The 11th and 12th All Inclusive

Cape Breton Fall Colors

Tour Around

the Famous Cabot Trail

Oct. 13-16, 2022 registration here

Oct. 20-23, 2022 registration here

 4 Photographers/tour MAXIMUM = a personable, quality filled tour

Transportation – Rooms – Field Instruction – Meals

and Evening Presentations are all included!

Number of Guests:  4 photographers 

When:  Tour 1 – Oct. 13-16 and Tour 2 Oct. 20-23, 2022

Lead by:  Brian Merry

What’s Included:  All meals, transportation, accommodation and guiding

Transportation:  Group transportation provided and required *

*  Participants are not permitted to follow the lead tour van in their own vehicles due to safety concerns and insurance policy requirements.

Cost for shared rooms:  $1195.00 shared occupancy rooms

Cost for single rooms: $1395 for single occupancy rooms

ILPA Discount:  Members of the International Landscape Photographers’ association will receive a **$100 refund** on their registration.  Contact me requesting your refund after registering and I’ll refund you $100 after confirming your membership to ILPA.  This refund needs to be claimed before October 1st, 2021 to allow time for processing.  Contact me after registering to collect your refund!

Let me show you my home where I grew up, Nova Scotia

 

Introduction:

     Have you ever wanted to experience the famous Fall colors in the mountains along the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island?  Now you can.  We can photograph the red and gold carpet of maple trees draping over the rolling Cape Breton Highlands.  These beautiful ancient mountains are on the Northern edge of the Appalachian Mountain chain.  They rise 1500 feet, 450m, straight out of the sea along Cape Breton Island’s Northwestern shoreline.  They are spectacular!

This is your chance to experience them on an all inclusive landscape photography tour. 

     Did I mention I know this end of Cape Breton like the back of my hand?  I do.  I grew up in Nova Scotia experiencing the Cape Breton Fall colours first hand every year.  We’ll be staying on the rugged eastern side of the Cape Breton on the first and second night of the tour.  We’ll be starting in one of the most beautiful little villages on the East side of the trail, Baddeck.  On the second night we’ll be in the quiet and beautiful community of North River Bridge.  Then on the third day we’ll round the top of the Island and spend our third night in the small and busy little fishing village where my extended family is from, Cheticamp, NS.  Cheticamp is just minutes away from the Cape Breton Highlands National Park which provides us with many beautiful photographic opportunities on day 2 and day 3 of the tour.

All in the Family:

     On the third night of the tour we’ll be staying at the Cheticamp Motel on the Western shore of Cape Breton.  This Motel is owned and operated by my parents.  I have many fond memories spending Summers here during my teenage years.  The local and Family charm on this leg of our tour is a beautiful and unique feature that you won’t readily find on other tours.  Honestly, seeing my parents and I interact can be quite entertaining. 

     I have decades of outdoor photography tour and workshop design, management and delivery experience at venues literally around the World.  But, my mom and dad still treat me like their little boy.  I love it, and I think that you will too!

Summary:

     Join me as I show you the best of the largest mountains on Cape Breton Island during the usual peak of the Maple tree Fall colours.   Sit back, pull out your camera and tripod, and enjoy the spectacular maple trees of Cape Breton Island  in all their glory.  The timing of the Fall colours is not guaranteed, but between Oct. 15 -22 is the usual peak of colour along the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island.  And we’ll there there right in the middle of the peak on the weekend!

     We’ll base ourselves at the ideal location in Cheticamp, NS, which is just 10 kilometres from the famous Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  Meals and accommodations are included.  We’ll tour around the Trail and photograph the colorful maple forests and the numerous river valleys as we travel.  We’ll be photographing on the sub arctic plateau found in Western Cape Breton Island National Park, Canada’s second oldest National Park, and along the beautiful picturesque road that many thousands of people have travelled around the World to see, The Cabot Trail.  I’m going to show you the best of the best that this area has to offer.  Will you come with me to see it?

     You can reach me to talk about the tour here.  Then, I’ll reply with a phone call or an email if you prefer.  I’m excited about hosting this tour, and I’d be happy to talk with you about it.

Itinerary for Tour 1/Tour 2:

Day 1: Thursday, Oct. 13 or Oct. 20, 2022

     We’ll meet on Thursday at 7:30pm at the Inverary Resort in Baddeck, NS on Thursday where we’ll sign the pre-tour waiver and have an information session followed by a presentation showing you what you can expect over the next four days.  There’ll be an outdoor photography presentation providing some landscape photography instruction and inspiration for the weekend.  We’ll also go over basic showing techniques and I’ll introduce my artistic approach to outdoor photography that has inspired throughout my 2+ decade career. 

     This Introductory presentation is just one of the improvements I’ve made to the tour over the years from the suggestions that I’ve received from past participants in their feedback questionnaires.  You told me what I should change, and I listened.

Day 2:  Friday, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, 2022

     We’ll start the day with sunrise close to the resort using the group transportation to shoot the Sunrise over Baddeck Bay followed with breakfast at one of the resort restaurants.  After breakfast we’ll check out and set off on the Cabot Trail touring counterclockwise around the trail heading North into the Highlands!    

     After capturing iconic photos slightly off of the Cabot Trail to start our day we’ll continue counterclockwise around the Cabot Trail driving along the Atlantic Ocean side of the Trail stopping frequently for photographs throughout the day.  We’ll be photographing beautiful waterfalls, mountains, rivers, rugged coastlines and of course, the brilliant Fall colors that the Cabot Trail is Famous for!   Our destination for this evening is the beautiful little Chanterelle Inn in “North River Bridge.”

Day 3:  Saturday, Oct. 15 and Oct.  22, 2022

     As we round the top of Cape Breton Island we’ll be photographing some of the best scenery that the Cabot Trail has to offer along the NW coastline of Cape Breton in and adjacent to Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  We’ll be photographing many classic landscapes from various vantage points throughout the day.  Some of the best locations in this Northern part of the trip are only known to locals.  One such spot will offer us an often overlooked part of the trail, even by many local Cape Bretoners.  

     One location provides a very unique view looking NorthWest into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.  If the weather is clear we will be able to see a remote part of the beautiful province of Quebec, Les Ilse de la Madeleine, far out into the Gulf.  There is one spot along the Trail where we can see this distance island on the horizon on a clear day.  Admittedly, the islands will be hazy on the horizon, but it is an interesting and unique experience to be able to see Quebec from Nova Scotia!

     These unique views of Cape Breton may even provide you with future inspiration for your next photography trip!!!  Let’s keep our fingers crossed for clear weather!  I know of many unique points along the trail because I spent much of my teenage years on Northwestern Cape Breton Island.  Locals know about these places, and I’m going to share the best of them with you on this tour.

     We’ll arrive in Cheticamp shortly after leaving the National Park and we’ll check into the Cheticamp Motel.  You’ll have a chance to meet the proprietors of the Motel too, my parents!  Yes, this motel is a family run business.  After checking in we’ll head back out to shoot the Sunset at another nearby local favorite location. 

     After Sunrise we’ll drive the short distance back to the Motel for dinner and part 2 of the landscape photography presentation that started in Baddeck the first night.

Day 4:  Sunday, Oct. 16 and 23, 2022

     We’ll start the day with tea/coffee/juice and muffins before heading out for a sunrise photography session on a beautiful local sandy beach.  We’ll be utilizing some of the the techniques that you learned from the landscape photography presentations that you’re saw over the past two days.   After Sunrise we’ll head back to the motel for breakfast, and then we’ll check out.

     We’ll depart Cheticamp after breakfast and head into South towards, and eventually into the Margaree Valley continuing our journey around the Cabot Trail. 

     Today we’ll be photographing the rugged Acadian shoreline and the famous Margaree Valley.  If the time, weather and group dynamics permit we will visit another precious local favor, and somewhat secret location, Egypt Falls.  Visiting the Falls will hinge on the weather and the condition of the access road and trail.  I know how to find them using good logging roads, but if the road is closed we may not be able to see Egypt Falls.  A modest level of fitness is required to hike down to the Falls.  

     Don’t be disappointed though if Egypt Falls is not accessible.  Like any good local knowing the area like that back of his hand, I have a plan B.  We’ll visit another beautiful waterfall close to Hunter’s Mountain as our back up plan.  After descending Hunter’s Mountain and completing the last few kilometers of the Cabot Trail we’ll end up back where we started, at KM 0 of Trail, close to Baddeck.  We’ll drive back to you vehicles and I’ll graciously wish you well as you head down own your own roads after the tour.

.   The itinerary is weather dependent and may change due to weather conditions and/or other extraneous conditions that may arise.  The Inn and Motel venues for each night will remain unchanged in the event of bad weather.  But, the exact locations along the trail will vary depending on the weather during the tour.  I know this part of Cape Breton very well.  This flexibility is needed to ensure that I deliver the best tour possible to you given my experience in the area and the weather/industry conditions during your tour.

I love Cape Breton Island and I’m going to enjoy showcasing it to you.

 

Access:

     If you’re travelling from away, I recommend that you fly into Halifax International Airport and rent a car from there that you reserved ahead of time.  Baddeck is a 3.5 hour direct drive from the airport through the spectacular countryside of Nova Scotia.

     From the Halifax International Airport exit the airport grounds and drive to highway 102.  Turn right onto highway 102 and travel north to Truro, NS.  When highway 102 ends 4 kms past Truro turn right, heading East, onto the Trans Canada, highway 104, and drive to Cape Breton Island.  Once across the causeway and onto Cape Breton Island in Port Hastings the Trans Canada Highway changes it’s number to highway 105.  Continue heading North towards Sydney, NS.  In about 45 minutes you’ll meet the start of the Cabot trail, and the tour.  I’ll meet everyone at “The Red Barn” restaurant and Gift Shop.

     For those of you planning to arrive a day earlier I recommend that you rent a motel room in Baddeck overnight.  The nice little trendy town of Baddeck is about 10kms from the start/end of thew Cabot Trail.  It will be a short drive for you from town to the tour start meeting location.

Extending your trip to Nova Scotia

Extending your trip:

     If you are travelling from outside of Atlantic Canada you may want to arrive a few days earlier to photograph some of the beautiful landscapes on the mainland of Nova Scotia while basing yourself out of Halifax.  Many spectacular landscapes may be found within an hour drive of the city.  Some of these landscape include the world famous Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is a mere 30 minute drive from Halifax and you can park 100 meters from the light.  I recommend being there for a sunrise while you’re visiting Halifax.  You may also want to visit the Minas Basin, Annapolis Valley, the Eastern Shore, Prospect Cove and the Shubinacadie River Valley.  Around Halifax he maple trees turn to their fall colors about a week before they do in Cape Breton.  If you’re going to extend your trip to explore around Halifax then you should do it before the tour starts as opposed to after the tour.  You won’t be disappointed if you do.

     You may want to arrive a week earlier and photograph some of the beautiful landscapes on the mainland of Nova Scotia while basing yourself out of Halifax.  There are many spectacular landscapes within an hours drive of the city.  The world famous Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is a mere 30 minutes from downtown Halifax and you can park 100 meters from the light.  I recommend being there for a sunrise and going on a photowalk afterwards around the fishing boats and wharves in the cove.

     You may also want to visit the Minas Basin in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, the Annapolis Valley, the Eastern Shore, the fishing village of Prospect Cove and the Shubenacadie River Valley.  The highest Tides in the world occur at Truro, NS.  You’ll also be driving to Cheticamp on the highway right beside the best viewing point for them too.  It might be worth timing your trip so you can see the smallish tidal wave (the tidal boar) which comes up the river every day.

     Also, the maple trees turn to their fall colors around Halifax, Truro and Annapolis Valley about a week before they do in Cape Breton.  If you’re going to extend your trip you should do so before the tour as opposed to after the tour if your goal is to photograph the Fall colors

*  Participants are not permitted to follow the lead tour van in their own vehicles due to safety concerns and insurance policy requirements.

**   The Itinerary is weather dependent and may change due to weather conditions and/or any other extraneous conditions that may arise.  This flexibility is needed to ensure that I deliver to you the best tour possible.  I’ll be balancing the weather conditions that we’ll have during the tour, my experience in the area, the seasonal location availability and present industry conditions.  I’m going to use my diverse experience to deliver the my best tour possible over the weekend.  

Tour cancellation policy:

     We understand that life sometimes gets in the way of some of our guests plans and they have to cancel a tour.  We have to balance that understanding with our business needs as well.  To that end, we have come up with a cancellation policy that brings balance to both sides of the equation.  We want to be understanding, but we also need to meet our commitments to the tour and our related business expenses.  By purchasing your ticket on the tour you agree to the cancellation policy outlined below.  

     I thank you for your interest in my tours.  I truly enjoy hosting them.  However, if for some reason we have to cancel a tour we will guarantee a 100% refund of the entire tour registration fee or a “no fee transfer of the balance to a future tour.  We limit our liability in the unlikely event of a tour cancellation up to and including the tour registration fee paid.  We do not accept cancellation liability, or any other financial liability, over and above the registration fee of the tour. 

     The Cape Breton Fall Colors Tours will never be canceled due to low registration.  If one person is registered on a Cape Breton Fall Colors tour, we’re going ahead with the tour, given that all other factors are viable.  You can rest assured that if you purchase a ticket for the Cape Breton Fall Colors Tour the tour will not be cancelled due to low registration.

–  Refunds are not permitted.  All sales are final. **

– A photographer may transfer their tour registration to another photographer for an additional fee of $100.00 payable before the start of the tour.  Brian Merry must be notified of the transfer at least 48 hours before the start of the tour or the transfer won’t be allowed, and the registered photographer who cannot attend will forfeit the entire registration fee.

– Tour registration, refundable fee and/or cancellation fees are not transferable to another workshop, tour or conference in the event a participant decides to cancel their spot on the tour.

COVID-19 Note:  If the corona virus continues to impact travel, and strict government regulations prevent the tour from being hosted, then the tour may be cancelled.  The decision to cancel the tour will be made on or before September 1, 2022.  The registration fee is not refundable or transferable for any other reason.

*  Participants are not permitted to follow the lead tour van in their own vehicles during the tour due to safety concerns.  Using the provided group transportation during the tour is required.

**   The exact Itinerary is weather dependent and may change due to extreme weather conditions and/or other extraneous conditions that may arise.  This flexibility is needed to ensure that I deliver the best tour possible that I can within my ability given the conditions that we’ll have during the tour.  I’ll be balancing the weather conditions, my decades of experience in the area, seasonal location access/availability, and other conditions to decide exactly which photography locations and stops will be used during the tour.  I’m going to use my diverse local knowledge and photographic experience in the area to deliver the best tour possible within my ability given the conditions that we’ll have during our tour.   Excellent overall conditions for outdoor photography are not guaranteed.  

 

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