I lingered around the motel room until about 10 in the morning. Since my ferry passage was booked, I had two days to complete the Cabot Trail. The road is doable in about four or five hours nonstop, but I've been riding nonstop and wanted to be able to do a bit of exploration.
The two or three other motorcyclists at the motel had all left by the time I saddled up for the road north. The weather forecast said that it was supposed to be partly sunny, but the morning was gray, overcast and drizzly, another reason I lingered. I planned to ride to Meat Cove, the northernmost point on the island and Google showed it to be about a two hour ride so I was in no hurry.
The air was brisk and in the high 40s but small patches of blue could be seen through the cloud cover and after a while the sun broke through in pieces.
The road north along the coast was smooth and easy, with wide S curves and rolling hills. It was a nice and easy ride, slowed by a large number of SUVs with older couples driving slowly. I pulled off at the Wreck Cove General Store to see what they had and scored three Power Bars for my tank bag.
At the counter, a man had just purchased a lobster sandwich and made the comment "I hope I don't get sick from it". The girl working the register, who looked like she didn't take crap from anyone, commented that the sandwiches had just been made and were fresh and gave him a mild stink-eye.
Outside, a man leaning against his cab asked about the bike and where I was headed next. Before we could finish the conversation, his client, Mr. Stink-Eye Lobster Sandwich Man came out of the store with the sandwich and climbed in the car, so the driver apologized and said the man was off a cruise ship and he had to get him back to Sydney.
From the store, the road to continued to climb and the scenery improved, not that it hadn't been excellent already.
At some point I entered the Canadian National Park which said admission was required, however the ticket booth was closed.
I perused the various roads in the park, and continued on north, stopping at many turnouts and side roads. The views glimpsed here and there were pretty amazing, with high cliffs and rocky coastlines. Classic cottages were sprinkled along the waterfront and up on the hillsides. The Cabot Trail was living up to its reputation. The gently twisting road and picturesque scenery made for a very nice ride.
At Neils Harbor, I deviated off the official Cabot Trail highway and took the smaller winding coastal road for a few miles until it reconnected with the Trail, then a few miles further at Cape North, I turned northward on the road to Meat Cove.
I wheeled into Cabots Landing Provincial Park, on a beautiful crescent beach. There was a bust of John Cabot, the English-ized name of Giovanni Caboto, a Venetian exploring for England, and some bronze plaques discussing his voyage of discovery in 1497. It's stated that the official landing site was unknown, generally accepted that he landed in Newfoundland, but some traditions suggested this location on Cape Breton. The huge beach was worthy of a movie location landing site for sure.
The narrow blacktop road continued north, passing a few homes and bayside villages and winding its way up and down along the coast. Clouds had moved in and the temperature dropped just about the time the asphalt ended for the last few mile stretch to the end of the road at Meat Cove. The dirt road was in good condition with a few mud puddles here and there from the recent rains.
Meat Cove and the campground
The last of the road climbed up a small hill with stunning views from the top, where the Chowder Hut cafe and a campground sat. It was cold and windy and I looked forward to warming up with a hot bowl of seafood chowder. The little café was full and the waitress made a fresh pot of coffee for me, but informed me that they had just sold the last of the chowder. The hot coffee was good, as well as a slab of fried haddock. Warm and satiated, I could see the skies darkening and threatening rain so it seemed appropriate to continue on. The winding road out was every bit as fun as the way in, with beautiful views around each curve.
Back on the Cabot Trail, the skies remained dark and threatening as the road climbed higher and higher. The GSA's thermometer showed 44° and the additional gusting winds made it feel even colder.
Eventually the road dropped back down to the settlement of Pleasant Bay on the west coast where I found lodging for the night. My 2 hour trip had turned into 8 hours and I was ready to warm up and relax for the evening.
The winds were intense and cold on the beach, but I savored every second of the time watching the sun set, hearing the boom of the waves on the rocky beach below.
