It was raining as we departed the Bar Harbor/Acadia area and headed north. The route to Calais, ME/Saint Stephen, NB was full of exciting hills and two lane fun.
Eventually the 6 Flags, ME ride ended and we arrived.
When we entered into Canada last fall in Montana, the process took all of 30 seconds and almost left us with a feeling of disappointment after so much prep and $ to get everyone passports etc.
We hoped this time would be similarly disappointing....but it was not. When in the US, we made sure we were able to protect ourselves and we safely exercised our 2nd Amendment right while traveling. But we left those "rights" back state-side with a friend, knowing we were headed into Canada. Well, we didn't send the holster home and forgot it was onboard. When they find something like an empty holster, they go into aggressive search mode. After all, would hate to have a family of 5 headed into Canada able to protect themselves?! They must be up to no good! They also were not crazy about the fact we had BEAR spray that we had acquired the last time in Canada. "Why would you need bear spray?" they asked? Really? They went through everything. We had to bring the cat into the waiting room (sans cage) which provided entertainment for the hour or so it took to rifle through the RV and jeep. In the end, they were nice enough, didn't blacklist us for future entries (but did threaten), and didn't make too much of a mess.
Back on the road a couple hours later than expected, the roads immediately changed. Highway 1 in NB is probably the best/newest highway we've driven. Immaculate. It was still raining so no great pictures, but it was lush and green. Saint Stephen, Saint George, and then it was time to stop at Saint John. We arrived just before the CostCo closed and stayed the night with a view of the city. We were already noticing the people here are SOOO nice.
The next AM we drove down from the CostCo hill and on to St. Martins. A short 45 minute drive.
We arrived at Century Farm Campground and were given a spot with a great view of the Sea Caves in the Bay of Fundy, less than a mile away.
The annual St. Martins "Showcase" was taking place the day we arrived. It was a perfect intro to the small town because EVERY business in the community had a booth. And there was face painting.
The tide was out (~25') that afternoon so we ventured out into the sea caves (and mud).
The small harbor is the only place in the world that you can get a picture of TWO covered bridges, and a lighthouse. So we had to take the picture.
Here is the same picture with the tide in (unfortunately the lobster boats were gone).
And another picture of the harbor at low tide.
St. Martins is located at the entrance of the Fundy Trail, a 14 mile scenic road along the Bay of Fundy, with an adjacent multi-use hiking/biking trail. The property is currently Provincial and run by a non-profit. The goal is to continue the road and connect with the Bay of Fundy National Park. We drove the road and hiked the Big Salmon River, Melvins Beach and about 4km of the trail.
Unlike the Canadian parks in Alberta, Fundy is much smaller, but equally beautiful. If you enjoy hikes on woodland trails with waterfalls, coastal views, and a variety of terrain, you'll enjoy Fundy. During our 4 days here, we completed the hikes: Caribou Plain Boardwalk, Shiphaven, Dickson Falls, Whitetail and Third Vault Falls (the longest at 7.4km)
We also visited Cape Enrage. Cape Enrage is the site of a historic lighthouse. When the lighthouses were automated in the 80s, the lighthouse fell into disrepair due to vandalism. A local high school teacher and set of students banded together to save the site. They created a great place to visit and partake in zip lining, repelling, and education while enjoying the vistas.
While on the way back, we came across our first "shoefiti" sighting
The tides in Alma can vary by as much as 53'!! While we were here, they varied by about 30'
JAK counted the steps from the high tide shore out to the where this picture was taken, looking back at shore - 1100 strides. It takes a long time to walk that 1/2 mile. Make sure you wear mud boots!
We don't have any quotes or cut-outs this week. But we do find the school crossing signs different here. It appears the children are much larger - boys out the left, girls to the right!
New Brunswick is wonderful and very natural. The people are extremely friendly and the small towns are unique. Today we are headed north and across to Nova Scotia.
As your school year has come to an end and your summer is beginning, we pray for you a fun, safe and peaceful summer! And if there is anything anyone would like us to pray for specifically, shoot us an email and we can add it to our list:) Happy Trails and God Bless!
The next AM we drove down from the CostCo hill and on to St. Martins. A short 45 minute drive.
The annual St. Martins "Showcase" was taking place the day we arrived. It was a perfect intro to the small town because EVERY business in the community had a booth. And there was face painting.
The tide was out (~25') that afternoon so we ventured out into the sea caves (and mud).
The small harbor is the only place in the world that you can get a picture of TWO covered bridges, and a lighthouse. So we had to take the picture.
Here is the same picture with the tide in (unfortunately the lobster boats were gone).
And another picture of the harbor at low tide.
Live lobster was $5.50/lb (Canadian!). So for two nights in a row we visited the Lobster Man (our name, not his) and stuffed ourselves on homemade Lobster rolls.
St. Martins is located at the entrance of the Fundy Trail, a 14 mile scenic road along the Bay of Fundy, with an adjacent multi-use hiking/biking trail. The property is currently Provincial and run by a non-profit. The goal is to continue the road and connect with the Bay of Fundy National Park. We drove the road and hiked the Big Salmon River, Melvins Beach and about 4km of the trail.
We had been advised not to take Big Country on this drive. With 16% grades, we would agree.
The next AM, JAK and Daddy awoke for the sunrise. It was a special view and a special time together.
We could have stayed longer, but decided it was time to head to the Fundy National Park. Maybe it was the fact we had most of the RV park and beach to ourselves, but we would highly recommend St. Martins.
Because the Fundy Trail does not yet connect, you have to head inland to Sussex and then back out to the coast. Even the construction sites in New Brunswick make you feel welcomed!!
We stated at the "Headquarters" campground within Fundy National Park. It is located less than a mile from the small town of Alma, NB.
In order to "leave no trace" on the RV or the environment, Daddy had to do some tree management to fit into our spot.
There is a great playground (and they are building an even better one) with a zip line near the headquarters park.
We also visited Cape Enrage. Cape Enrage is the site of a historic lighthouse. When the lighthouses were automated in the 80s, the lighthouse fell into disrepair due to vandalism. A local high school teacher and set of students banded together to save the site. They created a great place to visit and partake in zip lining, repelling, and education while enjoying the vistas.
While on the way back, we came across our first "shoefiti" sighting
The tides in Alma can vary by as much as 53'!! While we were here, they varied by about 30'
JAK counted the steps from the high tide shore out to the where this picture was taken, looking back at shore - 1100 strides. It takes a long time to walk that 1/2 mile. Make sure you wear mud boots!
We don't have any quotes or cut-outs this week. But we do find the school crossing signs different here. It appears the children are much larger - boys out the left, girls to the right!
New Brunswick is wonderful and very natural. The people are extremely friendly and the small towns are unique. Today we are headed north and across to Nova Scotia.
As your school year has come to an end and your summer is beginning, we pray for you a fun, safe and peaceful summer! And if there is anything anyone would like us to pray for specifically, shoot us an email and we can add it to our list:) Happy Trails and God Bless!
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