Momboisse Family Adventures - Sydney, Nova Scotia

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Sydney, Nova Scotia
241 Nautical Miles from Halifax
tinyurl.com/yaxummed

In Sydney we booked a four hour Princess Cruise bus tour ($80 per person).  Our travel will be 60 miles (120 round trip) to Baddeck.  On the way we will pass Boularderie Island, cross Seal Island Bridge, and enjoy the forested area of Kelley's Mountain on St. Ann's Bay.  

World's Largest Fiddle 

Our buss left 
Joan Harriss Cruise Pavilion
at 60 Esplanade Street and
 

passed the Walmart Sydney
 River Super Center

crossing the Sydney River via 

Peacekeepers Way

and transfer to  the
 Trans-Canada Highway. 

Pass between Bras d'Or and
Little Bras d'Or.

Cross Saint Andrews Channel

Cross Seal Island Bridge

 Climb into the forested Kelly's Mountain



Pass Bras d'Or Lakes to Baddeck

Our first stop in Baddeck is a 90 minute self-guided tour of the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. 

Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh Scotland in 1847.

First Telephone 1876

Bell received the telephone patent in February 1876, but the telephone was only the beginning of Bell's lifelong pursuit of knowledge and invention.  

As a teacher, he helped deaf people communicate using his "talking glove" a glove with letters. 

His students used this glove to spell out words on their fingers.  One of his students was 15 year old Mable Hubbard who became deaf at the age of 5 from scarlet fever.  By the time Mable was 18 the two had fallen in love and decided to marry in 1877.

View of Beinn Bhreagh from Museum 

After visiting Baddeck in 1885 Alexander and Mabel decided to make this their summer home.  They purchased property on Baddeck Bay and named the area and the home they would build there Beinn Bhreagh. 

Mabel was primarily responsible for Beinn Bhreagh, but she also played a vital role in her husbands career, providing  him with both financial and moral support as he continued inventing. 

In 1881 after the attempted assassination of President Garfield, Bell invented an electromagnetic device to find the bullet. 

When his son died after experiencing breathing problems, Bell developed a breathing device that was the prototype of the iron lung.  

Silver Dart

Mabel inspired and funded the Aerial Experiment Association which achieved heavier-than-air flight with the Silver Dart.  The Silver Dart was designed and built by the AEA under the guidance of Alexander Bell. Though it was flown in Hammondsport, New York in 1908, it was flown a year later at Baddeck Bay making it the first controlled powered flight in Canada. 

At the age of 72, Bell developed a hydrofoil watercraft which set the world marine speed record of 70.86 miles in 1919.  A full replica may be seen at the Bell Museum. 

After visiting the Bell Museum our tour was given 30 minutes to see the charming scenic village of Baddeck.

Two Buoys Cafe
459 Chebucto Street 

Telegraph House & Motel
479 Chebucto Street 

Arlie's Gifts
492 Chebucto Street 

 Saint Michael's Parish (Catholic)
next to Ice Cream and Art Studio
511 Chebucto Street 

The Water's Edge Inn and Cafe
20 Water Street 

Between Water Street and Baddeck Harbor is a short boardwalk with great views. 

Just off the boardwalk on Water Street is a bronze statue of Alexander and Mabel Bell.  It was designed by Peter Bustin and erected July 2009. That was all the walking we had time for.  It is back to the bus and our ship. 

Next Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island 

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For an interactive map and guided walking tour covering many of our tours please be sure to download the GPSmyCity App from the iTunes store. The App covers an extensive library of articles and walking tours from over 470 cities worldwide, and now features articles from Adventures of a Home Town Tourist covering Carmel and Monterey (with more cities on the way).

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Photography (with iphone 5s) by L.A. Momboisse and R.M. Momboisse unless otherwise listed below: