While not on our original itinerary, we managed to spend two nights on Cape Breton Island. A week before our vacation, out-of-control wildfires burned near Halifax. As residents evacuated into hotels, we canceled the Halifax portion of the trip and set our sights on Cape Breton Island.

Separated from Nova Scotia by the Strait of Canso, the peninsula boasts the 185-mile Cabot Trail with awe-inspiring coastline views of the Atlantic Ocean. Plus, the Cape Breton Highlands National Park offers hiking trails and waterfalls!