Chanterelle Country Inn

The Chanterelle Country Inn sits atop a grassy hillside on the eastern stretch of the famous Cabot Trail of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. You can view pictures of the surrounding area at www.chanterelleinn.com , but they don't do justice to the breathtaking vistas. This part of Nova Scotia is particularly remote--like stepping into another time and another world.

The proprietor of the Chanterelle is Earlene Busch, an MCS sufferer who came to Cape Breton from Boulder, Colorado about eight years ago and decided to stay. Her stepfather is a physician back in Colorado, specializing in environmental medicine, and he helped her design the inn to accommodate the needs of people with extreme chemical sensitivities.

Earlene's interest in good health, along with the remoteness of the area, prompted her to include a restaurant at the inn also. But when she went looking for a chef, she found no one with her same food philosophy. Not to be dissuaded, Earline spent one winter at a fine culinary school so that she herself could be the chef at her new inn and restaurant. The results are beyond description. We let Earline feed us all three nights we were guests at her inn (as well as breakfasts, of course), and we have never eaten better tasting or healthier food in our lives. From locally raised lamb to organic egg omelets (made with local goat cheese) and creme brulee for dessert, she spoiled us quite thoroughly.

Earline's slogan for the Chanterelle is "the place to just be" on Cape Breton, and that aptly sums up the experience. If I were to go again (and I sincerely hope I will someday) I would go in September, when the leaves are changing, and stay for a week of just sitting on the screened porch and walking the trails through the surrounding woods.