14 Rainy Day Activities at the Top of the Island
A rainy forecast is not to be feared at the Top of Cape Breton Island. Operators offering activities and experiences for visitors are well accustomed to using the regions three weather exposures (west, north and east) to advise visitors of enjoyable opportunities despite the forecast.
Listed below are some of our favorite activities that can be pursued regardless of the weather:
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Surround yourself with whales
, seals, dolphins and seabirds on a whale watching cruise with Oshan Whale Watch from Bay St. Lawrence. Or, do the same in waterproof coveralls on a Zodiac whale tour with Captain Cox’s Whale Watch out of the same port.
·
Learn the history
of the region’s early Celtic settlers, shipwrecks and traditions at the North Highlands Museum.
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While at the museum, sign up for one or all components of the three-day Northern Waterfalls Tour, and visit some or all the area’s ten waterfalls by auto, boat and on guided hike.
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Ask your host’s help and choose a sheltered coastal trail in the northern reaches of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park;
·
Book a guided hiking, cycling or kayak tour
with Sea Spray Outdoor Adventures, and let their staff take you to the driest region in which to enjoy this pristine environment.
·
Shop the talents
of more than two dozen juried Cape Breton resident artisans retailing their work through the Arts North gallery.
·
Rent a kayak
from Eagle North and, covered with spray skirts and PFD’s, paddle the quiet coves of South Harbour.
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Visit Tartans and Treasures to research your long-distant Scottish roots, and then purchase a piece of your family tartan.
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Dine
your way through some, or all, of our Tour de Seafood map.
·
Watch potters at the wheel
and get your hands dirty playing in the clay at the Smelt Brook Pottery Studio.
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Don raingear and bare your teeth to the storm
while walking the deserted beach at Cabot’s Landing Provincial Park.
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Browse for souvenirs at Cranberry Patch, T&R Crafts and Country Crafts.
·
Search for roadside moose
on the tops of our mountains. Drive slowly!!
·
Laugh
at all those folks who are not out there enjoying this wonderful despite the rain.
Northern Cape Breton’s three different weather systems help ensure that visitors basing themselves in this region are often able to escape rain despite the forecast.
The island is just large enough to manufacture its own weather, the result being variations in weather conditions between the northwestern, northeastern and northern coasts of the island. Visitors basing themselves at the Top of the Island are able to use these different conditions to plan their activities. When it’s raining on the northeastern side, experienced operators suggest activities on the northwestern coast, while the opposite holds true for rainy days on the western side.
Windy conditions offer similar advantages. With the abundance of whales at the northern tip, when prevailing westerlies keep western whale tours harbor bound, operators at the northern port of Bay St. Lawrence are often still able to put their guests in the midst of the pods. As Captain Ray Fraser of Oshan Whale Watch points out, “…the ocean is a weather system all on its own, and when it’s raining on shore, it may be sunny just offshore…”
Sea Spray Outdoor Adventures’ Dennis Doyon also uses the different weather regions to his advantage. Sea Spray’s multi-day, multi-activity packages have no set schedule; rather, clients are advised the previous evening of the next day’s activity, and the decision is most often based upon the forecasts. Doyon explains: “It’s in everyone’s best interest to match activities to appropriate weather. For this reason, we make our guided cycling tours our highest weather priority, since of our activities, cycling is the activity where you most want to stay dry. We use the three coastal weather systems to plan our clients’ cycling routes, with an eye to keeping them out of the rain as much as possible.”
He goes on: “We then make hiking our second priority, choosing routes that are least likely to get our clients wet. Then, finally, we slot in the kayaking, since you can paddle a kayak in the rain and almost not notice the drops, since you’re under a spray skirt and wearing a PFD.”
Jen Moses, of Eagle North Canoe and Kayak, laughingly agrees: “…We like to market ourselves as the perfect rainy day activity!”, she chuckles. “On a warm rainy paddle, the only thing getting wet is your face and hands, and that’s refreshing! And think about it…the eagles and whales don’t leave because it’s raining!”
For camping visitors who just don’t wish to deal with the rain, private Top of the Island campgrounds such as Hideaway, Jumping Mouse and Meat Cove campgrounds all offer a choice of RV, tenting or small cabin rentals.
For visitors choosing to stay indoors, venues such as the Smelt Brook Pottery Studio, Tartans and Treasures Scottish source, Arts North Gallery of Cape Breton Artisans, and the North Highlands Museum all offer a wealth of indoor entertainment and education. This is especially true when combined with the rest of the region’s crafts and gift shops.
Finally, new this year is the museum-organized “Northern Waterfalls Tour”, whose three-day schedule includes a day of self-guided auto touring to three beautiful waterfalls located at the northern reaches of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. This tour, combined with the region’s popular “Tour de Seafood” map, make for a rainy day activity combining scenic waterfalls and enticing seafood dishes.
Kinda’ makes you want to pray for rain!!
