NB Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Our View From The Road

A Big Day

Today I celebrate the completion of 60 trips around the sun. I get to spend it near and on the ocean. This day will be epic.

We complete our morning routines and prepare the campervan for a day of travel and head out shortly after 10:00am. Our first stop is at the local fish market where Barb picks up a bag of frozen Digby scallops and haddock to take home. Then a short drive along Water St to the Admiral Digby Museum which is across the street from the Digby Baptist Church.

The baptist church sits on the site of a home once owned by one of Barb’s ancestors, William McDormand Jr. After his death in 1806, his 2nd wife opened their home to host baptist congregations. Eventually the hose was replaced by the church.

A guide within the museum showed us about their collection and then took to their genealogy archive where we spoke for a time with the archivist about the McDormand’s as they arrived in this area in 1761. There are now descendants across North America. We need to complete more research in Ontario in order to definitively link Barb’s ancestor, John Dorman to one of the McDormand family’s in Nova Scotia. Another reason to return to this area.

After getting a few groceries and filling the vans fuel tank we had time to take a short drive to Gulliver’s Bay (Hole). A small bay just a few miles West of Digby, it was here that the McDormand families first settled in Nova Scotia after coming North from New England.

After enjoying a quiet lunch in the van and doing a little reading, it was time to head toward our ferry. However, first a quick detour to Prim’s Point lighthouse that guards the entrance to the Annapolis Basin from the Bay of Fundy.

After walking about Prim’s Point it was now time to head to the ferry that would take us across the Bay of Fundy to Saint John, NB.

We arrived at the terminal about 1 1/2hrs before departure (they asked for 1 hr) and boarding began at 3:00pm. The ferry departed at 3:55pm, 5min ahead of schedule. In just a few minutes the ferry had turned to face across the Bay of Fundy and we were out of the Annapolis Basin and on our way.

Views astern and of Prim’s Point lighthouse

We began by enjoying a little time on deck in the sunshine and took a few pictures (above and below).

As the ferry crossing would take about 2 1/2hrs, we decided to grab a light dinner onboard. Barb ordered fish & chips and I had a burger & fries. Whilst ordering I happened to mention to the staff serving us that it was my 60th birthday. This resulted in them singing “Happy Birthday” to me and then adding a piece of free mud pie dessert to my tray when they delivered it to our table!!!

After enjoying our meals we settled into one of the very comfortable lounges onboard and did some reading to wile away the time. Shortly after 6:00pm we pulled into Saint John harbour and drove ashore.

We headed West out of Saint John to our overnight destination, New River Beach Provincial Park. It was only about a 30min drive from the ferry and appears to be very quiet amongst the trees a short distance from the waters edge.

After setting up for the night, Barb wandered off to the beach while I wrote this post in the van. Here are the pictures Barb took before being chased from the beach by black flies.

Tomorrow we head North in New Brunswick, come back to see what we discover.

Did we stay or did we go?

We awoke to rain and mosquitoes. The idea of hiding away inside our van for the day was not appealing, so we left Panmure Island Provincial Park even though we had paid for a second night. We figured the weather had to be better elsewhere.

We started by driving from the campground onto Panmure Island to take a look at the lighthouse, the oldest wooden lighthouse on the island!

From Panmure we headed South and the East to look at Cape Bear lighthouse. As you can see, the sun came out.

Along the way we passed lots of lilacs still in full bloom and potato fields with the plants now appearing above the soil in nice neat rows.

As our plans had always been to leave PEI by ferry because it was something we’d not done on our last trip here many years ago, so we headed to Woods Islands to look at the lighthouse and check ferry availability.

The lighthouse did not disappoint, but the ferry did. They only had overflow available for the 3:00pm ferry or we could reserve for the 6:00pm ferry. It was 12:30pm and so we decided to drive back to the bridge and take it instead.

Along the way we stopped at Point Prim to look at the lighthouse. It is the oldest lighthouse in PEI and is built of masonry, is round and finished with wood shingles. It was completed in 1845 as an aid to sailors entering the Charlottetown harbour.

Crossing the Confederation Bridge took us from PEI and back to New Brunswick. We were stopped for road repairs on the bridge which gave us a good opportunity to look about and observe that concrete bridges also flex under the load of moving vehicles. Hmmm.

Entering into Nova Scotia we stopped at the visitor center and we’re welcomed by a piper. The light rains we’re about to get worse according to the darkening skies under which we were soon driving.

We were headed to Colchester, NS and were driving up and around Westchester mountain when the skies became really dark and the winds picked up. We paid the toll at the Cobequid Pass toll plaza and then the rains came. The windshield wipers were on full and the rain covered highway shone like an ice covered pond. We slowed (obviously) to about half the posted speed limit and luckily the worst was over in just a few minutes.

We stopped for fuel, dinner (fish & chips) and a few groceries at the Masstown Market. Quite a place that has just about everything you could want in one stop.

From the Masstown Market we drove 2km to the Elm River Campground as it had been a long day. Below is our site and a quiet one we are hoping it shall be. Good night.

Parlee Provincial Park

We spent Thursday relaxing and reading in the van whilst the rain showers continued. We did get out for a walk from the campground to the bottom of the ski hills (they don’t allow hiking up them for some reason) and I’ve include a few pictures below.

Sugarloaf Provincial Park, Campbellton,NB

Friday we packed up and headed out of Campbellton towards Cap-Luminiere, NB. We had no planned stop for the night but there are a couple of campgrounds right on the shore that we felt should have some space.

We stopped at near Bathurst at a Tim Horton’s for a coffee and sandwich before heading on to Mirimichi where we pulled into town and stopped by the river next to the marina. It was raining again. The town claims to be Canada’s Irish Capital, something that I will need to research as this was news to us. It was while stopped by the river that we changed our plans for the night and decided to continue on to Shediac, NB. It is only a little further than our original destination and we’d get to see the worlds largest lobster!

A short drive later and we’re pulling into Shediac, and there’s the lobster! It is rather large. We stop to take the required photos. It’s stopped raining but is windy and cold.

The town of Shediac is clearly very popular with summertime tourists and the town has some very nice looking stores to browse through. We cross town and pull into Parlee Provincial Park. They have lots of camping sites available and decent, clean restrooms and showers (although it takes a $1 coin for the shower to run for 5min). Shower skipped as we showered at Sugarloaf.

We got setup and walked about 1.5km to a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed bacon-wrapped scallops, clam chowder and a lobster club sandwich each. Yummy! The walk back to our campsite was welcomed to allow dinner to settle before tucking in for the night.

The weather forecast is for sunnier days ahead and we’re about to drive over to Prince Edward Island so fingers crossed that we can spend a little more time outdoors in the upcoming days.

Sugarloaf Provincial Park

Good morning. Power at the campground is still out but we have full coach batteries and so are fine. By 10am we have eaten breakfast and organized the van. It is a till raining but we have reservations in PEI for Saturday and so need to move along a little in order to keep the driving days reasonable.

We’re aiming for a campground in Percé, QC with views of Percé rock. It’s one of the most picturesque places along this coast and in the Summertime can become quite crowded with tourists. We’re hoping the weather eases somewhat as per the forecast.

The drive along the coast is slow and relaxing, albeit wet. We arrive in the town of Gaspé and stop for some lunch. We enjoyed homemade soup and seafood at the Brise Bise restaurant before heading to the Oh les Pains bakery for a few baked treats to take on the road. A quick stop for fuel on the way out of town and back on the road.

Any hopes of the weather breaking are coming coming to an end. The clouds are so low that for most of the drive we can barely see the shoreline or treetops from the van. Corners on road appear out of nowhere as do the hills. We arrive in Percé and it becomes clear watching those outside that it is not a day to sightsee. The campground with a view has none and we decide not to spend money on something we couldn’t see. The weather is not supposed to improve much here over the next 24 hours and as such we decide to push on. We will have to return another year when it’s drier and warmer.

I think there’s a lighthouse somewhere out there.

We aim for Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Campbellton, NB. The forecast looks to be better with only light drizzle, let’s go find out.

The drive along the South shore of the Gaspé peninsula is completely different from the North shore. It is far more populated with many small towns along the way. Agriculture is much more prevalent and the terrain is flatter and not as high. Carleton-sur-mer appeared to be the main touristy center along the coast with a large harbour.

Boutillier Brothers museum, Pasbébiac, QC

A couple of hours along the coast and we’ve turned South to cross into New Brunswick, Canada’s only officially bilingual province. We stop to top off the fuel tank and head just out of Campbellton to Sugarloaf Provincial Park where we plan to stay for the next couple of nights. The campground is only just getting going for the Summer and there is lots of room for us even without a reservation. The site is level and treed, a good place to kick back while we wait for the last of the rainy weather to move out.

Although we grumble about the rain, our thoughts are with friends and family in Ontario suffering with the smoke from the Quebec forest fires. Hoping that everyone is OK and staying safe.