Cape Breton Island is one of those places I can return to again and again. There's the spectacular scenery of the Cabot Trail, whale watching off Cheticamp, hiking, golf, lobster suppers and especially that warm Island welcome. And they sure know how to throw a party.
Each fall, Cape Breton hosts the Celtic Colours International Festival, when dozens of local and international musicians perform at venues around the island. This year, the 13th-annual festival runs Oct. 9-17.
Traditional Cape Breton music has many styles, reflecting Irish, Scottish and French traditions. The first Gaelic people arrived in Cape Breton in 1629, and Celtic music and culture have flourished ever since.
The music is fabulous, the venues range from intimate pubs to large halls and the autumn colours are at their peak. I absolutely, toe-tapingly, dancing-in-the-aisles loved it. In between concerts, visit the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site in Baddeck, where 100 years ago, the Silver Dart, the first powered airplane, flew in Canada.
From Baddeck, it's easy to link up with the Cabot Trail. The 300-km drive takes you through the pretty and tranquil Margaree Valley over to the north shore and Cheticamp, rich with Acadian culture and history, and then on through spectacular Cape Breton Highlands NationaPark. The twisting, turning route takes you up and over the French and Mackenzie Mountains to the aptly named Pleasant Bay, then over the North Mountains and eventually coming out to the sea on the other side and down on through the Ingonishes. The autumn leaves are an artists' palette of crimson, orange and gold.
For history buffs, the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site shouldn't be missed. Fifty recreated buildings set the scene back to 1744 when the site was a centre of trade and commerce under command of the French. Costumed interpreters tend animals and make old-fashioned chocolate.
