Showing posts with label DINING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DINING. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Cape Breton Highlands National Park & The Skyline Trail

 

MQTlogoa Acadian Coastline, Gaelic Folklore, Celtic Culture and The The Mi'kmaq Nation… To say the least there is a lot going on in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. A “My Quality Time” post.

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The Skyline Trail::: “Length: 7.5 km (4.7 mi) return or 9.2 km (5.7 mi) loop Elevation: 290 - 405 m (950 - 1,330 ft) Time: 2 - 3 hours
Significant Features: Headland cliff, ocean Main trail suitable for most skill levels.  Boardwalk with steps at headland.  Rugged back loop.” Linda and I with my sister Sara and her husband Larry did the In-Out trail not the loop.

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If one is going to do just one hike in this area this is the one to do. There are hundreds of wonderful blog posts/web sites devoted to this area with detailed photos and descriptions of the hike. You can do your own research if interested. Here are a couple links I really like: One Journey and Wandering Not Lost .

On this hike you may see moose and bear but we did not… so it goes…   Instead I offer up a “At A Breton Calvaire” from the book::”Cape Breton Tales” by Harry James Smith 1880-1918.

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“Upon that cape that thrusts so bare.. Its crest above the wasting sea-Grey rocks amidst eternity- There stands an old and frail calvaire, Upraising like an unvoiced cry Its great black arms against the sky. For storm-beat years that cross has stood: It slants before the winter gale; And now the Christ is marred and pale;

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The rain has washed away the blood That ran once on its brow and side, And in its feet the seams are wide.

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But when the boats put out to sea At earliest dawn before the day. The fishermen, they turn and pray, Their eyes upon calvary:

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“O Jesu, Son of Mary fair, Our little boats are in thy care!” and when the storm beats hard and shrill

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Then toil-bent women, worn with fear, Pray for the lives they hold so dear, And seek the cross

upon the hill: “O Jesu, Son of Mary mild, Be with them where the waves are wild!”

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And when the dead they carry by Across that melancholy land,- Dead that were cast up on the strand

Beneath a black and whirling sky,- They pause before the old calvaire; They cross themselves and say a prayer.

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O Jesu, Son of Mary fair! O Faith, that seeks thy cross of pain! Their voices break above the rain,

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The wind blows hard, the heart lies bare: Clutching through dark, their hands find Thee,

O Christ, that died on Calvary!”

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Film crew getting ready to shoot a documentary… and now I’m HUNGRY:::

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The Beggars Banquet a chance for you to get into period costume and gorge on a feast of local seafood in a replicated 18th-century tavern.
2015-09-05 06.41.57 Hope you enjoyed the post/photos… and as always have

a great day…. Joe Todd reporting for “My Quality Time”

MQTlogoa Cape Breton Highlands National Park & The Skyline Trail

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Gasparilla Island,Boca Grande, & The Lighthouse Museum

MQTlogoa A MY QUALITY TIME ADVENTURE TO GASPARILLA ISLAND,BOCA GRANDE,BOCA,GRANDE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM & MORE…………………..

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All Aboard

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and our intrepid adventurers::

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Boca Grande is known for its charming authentic downtown, sugar sand beaches, blue water and world class fishing. READ MORE

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Almost there…

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The Gasparilla Inn & Club features a magnificent Pete Dye Signature 18-hole Championship Course located on scenic Charlotte Harbor Read More (which I didn’t play)

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We made it to Gasparilla Island State Park with it’s beautiful beach. (to walk on)

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Just $3.00 gets you in and free all day parking. Beautiful beach with great view of the pass and ocean. Water was nice and clear and the beach is really clean. (We rented a golf cart for the day and used it to get around the island)

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Great shelling on this beach and there is the lighthouse in the distance.

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“In 1888, the U.S. Congress allocated $35,000 for the U.S. Lighthouse Service to build a lighthouse on Boca Grande Pass, the deepest natural port in the state. The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse was lit December 31, 1890. The light was used to mark Boca Grande Pass, the entrance to Charlotte Harbor. A museum was built inside the lighthouse and opened in 1999 (Trip Through Time). It is one of only six lighthouses in Florida to be open to the public, and the only one on the west coast.” READ MORE

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During WWII, the lighthouse was used to watch for German U-boats. I wonder what Linda is looking for.

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You know, there is always someplace “off limits”

100_8658  I really wanted to go up those stairs… LOL

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The museum is well done and gives information about early life on the island. Apparently, a truly integrated society!

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You will just have to visit the museum to read the fine print…

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Time to leave the island

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Boaters: Observe all manatee speed zones; and don't tear up the grass flats – these are prime feeding zones for this unique marine mammal. Boca Grande ...

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Boca Grande's serene beauty also makes it a destination for high profile weddings and residences for the elite seeking privacy. The Bushs' and Audrey Hepburn have called it home seasonally.

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captainWill Captain Will (retired from the Coast Guard) of the Calusa Queen  gave us a quick eco-tour showing us manatee and dolphins as we returned to Burnt Store Marina.

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Getting ready to dock::

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100_8661 That’s all folks..Thanks for stopping by. Oh, one last item food info..

Boca Grande Restaurant Lingo:: “As is generally the case with locally known dining areas, the best places generally get shortened to a one word, one syllable phrase that shows you know how good it really is. These are four of the places you need to know about, and how to tell people where to go in Boca Grande: The Temp is the Temptation Bar and Restaurant; The Pink is the Pink Elephant Restaurant; The Loose is The Loose Caboose Restaurant and gift shop.”

For our visit “The Loose” was the place for a great lunch…


This photo of The Loose Caboose is courtesy of TripAdvisor

MQTlogoa How do lighthouse keepers communicate?  Answer:: Shine Language.