Cape Breton's Secret Summer Bucketlist

Steven Rolls Follow Me

Posted this 2015-06-26 1:50 PM ADT (updated 2019-08-18 8:19 PM ADT)

OK. The first thing you have to know about me is I'm always up for a good adventure and if I hear about something that sounds a little out of the ordinary, I gotta check it out. Secondly, I am in a situation where I often get asked about cool things in Cape Breton to see and do.

Well, quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of always trying to remember the things I know about. It is tough you know.

So I thought I would try to get them all in one place for visitors and locals alike. I am billing it as "Cape Breton's Secret Summer Bucketlist" and it is filled with some of Cape Breton's greatest, oddest, tastiest, funnest things everyone should do but probably have not because they didn't know about them.

Click to explore the interactive map. Here, you can click on a marker to get a description and maybe a web link. If on your mobile phone, you can get directions. So get out there and start crossing off adventures* **.

Festivals & Events:

Point Michaud Beach Sand Castle Competition

Point Michaud Surf Classic

Lumière

Margaree Highland Games

Caribbean Festival

Mawi’ta’mk Pow Wow

Anything that Floats Race

Summer People Festival

Swim the Canal

Canada Day Water Fight Parade

Rotary Rib Fest

History & Culture:

Fortress Louisbourg Cannoneer

Mira's Pirate Shipyard

Broughton

Scatarie Pilgrimage

Sterling Mine Barrens

Bell Museum White Glove Tour

St Margaret of Scotland Church

Music at the Red Shoe Pub

Isle Madame Lighthouse Tour

Governors Celtic Jam

CB Public Art Tour

Old Route 5 Stone Bridge

Cultural Journey Around Goat Island

Nova Scotia's Only Totem Pole

Go Underground

Wednesday Night Ceilidh

Membertou Medicine Walk

Nature:

Cape Dauphin Lagoon Swim

Squid Jigging

Islandview Brook Walk & Falls

Cape Clear

Walk to the Train Trestle

Digging Clams at Fuller's Bridge

Camp at the Edge of the World

MacFarlane Woods

Stargaze at Two Rivers Observatory

Mica Hill

Sunflower Field

Fish with The Tying Scotsman

Meat Cove Mountain

Adventure:

Albert Bridge Jumping

Cape Breton Drive-In Theatre

Cheticamp Gypsum Quarry Swim

Clothesline Dummy

Giant Walk

Highland Bow & Arrow

Mountain Pine Zip Line

See Cape Breton from the Air

Tube the Margaree

Visit the North Pole

Visit the TARDIS

Food:

Lick-a-Chick Chicken

Tasty Treat Dipped Cone with Nuts

Dancing River Sprite

Dancing Goat Porridge Bread

Lick-a-Treat Drumstick

Street Beast Deep Fried Mars Bars

Farmer's Daughter for Treats

Beggar's Banquet

Frog Pond Café

Sweet Side of the Moon

Oysters at Hide Away Campground

Pebble and Fern Market Garden

Learn to Lobster Boil

Community Pizza Oven

Listen to the CBC Information Morning interview from Monday, July 11, 2016.

If you are looking for some more family adventure, check out my latest article "5 Cape Breton Trails Perfect for Kids".

* I am, in no way, responsible for any laws broken or misfortunes which may happen during your bucketlist adventures.

** Please be careful and use your head when following Google Map directions and tell someone where you are going.

http://bit.ly/CBgems

Posted by Steven Rolls
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Filled with some of Cape Breton's greatest, oddest, tastiest, funnest things everyone should do but probably have not.

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Peter Ross Follow Me 2015-07-09 8:53 AM ADT Reply 2 0 Very cool list. There a few items I didn't know about at all.
Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2015-07-09 9:54 AM ADT Reply 3 0 Totally the point Peter. You will not find this stuff in a brochure at the Information Centre. And it is all worth seeing or doing.
Richard Lorway Follow Me 2015-07-09 10:38 AM ADT Reply 3 0 Clam digging at Fuller's Bridge just past Fourchu. Then put them in a bucket of salt water and let them spit out the sand for a couple of hours, take them to your favourite beach, build a bonfire, and cook till they open. Drag through butter, add beer, et voila! Mathew Georghiou Follow Me 2015-07-09 11:31 AM ADT Reply 1 1 Hmmm... sounds like a Dick Cheney torture vacation ... a "torcation". Christian Murphy Follow Me 2015-07-09 12:00 PM ADT Reply 3 1 I heard somewhere that Obama declined Dick Cheney's hunting trip invitation. [comment deleted] Posted 2016-06-11 7:23 AM ADT Greg O'Brien Follow Me 2019-01-05 12:14 AM AST Reply 0 0 I was here in the summer of 2017 and there are barely any clams remaining. A lot of shells but not many live clams.
Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-07-09 6:23 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Mira Gut bridge jumping is fun too. Perhaps a little more dangerous in that you need to get to the top by climbing up the rail. Not quite as high as Albert Bridge, but fun with the current ripping out and you do your best Michael Phelps impression to make it the 2-3 feet to shore. ;) Brenda Durdle Follow Me 2018-06-02 8:48 PM ADT Reply 0 0 It used to be. Bridge is gone
Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-07-09 7:52 PM ADT Reply 0 0 This would be be killer with links. Wink, wink. :P
Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2015-07-09 8:20 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Hey Joe, the link on the page will take you to an intere time map with descriptions, coordinates, and and web links available for each adventure. Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-07-09 8:28 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Ah, I see. Speed Reading again. ;) I'm biased on #UX type stuff. But it would probably work better just to link each of the items in the text. But major props for creating this resource. :) Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2015-07-09 10:27 PM ADT Reply 1 0 Nothing really to link to, this stuff is so off the radar there is hardly anything on the web I could link to. Anyway, the GoCapeBreton article is more a taste (teaser), the interactive map and list will live perminently on Moosebait.com where it will remain and grow.
Laurie-Anne Charlebois Follow Me 2016-04-25 8:58 AM ADT Reply 0 0 MY husband and I will be visiting in October....is there a "Fall Bucket List" too?! :) Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2016-06-08 9:02 AM ADT Reply 1 0 Pretty much the same list with less swimming. Bonny Egan Follow Me 2017-01-16 2:57 PM AST Reply 1 0 Celtic Colours.. Celebrating CB Music and Fall colours..It's wonderful
Robert Mueller Follow Me 2016-06-08 11:15 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Great! And it would be the No1 list if you could easily see the dates of the events , pop up if curser is over pin for instance. Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2016-06-08 11:22 AM ADT Reply 0 0 If you follow the link under the map, it will take you to an interactive version of the map. Robert Mueller Follow Me 2016-06-08 11:39 AM ADT Reply 0 0 yes, I found that https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1i_8afcVTNbP-7xI58AbicXKu_98 but I mean if you klick on a pin it shows the event, but you need to klick on the provided link to find the dates of this event. Would be great to see WHEN is where what going on. Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2016-06-08 11:48 AM ADT Reply 1 0 Ya, I wanted to make the list a long standing list which could be added to and available year to year. Searching for the festival dates each year is a tough one and many have not posted their dates yet. I will try to get the dates in there as I find them.
Peter Sheehan Follow Me 2016-06-10 7:19 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Now imagine what a tourist goes through when planning a trip to be able to find the many things on this list . We spend millions on marketing "scenery" far more than the things to do and places to stop. Think this could be the beginning of the 100 bucket things on Cape Breton ?? Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2016-06-10 8:37 AM ADT Reply 0 0 It could very well grow that large. I already have a few others I want to add this summer but have to do some digging first. I also just put out a list of "5 Cape Breton Trails Perfect for Kids" http://bit.ly/1UpLIBQ
Diane MacLean Follow Me 2016-06-15 9:08 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Hi Steven, great bucket list but if you could add the Two Rivers Wildlife Park in Huntington, Marion Bridge, that would be awesome. There is camping there with a new building containing, showers, dishwashing area etc... They would absolutely love to get the attention for sure..thanks Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2016-07-08 1:57 PM ADT Reply 0 0 As much as I love the Wildlife Park, If I were to put anything on the Bucketlist it would be Frightnight (Not in the Summer) or gazing at stars in the observatory (I would need a contact to schedule or a hard fast schedule people could count on).
Gordon Kerr Follow Me 2016-07-07 8:21 AM ADT Reply 1 0 Great list Steven. For a really exciting hidden treasure try St. Peter's and Swim the Canal. Register by July 16th to reserve your size t-shirt! Register online at https://itsarap.rezdy.com/105175/swim-the-canal Or at Marsha's Custom Cuts in St. Peter's Or contact Ann Marie Kerr 902-535-3759; [email protected].
Richard Lorway Follow Me 2016-11-09 4:56 PM AST Reply 0 0 OK. Where's the Winter Bucket List?
Steven Rolls My Post Follow Me 2017-05-03 1:53 PM ADT Reply 1 0 I have been updating the Cape Breton Secret Summer Bucketlist, getting ready for the upcoming season. Check it out.
Velma Sampson Follow Me 2017-12-19 5:25 PM AST Reply 0 0 This is great. I am in the process of a move home to Cape Breton. I only lived there as a child but spent summers there growing up. Moved from Toronto to Moncton, where I am. This list is great and helps me with my planning. I know 2017 is over (Christmas in a few days) but circulating this vis-a-vis FB and Twitter. It'll be just as useful in 2018!!
Brenda Durdle Follow Me 2018-06-02 8:49 PM ADT Reply 0 0 Do we have dates yet?
Jennifer Sheppard Follow Me 2018-06-02 9:50 PM ADT Reply 1 0 Aha! You missed Avalon Gathering! http://avalongathering.com/ Edit: Granville Green in Hawkesbury is pretty sweet too. Fred Penner this year!
Tars MacEachern Follow Me 2018-06-05 8:01 AM ADT Reply 0 0 The interactive map isn’t working properly. I clicked on it to check out one thing then can’t get back to map?? Mathew Georghiou Follow Me 2018-06-05 10:49 AM ADT Reply 0 0 Tars, the map on this page seems to be working ok. But, if you click the icon that is an arrow in a road sign, it will open a new window/tab to a google map. You have to switch back to this window/tab to return to the interactive map.