The Arms of Gold

A tribute to Alexander Graham Bell

We spent last night in the charming little town of Baddeck, Nova Scotia, which sits alongside the expansive inlet lake known as Bras d'Or, meaning "Arms of Gold," in reference to the golden reflections on the water at sunset. Baddeck is famous as the retirement home of Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telegraph and telephone. I didn’t know this, but while he lived in Baddeck, he continued to invent things, including the first metal detector, the first hydrofoil, and an experimental airplane, making Baddeck the birthplace of aviation in Canada!

Our hotel, surrounded by lupines!

Bras d'Or "Lake"

Bras d'Or is often referred to as a lake, but it is actually an inland sea with two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean. It covers 425 square miles and occupies a significant portion of the southern section of Cape Breton Island. It has been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere due to its unique ecosystem, featuring cold salty water on the bottom and warmer fresh water on top, which supports incredible bird, animal, and fish life in these estuaries.

A casualty of the road.

The lupines and wild irises are now in full bloom along the roadways, adding deep purples to the vibrant greens. It is also the peak of mating season for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on Cape Breton Island. They are flitting everywhere in search of a mate. Unfortunately, many fall victim to traffic on the roads, so we’ve seen several dead butterflies littering the roadside. Regrettably, I’ve hit a couple myself when they flew right into my spokes. I felt so bad. :-(

Our journey today had us close the gap and complete the circular Cabot Trail. We were tempted to take the right turn to ride it again, but we knew we needed to take the left and head further south toward the mainland. The road was wonderful, with rolling green hills that weren’t too steep. Eventually, we made it back to the Canso Causeway, where we had crossed onto Cape Breton Island six days ago, heading north. Again, we were tempted to turn right and retrace our epic journey around this beautiful part of the world, but instead, we went down the hill, across the Canso Causeway, and back onto the mainland of Nova Scotia. We are staying again in Aulds Cove at that cute little motel with the fantastic restaurant we enjoyed last week.