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travel / great places / cg traveller
| CG Traveller |
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Cycling the Cape Breton Coast
You'll need the stamina of a step-dancer and the
endurance of a fiddler at the parish hall on Saturday night.
But cyclists who want to experience the two-wheeled thrill
of a lifetime should head to Cape Breton Island. Against the
breathtaking coastal beauty and 300-metre cliffs of Cape Breton
Highlands National Park, you'll enjoy thigh-burning
ascents and heart-stopping descents. Off the blacktop in this
950-square-kilometre greenbelt, enjoy boardwalk hikes through
boggy forests, explore the Beulach Ban Falls and view local
wildlife such as beaver, moose, deer and more than 200 species
of birds. "I have seen the Rockies, Andes and Highlands
of Scotland," said Alexander Graham Bell. "Cape
Breton outrivals them all." And he didn't even
see it on a bike. Check the links below for more information
on Nova Scotia.
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton
Parks Canada provides an informative overview of life in Cape Breton Highlands
National Park. There is lots of valuable background on the natural history
and geography of the 950-square kilometre highland region plus all the
visitor information you need to plan a holiday, including hours of operation,
details from the information centre, fees, services and suggested itineraries.
www.cbisland.com/index.php
Tourism Cape Breton Island hosts a dynamic web site that allows you to
plan a fabulous trip from the comfort of your own home. As virtual experiences
go, it's a total hands-on experience of what a trip to the world's
most scenic island can provide. Novices can take a virtual tour of the
island and explore its scenic regions. There's a detailed "Things
To Do" section highlighting all of the island's cultural and
adventure options, and the "Trip Planner" provides a rich online
directory that outlines everything from maps to accommodations, restaurants
and other useful planning information.
www.cabottrail.com
This is the official site for the 298-kilometre loop that traces the northern
tip of Cape Breton Island. This multilingual site is an excellent directory
of all the basics — lodging, activities and tours, accommodations,
culture, maps and weather — that you'll need for planning a
trip. It also lists many of the better-known outfitters and tour operators
for adventure activities from wildlife watching to kayaking.
www.parkscanada.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index_E.asp
The Fortress of Louisburg is one of Canada's 800 National Historic
Sites. It celebrates a time more than 250 years ago when the former Île
Royale was a thriving seaport capital. Located south of Sydney, the fort
recreates life in one of France's busiest New World centres based
on aspects that are of national importance to Canada — culture, trade,
fisheries and the early Anglo-French rivalry. For information on the charming
seaside town of Louisbourg of today, visit nearby louisbourg.com/
capebretonisland.com
Cape Breton Island Showcase is possibly the most comprehensive source
of information on the nuts-and-bolts of island travel. Systematically
organized by "Communities," "Music," "Scenic
Tours," "Galleries," "Accommodations" and "Activities,"
the site is a kind of Yellow Pages for getting to know the island. One
of the more useful sections is "Communities," which provides
an at-a-glance description of many of the island's towns and villages.
Once inside the community of your choice, there is a cross-reference directory
to many travel-planning essentials.
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