Point Michaud. Oh, Point Michaud.
For years it was my family’s getaway spot, thanks to a dear friend who lives practically right on the beach.
Then some awesome women started teaching surf lessons there and Point Michaud got better known – with good reason. It’s a stunning beach. The supermodel of Cape Breton beaches. A mile long and with gorgeous, surf-able waves, it’s the perfect spot to “get away”.
It’s still a place to get away from it all, for me. So at the end of August in a little sweet week after I’d been laid off from work, and before school started, I got away for a day and a half to my friend Del’s rad beach house.
This is on the drive there, through Cleveland.
I’d been to the salon and had my hair done, and straightened. This is the only time you’ll see my hair straight, pretty much – when I’ve paid someone to put the time in to straighten it. And, just for fun and to mix it up for Fall, we put some red in it, as well.
At one point I had to stop to text my friend Tanya, who was coming to Point Michaud from the other direction, from Sydney. I pulled over by this old service station. I love the textures and colours in old things and places.
After I cross the canal and then turn off onto the road to Point Michaud, it’s my own personal rule that I have to listen to this band:
If you don’t know who they are, and you like dub sounds, look them up. So sweet and chill. This is their website. They’re from New Zealand and I stumbled across them, seeing them live in 2004 before I had ever heard of them, at a free outdoor concert in Wellington when I was travelling there. Since then they have become one of my favourite groups. My favourite song is “Wandering Eye” – and also “Roady“. The sound is so perfect for a beach day!
Arriving at the beach house… words and photos really do not do this place justice. The reality of being there is so relaxing, so wide-open and beautiful. I can breathe so easy here.
It helps that there is no cell service.
My friend Del is a weaver. It’s her studio, on the ground floor of the beach house, that I sleep in when I stay there.
That colour is how it looks, people. Oh my.
We did find some cell service – all of a sudden Tanya’s phone started going “bring! bring! bring!”, receiving text messages. Tanya marked the spot in the sand in case we needed to come back and find it.
The water was too cold to swim in, unfortunately! And the lesson/rental people were no longer there with their wetsuit rentals. I guess the water temperature changes quite often, so don’t be discouraged – it could easily be nice and warm when you go. And if you’re there in July and August, you can rent a wetsuit and a surfboard!
To get there: Point Michaud is pretty easy to find. You take Route 247 from just outside St. Peter’s. The beach is right alongside the road, and is marked by Provincial Park signs. There is a large parking lot, as well.
Curious about my 10 Beaches/2012 project? Basically, this summer, I’m challenging myself to make it to ten separate beaches on Cape Breton Island. So far: Initial post, Point Aconi, Chimney Corner & Inverness, Gabarus & Fourchu, Kennington Cove, Florence, Dominion and now Point Michaud.
Love your blog post on Pt. Michaud, Leah. For years, I’ve been taking my two sons from Ottawa to Cape Breton to visit my parents who have retired there as my mom is originally a Caper. No visit is ever complete without a visit to Pt. Michaud. We just love that beach so much with its big waves and long sandy shore stretching out forever. So magical. I take lots of photos and make a photo book of our visit every year.The lovely memories keep me going during the long cold Ottawa winters.
Thanks so much, Cathy! It really is a magical beach. Thanks for sharing your memories of it!
Cape Breton is blessed with so many beautiful beaches. I knew that Point Michaud was going to be part of your 10 Beaches/2012 project. Staying at the beach house must have been a real treat, a perfect spot for relaxation with a spectacular view!
It really was, Cecile. So relaxing. 🙂
I retired here from Halifax in 2005 and I have to pinch myself to believe that it is all real every day I walk on Point Michaud Beach. Amazingly beautiful!
Good for you!! How nice that you were able to retire to the Point Michaud area. There’s a dream come true!
Hi Leah! What a wonderful blog… I’m originally from L’Ardoise (one of the communities on route 247 to Pt Michaud) and my family have been going to Pt Michaud “since forever”. Surfing is one of my family’s activities (dad, mom and I, as well as nieces/nephews), long walks on the beach after supper is a favourite too… I love Pt Michaud… I suffer withdrawal systems when I leave home to go to back to Antigonish (where I live now and work). I get tingly everytime I see a picture of the beach (psst – it’s also the background picture on my computer desktop at work)… I love the water, fishing and surfing… When reality just overwhelms me, I go home, to the beach and collect myself again… To move out west – forget it!!! There’s more to life than making lots of money … it’s called piece of mind and mine is at the Beach, that’s Pt Michaud Beach……..
“There’s more to life than making lots of money..” You’ve got it right there, Nancy. The beauty of this island and the places on it enrich us and help us to relax, connect with nature, and “collect ourselves again”, like you put it. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. 🙂
Thank you chickie for taking therefor the night!! Amazing time to relax with my scrabble buddy!!
Tanya, come again!
Nicely done!
Awesome!!! You drove right by my street,next time stop in for a tea would ya. 🙂
We LOVE Pt Michaud, as a recent transplant (2009) My only request for when my hubby was being posted somewhere’s (with the RCMP) was that we be by the ocean, coming from Fredericton NB. I’m a ocean lover. (St John River is just NOT the same) Anyways we got posted in St Peter’s. And it took a long time for me to get adjusted BUT now I LOVE Cape Breton and the people!!! And Pt Michaud is and was (from the start, when we found it) my most favorite spots in the world. 🙂 Now when my family comes for a visit from NB loves it there too and we always have to go walk the beach and we have braved some really cold October/November/ February/March weather there. lol But all worth it.
You did a wonderful post about it. and your pictures of course are just so awesome!!! Now I think it is a most before we get tranferred out of here to stay 1 or 2 nights at the beach house. I think it will be on our must do-before we leave list. 😉
I didn’t know that’s where you lived! I would love to come down for tea sometime! I lived in Fredericton, too, and found the river just didn’t cut it for my ocean needs. I need to see an endless horizon.
Yup we are the street right before the Canal!! Next time 🙂
Yes I agree about endless horizon which is wierd I love the ocean so much, this being the first time I lived right by it. And not the last hopefully.
I tried to find you on Facebook but i no longer can. Email me at leahcnoble@gmail.com so we can stay in touch!
Oona, stop in for a visit and a look-around any time. Look forward to meeting you.
Del