|
| |
| |
|
CAPE NORTH |
| |
Beyond the northern perimeter of the national park is Cape North , a
forested hunk of hill and valley that juts out into the sea where the
Gulf of St Lawrence meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Cabot Trail skirts the
periphery of the cape, passing through the tiny village of CAPE NORTH ,
no more than a few lonely buildings straggling along the road. There
are, however, several places to stay round here, beginning with the
handy Macdonald's Motel (tel 383-2054; $40-60; mid-May to Oct), a
straightforward, modern affair at the village crossroads. Much more
enticing, however, is Oakwood Manor B&B (tel & fax 383-2317,
oakwood.manor@ns.sympatico.ca ; $60-80; May-Oct), whose en-suite
guestrooms are in a charming 1930s timber farmhouse. The 200-acre farm
occupies a gentle valley and is dotted with shingle-clad barns and
outbuildings. To get there, take the Bay St Lawrence road north from
Cape North village and, after about 1.3km, turn left at the sign, down
the 1.2km-long gravel road leading to the farm. The best place to eat is
Morrison's Restaurant , a casual café serving tasty seafood at the
village crossroads.
There aren't many reasons to push on up the North Cape, away from the
Cabot Trail, but one of them is to join a whale-watching trip at tiny
BAY ST LAWRENCE , 17km from Cape North village. Several operators line
up beside the harbour with one of the most dependable being Captain Cox,
whose cruises depart from here throughout the summer (June, Sept & Oct
1-3 daily; July & Aug 3 daily; 2-3hr; $25; tel 383-2981 or
1-888/346-5556). Just before you reach Bay St Lawrence, there's a
5km-long turning to the hamlet of CAPSTICK , where a string of houses
spreads out along a wide bay with wooded hills pressing in from behind.
Beyond, at the end of a bumpy, occasionally hairy 8km-long gravel road,
lies MEAT COVE , which passing sailors once raided for moose and caribou
- hence the name. The small campsite here (tel 383-2379; June-Oct; sites
$15) is full of the roar of the ocean.
|
|
