We awoke to the blessing of an unusually sunny day for the Canadian Maritimes. Not wasting a moment, our guests boarded the provided transport to quickly find themselves within the historic landscape of the Fortress of Louisbourg. With a grand effort to upkeep its historic quality, the fortress provided a window into the way of life that earlier colonial times endured, complete with their staff members dressed in the garb of the day. We were told the value of cocoa, how it was transported, and even allowed to sample the delicacy of their version of hot chocolate. Gardeners and soldiers waxed poetic about what their duties would have been, including a most thorough demonstration of the rifles function, loading procedure, and errant accuracy.
Next up was the historic town of Baddeck, which boasts the Alexander Graham Bell museum. Touring through the well exampled and even better preserved relics of such a landmark inventor was certainly a treat. A special event had guests donning white gloves in order to handle original materials created by Bell himself. This included the very first audio he ever recorded, which sounded distant and ghostly, but for its time was an absolutely ground breaking moment for human history.
The last event of the day was a tour through the waters surrounding Baddeck upon the sailing vessel Amoeba. With a jovial captain and a vessel built by his father’s own hands, we toured along the shoreline seeing both Bell’s mansion, containing 37 rooms, and Grosvenor’s house–two names that echo through the origins of the National Geographic Society. Not to be outdone, our captain made sure to introduce us to his friends, the local bald eagles. Calling out to them, as one does with old friends, he tossed fish in the water and without hesitation the birds swooped down for the generously provided meal. Sailing out into the sunset, National Geographic Explorer pointed toward the adventures that tomorrow bring.
