Hello there, I just wanted to bump this up for our "pfound" poster. This man is great with itineries as he is an owner of a B&B here in Sydney Cape Breton.

Thanks, proudcaper -- I was hoping to hear from pfound! Since the original posting I've made a minor modification, dropping the tidal bore rafting in favor of more time in CB or Lunenburg. I now hope to make it to the Antigonish area by Sat. night (though I have yet to find a motel with openings) and am thinking we might start out in Louisbourg on Sun. Unfortunately they don't have the regular show there on Sunday night, but it sounds like Jennifer Roland, who'll be playing, is very talented?

Whitewater,

I would do something like this:

Saturday 30 Aug - Stay in Antigonish - You may have difficulty getting a room anywhere in Antigonish that night as it is the weekend that university starts and many parents will be taking their kids to St FX University. Your other options would be to stay in either New Glascow 1/2 hour before Antigonish or the Port Hawkesbury area 1/2 hour past Antigonish.

Sunday 31 Aug - Drive to Cape Breton and head to Sydney via Hwy 105 stopping in Baddeck to visit the AGB Museum enroute. Antigonish to Baddeck is 1 1/2 hours. You will likely spend about 2 hours at the Bell Museum and it is another hour to Sydney/Louisbourg. If staying in Sydney, check in at your accommodation and then head out to Glace Bay for an afternoon tour of the Cape Breton Miner's Museum. If you end up booking in Louisbourg, go directly to the Miner's Museum and then to Louisbourg afterwards. I would recommend attending the Jennifer Roland show at the Louisbourg Playhouse that night. (all of my B&B guests already have their tickets). She is a superb fiddler who puts on a great high energy show.

Monday 01 Sep - visit the Fortress of Louisbourg. Have dinner in the Town of Louisbourg and attend the "Spirit of the Island" show for the evening.

Tuesday 02 Sep - Head out towards the cabot Trail. You may want to do the morning tour to Bird Island (it will be borderine if there are still puffins or not but it is still a great tour). Head up the cabot Trail with the aim of staying around Cape North for the night (Oakwood Manor B&B).

Wednesday 03 Sep - Whale watching tour out of Pleasant Bay followed by hike on Skyline Trail. One of our guests this year saw 9 moose on Skyline. Don't forget a stop in Cheticamp as well and make sure you visit the Museum/Visitor's Center Les Trois Pignons to view the fantastic Cheticamp rug hooking. I woul aim to stay somewhere like Inverness or mabou for the night (www.innatglendyer.com). Getting that far will cut down your drive to Lunenburg the next day.

Thursday 04 Sep - Drive to Lunenburg (4 1/2 hours). You should have time in the afternoon to tour around Lunenburg.

Friday 05 Sep - Finish touring Lunenburg if needed and head to halifax via Mahone bay, Chester and Pegg's Cove.

Saturday 06 Sep - Depart

You can obviously modify this based on your interests. It is somewhat irrelevant whether you stay in Louisbourg or Sydney and it may depend on where you can get accommodation to meet your needs. Are you wanting 2 rooms or is one room with a cot for a 3rd person OK?

Cheers

Fit in a ceildh?? It all will depend where you stay when on the Cabot Trail and what nights.

After September 1, the venues locations and timings change a bit, so until we see the schedules, hard to advise. Anyway, usually Baddeck has an event similar to a ceilidh every night at a small church hall, there is music at Parkview Restaurant Motel on Tuesday nights, and usually the Normaway Barn in Margaree on Wednesday nights, then very night at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou.Mind you Saturday afternoon at the Doryman in Cheticamp is one of the best. There are several others.

Best advice is maybe to suggest when you arrive on the Island, stop at the Visitor Center and double check.