Cabot Trail - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 832

7. Pleasant Bay
The waters of Pleasant Bay host more whale pods than anywhere else on the cape, making
it a hotspot for whale-watching tours of all stripes—from boats with hydrophones for
listening towhalecalls tothosewithcrewmates whoplaytheirfiddlesondeck.TheWhale
Interpretive Center, located on Harbour Road, includes exhibits and information on the 16
types of whales sighted off the cape, as well as their marine environment.
8. Bog Trail
The highland plateau isn't all coastal majesty, and the park's twentysome hiking trails
showcase the full array of nature's offerings, from lush forest, alpine tundra, and sandy
beach to bogland and marsh. All along the Cabot Trail, well-marked paths diverge, such
as the Bog Trail, located at the top of French Mountain. Look for pitcher plants, orchids,
green frogs, and gray-cheeked thrushes along this short interpretive boardwalk trail.
9. Chéticamp
This community of Francophiles descends from the pioneers who settled here in the early
1600s determined to claim the New World for France. Today Chéticamp, St. Joseph-du-
Moire, Petit Ètang, and Grand Ètang proudly uphold their Acadian heritage. Brush up on
localhistoryandareaattractions atLesTroisPignons(TheThreeGables),thedefactovis-
itorcenter.Feastoncrunchybaguettes,visitshopsfilledwithtraditionalhooked-rugcrafts,
and absorb the local French dialect here and in the surrounding communities.
10. Margaree Valley
South of Chéticamp, Cabot Trail descends into the rounded hills and rolling plains of the
Margaree Valley, which follows the river's path from harbor to headwaters. Its shining wa-
tersroilwithAtlanticsalmonduringthesummerspawningseasonandattractfly-fishermen
hungry for trout all year round. The Margaree Salmon Museum in North East Margaree
pays homage to the salmon and to local history. The nearby fish hatchery stocks the water-
shed with up to 50,000 salmon and 500,000 trout each year.
Did you know…
Canada'sonlysinglemaltwhiskeyhailsfromGlenorraDistillery,locatedabout
40 miles south of Margaree Harbour on Cape Breton. Stop by from May
through October for a guided tour and a sampling of the distillery's goods, in-
cluding the 10-year aged Glen Breton Rare.