Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine 2012 | Page 19

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most amazing drive in this great country. We are so fortunate that there are
so many places to travel and we’ve uncovered some great places to explore.
Check them out and tell us what you think. Where to start?

The Rock (Newfoundland)

Nova Scotia and The Cabot Trail

Let’s drive to the Rock and its famed
Viking Trail. It’s designed for skill as
well as speed and besides, you might
see those tuned up WRXs whizzing
by in the Targa Rally.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s
largest-themed highway, the Viking
Trail, stretches all the way from the
province’s west coast to Southern
Labrador. It’s the only route to the

Jump on the ferry from Port-auxBasques. Located on the west coast
of Newfoundland to North Sydney, it
is a small community on the northern
tip of Cape Breton Island, a 5-1/2 to 7
hours trip, depending on the weather.
From there it’s a short journey to

sites at Gros Morne National Park
and L’Anse aux Meadows National
Historic Site, both home to many
ancient cultural treasures. The Vikings
discovered this land a thousand years
whalers also utilized it. (vikingtrail.org)
surround this Northern Peninsula where
the Long Range Mountains expose
geological wonders. As Parks Canada
states, “Visitors will be at the foot
of creation, where 10,000 year-old
icebergs shine on the horizons while
numerous whales migrate in their wake,
and Atlantic Canada’s tallest lighthouse
helps with the view.”

The traditional route
goes clockwise,
an old practice
based on keeping
away from
plunging cliffs.
In that plan, you’d
start with Baddeck,
on the shores of
the Bras d’Or
Lakes, location
of the inspiring
Alexander
Graham Bell
museum. Bell
invented much
more than the
telephone,
although that
would be

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enough, wouldn’t it? (cabottrail.travel)
While the trail is a popular route,
there are many other attractions
nearby. Gaelic is still taught here and
the locals often gather for ceilidhs at
Mabou’s Red Shoe pub, owned by the
Rankin sisters of musical fame. Sadly,
family member Raylene Rankin, 52,
passed away over the Thanksgiving
holiday, after a long battle
with cancer. Her
musical legacy will
live on in Mabou’s
and storytelling.
There’s also the
nearby Glenora
Distillery, the
only single-malt
whiskey maker
in Canada. The
Margaree Valley,
home to great
even includes
the Salmon
Museum, an
unusual spot for
the real angler.