Traveling to our last caravan stop

It was a two day drive to our final stop in our Canadian caravan tour on Prince Edward Island. That gave us the opportunity to catch a couple of attractions along the way that were not on the tour. The first of these was the Alexander Graham Bell National historic site in Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This is a beautiful small waterfront town where Bell established his summer home, Beinn Bhreagh, in 1855.  Bell said this was his favorite place of all those he had visited.

The historic site is the only place that original documents and artifacts can be found for his experiments in Nova Scotia.  His home, Beinn Bhreagh, is on a ridge across the bay from the museum. I learned  many new things about Bell, including his design of the fastest watercraft in the world, setting the world speed record in 1919 of over 70 MPH.  This was part of a business venture to sell these fast boats to the military.  Unfortunately, the designed was not completed before WWI ended and the military did not place any orders.  He also designed the aircraft that  J. MacCurdy flew over Baddeck bay in 1909 becoming the first heavier than air craft to fly in Canada and perhaps in the British Empire.

There are many other exhibits about his work with the deaf, which actually lead to the invention of the telephone along with all kinds of other interests.

I have always enjoyed Ann Murray's music, so when we saw she had a museum in Springhill, NS. we stopped by to have a look.  Springhill is a mining town with a rather tragic history from mine disasters to fire destroying the town.  Ann Murray has maintained a strong relationship with the town and has supported it through the years.  The museum, at first, seems understated and homey-which it is, but as you walk through the one way tour, you begin to see how well planned the exhibits are.  It was very interesting to not only learn about her career but also the relationship she still has with the town she grew up in.

In order to get onto Prince Edward Island (PEI) you have to cross the Confederation bridge, which at 8.1 miles long, is the longest bridge over water that freezes in the world.  It is also the most expensive bridge we have ever crossed.  It is free to get on the island but the fee for getting off with two axles is $45.00 CN.  So we tried to enjoy the ride.

Our last stop before arriving at our campground for our PEI visit was the small town of Victoria, which some guides call the prettiest town on the island.  We certainly thought it was very scenic.