898 and 1903. Along with his son-in-law, Gilbert Grosvenor, Bell transformed the society’s journal, National Geographic, into a world-renowned publication. Bell also helped launch Science magazine, still one of the world’s premier science publications. The Silver Dart, designed and built by a team, including Bell, became the first flight by a British Subject in the British Empire, on the 23rd of February 1909, piloted by JAD McCurdy.  Flew from the ice of Baddeck Bay. HD4  Hydrofoil Craft Replica Bell and his team also developed a hydrofoil craft.  A replica of the HD-4 hydrofoil  craft that set a world speed record in Baddeck in 1919 is on display at the museum.    One of the original propeller HD-4HD-4 or Hydrodome number 4 was an early research hydrofoil watercraft developed by the scientist Alexander Graham Bell. It was designed and built at theBell Boatyard on Bell's Beinn Bhreagh estate nearBaddeck, Nova Scotia. In 1919, it set a world marine speed record of 70.86 miles per hour. Bell was building this craft to aid in WWII.  When the war ended, the craft was abandoned on the coast.  The salvaged craft is now on display at the museum. Some of his computations.  Bell designed kites to learn more about flight without danger to a person.  He also dissected fallen birds to study their wings. In 1881, Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell had a son, Edward, who was born prematurely.  Edward’s lungs weren’t fully developed and he passed away only a few hours after his birth due to respiratory failure.  Bell, heartbroken, began working on a device he called a vacuum jacket.  The jacket fastened around the torso of the patient.  It was connected by means of a tube to a bellows.  Air could be pumped in and out of the jacket with the bellows to alternately raise and lower the patient’s thorax.  This forced air in and out of the lungs.   Scenes across the lake from the Bell Historic Site. Early morning by the waterfront of Baddeck Statue of Alexander and Mabel Bell The Cabot Trail When Alexander Graham Bell visited Cape Breton for the first time he exclaimed:“I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton out rivals them all!" The Cabot Trail winds for nearly 185 miles through the beautiful Cape Breton Highlands National Park and is carved into the sides of mountains that rise high above the shimmering waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence.  Look-offs offer unforgettable vistas of Cape Breton's rugged coastline, where pods of whales can often be seen just offshore and bald eagles soar aloft on the ocean breezes. Keltic Lodge When we got to White Point, Roger walked the trail.  While he was hiking I enjoyed watching a dog play in the water below. Continuing our drive around the trail, we arrived at the location that John Cabot landed. A native of Genoa, Giovanni Cabota (John Cabot) received a royal warrant from King Henry VII of England to find a westward route to Asia.  Departing Bristol in May 1497, Cabot landed in Cape Breton on June 24, 1497 after a voyage of 35 days aboard the ship Matthew. This painting portrays cabot’s landing in Aspy Bay. John Cabot and his son, Sebastian aboard the Matthew. The Matthew weighed 80 tons and had a 20 man crew After visiting this point along the Cabot Trail, we retraced our steps to go back to the room we had reserved for the night.  When we got to the room, all I wanted to do was bolt.  After succumbing to the idea that we were staying at this place for the night, not finding a good enough reason to cancel our reservation and fear that we would not have another place to stay due to it being high season for the Cabot Trail, the power went out in the room.  The owner came down to attempt to fix the power, and started to relocate us to another room when it was discovered that the power was out in that room also.  They relieved us of our obligation to the reservation and we left in search of a vacancy.  We stopped at a motel/restaurant and asked if they had any vacancies.  They did not, but she called around and found us a vacancy for the night.  The place was reserved and after eating at the restaurant, we jumped into the car and headed to our resting place for the night.  Of course, we had to stop and take some more pictures on the way! Lakies Head Scenic Overlooks on our way to Cheticamp Lone Shieling During summer on the western highlands of Scotland, crofters (tenant farmers) grazed their livestock  on the hill pastures of clan chieftains.  A shieling sheltered the crofter and often some of his livestock.  This open end, which provided light would be closed in with peat sods during storms.  On the well swept earthen floor, a blazing peat fire provided heat, light, and smoke.  Fragrant pallets of heather or bracken covered the stone bunks. Laurie's Inn in Cheticamp Turns out we went from a room that was awful to a four bedroom house plus a wonderful breakfast. Walking around the town in the evening, we happened on this wonderful live music! The Skyline Trail We were excited to begin the day on the Skyline Trail.  We were looking  forward to enjoying our favorite artist, God! As I waited for Roger to descend and ascend all the extra steps along the trail, I sat on a bench at the top with the wind whipping through my hair.  I felt like a romantic heroine from the movies, then I realized as I enjoyed the fantastic views of the ocean and mountains and I realized I am more fortunate than any fictionalized character.  I am so blessed and happy. We have been looking for Bears, Elk, Caribou, and Moose since we got here with nary a one to be seen. They must have all gone on vacation.  Roger spoke to one woman about the animals and she said she hasn't gone on the Skyline Trail once without seeing a moose.  We are still hopeful we will see some large wildlife in the weeks to come! We had a restorative lunch at the Rusty Anchor.  This restaurant has an incredible view with great food!! MacIntosh Brook Trail  After lunch we went to a hike with a prize, a waterfall!! Mi’kma’ki, land of the Mi’kmaq The Mi’kmaw people have a deep connection to the waters, moon, land, and spirit world.  Today, my people continue to share stories, culture and traditions, to bring an understanding of who we are as Indigenous people of Mi’kma’ki.- Mary Louise Bernard Nowadays, maple syrup is cherished around the world as a delicious treat. For the Mi’kmaq, the nutrients in maple sap were vital in regaining strength after the harsh winter. This “milk from Mother Earth” is sacred to the Mi’kmaq. Based on oral history, Sismoqnapui’skwe’j, or, the Sweetwater Maiden, shares the Mi’kmaw story about the discovery of maple syrup, as told to Mary Louise Bernard by her mother. Come feel the energy and spirit of the Sweetwater Maiden, as you walk on the sacred land of Cape Breton Highlands. Since time immemorial, the Mi’kmaq have lived off the land in Mi’kma’ki (Eastern North America).  During the summer, coastal areas were home to the Mi’kmaq, while in winter, they moved to the shelter of the forests. Hunting ad fishing the animals of Mi’kma’ki and gathering its plants ensured  their substinence. It had been a harsh winter.  Deep in the forest stands kisiku (Elderly Indigenous man), with arms outstretched to the sun.  Today, he will go on his spiritual quest alone.  With sadness, he knows this journey will be his last. Awakening from her sleep, l’nu’skwe’j (a young Indigenous maiden) hears footsteps.  She peeks through the doorway of her home and watches her grandfather trudging slowly up the mountain. The days grow warmer and grandfather has been gone many days. L’nu’skwe’j shares her concerns with her mother, who then places a flint in her open hand.  Soon l’nu’skwe’j disappears into the forest, leaving footprints in the fresh fallen snow. Weakened, grandfather senses someone coming at a distance.  He builds his shelter then strikes a tree with his tomahawk.   L’nu’skwe’j sees the tomahawk from a distance.  She approaches it, and finds her grandfather’s belongings. Water drips from the handle of the tomahawk into a hollow log. L’nu’skwe’j starts a fire and prepares her grandfather’s meal.  As the sweet aroma drifts into the shelter, her grandfather awakens. There by the fire sits his granddaughter.  The food she has prepared for him has a taste foreign to her. Grandfather finishes his meal, then glances up at the tree as the sweet water drips from his tomahawk.  He tells his granddaughter of his vision and bestows on her sacred name, for without her, his vision would have only been a dream.  “The Creator has given us a gift to be shared by all.” L’nu’skwe’j often told her story to her people.  She became known as Sismoqnapui’skwe’j, or, the Sweetwater Maiden, the name her grandfather gave her. More scenes  around the  Cabot Trail Cap Rouge Duck Cove Inn, Margouree Harbor Morning clouds over the water St Peter's Roger finally got to do some fishing.  He said that a he got most of his joy watching a little girl catching fish.  This was the canal everyone was fishing off of for mackerel. Bras D'or Lake We enjoyed our time on Cape Breton, but our time visiting it has come to an end.  What a wonderful time we had.