Sydney
Puffin Tours -- Thirty minutes west of Sydney (just off the Trans-Canada Hwy. en route to St. Ann's or Baddeck) is the home port of Bird Island Boat Tours (tel. 800/661-6680 or 902/674-2384; www.birdisland.net). On a 2 1/2-hour narrated cruise you'll head out to the Bird Islands, home to a colony of around 300 nesting puffins. You'll get within about 18m (60 ft.) of the colorful birds (they nest in grassy burrows above rocky cliffs), and you may also see razorbills, guillemots, and the occasional bald eagle. Three tours are offered daily from mid-May through mid-September; the fare is C$32 (US$23) adults, C$15 (US$11) children 6 to 12; free for children under 5. Reservations are suggested. The outfit also maintains rental cottages in the area.
An Underground Tour -- Northeast of Sydney is the town of Glace Bay, a former coal-mining center. The mines have slipped into a long economic twilight of late, but the province has made lemonade from lemons by inaugurating the surprisingly intriguing Cape Breton Miners' Museum, 42 Birkley St. (tel. 902/849-4522; www.minersmuseum.com). The museum provides background on the rich geology of the area and offers insight into the region's sometimes rough labor history.
But the highlight of the trip is a 20-minute descent into the mine itself, with damp walls and cool temperatures (it's always 50°F/10°C). Retired miners, who can convey what it was like to be working in the mines better than anyone else, lead the tours. One Frommer's reader reported that her two teenage sons were all groans and eye rolls when she announced their destination, but the two came away in awe of the place. Altogether, plan to spend at least an hour here.
Admission is C$5 (US$4) adults, C$4 (US$3.20) children for either the museum or the mine tour. Open daily in summer from 10am to 6pm (Tuesdays until 7pm); open weekdays in winter from 9am to 4pm.
