BudgetTravel

Gayle Forman: Hi everyone:

Thanks so much for coming to this chat. I'm Gayle Forman. And I wish I were in Cape Breton right now. Well, not actually now because it's still winter but I wish it were July and I were in Cape Breton. Which is to say, I fell in love with the place and am happy to answer your questions about it now.

So, fire away.

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Ithaca, N.Y.: Hello, Are there any misconceptions about Nova Scotia that you would dissuade Americans about?

Gayle Forman: I think that one of the huge misconceptions with visiting the area known as Maritime Canada—one that I just bolstered in my intro—is that it's cold. I expected it to be on par with Alaska or something. But we visited in late July-early August and had 90 degree weather for a few days and high 70s for the rest. And I was shocked at how warm the swimming beaches were. You get frostbite swimming in the Atlantic in Maine in the summer, but the water was 75 degrees in parts of Cape Breton, meaning you can have a beach holiday, too.

In general, I think Americans (and for the sake of this chat, I mean those of use from the USA) don't know much about Nova Scotia and Cape Breton and I found the mix of stunning natural scenery, quirky culture, strong musical tradition and delicious food to be enchanting. I have yet to meet anyone who visited Cape Breton and didn't come away with stars in their eyes.

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Boston, Mass.: I'd like a quick getaway...are there minimum stays for many of the properties you mentioned in your stories? If so, do you have suggestions for where to find places with two-night stays?

Gayle Forman: Some rental houses, including where we stayed, do have minimum stays—5 days to a week, generally. I find that with house rentals, owners don't want to deal with a rapid turnover. That said, there is plenty of accommodation on Cape Breton, including cottages with kitchens available for rent by the night. For instance, Sail Loft Cottage, an adorable one-bedroom loft right on the Bras D'Or in Baddeck rents nightly. The problem is that jewels like this go quickly. If you log onto the capebretonisland.com or baddeck.com, you'll get an idea of the range of accommodation available for nightly rentals.

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New York City, N.Y.: Is a rental car absolutely essential, or is public transportation to any of these hotels and sights feasible?