Fun in Fundy
Welcome back! This post will be all about our adventures in New Brunswick, particularly at Hopewell Rocks and Bay of Fundy National Park. Last we left off, we were leaving PEI. Knowing that we had a reservation at the Bay of Fundy National Park, we headed to check out Hopewell Rocks first. Since it was a provincial holiday, admission was free... however, since we came later in the day, we were going to have to pay anyways the next day to come see high tide. Dogs were allowed on the trail and it's about a 15 to 20 minute walk from the park gate depending on your fitness level. There is a shuttle available if you can't make the trek. It was busy, BUT not unbearable. We got lucky and timed our stop really well. We were able to head out onto the ocean floor...
Our timing was perfect as the tide had just gone out. It only got busier from this point on.
We walked the ocean floor and let Tesla in the water for a bit of a dip (on leash). We walked back up to the interpretive centre. Given that it was the provincial holiday, there were several other activities taking place- a barbecue, a band... Needless to say, the interpretive centre was quite busy. We each popped in one at a time to grab a quick souvenir and then headed back to the car.
It's a little deceiving if you've never been to this area. The Rocks are not part of the National Park, they are about a 30 minute drive from the town of Alma and Fundy National Park.
We headed for the park and ended up stopping in Alma. Here we found a great cafe/resteraunt that was formerly a church. Nothing like a sign with a bear and the words "local craft beer on tap" to catch one's eye. It had a great atmosphere inside, but we were able to soak up some sun on the patio with Tesla.
Steps from the patio, a couple were selling some food. After striking up a conversation, they gave Justin a brief tutorial on how to shuck and oyster and then gave him his own to try. East Coast hospitalty can't be beat.
Next up in our impromptu tour of Alma was the local fish store... they had lots of local and fresh lobster available. Given that we were camping, we went with a couple pieces of salmon which was much easier to cook. But here's a look at the lobster.
Finally, we headed for Fundy National Park. I'm glad we had the forsight this time to book a site. It wasn't the most private, but we were able to have a fire, and the washrooms/showers were a short walk away. Because the area was so open, Tesla had to be tied up, but she was happy to find a new stick.
 |
| These red chairs were easy to spot from the road - Fundy National Park |
 |
| Note the contrasting footwear... |
 |
| Stick is still life |
As I mentioned, it was free to get into Hopewell Rocks the day before. But it was back to regular business the next day, which meant $10 per person. It seems a little steep, but it's quite the operation including the interpretive centre, and if that money helps maintain a natural site, then that's alright. We made the 15-20 minute walk again; however, we did not time this visit out as well as the day before (we had to check out of the campsite by 11). The tide was not up too high when we arrived, so we decided to grab some lunch from the concession located down near the rocks. The weather that day was not nearly as nice as the day before, but that didn't stop the crowds.
We hung around to see the water come up a few feet, but decided that it wasn't worth it to wait and see it come higher- the impact was made- just the day before we were walking on the ocean floor and now hours later, we could have been kayaking in that same spot. Also, Tesla was done waiting.
 |
| Guys... I'm done here |
We headed for Fredericton, about a 2 hour drive from Alma. Upon arrival, we searched for somewhere to stop and replenish our craft beer supply. It turns out that craft beer was just beginning to gain popularity here. We first visited Trailway, a little outside the city core, but a beautiful facility. We sampled some beer and enjoyed a stretch for our legs. Next, we stopped into Gray Stone. This was closer to downtown and definitely had more traffic. The vibe was relaxed and we spent quite a bit of time on a very comfy couch here. The great thing was they both let us bring Tesla inside as the weather had completely changed since that morning (sunny and hot). 
With our scallops and newly purchased brews, we needed somewhere to stay for the night. A quick internet search helped us find Mactaquac Provincial Park, about 30 minutes outside Fredericton. This is a HUGE park along the St. John River and right near the Mactaquac Dam. There were many non-electric camping sites, as well as those with RV hookups. A quick walk down to the beach left a little to be desired, but there was lots of room for Tesla to run around in a big field, and a place to take a dip with a view of the dam.
Breifly after we arrived and parked the van, we noticed another Honda Odyssey on the site directly across from us. There was no tent or hammock set up and we wondered if it was also another camper van. Justin being Justin headed over to her campsite to ask if she was sleeping in her van. It turns out we were right! It was driven by a lovely lady in her 50's who's name escapes me now. She was American and explained that this was annual trip she took to visit family in Canada, and that she left her husband at home as camping wasn't his thing. We checked out her van which had a different setup than ours- her bed folded up into a couch, which gave her somewhere to sit and read when it got buggy. Because she was alone, she had about half the stuff that we did and most of it fit in the well at the back of the van (where the 3rd row seat is usually stowed). We acknowledged her great setup but knew it wouldn't work for 2 people. She asked to see our van as she had a friend who was interested in van camping but was looking for something different than she had. She was quite impressed with the way we had our bed and storage, she even brought her iPad over to take some pictures (yet, we have no pictures of her van- oops). It was really great to meet another van camper, and one in an Odyssey too! I hope our tips were useful to her friend.
After our chat and van photo session, Justin cooked up an amazing scallop dinner. These were so good, the texture was perfect. We realized we hadn't really had any meat this whole trip, and we definitely miss the quality of the seafood now that we're back in Ontario.
Thanks so much for hanging in while I take forever to get these posts up... I've truly embraced "slow blogging" (it's a thing, Google it).
See you next time in Quebec City!
S & J
Comments
Post a Comment