When we traveled from Halifax to St. Peter’s (the entrance to the Bras d’Or Lakes), we took a rapid, overnight journey to get there as quickly as possible. On our way back to Halifax, we decided to take our time.
In addition to quiet anchorages in beautiful bays and harbors surrounded by rock and evergreens, we spent two nights at Liscombe Lodge, about 5 miles upriver from the ocean. Jim had read about the spot during his last visit to Nova Scotia (when he and two friends were moving Guidance from Prince Edward Island to Halifax as part of our longer journey out from the Apostles in 2023). Since their schedule hadn’t allowed a stop then, he was especially keen to visit. It’s a lodge and cabins, built in the 1960s, and it is very hospitable to boaters. We picked up a mooring ball and for a small fee were able to enjoy the grounds. Of course, we took advantage of dinner both nights at their restaurant. It has a well deserved reputation of great food and hospitality! Anne took a nice hike and was even able to do some blueberry picking.
While we were at the lodge, a long-time employee, Chester, recommended we stop at Shelter Cove on the way back to Halifax. Given that he’s been boating in the area for 46 years and figures prominently in many sailors’ review of the lodge, we took his recommendation seriously. So glad we did!
We anchored one night in Shelter Cove. It is a 145 acre wilderness sanctuary protected by the Nova Scotia Nature Trust. We anchored in a beautiful, silent cove surrounded by evergreens on rocky islands. We found a hiking trail that even supplied a few more blueberries, in addition to a porcupine sighting.
The trip from Halifax to Baddeck and back was our first taste of Cape Breton, and we are so glad we made the journey. We traveled a total of 417nm, a long way at 6kn per hour.