This cache has been archived.

Keats94: Sorting out some of my low traffic caches by archiving them. Freeing up more space for those who wish to contribute to the game.

Cheers,

Keats

GC854H3 ▼

A cache by Keats94 Message this owner

Hidden : 3/21/2019

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

One of my favourite things about geocaching is being able to travel, and see new places. I have had a deep thirst to see the other side of this beautiful country. Perhaps it had to do with my interest in maritime fiddle tunes, or simply taking in the aroma of fresh Atlantic air.

Every cache you will find in this series is authentically Nova Scotian, with the exception of some logbook receptacles. Whether it be pieces of my Christmas tree from Lunenburg County, a pill container I found on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, and a little surprise camouflage at the final, this series is truly east coast.

There was something about Nova Scotia that sparked my curiosity from a young age. I didn't exactly know why, but I needed to answer Nova Scotia's call.

I booked my plane tickets, and organized my trip to Cape Breton Island in 2017. My goodness was I excited. Not only because I was going to Cape Breton, but this was in October, the season of the Celtic Colours International Festival. A music fest of fiddles, pipes, and an island with vibrant fall colours.

The furthest east I had traveled at that point was Montreal, so seeing the maritimes, and the Atlantic ocean almost felt like travelling to Mars.

When I landed in Nova Scotia for the first time, it felt awesome. It was a remarkable feeling, because I finally made it to the place I have been so curious about.

This series pays tribute to the call I've felt, and tells some of the memorable experiences of the two trips I made to Nova Scotia. The first to Cape Breton in 2017, and a road trip which circled the province in July of 2018.

To figure out the final, read my stories, and answer some of the questions on the final cache page.

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The Story:

It was back on the road in Cape Breton (2017), and I was headed from Sydney, to the other side of the island. Along the shores of the mighty Bras d'Or Lake. A celtic music festival event was being held in this tiny town called "Lower River Inhabitants."

Now, you can almost hear the extreme emphasis of "small town" in the very name "Lower River Inhabitants" and your ears would be right. Judging by the satellite map, this town had a very small number of houses. I was going to find out, and the winding roads of rural Nova Scotia were going get me there.

One of the things I had learned from this trip, is that Cape Breton is quite a small place geographically, compared to the monumentally large hunk of land also known as British Columbia. If you pick the right road, you can end up on the other side of the island in about two hours. This land mass is much smaller than Vancouver island, but if you pick the wrong road, you can sure make it feel like driving from Victoria to Port Hardy, but you'll sure be rewarded with scenery!

I did a bit of geocaching along the way, stopping in places like St. Peters, which is home to a canal that connects boats from the open Atlantic ocean, to Bras d'Or Lake. This explains why Bras d'Or Lake is salt water. St. Peters was also taken over by France in the 1630s, after it was abandoned by Portugal. I am pretty sure the prospect of British Columbia was twinkle in any explorers eyes during that time.

It wasn't long after St. Peters to this loosely agreed upon settlement, known as Lower River Inhabitants. The land was rolling, and the trees were a brilliant orange, and any pine tree that stood, contributed to the woodsy aroma in the air. The smell of adventure, in my opinion.

Well, would you know it, I almost drove right past Lower River Inhabitants! The road sign seemingly shyly indicating the location of this microscopic town. I pulled into the area where I was expecting to see a town, but I'm pretty sure I saw only one or two houses. Surely this can't be it!? Well, the GPS said yes, so you know GPSes, trust them, right?

It turns out that Lower River Inhabitants is spread over a large area, with houses hidden along a lot of side roads. I ended up finding a letterbox hybrid cache here, which I thought "good for them, diversifying their geocache icons." I was surprised to find any geocaches in this tiny town!

As time crept by, I needed to make it to my festival event for the evening. Finding the venue was actually a breeze as it was located in the largest building in Lower River Inhabitants, the very central hub which was the community hall.

I walk into this community hall, and I am amazed by how many people there were! Probably from different towns, perhaps different countries. Folks travel far and wide to see this great music festival. Lower River Inhabitants was sure bumpin' tonight!

I found a seat, and the performances began. Whether you like Celtic music, or not, the pure talent that comes from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and beyond is just stunning. This tiny town collaborated with festival staff to organize one heck of a performance. Fiddles, concertinas, guitars, pianos, and mandolins, all filling this tiny community with foot stomping tunes. It was great.

Just up the road in Boisdale, I went to a show that hosted a group of young musicians from P.E.I called "Ten Strings and a Goat Skin." Their goal was to practice, and practice, and be good enough to play at Celtic Colours. They fulfilled their goal, and played for the first time in that tiny fire hall in Boisdale. It was neat to see some people my age playing at these events! At the end of that show, three generations of Cape Breton musicians all played together. Piano, guitar, and fiddle, all playing with epic talent, under one roof, with a clapping audience, and a musical kinship that the Atlantic coast knows so well.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ybttrq. Evtug fvqr bs gur genvy tbvat abegu. Lbh zbffrq svaq vg, ohg lbh zbffg abg erzbir gur zbff. Terj va Yharaohet Pbhagl.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)