Monday, July 13, 2009 – Day 39

Due to our last experience having to scramble for some $30 bunks, we changed our night trip on the ferry back to Nova Scotia to a day crossing with Marine Atlantic. While this did provide for a scenic day trip, it did cut into the precious sightseeing time that was very limited.

When traveling on a tight time line the night crossings are best but one must plan ahead to reserve a cabin or bunk to sleep for the night on the ship as all access to vehicles is cut off after the ship departs.
On the ship there was live entertainment in the bar, plenty of food options (although the cafeteria periodically closes), sporadic and slow internet access (much better if you sit in the paid lounge at the top of the ship where the wireless router is located), quiet dark lounges, bunks and cabins. We checked in at 9:30 am, left at 10:30 am and arrived in North Sydney, Nova Scotia around 3:30 pm (including the 30 minute time change that we gained).

We had planned on driving the Cabot Trail but due to arriving so late into Nova Scotia had to put it on our list of things yet to do. We drove through Cape Breton late in the night to Truro where we planned on watching the Tidal Bore’s at 5:27 am the next morning. We parked at the exact spot where we were going to get up early in the morning.