Day 8 - 222 miles

Baddeck is very Scottish and French. Sits on a beautiful bay with sail boats and fishing vessels all around. No big hotels here -all quaint inns and B&B's. Weather is not cooperating - cloudy and very cold. Spencer thinks we shouldn't try the Cabot trail - doesn't won't to ride in the rain and cold. Ever optimistic, I convince him to give it a try. After breakfast at the Yellow Cello we layer up and head out. When we reach the Cabot Trail we see blue sky and our spirits rise. Very dramatic landscape - mountains rising up out of the ocean in every direction and we are riding on the most beautiful road. Very wild and rugged - thank goodness for the guardrail - it gives me a false sense of safety. A few patches of dirt road which Spencer liked and I held on for dear life.

So glad we traveled here - this is definitely the high point of our trip. We're learning French from all the road signs so our vocabulary is limited except from what I remember from high school.

Rain the last hour of riding before settling in at the Maritime Inn in Port Hawkesbury.

SSB

If not for Virginia's determination (Gus would say "press on"), I would have missed the ride today. Weather forecast was not good and I could see us mist ramble shaggy puppies getting cold and miserable. Although the skies never really broke, there was enough blue to be positive.

While walking to breakfast, a gentleman told us the golf club burned down last night. We could hardly understand his Scottish dialect and he must have detected ours as he asked if we were from South Carolina - funny. After eating at the Yellow Cello, we layered up and loaded for the preferred counter clock wise loop around the Cabot Trail. And it did not disappoint!

Motorcyclists yearn for roads like this; dips down by the waterways then climbs thru cuts that take your breath away. Working the machine while oohing and aahing at the scenery. This road (as several in NS) was made for the sheer scenery. There doesn't seem to be much commercial traffic on this green rock in the ocean. Only a few spots was there construction...the GS ate up the gravel.

We made several stops to view the ocean and scout for whales. Simply a beautiful place!

Skies darkened as we approached Inverness where we got a sandwich, coffee, sweets and wifi. The Internet is a great tool when traveling and we feel naked without it. Maps get wet and worn and cought in the wind and blown into puddles.

Found a place at Port Hawkesbury where I did laundry. It poured rain all night. We made it around the trail before big rain. How lucky and thankful!