community of Big Pond. Include a visit to Rita’s Tea Room where you
can enjoy a “cuppa” tea and browse through a collection ofmemorabilia fromthe career of the renowned singer and songwriter,RitaMacNeil. At Ben Eoin the Ben Eoin Provincial Park has
outstanding views of the BrasD’Or and camping facilitiesWare in the area. Continue to East Bay, joining Rte #216 and
Rte #4 continues through Barra Head to
Chapel Island. Here the Chapel Island First Nations Reserve features traditional drumming, dancing and storytelling in a re-enactment of a 16th-century encampment. The drive now continues through the small
communities of Soldier’s Cove,McNabs Cove, Hay Cove,Red Islands and on to Johnstone. Johnstone hosts a Strawberry Festival on
July 11th and a Milling Frolic on August 20th. At Irish Cove, the nearby Irish Cove Provincial
Park offers spectacular views of the lakes and surrounding hills.
One ofmany beaches along Rte #4 on the BrasD’Or Lake
head towards Eskasoni. This is Nova Scotia’s largest Mi’kmaq Reserve
and the name Eskasoni is derived from a Mi’k- maqwordmeaning“stillwater”.