Cabot Shores Wilderness Retreat turned out as Russ had described: a strange amalgam of hippie commune and spa resort. Unfortunately, the owner, who had freely offered us a site for our camper (they don’t usually take campers or RVs, as they offer hotel rooms, yurts, and geodesic dome tree houses, along with a few tent sites) was not there, and it took quite a bit of working our way up through the ranks of the staff until we spoke with someone who could understand what we were talking about and set it up for us.

We finally got squared away, although the promised electricity and water hookups never materialized, and we enjoyed a very nice supper in their dining room. The bugs were again out in force, so after a quick walk out to the ocean shore, we called it a night.

The next morning, after a buffet breakfast, Russ made good on his promise to drive me around Cape Breton on the road he and CK had just bicycled. He even held off on showing me his photos, so that I could “see it first for myself.”

Not even 10,000 words could describe the beauty of Cape Breton, so I’ll let my pictures do it instead:

AND he took me to a seafood restaurant for lunch so I could have a lobster roll! It was a wonderful day.