Day 48: Baddeck to Amherst

402 kilometers, 4:24 hours

It was time to head home. We had gone as far east as we could in Nova Scotia. We had completed our objectives in Canada. The weather was unfriendly.

Baddeckm N.S. to Amherst, N.S.
The coast of Northumberland Strait

During the trip from Baddeck to Amherst, along the south coast of the Northumberland Strait, the weather went through a variety of changes, including a wiper-slapping downpour and blanketing fog. Dan took the scenic route near the shore of the coast of the Northumberland Strait, but we hardly dared take our eyes off the road; the two-lane highway was winding and dipping and frequently potholed. Passing approaching big rigs created blinding splashes.

For lunch we stopped in Pictou, where a few days before we had a wonderful meal at the Saltwater Cafe on a sunny afternoon. Today the Saltwater Cafe was closed and we had to push against heavy wind to get from the car to the Lobster House, where the meal was ordinary. Afterwards we got a few supplies at a nearby supermarket, coming out to a pouring rain.

Later in the afternoon, an anemic sun break revealed the charming farmland along the coast. We enjoyed the pretty scenery.

The Wandlyn Inn and Conference Center in Amherst is an older property and a little isolated, but well-suited to our needs. The pool is extra large and warm enough to walk right in, so I managed a brief swim before it was overwhelmed by noisy families. We had a very nice dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Then I forced myself to stay awake long enough to do a load of laundry.